What I Wish I Had Known Before Owning a New Home

First things first: New homes are not perfect. Yes, we said it. It’s a common misconception, but a home is one the few things left on this earth that is built by man’s hand, and therefore, it cannot be completely flawless. That being said – if you’ve done your research, found “the one”, closed, and moved in all your furniture - Congratulations! This is a very exciting time. Once all of the excitement fades, however, you might realize there are things you are now responsible for that you didn’t have to worry about as a renter. There are quite a few popular articles online describing the pros and cons of buying a new home verses a resale, but none of them seem to cover the actual reality of owning a new home AFTER you close. There are many minor “problems” that can pop up within the first year of new home ownership, that aren't actually problems. A new construction home is not the same as a home that has been sitting for 20 to 60 years and you should know what to expect up front. The more you know and anticipate to happen in the first year of owning your new home, the less dissatisfied you will be down the line. Many of the staff on the First Choice Team have both built and purchased new homes. On a daily basis, we assist homebuyers who are new to the process. Here are some of the things we wish someone had told us before we started building our own new homes.*   What to Know After Buying a New Construction Home

1. You Are Now Your Own Landlord. Although quality materials and workmanship have been used in your home, this does not mean that it will be free from care and maintenance. It sounds like common sense, but unless your Builder gives you a Homeowner Handbook and you actually read and review what items in your home require consistent maintenance and upkeep, you may not know some of the things you’re responsible for when it comes to keeping your home “like new”. A home, much like a car, requires regular care and maintenance. When you ignore small problems, they can become bigger more expensive problems. The U.S. Census Bureau says the median cost for maintenance is about $400 a year, even in new homes.

1. Caulking WILL Open Up In a New Home. It’s no secret. Between trim and in your bathrooms, the caulking can separate from the wall. First Choice Home Builders, will come back and repaint and re-caulk your entire house for free, one time, within the first year. Caulking is a maintenance issue, but if you do it around 1 year after move-in, it minimizes how much you have to touch up over the next 5 years.

1. Doors in House May Need to be Adjusted to their normal position. As a new home settles (and they all do), or as the humidity changes with the seasons, doors may not close properly in their frames – and that’s OK! You may also notice little cracks around the door frames. This is also because of the lumber drying out in the first year, putting pressure on the drywall as it expands and contracts. Your builder should expect this and come out to fix those sticking doors.

1. How to Shut Off Your Water at the Source. In the case that there is a leak in your home, don't let it flood your home for an hour- turn off the valve. To prevent major damage, know how to turn off each appliance and faucet with running water. And to turn off all the water in the home at the source, the master shut-off is usually marked with a blue W painted near the curb on the ground outside of your home.

1. Nail Pops in the Drywall are Normal. Nail pops, or little bumps or crescent-shaped cracks in the drywall, show up frequently in the first year or so as a house settles. As the wood dries, the nails work themselves lose and press into the drywall. First Choice Home Builders will come out one time in the first year to repair all visible nail pops.

1. How to Operate Your Sprinkler/Irrigation System correctly and being able to change it for different seasons, and water levels. To avoid an exorbitant water bill (which CAN happen), be sure you read your manual on Landscape maintenance. First Choice Home Builders installs French drains and swells in most yards to move the water off the property, but homeowners still need to know how to properly operate their irrigation system, so as to not accidentally have the sprinklers go off 5 times per day. Don’t wait until there is a problem to learn about your sprinklers.

1. How to Reset Arc Fault Breakers, or AFCIs. In the past 3 years, new homes (at least in Georgia) have Arc Fault breakers, to help prevent electrical fires. These look like a regular breaker in your box, but they have a little white button. If one is tripped, you cannot simply try to turn it from being tripped to “on” like your normal breakers. You have to turn it all the way to OFF and then back to ON. Otherwise, you will assume that breaker is broken. Most First Choice wall outlets and ceiling light fixtures run on Arc Fault Breakers.

1. Read Your Homeowner Information Packet. Contained inside is a wealth of knowledge for the first year of homeownership and the entire life of the house. Some of the most common questions that we receive can be answered by looking in the first few pages of this Packet.

  Most new homes come with a handy dandy book that has answers to ALMOST all of the questions you could have about your new home. Understandably, a new home is actually different than a home that’s been sitting for 20 years. Reading the manual, just like you would any new product, is highly advisable. Just because you did not anticipate an issue, does not mean that your home was poorly built. It is unrealistic to buy a new home and expect that there aren’t going to be maintenance issues to be taken care of within the first year. Rest assured, however, that if you buy your home from a quality builder, they should be there to help you take care of those issues, so you can enjoy a long happy lifetime in your new home.   *This is not an exhaustive list. For a more detailed list, First Choice Home Builders homeowners should refer to their Homeowner Information Packet, given to them at closing.  

First Choice Home Builders is a local homebuilder in the Columbia County, Fort Gordon, and Greater Augusta, GA area specializing in custom, semi-custom, and build-on-your-lot homes. Currently the company is building homes in the Riverwood Plantation, Whispering Pines, and Rhodes Farm Master Planned Communities. To see our current inventory, click here. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Houzz to see current projects.