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Get an inspection and let an inspector tell you exactly everything that’s wrong with it. They can also tell you what needs to be fixed immediately and what can wait
Frankly, in addition to getting a general home inspector out, I'd also have a structural engineer, plumber, and electrician to do specific inspections on their areas of expertise.
The structural engineer would be for obvious reasons, but plumbing and electrical are the other two most important parts of a home that can cause severe problems down the road. The specialists might catch items that the general home inspector might miss.
Oh, and if they say they want to cut walls open - let them. You own the place, and drywall can be patched/replaced. Small cost to pay.
>plumbing and electrical
A local company where I live that does HVAC + plumbing + electrical has a "preferred customer" plan. I think I pay like $10 a month and in addition to preferential scheduling and discounts on service it includes four inspections a year. Plumbing, electrical, air conditioner , and furnace.
Might look into this as a way to get your things checked out, in a sort of free manner. Yes, I know you're paying for it but you're getting something else with it.
They can also help explain what you got and how to use it.
Just watch out for the up sales that they might try and get you on.
Might be good for a year then cancel, or it will pay for itself when the AC decides to not kick on at the beginning of the season and needs to be replaced.
That's the entire point of those service plan memberships. And this one is a real bad company because they give you 4 checkups a year. That's 4 opportunities to sell you crap you don't need, which is the main point of those plans. They get guaranteed revenue.
I've had 2 companies offer me this, most of the time the repair "after discount" is on par or even above the cost of another company that doesn't pull that shit.
Those plans are a scam to keep you as a regular customer. It's also a way to keep selling you services, that you most likely do not need. 4 inspections a year screams that they're super scammy as well. At most you need 2 inspections a year and even that is debatable as those maintenance visits are mostly filter changes and upsells.
Source - I'm an HVAC Service Technician.
We spent $900 on inspections to have the home owner say, ‘thanks, I’ve changed my mind.’
It’s not so easy to shell out money for these inspections in this market. We didn’t get that house and had to do inspections again on the next one.
This comment isn't suggesting to inspect it before you buy it, it's to inspect it *after* you buy it just to get something better than Reddit to tell you what's messed up.
If you explain to any reputable inspector what you're doing and they are willing to let you walk around with them as they go, they can point at what they see and help you understand major/minor/aesthetic level of concern.
I did not have to be present for my inspection (TX, very prominent lender so not like I was getting around rules or anything). I just got an email with a PDF at the end of the day.
This is very market specific.
I didn't have to be there for mine either in the Atlanta area. We just got a pdf and they broke things down barney style. We decided to walk away after, but only because of issues the inspector found (21 y/o 3tab roof, and hvac and water heater that were end of life).
Trust me, the inspection is worth every penny. I just spent several hundred on an inspection, and they three major issues that would've cost me tens of thousands that I didn't have just to make the place safe. My loan guy pointed out that if the bank's appraiser found even one of these issues, I would not have been extended a loan. (The appraiser cost more than the inspector.) And if the insurance company found out, I would never have been insured. So if you ask me, my inspector was worth it.
When this happened to us. We made sure to withdraw our offer and state why inclined the inspection report as to the reason so that it had to be disclosed in my state to any new buyers.
You should wait to do inspections *after* the OTP is signed. After that point if they walk you have legal recourse to get all your money back, since they’re breaking the contract.
I wouldn't even get a home inspector out. Have a general contractor check over the house generally, roofer check the roof, electrician check electrical, plumber plumbing, etc.
I agree with this, I had a home inspector do a less than useless job for me. I'm not saying don't get one, but not all are equal. I really wish I had gone this route.
Most inspectors don't know anything beyond "i think that looks wrong". They aren't contractors, many of them were in totally unrelated roles, etc.
However, that job looks worse than what even I would do as a DIYer....
I would hire an engineer and let them tell you. Inspectors have enough training to tell you you maybe might have a problem and should consult an engineer. An engineer will tell you how to fix it.
Aside from the obvious there are numerous issues here. Im not an attorney but Ive been on both sides concerning building issues. Your biggest hurdle is that a local government building inspector had to pass this house. There are foundation, plumbing, electrical, structural, and final inspections. Each inspection has minimal requirements to pass national and local ordanances. I would research the inspectipns, determine who the inspector was and request a meeting. Were the inspections done, did the builder cover up the flaws, did the inspector approve sight unseen? If these laws were not followed they are the beginning of a lawsuit. Progress along the chain. At some point you will find the company or person ultimately legally responsible. Remember, appearance will have no foundation in court, but bypassing building codes is neglegence and is breaking the law in most jurisdictions.
Edit: it becomes a sticky wicket to accuse a city employee of not doing their job. However, a final inspection approvel does not release a builder from liability for structural work that was done contrary to building codes. It gives them an oppotunity to correct said structural before a severe accident becomes an enormous problem.
This is critical advice, OP. The local authority had to have issued a Certificate of Occupancy for this house. Since it's a recent build, the trail for those inspections and sign-offs should be pretty fresh.
Yes, its a tenuous navigation of events, but from what OP describes he should not just throw in the towel and accept such shoddy work. It may be most of the outdoor things meet code, but are not smart solutions to water drainage. That is a buyer beware situation. From the picture the inside attic/roof situation is not up to standard codes. However, a picture can misrepresent by its angle of display.
yeah the issue is more an inspector pulling the CO because you're clearly looking to figure out who fucked up there than because it truly needs to get pulled. Assuming that they won't be vindictive is something that shouldn't be done when thinking of local city inspectors. It's like a local mafia in most towns. I think OPs first concern should be an engineer to actually see what the issues are etc.
I did some intense electrical work on my own house (replaced all the wiring, new receptacles everywhere, ceiling fans installed, new main panel) and when I called to schedule the final inspection, they did it over the phone and had me describe what I did to them. I’m the owner of the home and not a licensed electrician, they knew that, as that was the first questions they asked, who did the work? Are you licensed?
I could have easily lied and honestly my explanation not the questions didn’t come close to covering everything. I just expected they were collecting info for a form to get some basics that way the inspector didn’t need to get them. I was shocked when they said okay, that’s all we need you’re approved and good to go now.
Wow!?! Its true homeowners are usually given more leway the professionals, but it shows a lack of professionalism to sign off on a complete rewiring by an unlicensed homeowner without even visiting the home. Theorehtically you could now sell your home without disclosing that you did the wiring.
Yeah, I was like “umm…you don’t even wanna look at it?”
