Home Inspection for New Construction - Rand?

I am thinking about purchasing a new constructed property in Bushwick. My major concern is finding out that the property is properly built and not going to have major problem in the future (structure, mold, leaks).

I was recommended to Rand Engineering in previous posting and they charge 2 grand. Are they more magical than other home inspector they can find what’s behind the wall and under the floor to determine if the house was properly built? The others charging around 5 hundred. In the proposal, Rand only say that they inspect “visual” condition – which I don’t think is sufficient to determine the quality of the building.

I’d rather buy an old house but deft cannot afford one with move in condition.

spaceaddict

in Inspection 13 years and 9 months ago

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jpatrick | 13 years and 9 months ago

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$2000 is a lot of money for a home inspection.  It should not cost anything near that, but I think it also depends on the scope of the inspection.  Were they going to do any type of added testing like mold, radon or thermal imaging inspection?  I paid less than half of that for a complete inspection but didn’t include any additional testing.  I used John from Precise Inspection.  Very thorough and a great report.  I found him through the Forum.   His number is (718) 514-3393 if you’re still looking.

callalily | 13 years and 9 months ago

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If your name starts with M and you used to work near Grand Central, you and I know each other and I have been trying to contact you. I saw an old four-family in perfect condition. I think they were asking $600,000 but it was probably negotiable. The only bad part is every tenant loves the place and doesn’t want to move, so if you’re looking for an apartment, you’d have to kick someone out of their home that they love. And/or deal with existing tenants.

callalily | 13 years and 9 months ago

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I don’t know if Rand has magical powers, but Heimer is also a licensed house inspector AND engineers (important). They charge $900.

What is your budget? You can get an old house in move-in condition for $530,000 — a two family. With 3.5 percent down.

JacobMather | 13 years and 9 months ago

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Hello friends, The cost of land are varies considerably according to the area. Prices have escalated sharply in recent years in some areas because of the demand for new homes. You must take the same care when buying land as you would when buying a home. The continued housing boom means that plots of land are being snapped up as fast as they become available. Planning permission is not required for building a house or an extension as well as for erecting a fence or wall. You should obtain written quotations from a number of builders before signing a contract. Thanks Jacob Mather

m926bk | 13 years and 9 months ago

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Yes, Rand is an Engineering firm, so their rates for a home inspection might be higher.  Other engineering firms and some architecture firms also do these type of inspections.  To me, $500 seems too low to inspect building-wide conditions (like structure, MEP, roofing, general quality of construction) and an apartment’s particular conditions, and write a report, but $2000 might be a little high.  By “visual inspection” they mean that they will not do any probes and will only comment on what they can see – for instance, structural conditions or piping within walls they cannot comment on; only if there is a crack or a leak or other symptom of a problem.  No one is going to do anything beyond a visual inspection for you.

jockdeboeraia | 13 years and 9 months ago

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Rand are actual engineers, where as home inspectors are usually not, but they cannot see though walls…