Check electrical, room additions during a one-year new home inspection

For most new homes, the builders include a one-year warranty. Before this ends, homeowners should look through all of the critical components of their houses to make sure that everything is as it should be. A lot can happen over the first twelve months after moving in, and many areas may have become unsafe.

It is important to double check that everything is still up to the standards set forth when building the home, and a one-year home inspection is the perfect way to ensure the remaining years spent living in a house are safe and secure. During construction, the buyer and builders enter an agreement about what specifications are required in the new property. At the twelve-month point, the warranty ends - and the builder is off the hook for any fixes that need to get done. Be smart and plan ahead so there won't be any unfortunate surprises as the years tick by.

Electrical systems may pose a safety risk

When a new home is being built, some problems might not be obvious. After months of living, adding appliances and constant flipping of light switches, some components may already be showing signs of wear and tear. 

A home doesn't need to be old to have an issue. Attentive homeowners should keep an eye out for some common warning signs, then have a property inspection done before the warranty expires so any fault of the builders' is fixed promptly. 

Circuit breakers act as a type of safety switch. When too much electricity is detected, the supply is cut off and a serious hazard is avoided, according to Angie's List. If the breakers aren't functioning properly, the system might overheat or pose a fire risk. Every once in a while is typically an indication of too many components plugged into one breaker. Frequent and consistent problems are a much worse sign, and should not be ignored. 

In addition, the circuit breaker panel is the first place to look when something seems off. Wires can become damaged, even in a short amount of time, according to This Old House. Items to look for include corrosion and frayed insulation, which may expose electrical currents. These problems could become code violations, and if the system wasn't properly installed, the repairs might be the builders' responsibility.

Be thorough with room additions

Many homeowners want last minute changes or adjustments to their new house. There is nothing wrong with desiring the perfect property, but asking a builder to alter their plans on the fly may pose problems several months after moving in. Therefore, use a home inspection to find any less-than-obvious problems with an addition. 

Structural issues typically appear in two types, according to Better Homes and Gardens. The first involves the foundation, since adding another room to the side of a home might place unforeseen stresses on the structure. Moreover, a foundation could crack or shift, and that could create problems for the entire home itself. There are several fixes, but if the fault occurred during the construction then it is crucial to find this before a one-year warranty ends. 

The second type deals with upper-level additions, Better Homes and Gardens noted. A last-minute change to the floor framing might not have been done properly, and the system could weaken over the course of a year. The floor might sag, and this can ruin the covering - and affect the walls and overall safety. 

A property inspection can spot the smaller problems associated with the first year after a home is built, and it can find the more obscure issues. Either way, a homeowner should be smart and responsible when dealing with safety.