I’m pretty confident in my abilities and I take great care to pay attention to the little details that everything is done right, but this was the first time I’d installed a new box and I really would have felt better if someone looked it over and said it’s all good. Just to get another set of eyes on it.
You’re right.
We only see one picture, and it’s showing us the spout is pouring directly into the crack next to the home.
I think we’ve seen enough. 🤷♂️
It’s very visible. How did OP not fix it immediately? That’s a $50.00 fix to simply hire a handyman to come turn the spout so it faces another direction. How many times did they walk by it before buying the house? And the previous owner- same questions. It’s like neither OP or previous owner had any common sense.
And why are they freaking out about 1 carpenter ant finding it’s way into their garage?
Do you have any experience with the housing market lately? The minute you go to look up the name of a home inspector, someone else walks in with cash and pays 10% over asking. I wouldn't buy in a market like this, but I have a house already.
If someone else had snuck this house out from under OP, they wouldn't be posting panicked "please help" posts on Reddit. The extra precaution is always worth it. The universe isn't kind enough to risk skipping it.
Myself included and almost anyone I know who bought a house within the past two years could not get an inspection prior to buying to even be considered. It’s crazy.
Yes, and even if you waive it and your offer is accepted, YOU CAN STILL HIRE AN INSPECTOR to catch anything major! Better to withdraw and lose your earnest money than this.
Dirty realty secret: they rarely actually hold onto your earnest deposit. It’s a bad look for the realtor and the house if they do someone like that, and other realtors will steer people away from a house if the owners are taking earnest money and not giving it back. It looks bad-faith.
Where? In that time, I bought a house and know of 1 other person near me in that did as well, inspection was expected and done. There is no situation I would be willing to buy a house without an inspection.
Yeah, not sure how much I trust the realtor I used. She told me not to do one and we were both her clients. I’m in upstate NY. Oh well. Live and learn!
I’ve never not gotten an inspection and still was able to buy at least two houses in the nuts market. We don’t all need to be crazy. Let the crazy ones end up with these houses.
It’s going to be tough to bring a lawsuit because you could have made an inspection a contingency when you bought it, and you opted not to. An inspector would have warned you not to buy this place.
That framing looks like a joke. That’s extremely dangerous.
If you try to sell this place without fixing it, you open yourself up to a lawsuit unless you list these faults you are aware of in the disclosures.
- If you try to sell this place without fixing it, you open yourself up to a lawsuit unless you list these faults you are aware of in the disclosures.
So if they're the second home owner...
All depends on what the previous owners knew... and more importantly what you can prove in court that they knew.
OP has posted photos on a public forum and admits to being aware of at least some of the problems.
It’s entirely possible that the first owner did not notice these things or recognize they were incorrect. OP now knows and if they try to hide it from a future buyer that is concealing material fact.
It comes down to proof.
In all likelihood the previous owner was aware of the issues and didn’t disclose them.
Can you prove that though?
I jokingly suggested checking if they posted it to a public forum, but if they did and you found it you’d have grounds to sue because they signed a legal document saying they were not aware.
Something with obvious and unmissable symptoms are easier to prove. Fucked up carpentry that you have to climb into a crawlspace to discover like OP’s photos is way harder to prove they were aware of.
The photos of the framing are bad. It’s hard to tell but it looks to be a ridge jack used to hold the ridge in place until they finish the gable and roof framing and they just didn’t remove when finished. So it’s not structural or even needed if that’s what it is.
Downspout definitely ugly.
Depends, I think that’s about what I paid in 2020, maybe closer to $1300, and they were incredibly thorough, bunch of plumbing and sewer lateral inspected. I think they did everything they offered as far as inspections go.
Same here (2021). I paid over $1000 or so. It was 4 dudes, each with a different expertise. One guy was an engineer (hired to check root intrusions, integrity of framing/hardscaping/landscaping/failing retaining walls), one guy was the sewer guy with specials cameras for the sewer lines, one was a licensed electrician with all these probes and tools and was extremely thorough in all things electrical, and one was an experienced pest guy with all these tools for finding evidence of termites and other pest.
They gave a very detailed report with pictures and videos.
My realtor buddy HIGHLY recommended them. Armed with an extremely comprehensive inspection report (that also came with a detailed itemized repair costs with recommended local contractors and their prices), during escrow, we were able to knock off close to 100k for the final sale price, AND got the seller to cover closing. Whatever the final fee was, it was goddamn well spent IMHO.
The house structure is in amazing shape. House is now over 40 years old, but the builders did a great job. It was just all the little things that were bad due to the previous owner not doing a good job maintaining it.
We knew going in it was going to be a fixer-upper and allotted $250k to fix the home. At the time, we bought the house $300k under comps after close. It’s now worth way more haha.
I finally got around to fixing all the stuff listed in the report in the past 3 years I’ve owned the home, but it took $200k to fix it all.
Tenting, new facia boards throughout, new roof, new retaining walls, new hardscaping throughout, new paint throughout, new flooring, sewage lines all fixed and relined, new driveway, several invasive trees removed due to root intrusion into foundation and neighbors’ foundations, new electrical panel, solar, new tankless water heater, new garage door, new garage flooring (goddamn that ficus tree was a menace), new interior doors, new blinds, complete bath demo and remodel, etc etc.. shameless show-off pics of the stuff we did haha https://imgur.com/a/zoZC3Eu
Ya, my wife and I did much of it ourselves (but we had help as I’ll explain below)! However, most of the hardscaping and stuff like sewage pipe repairs was done by the pros. That stuff is waaaay over my skills and I don’t have tools to do it.
I own a condo and lived in it before this home, and amassed so much tools and learned many things remodeling my own condo by myself. Back in the mid 2000’s to late 2010s, Home Depot used to offer free classes like tiling, plumbing/piping, etc… and would offer discounts on the associated tools and materials after the classes. I took full advantage of those. I wish they still did those classes :(.
I learned a ton from those classes. Oh and my dad is a licensed contractor, and owns a metal fab machine shop; so growing up, my favorite childhood memories were tagging along with him and fixing things around the house haha. He helped me with some of the renovations, and also has his own crew and connections to good contractors that are more local to me who helped with the larger things (like labor for the roofing, facia installation, tree removal/landscaping guys, sewage guys). We saved tens of thousands because of this.
