(NC) When you buy a new car, the salesperson will show you how all the gadgets work before they hand over the keys. It’s the same with a new home.
Just before you take possession of new home, your builder is required to meet with you to do a thorough walkthrough – what’s known as a pre-delivery inspection, or PDI. This is a very important step in the new home buying process, but not everyone understands it and why it matters.
This is one of your first opportunities to view your completed home.
The PDI should cover the interior and exterior and include a demonstration of your home’s ventilation, plumbing and heating systems.
If you spot any item that is damaged, incomplete, missing or not operating properly, it should be noted on the builder’s PDI form so you have a record that these conditions existed prior to your occupancy.
If something hasn’t been installed or completed, this should be noted as well. While inside the home, look for things like chips or cracks in tiles, scratches on countertops or mirrors, damage to floors or walls, and doors and windows that are not secure or do not open and close.
When you go outside, check items like the quality of brickwork and siding, whether window screens have been installed, and the appearance of the driveway and landscaping.
The PDI is also your opportunity to ask questions about how things work and how to take proper care of the elements in your home, so if there’s something you’re not sure about, don’t be shy to ask.
When the inspection is over, you’ll be asked by your builder to sign the PDI form. Any issues you see and record on it should be addressed by your builder as soon as possible.
And if you need help getting items on your list completed, you can ask Tarion for assistance after you take ownership. Tarion is the company that administers the new home warranty program in Ontario, and its role is to help resolve homeowner warranty claims.