Do I need a home inspection if the home is new construction?

Do I need a home inspection if the home is new construction?

When I am showing new construction homes and townhouses I am often asked if it is necessary to have a home inspection with new construction.  It makes sense to feel that it might be a waste of money to pay for a home inspection when everything is new.  I always advise clients to have one regardless of whether the home is brand new or otherwise. 

This recommendation was really brought home to me yesterday when I attended a home inspection in a new construction townhouse.   During the inspectors very thorough inspection several deficiencies came to light. 

•·  The thermostats in each room had been wired incorrectly therefore the heat could only be controlled by turning a breaker on or off.

•·  The exterior doors did not have proper weather stripping.

•·  There was a black line of mildew in the attic.

One of the subjects in a new construction offer is to have a walk through with the builder to list and repair any deficiencies.  If you time the inspection prior to the walk through you are armed with a list of deficiencies that you may not have otherwise noticed.

The above examples are easily remedied prior to completion.  However, without an inspection some of these issues may not have been noticed with just the walk through.