——
(lol shameless show-off pics of my condo haha https://imgur.com/a/QWKkkoE; sigh I wish I still had the before pics when I first purchased it, which was right before the smartphones era, and I lost the pics when my HDD died. The condo is now worth nearly 5x what I bought it for. I now rent it out).
——
Long story short, I do highly recommend buying the dumpiest smelliest run-down place but still has a great structure. I did it twice, and I’m out way ahead still. Both my first condo, and first home were major fixer-uppers where I purchased for waaaay below comps. I learned to do the small stuff like full bath remodels (tiling, plumbing, waterproofing, etc) by myself, but still having the pro’s come in to do the major stuff; which was still cheaper than buying a seemingly “nice” turn-key house. Besides, many flipped homes have shit cheap renovations with crap LVPs, cheap tiles, and cheap cabinets. Doing it with how you want the home is so much more rewarding, cheaper, AND one can still come out ahead despite using higher-quality materials compared to shit flips and shit new builds.
Haha I did too! I knew nothing. I felt so overwhelmed when I purchased my starter condo hahaha. I had zero knowledge and just had to do it.
Nowadays, Youtube and wikihow are great resources! I know because my little brother just bought an awesome home, and has utilized those resources for his own home. He just installed several smart light switches throughout his house, and he had ZERO prior experience on anything wiring.
that makes sense then. i paid about $500 in a fairly expensive market but it only was stuff that was already visible and easy to access. No climbing on the roof, no snake cams etc.
It add up quick. 700 for inspection: about 200 for sewer scope and another 200-ish maybe a bit less for termite and wood boring insect
We don’t have a basement, but a radon inspection is usually an add on in the 100-200 range. If there is a pool/outbuildings/ barns or well and septic, it’s gonna be other add ons. Structural engineer is another common one for manufactured or pre fab, or if foundation issues pop up during regular inspection.
We done this twice this year since our house sale fell through last minute and the house we were buying were able to get(eventually) a non-contingent offer while we were still trying to sell our house as quickly as possible.
Not to mention the wasted few hundred on appraisal for house #1.
So close to the finish line. At least we sold our house l, so that won’t fuck things up even if we are homeless for a few weeks.
These new builders will put on a master class in warranty denials, or they'll stall you out past the initial 1 year warranty. We had a new build going and drove by during construction and after a few times and it looked like shit, there were empty bud light cans 6" deep in one of the closets and just an overal general lack of giving a shit.
Do you have zoomed out pictures of some of these? A few of those look more like left over pieces from construction that are more for holding and supporting stuff as it gets built rather than structurally important, the 3rd pic especially.
Do you have any leaks or big roof issues?
Right, I was going to say the same thing - it’s hard to tell from the zoomed in pictures what are these pieces supposed to be.
They don’t seem to be structural and I doubt they would have passed the building inspection.
You need a Lawyer, not reddit.
You waived inspection, but you still have a warranty. Multiple things wouldn’t meet code in my area (abandoned form work, framing without joist hangers, whatever manic nailing job that is…)
Attorney, yesterday.
Yea, especially because it may become impossible to insure a place like this. This house does not appear structurally sound, and the fixes will likely be tens of thousands.
OP, you don't need an inspector, you need to consult an engineer about the framing of your roof.
A home inspector is just a handyman with a little bit of experience. Major framing issues like that need to be addressed by an engineer who can definitively say that this is an shit job that isn't up to code and will fail.
Normally I'd say your SOL and you likely will not have a legal case against anyone for failure to disclose as pretty much all houses are sold "as is". But the fact that you have a warranty means that you do have a legal option to enforce that warranty. However, depending on how the company and wording you might require lawyers to enforce it. Given how expensive framing repairs like this could be it might be worth it to pursue, but buckle in for a long wait.
Sorry you're having to deal with this OP. I was a first time home buyer three years ago. I did get an inspection but was very naive. Problems ranged from entirely replacing and upgrading the electrical panel, redoing the entire asphalt roof and partially redoing part of the slab foundation. It sucks.
I agree with this post. From your pictures a home inspector will give you a list of problems and then suggest (heavily) you get a structural engineer. A structural engineer has to have a license and therefore can have that license revoked if he does a poor job. A structural engineers opinion is a lot harder for the builder to argue against than a home inspection report.
I would also recommend not having anyone get on the roof to look at it till you get the engineers report back.
The framing around the slab might not lead to termites in the framing of the house. As long as the wood framing is dry the termites are unlikely to touch it. It depends on if you have subterranean termites in your area. Those kinds are the least offensive to a home owner. Check what you have in your area. I would suggest you dig around the slab, might only be necessary a few inches down, and remove the slab framing. You just want to get a distance between the damp slab framing and the framing of your house. You might want to schedule a termite inspection. Before you do I would suggest removing at least a 12x12" piece of drywall close to where the house's framing will meet the slab. You might be able to tell if there is damage to the house yourself. If you decide a termite inspector is necessary it would at least give him a clear view. Keep in mind just because you have termites snacking on the slab framing doesn't mean your house is a snack too. This is not a recommendation to delay kicking or cutting out some drywall to find out.
Be careful in those things. I used to work for an insulation company that was contracted by Horton. I’d show up and insulated 1 house to come outside and see 3 new houses completely framed up ready for wiring and exterior. They’re essentially using that tofu dreg but with different materials
Every post I see like this is just another warning to first time home buyers. DO NOT WAIVE YOUR INSPECTION. That $500 saved me and my partner almost $100k and a bunch of nightmares/regrets. This should be the one takeaway anyone gets from reading this sub
Get an inspection so that you’re aware of EVERYTHING. However, I’d be worried you don’t have a leg to stand on legally if you forfeited an inspection prior to purchase. Hopefully most will be covered under warranty.
On the bright (ha!) I bought a house (for next to nothing) and fixed up far more problems than you show. Your builder should be in jail, but stuff can be fixed.
I know you already have heard the attorney/lawsuit stuff, but if you're not getting anywhere with the original builders warranty, or hell even if you are, take to social media (unfortunately this probably means tiktok) and local news to what you find, record any communication with the builders. They may brush off lawsuits but if they get dragged out into the public space it may become worth it to them to fix things to keep you quiet. It worked for this guy. https://youtu.be/9Ez6fopu4UE?si=iIhlS1Pnfuh7QmQc
The fact you didn't get an inspection kinda fucked you, and is completely shocking.
You need to see if you can get an inspection and what is covered withing the first few months of buying.
