Here at Internachi, before covid hit, probably around last Feb. WHen COvid hit I put the inspector thing on hold
Ok, outlets that pack in working after a few years, I’ve been in houses in the UK where a new house has never had a problem with electrical outlets, here i’ve never been in a house that doesn’t have electrical issues, many of them less than 15 years old.
the plastic pop stop valves that can explode at any time and flood your house, I’ve spoken to many plumbers who condemn them as rubbish.
Other stop valves made of plastic that if turned fly to pieces and need a wrench. Stop valves that have failed.
Plastic stop valves on main entry feeds that are solid and won’t turn off. Yet again 15 yr old properties. (Inspectors are told not to touch them because they might not turn back on again or blow up.)
no gutters on houses as standard leading to rot on door frames.
Trees planted over drain runs
Poor drain access for maintenance
House design poor leading to costly smoke alarm battery renewal. (Householder needed 30 ft ladder to change a battery.
Poor lighting design in a high end property that meant a lamp needed a 30 ft ladder to change a bulb
Planting trees too close to houses.
Poor sub contractor supervision meaning early maintenance on new house
Need i go on?
The construction industry is very highly regulated re qualifications and such compared to the UK, but practically speaking, the standards here are so much worse.
It only doesn’t happen because the regulatory bodies don’t code against it and stop it. And I know that boils down to money and government. But it kind of justifies my theory that the government doesn’t run the country. Corporations do, and that is why the general public get a bad deal whoever is ‘in power’
Sounds like you need to buy in a better neighborhood I’m not familiar with any of the defects you’ve listed and I’ve been in the industry for over 30 years.
It sounds like you’re only familiar with one very small area of the United States. A photograph of one tree does not represent the forest.
4 Likes
…but he mentioned bulbs placed high. I routinely see recessed lights in 30 foot ceilings. I mention to my client to plan accordingly by owning a ladder & an extention pole to change them. They usually respond with “We will just pay someone to do it”.
1 Like
My guess is they still have 7 foot ceilings in the UK😂
1 Like
I think our new built homes are shit but the consumers continue to purchase without flinching so they obviously accept the product.
I have also been to the UK. Cool to visit & rich in history…but no, it’s not the cats ass or anything.
2 Likes
All my recessed lighting are LEDs. in the UK they must still be using incandescence.
Try Jessica Ledbetter, bnk insurance services. Mine is $1300 annually for 500k. Try jledbetter@bnkins.com. Tell her I referred you. Good luck
Its true i’m only familiar with Florida, but in the area i live in there are million dollar plus homes still built with crap
Ian I inspect many new construction sites and can tell you quality varies with builders. If you look hard enough you will find flaws in every country. Look further and you will discover craftsman that walk away from every project knowing they produced a quality project.
The problem today is those craftsman are leaving the work force and being replaced with people with different work ethics. The union workers that are known for high quality work understood 20 years ago they could no longer attract workers when workers could make the same wages mashing buttons on a keyboard. The unions have been shrinking since.
For FL, that is cheap. What is your deductible?
I don’t recall the deductible. I think it is $1000. It was half of what everyone else wanted. It is through Hartford. And I just added mold inspections and the premium did not increase. Check Jessica out. Maybe she can give you a better rate.
Thanks Kip, deductible can make significant difference. A high deductible of say, $5000, is what some insurers want to quote you so they could easily deal with claims, in essence throw you under the bus. The deductible must be no more than $2000, ideally in $1000-$1500 range for the insurer to have incentive to fight for you in case of a claim. Too many small claims are under $5000 and the insurer just settles immediately without questioning anything. You then have a paid-out claim and getting any further insurance at a reasonable rate is going to be difficult.
Anyway, hence my question 
Hey Simon,
Yes I realize that, so I want to say $1000 but could even be $500 or $1500. Sure it isn’t 5k. What are the most common claims, do you know?
Inspector Pro Insurance says:
1 Like