10 Month Inspection (Part I)

WOW, it's hard to believe that it has been 10 months already!  Overall, we LOVE our home, but for us the 10-month mark is another opportunity to get minor fixes addressed from the builder.  Here is our chance to pull out the blue tape and paint the house with it!  Ours is scheduled for tomorrow, which is great because it allows extra time for re-visits before the holiday season!   

I have been holding back from posting some of these items before, because I knew I would have more pictures to share if I waited until we were nearing this inspection.

For homeowners who have yet to have their 10-month,  here are some suggested checks (in addition to the 'regular' checks) based on our experience:

• Walk all wood floors and check for squeaks and separations (don't forget your stairs if they are covered with carpet)
• Check wood flooring to ensure they covered all the nail holes
• Walk carpeted floors to look for "lumps & bumps", and tacks 
• Run all appliances at max/min levels to ensure they work properly (you will still have the manufacturing warranty where applicable)
• Run all faucets, plumbing, showers and bath tubs to ensure they are working properly
• Ensure all outlets are working properly 
• Fill kitchen sink to the max and check for leaks underneath (more on this below)
• Make sure water pressure is at a desired state (this may be a simple fix such as cleaning the screens, but now is the time to address it)
• Check the outside perimeter, including the roof, for any cracks, missing siding, separations, etc.

Basically #CheckEverything

As I mentioned above, fill the kitchen sink to the max and check for any leaks.  Why?  Because a couple of weekends ago, I was so busy playing with Diesel that I let the sink overfill.  The good thing is the granite lip on the island prevents the overflow from pouring all over your kitchen floor.  So imagine the look I had when I stepped in a puddle of water!  After my investigation, I determined we have an improper seal where the sink was installed.  We have the standard two-sink shindig and because it happened on one side, we wanted to 'test' the other side.  Turns out we have TWO sinks that are NOT properly sealed.  One side is definitely worse than the other, but because we have never filled the sinks to the max before, we had no idea.  When we went to clean up the water from underneath the sink (in the cabinets), we noticed a few brown spots and some buckling of the cabinet floor.  This means that water had escaped before and now the builder will have a larger lift to address this issue.  I am not sure what will be required to have this issue fix and returned to its 'new' state, but I will be sure to post an update afterwards.  

I should also mention that anything pertaining to drywall will be fixed when you redeem your one-time use drywall certificate.  This includes minor cracks, nail pops, and caulking.  This is not something the builder will fix during the 10-month inspection.  If you have painted your walls a custom color, they are only required to repaint repaired walls with the original builder paint color.  The drywall certificate is good for one year.  Since this is a 10-month, you may opt to use it now or you can wait roughly two months to use it, but it will have to be scheduled separately.  We have decided to redeem ours as close as possible to our one year anniversary to get the full benefit.  Remember, anything 'drywall' after the one year is your responsibility.  #yikes

Using it at the one-year mark allows for your home to cycle through all four seasons.  

You will still have about two months to give your builder a call if something should go wrong after the 10-month inspection, but try to address as much as possible during this time.  NVHomes will send out the notice and you are responsible for listing your concerns (don't be shy...add additional sheets if needed).  The notice will have a tentative date and time for your inspection, pending your return of the notice.  They may have questions about your concerns so it is very important to return the notice within the given time-frame or you may risk your scheduled date and time not being available.

Here are a few items we will have addressed during the visit!  I have also included one of the major nail pops we will address when we redeem the drywall certificate.  As always, let me know if you have any questions!  I will update on what things in particular we addressed and how they were handled.  

Part II will cover all the issues we addressed and how they were handled during the inspection!  My husband just told me we have 21 things on the list!!!  LOL 

Stay tuned...

Above: Separation crack in the molding 

Above: HUGE nail pop and crack.  We have lots of nail pops (mainly in the ceilings) 

Above: Separation near vanity area in guest bathroom

xoxo