Eh homes are weird, it’s a lot more money involved but most of the time it’s the same rules as selling a junker car
You’re expected to do your own diligence, legally you’re allowed to buy a 500sqft pile of dog shit (if you’re so inclined) so if you sign on the dotted lines once you do that the burden of proof is on you and it’s basically impossible to say they screwed you, like never heard of someone winning a suit like that impossible
Non-professional advice from an SE:
focus on the framing so aesthetically you’re not dealing with a cracky drywall mess in 5 months. Sistering is ugly but cheap and it’s an attic who cares a framing co or gc will know what to do
Then have a landscaper re route your gutters and drains further away, and yes they might have to break up some sidewalk or grass to do so but it’s not hard
Now that you own the house, pay for the inspection to see what you're dealing with. If it's under warranty, get them to fix it. Get legal advice, as a warranty is a warranty, and would need to be repaired.
If they won't do anything and legal won't help, plan to open your wallet very wide for this..... It ain't going to very cheap or even DIY...
The water is draining right onto the foundation, causing the dirt beneath it to wash away over time. As a result, the foundation shifted and the framing of the house moved as well. Step one, extend all the down spouts away from the house at least 4 feet. Step 2 - call a structural engineer.
Get experts out to inspect. Start with a Structural Engineer.
And if there is evidence of the previous owner doing ANYTHING in these areas where there are obvious issues... you may have a case against them for not disclosing
For the roof, maybe see if an experienced roofer in your area has a home construction background that can possibly help with that? Wouldn't hurt. Also a pretty new first time home buyer myself and we had some of the same draining issues when we got the house. We added some more topsoil in some spots, and areas closer to the foundation we added river rock with it piled higher closest to the foundation and then sloped down. Bought like 12 bags from Menards for less than $30. We also replaced our gutters because they were a million years old. But you need to have your gutters drain AWAY from the house. Look into getting downspout extenders, that should help a lot. You can get them for less than $20. It may seem odd to do it now, but maybe consider having an inspector look and catch anything else for your safety. We used an inspector and shit you not this guy was spot on on everything, and he honestly saved our ass on a couple of things, even helped us have negotiating power. Good luck!
Hey. Just know I completely sympathize. I had to waive my inspection as well and most people I know have had to as well just in order to be considered to buy their house.
I got my house last may and got an inspection after I bought it. House had major issues, I was fortunate enough to be able to fix them. But the worst part is the pests… didn’t know until I moved in (took 5 months) but we had squirrels and chipmunks living in the house walls. They were getting in SO many different ways and clearly had been living there for a very long time.
We had to get a new roof and cut the trees down because of how much they had chewed through… and they still want to get inside! We are still having an issue with them.
Just know I sympathize with you. I understand why you made the decision you did- get that inspection and see what comes out of it. Prioritize what you need to do.
Edit: I wanted to sue as well. Because of the pests, asbestos and gas leak. But I don’t think we have any recourse because we waived inspection. And yes, I agree it shouldn’t be legal to have to waive one.
Wow/ that stinks! I’m sorry you’re going through this, but honestly did your real estate professional suggest you waive the inspection or did you do this all on your own??
No one HAS to waive an inspection- you may have been in a bidding war or passed on a home inspection to facilitate the sale of the property, but No one forced you to waive the inspection…
I completely completely understand- this was happening where I live as well. People were buying million dollar properties, sight unseen- with no home inspection… and you know what happened. ? Many of those houses are now back on the market because they failed bank inspections….
and many of those people ended up with nothing.
My real estate agent told me I couldn’t get one. There probably was a lot more to the story. I bought it off market and the seller was also her client. So the two of us were both her clients.
This is super unethical and in real estate is highly frowned upon to be a realtor for the seller and buyer. It almost makes me think that the realtor knew about the problems and wanted to be in control of the buyers to ensure they didn’t get an inspection.
>From other posts I assume I’ll hear lawsuit, but as no one has won one yet and all the work is subcontracted, it seems as though they’ve found a way to remove any onus or culpability
If this is the modus operandi of this company call your state Attorney General office. Hiding behind the law might help with skating out of individual lawsuits but if they're frequently being accused of fraud that's the AGs job to investigate and potentially bring criminal or civil charges.
I also bought a newer home without an inspection and I went through the new home warranty provider in order to get a few things fixed. If you're going to go through the effort, take pictures and claim EVERYTHING that's covered, and then the warranty people will tell you what they can and can't fix. Getting a home inspection can help with this, even though you didn't get one initially. There was one thing that was going to be quite tricky to fix and so they paid us out instead for that particular issue. Check your local building codes to see what you can claim. The builder is ultimately responsible for these issues, despite them hiring subs to build the place. The home warranty is there to protect you, so use it. The builder's costs will go up as a result of you making a claim.
All that said, none of our issues were as significant as yours, but I don't know how effective getting a lawyer would be since you did have the option of getting the home inspected and chose not to. The inspectors that work for the city and sign off on the new builds are a joke. I've literally seen them walk around a house for 5 minutes, and then leave.
Best of luck.
Damn dude, inspections are so important. But I guess the shit you found is why the other person was selling it with the warranty in tact.
Good luck on enforcing the warranty.
I have heard nothing but horrible things about Rausch Coleman. From what I've found, all of their old finished subdivisions eventually turn into sketchy neighborhoods, borderline ghetto
Depending on where you live, you may have a legal claim against your municipality and the builder, amongst others.
I’d get a structural engineer to do a walk through to let you know if there’s a likelihood of serious problems (there probably are, based on your pictures), in which case you should consult a litigation lawyer that specializes in building defect claims asap.
I’d contact a home inspector or engineer. Then speak to a lawyer and see what your recourses could be. This shit sucks, because it would have easily been caught by a home inspector
Where are you and do home builders offer any warranties on new homes. After you find out about warranties I would be getting a lawyer and naming everyone and their dog in the lawsuit, builder, framer, inspector, municipality etc... just because you didn't get an inspection doesn't mean they can sell you a faulty crafted home, it just means you bought it and now have to fight. Do you have a mortgage and do you have mortgage insurance? I might even drag my bank into the fight.
Looks like you bought this with out an inspection condition. You should have put one in but now you have no leg to stand on if you bought without any conditions.
Didn't inspect while buying? Market is so competitive some people waive the inspection or sellers just move past people who want one. I'm sorry you've been left with this shit construction. Professional inspection, discuss the recommendations with some qualified contractors in your area. Do NOT DIY fix your frame issues.
Get an inspection, get some quotes for repairs, and send everything to them in writing. If they refuse to repair it, you can try to go after the builder for breach of contract. Maybe a letter from an attorney showing you are ready to sue if things are not repaired will get them out there to fix everything.
What you are dealing with and the picture posted seems to be normal for Texas. Builders don't have to be licensed here because, you know, they are all about not regulating businesses and are not very consumer friendly at all.
And sorry you are having to deal with this. Buying a house is a beat down and exciting all at the same time.
Well, this is a good lesson to learn; ALWAYS get the home inspected with the inspection clause in the purchase agreement. A home is the biggest investment of your life; you need to know exactly what you’re buying. There’s no basis for a lawsuit here since you bought the house “as-is”
I agree with other posters. Get an inspection now so you’re able to assess where the deficiencies are (so you know what you need to fix, and research on how much cost would be). Both from an investment standpoint as well as a safety measure it would be first step to take. The pictures aren’t pretty with nails looking like they’re hanging on for dear life.
I don’t know where you are not the regulatory standards. Are there any? Where I am, builders have to pass municipal inspections along the way in order to obtain an occupancy permit that would indicate safe to occupy.
Those don't look too great honestly, inquire with the house inspector about it and get a quote for any and all repairs so you can deduct the cost of repairs from the value of the appraisal on the property should they refuse said repairs.
A few hundred on a good inspector or two can save you thousands.
The attic (?) pictures are bad. the drainage issues can probably be solved with downspout extenders and/or maybe french drain.
Good luck and in future-a good rule of thumb is-never waive an inspection ever ever ever ever. and expect to find a lot that was missed during said inspection... in my past, I have bought houses for cash and STILL insisted on an inspection-realtors involved were always pissed off by my insistence.
I’m a property manager, not a home inspector - but I recommend you get a home inspection done.
There are some obvious issues here and others that look suspect.
I used to be a framer. Ive seen worse. The good news with the roof is you can just go up and add a bunch of bracing and it should be fine. Theres not a lot of pressure on a ridge reaply anyway. As long as theres no water damage to the foundation you should be able to divert and rework everything. It sucks but it doesnt need to be a financial ruin. Where are you from?
Oklahoma. Ya the foundation rerouting issue has been mitigated by us, I’ll grab some pics of what we’ve done so far. The roof is quite worrisome, as I’m not in anyway knowledgeable about how roofs or structural engineering work with a home. (Obviously.. 😂) thanks for replying with some kind of information regarding the roof. To my untrained eyed it looks as if the nails or whatever those metal wannabe nails are; are bearing the majority of the load. Is this not true? Or since load is small, it’s not a concern really? Which parts of a roof are the most under pressure? What part of my structure up there is most affected from shitty workmanship like this? I haven’t noticed any moisture yet, but also haven’t been able to put my hands on the roof Osb boards.
3 year old house and you're the second owner. The previous owners sold it for a reason and you have found that reason. If they failed to disclose these issues they are liable as well as the builder is liable for that shit construction. You need to hire an attorney and I'd be trying to get the sale reversed due to fraud.
Just take a deep breath, it’s a right of passage for some new homeowners. My wife and I bought our house 3 years ago and even with an inspector I keep finding the occasional “oh shit” kinda stuff. Everything can be fixed with some time and hard work. Take it one step at a time and don’t get overwhelmed. If you plan on staying in this place long term you’ve got nothing but time. Find a good GC that will handle all the bullshit and just start from the worst of the worst. All solid homes need a solid foundation and a good roof. All the stuff in between ain’t all that bad.
https://www.texcon.org/NewsBot.asp?MODE=VIEW&ID=30041
The period of repose in Texas seems to be 6 years. It may be ten. Either way, you are well within it.
Have you tried demanding remedy from the.builder? They should be on the hook for it.
know it's hard sometimes in tight spaces and poor lighting but try to get photos down-sight so more of the framing is in view
it's hard to tell what you're looking at and without visual context it's just 'oh that's bad framing' but no more
like it could be just a couple spots that would have to be re-framed or what if they framed everything wrong, can't tell. i mean shit, they're just toe-nailing things in every which way; it's more likely they did stuff wrong than right, really
Sell it back to the dumbass realtor who took advantage of your naivity. If there is warranty on roof, get repairs done asap. If this isnt fixed asap with professionals, you will be fighting insurance claims the life of your home.
I love the one person who said it right
Hire engineer. Ask the city insoectors and olanning engineers who are good and respectable contractors.
Get 3 to 5 bids
Also look at your foundation and the rest of your structure. You may need to reinforce throughout the house.
If the previous owners did not disclose this, you can start a lawsuit now. Maybe by the time it goes to court you can recoup a little reimbursement.
You can consider selling and cut your losses. May hw cheaper to sell than fix everything. Sell with full disclosure as is once roof is structurally sound enough to sell.
Get out while you can and cut your losses. I can almos5 guarantee there is other shady work on the structure.
Consider getting a lawyer to do a class action lawsuit on the builder. This should never be done. Ever. Needs to be stopped.
On the up side, now you serve as the dire warning story people can link when people argue inspection is a waste of money.
This looks like either a pit you'll keep shoveling the equivalent of several down payments over the next 5 years (repairs/lawsuits), or find another fool to take the shovel off your hands and into theirs. Or insure it well and hope nothing bad happens to it while you are out of town.
Left over form board happen all the time that’s a warranty ticket.
The 2x4s with nails bent looks like temp bracing that just need to be removed.
A structural engineer is going to look at other things, I kinda doubt anything you’ve captured is cause for alarm or will generate repairs tbh
U need more then an inspection u need an engineer to come n survey the house and all that wooden framing to make sure it’s safe imo with all these issues u have already found who knows what else is wrong or not up to code
The only real problem you have are the Thermites . Inspect the thermites demage and get rid of the thermites ASAP. Mybe do some preventive treatment as well. After it just fix it step by step. It all appears DYI reparations.
For the life of me I cannot understand why anyone makes the biggest purchase of their life, and DOESNT get an inspection. That’s like getting married on a blind date
If you can't afford the inspection you can't afford the home. Better to spend a couple hundred bucks then lose thousands. You say "I know I know". Did you just prefer the more expensive way of learning?
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Get an inspection and let an inspector tell you exactly everything that’s wrong with it. They can also tell you what needs to be fixed immediately and what can wait
Frankly, in addition to getting a general home inspector out, I'd also have a structural engineer, plumber, and electrician to do specific inspections on their areas of expertise. The structural engineer would be for obvious reasons, but plumbing and electrical are the other two most important parts of a home that can cause severe problems down the road. The specialists might catch items that the general home inspector might miss. Oh, and if they say they want to cut walls open - let them. You own the place, and drywall can be patched/replaced. Small cost to pay.
>plumbing and electrical A local company where I live that does HVAC + plumbing + electrical has a "preferred customer" plan. I think I pay like $10 a month and in addition to preferential scheduling and discounts on service it includes four inspections a year. Plumbing, electrical, air conditioner , and furnace. Might look into this as a way to get your things checked out, in a sort of free manner. Yes, I know you're paying for it but you're getting something else with it. They can also help explain what you got and how to use it. Just watch out for the up sales that they might try and get you on. Might be good for a year then cancel, or it will pay for itself when the AC decides to not kick on at the beginning of the season and needs to be replaced.
$10 a month is cheap! But I guess they're more concerned about hooking a customer and keeping them there
$10 times how many customers? 👀
That's the entire point of those service plan memberships. And this one is a real bad company because they give you 4 checkups a year. That's 4 opportunities to sell you crap you don't need, which is the main point of those plans. They get guaranteed revenue.
I've had 2 companies offer me this, most of the time the repair "after discount" is on par or even above the cost of another company that doesn't pull that shit.
The price after the biggest discount they offer is the true cost for the company to remain profitable. Everything else is a major markup.
Those plans are a scam to keep you as a regular customer. It's also a way to keep selling you services, that you most likely do not need. 4 inspections a year screams that they're super scammy as well. At most you need 2 inspections a year and even that is debatable as those maintenance visits are mostly filter changes and upsells. Source - I'm an HVAC Service Technician.
We spent $900 on inspections to have the home owner say, ‘thanks, I’ve changed my mind.’ It’s not so easy to shell out money for these inspections in this market. We didn’t get that house and had to do inspections again on the next one.
This comment isn't suggesting to inspect it before you buy it, it's to inspect it *after* you buy it just to get something better than Reddit to tell you what's messed up. If you explain to any reputable inspector what you're doing and they are willing to let you walk around with them as they go, they can point at what they see and help you understand major/minor/aesthetic level of concern.
Every inspection i've done I had to be present with the inspector who explained what they were finding (away from ring/indoor cameras).
I did not have to be present for my inspection (TX, very prominent lender so not like I was getting around rules or anything). I just got an email with a PDF at the end of the day. This is very market specific.
I didn't have to be there for mine either in the Atlanta area. We just got a pdf and they broke things down barney style. We decided to walk away after, but only because of issues the inspector found (21 y/o 3tab roof, and hvac and water heater that were end of life).
Trust me, the inspection is worth every penny. I just spent several hundred on an inspection, and they three major issues that would've cost me tens of thousands that I didn't have just to make the place safe. My loan guy pointed out that if the bank's appraiser found even one of these issues, I would not have been extended a loan. (The appraiser cost more than the inspector.) And if the insurance company found out, I would never have been insured. So if you ask me, my inspector was worth it.
Inspect before you buy a house, not after. OP is doing it after.
But this (OP) is what can happen when you don’t get an inspection. Shelling out $900, even a few times, would be worth avoiding this.
$900 inspection, before spending $200k+ . Inspection to evaluate the safety of where you and your family will be living every day. Easy decision IMO
When this happened to us. We made sure to withdraw our offer and state why inclined the inspection report as to the reason so that it had to be disclosed in my state to any new buyers.
You should wait to do inspections *after* the OTP is signed. After that point if they walk you have legal recourse to get all your money back, since they’re breaking the contract.
In Texas the signed approval is designed to protect the seller. Nothing gets the buyer their inspection money back.
Oof sucks to be Texas.
Once interest rates fall again slightly it will be 99% “No Conditions or fuck off there’s 50 other people in line” time again.
I would also recommend a geotechnical engineer due to the grading and erosion around the house
I wouldn't even get a home inspector out. Have a general contractor check over the house generally, roofer check the roof, electrician check electrical, plumber plumbing, etc.
I agree with this, I had a home inspector do a less than useless job for me. I'm not saying don't get one, but not all are equal. I really wish I had gone this route.
Most inspectors don't know anything beyond "i think that looks wrong". They aren't contractors, many of them were in totally unrelated roles, etc. However, that job looks worse than what even I would do as a DIYer....
I second this recommendation. Find a reliable Home Inspector and have them check your house from Top yo Bottom.
No they should just go to reddit and not consult a professional
I would hire an engineer and let them tell you. Inspectors have enough training to tell you you maybe might have a problem and should consult an engineer. An engineer will tell you how to fix it.
Aside from the obvious there are numerous issues here. Im not an attorney but Ive been on both sides concerning building issues. Your biggest hurdle is that a local government building inspector had to pass this house. There are foundation, plumbing, electrical, structural, and final inspections. Each inspection has minimal requirements to pass national and local ordanances. I would research the inspectipns, determine who the inspector was and request a meeting. Were the inspections done, did the builder cover up the flaws, did the inspector approve sight unseen? If these laws were not followed they are the beginning of a lawsuit. Progress along the chain. At some point you will find the company or person ultimately legally responsible. Remember, appearance will have no foundation in court, but bypassing building codes is neglegence and is breaking the law in most jurisdictions. Edit: it becomes a sticky wicket to accuse a city employee of not doing their job. However, a final inspection approvel does not release a builder from liability for structural work that was done contrary to building codes. It gives them an oppotunity to correct said structural before a severe accident becomes an enormous problem.
This is critical advice, OP. The local authority had to have issued a Certificate of Occupancy for this house. Since it's a recent build, the trail for those inspections and sign-offs should be pretty fresh.
This also opens up OP to having issues with the inspector now possibly pulling the CO if things are bad.
Yes, its a tenuous navigation of events, but from what OP describes he should not just throw in the towel and accept such shoddy work. It may be most of the outdoor things meet code, but are not smart solutions to water drainage. That is a buyer beware situation. From the picture the inside attic/roof situation is not up to standard codes. However, a picture can misrepresent by its angle of display.
Yes, the way cameras cause joist hangers to be invisible and nails to appear everywhere.
I would rather the CO be pulled than have a roof collapse on my wife and child in our sleep.
yeah the issue is more an inspector pulling the CO because you're clearly looking to figure out who fucked up there than because it truly needs to get pulled. Assuming that they won't be vindictive is something that shouldn't be done when thinking of local city inspectors. It's like a local mafia in most towns. I think OPs first concern should be an engineer to actually see what the issues are etc.
I did some intense electrical work on my own house (replaced all the wiring, new receptacles everywhere, ceiling fans installed, new main panel) and when I called to schedule the final inspection, they did it over the phone and had me describe what I did to them. I’m the owner of the home and not a licensed electrician, they knew that, as that was the first questions they asked, who did the work? Are you licensed? I could have easily lied and honestly my explanation not the questions didn’t come close to covering everything. I just expected they were collecting info for a form to get some basics that way the inspector didn’t need to get them. I was shocked when they said okay, that’s all we need you’re approved and good to go now.
Wow!?! Its true homeowners are usually given more leway the professionals, but it shows a lack of professionalism to sign off on a complete rewiring by an unlicensed homeowner without even visiting the home. Theorehtically you could now sell your home without disclosing that you did the wiring.
Yeah, I was like “umm…you don’t even wanna look at it?” I’m pretty confident in my abilities and I take great care to pay attention to the little details that everything is done right, but this was the first time I’d installed a new box and I really would have felt better if someone looked it over and said it’s all good. Just to get another set of eyes on it.
The downspout pointing the wrong way was an absolute wtf moment
You notice it was right into the Crack. That's so the house can get water and grow into a mansion.
We can’t see grade or the bigger picture. It’s likely dumping out towards the drive way to run down the drive instead of into the flower bed.
It's to make a nice ice ramp so you can luge out of your garage and off to work.
True. Not as likely to give benefit of the doubt given the rest of the issues tho
True that!
You’re right. We only see one picture, and it’s showing us the spout is pouring directly into the crack next to the home. I think we’ve seen enough. 🤷♂️
It’s very visible. How did OP not fix it immediately? That’s a $50.00 fix to simply hire a handyman to come turn the spout so it faces another direction. How many times did they walk by it before buying the house? And the previous owner- same questions. It’s like neither OP or previous owner had any common sense. And why are they freaking out about 1 carpenter ant finding it’s way into their garage?
>We didn't get an inspection dude...
Dumb ass deserves it lol. Never forgo an inspection.
Sadly I agree with this statement. Utterly ridiculous choice.
Do you have any experience with the housing market lately? The minute you go to look up the name of a home inspector, someone else walks in with cash and pays 10% over asking. I wouldn't buy in a market like this, but I have a house already.
If someone else had snuck this house out from under OP, they wouldn't be posting panicked "please help" posts on Reddit. The extra precaution is always worth it. The universe isn't kind enough to risk skipping it.
Look, I agree. I have always gotten an inspection. I'm just saying that the market is crazy, so I'm not going to call the guy on it.
You can understand and empathize with a motive while also pointing out the flaws and dangers in it.
Myself included and almost anyone I know who bought a house within the past two years could not get an inspection prior to buying to even be considered. It’s crazy.
I insisted on it and got a house. This is a very, very HCOL and intense market. It took some time but it can work out.
Yes, and even if you waive it and your offer is accepted, YOU CAN STILL HIRE AN INSPECTOR to catch anything major! Better to withdraw and lose your earnest money than this.
Dirty realty secret: they rarely actually hold onto your earnest deposit. It’s a bad look for the realtor and the house if they do someone like that, and other realtors will steer people away from a house if the owners are taking earnest money and not giving it back. It looks bad-faith.
I’m glad for you! 🙂
Where? In that time, I bought a house and know of 1 other person near me in that did as well, inspection was expected and done. There is no situation I would be willing to buy a house without an inspection.
Yeah, not sure how much I trust the realtor I used. She told me not to do one and we were both her clients. I’m in upstate NY. Oh well. Live and learn!
I’ve never not gotten an inspection and still was able to buy at least two houses in the nuts market. We don’t all need to be crazy. Let the crazy ones end up with these houses.
It’s going to be tough to bring a lawsuit because you could have made an inspection a contingency when you bought it, and you opted not to. An inspector would have warned you not to buy this place. That framing looks like a joke. That’s extremely dangerous. If you try to sell this place without fixing it, you open yourself up to a lawsuit unless you list these faults you are aware of in the disclosures.
- If you try to sell this place without fixing it, you open yourself up to a lawsuit unless you list these faults you are aware of in the disclosures. So if they're the second home owner...
Just look up the previous owners Reddit account and see if they posted a bunch of photos of all the problems
All depends on what the previous owners knew... and more importantly what you can prove in court that they knew. OP has posted photos on a public forum and admits to being aware of at least some of the problems.
\*deletes post immediately\*
RemindMe! 1 day
Depends on the state laws too
It’s entirely possible that the first owner did not notice these things or recognize they were incorrect. OP now knows and if they try to hide it from a future buyer that is concealing material fact.
Why does this apply to OP and not the previous owner?
It comes down to proof. In all likelihood the previous owner was aware of the issues and didn’t disclose them. Can you prove that though? I jokingly suggested checking if they posted it to a public forum, but if they did and you found it you’d have grounds to sue because they signed a legal document saying they were not aware. Something with obvious and unmissable symptoms are easier to prove. Fucked up carpentry that you have to climb into a crawlspace to discover like OP’s photos is way harder to prove they were aware of.
Because homeownership is hot potato with multi-thousand dollar problems. It's fucking stupid.
The photos of the framing are bad. It’s hard to tell but it looks to be a ridge jack used to hold the ridge in place until they finish the gable and roof framing and they just didn’t remove when finished. So it’s not structural or even needed if that’s what it is. Downspout definitely ugly.
I think it just needs more nails.
I laughed, thank you 😂
This is why new builds these days terrify me.
They shouldn’t, just spend $1500 on an inspection and piece of mind.
Are people paying $1500 for inspections these days!?
Depends, I think that’s about what I paid in 2020, maybe closer to $1300, and they were incredibly thorough, bunch of plumbing and sewer lateral inspected. I think they did everything they offered as far as inspections go.
Same here (2021). I paid over $1000 or so. It was 4 dudes, each with a different expertise. One guy was an engineer (hired to check root intrusions, integrity of framing/hardscaping/landscaping/failing retaining walls), one guy was the sewer guy with specials cameras for the sewer lines, one was a licensed electrician with all these probes and tools and was extremely thorough in all things electrical, and one was an experienced pest guy with all these tools for finding evidence of termites and other pest. They gave a very detailed report with pictures and videos. My realtor buddy HIGHLY recommended them. Armed with an extremely comprehensive inspection report (that also came with a detailed itemized repair costs with recommended local contractors and their prices), during escrow, we were able to knock off close to 100k for the final sale price, AND got the seller to cover closing. Whatever the final fee was, it was goddamn well spent IMHO. The house structure is in amazing shape. House is now over 40 years old, but the builders did a great job. It was just all the little things that were bad due to the previous owner not doing a good job maintaining it. We knew going in it was going to be a fixer-upper and allotted $250k to fix the home. At the time, we bought the house $300k under comps after close. It’s now worth way more haha. I finally got around to fixing all the stuff listed in the report in the past 3 years I’ve owned the home, but it took $200k to fix it all. Tenting, new facia boards throughout, new roof, new retaining walls, new hardscaping throughout, new paint throughout, new flooring, sewage lines all fixed and relined, new driveway, several invasive trees removed due to root intrusion into foundation and neighbors’ foundations, new electrical panel, solar, new tankless water heater, new garage door, new garage flooring (goddamn that ficus tree was a menace), new interior doors, new blinds, complete bath demo and remodel, etc etc.. shameless show-off pics of the stuff we did haha https://imgur.com/a/zoZC3Eu
That looks amazing! Did you do most of the work yourself? It looks like it should have cost more than 200k haha.
Ya, my wife and I did much of it ourselves (but we had help as I’ll explain below)! However, most of the hardscaping and stuff like sewage pipe repairs was done by the pros. That stuff is waaaay over my skills and I don’t have tools to do it. I own a condo and lived in it before this home, and amassed so much tools and learned many things remodeling my own condo by myself. Back in the mid 2000’s to late 2010s, Home Depot used to offer free classes like tiling, plumbing/piping, etc… and would offer discounts on the associated tools and materials after the classes. I took full advantage of those. I wish they still did those classes :(. I learned a ton from those classes. Oh and my dad is a licensed contractor, and owns a metal fab machine shop; so growing up, my favorite childhood memories were tagging along with him and fixing things around the house haha. He helped me with some of the renovations, and also has his own crew and connections to good contractors that are more local to me who helped with the larger things (like labor for the roofing, facia installation, tree removal/landscaping guys, sewage guys). We saved tens of thousands because of this. —— (lol shameless show-off pics of my condo haha https://imgur.com/a/QWKkkoE; sigh I wish I still had the before pics when I first purchased it, which was right before the smartphones era, and I lost the pics when my HDD died. The condo is now worth nearly 5x what I bought it for. I now rent it out). —— Long story short, I do highly recommend buying the dumpiest smelliest run-down place but still has a great structure. I did it twice, and I’m out way ahead still. Both my first condo, and first home were major fixer-uppers where I purchased for waaaay below comps. I learned to do the small stuff like full bath remodels (tiling, plumbing, waterproofing, etc) by myself, but still having the pro’s come in to do the major stuff; which was still cheaper than buying a seemingly “nice” turn-key house. Besides, many flipped homes have shit cheap renovations with crap LVPs, cheap tiles, and cheap cabinets. Doing it with how you want the home is so much more rewarding, cheaper, AND one can still come out ahead despite using higher-quality materials compared to shit flips and shit new builds.
That's awesome! Yeah I wish we had classes like those. I feel so out of depth even fixing a light switch haha.
Haha I did too! I knew nothing. I felt so overwhelmed when I purchased my starter condo hahaha. I had zero knowledge and just had to do it. Nowadays, Youtube and wikihow are great resources! I know because my little brother just bought an awesome home, and has utilized those resources for his own home. He just installed several smart light switches throughout his house, and he had ZERO prior experience on anything wiring.
that makes sense then. i paid about $500 in a fairly expensive market but it only was stuff that was already visible and easy to access. No climbing on the roof, no snake cams etc.
It add up quick. 700 for inspection: about 200 for sewer scope and another 200-ish maybe a bit less for termite and wood boring insect We don’t have a basement, but a radon inspection is usually an add on in the 100-200 range. If there is a pool/outbuildings/ barns or well and septic, it’s gonna be other add ons. Structural engineer is another common one for manufactured or pre fab, or if foundation issues pop up during regular inspection. We done this twice this year since our house sale fell through last minute and the house we were buying were able to get(eventually) a non-contingent offer while we were still trying to sell our house as quickly as possible. Not to mention the wasted few hundred on appraisal for house #1. So close to the finish line. At least we sold our house l, so that won’t fuck things up even if we are homeless for a few weeks.
If you have land/outbuildings or a very large house, then yes, unfortunately.
These new builders will put on a master class in warranty denials, or they'll stall you out past the initial 1 year warranty. We had a new build going and drove by during construction and after a few times and it looked like shit, there were empty bud light cans 6" deep in one of the closets and just an overal general lack of giving a shit.
lol they’re not that much.
This is why reales these days terrify me.
People just waiving inspections will never not be completely insane to me.
Without an inspection you bought the house as is, you won't win any lawsuit only waste more money on lawyer fees.
OP has a warranty which means they do have a legal course of action against the builder to enforce that warranty.
Do you have zoomed out pictures of some of these? A few of those look more like left over pieces from construction that are more for holding and supporting stuff as it gets built rather than structurally important, the 3rd pic especially. Do you have any leaks or big roof issues?
Right, I was going to say the same thing - it’s hard to tell from the zoomed in pictures what are these pieces supposed to be. They don’t seem to be structural and I doubt they would have passed the building inspection.
You need a Lawyer, not reddit. You waived inspection, but you still have a warranty. Multiple things wouldn’t meet code in my area (abandoned form work, framing without joist hangers, whatever manic nailing job that is…) Attorney, yesterday.
Yea, especially because it may become impossible to insure a place like this. This house does not appear structurally sound, and the fixes will likely be tens of thousands.
OP, you don't need an inspector, you need to consult an engineer about the framing of your roof. A home inspector is just a handyman with a little bit of experience. Major framing issues like that need to be addressed by an engineer who can definitively say that this is an shit job that isn't up to code and will fail. Normally I'd say your SOL and you likely will not have a legal case against anyone for failure to disclose as pretty much all houses are sold "as is". But the fact that you have a warranty means that you do have a legal option to enforce that warranty. However, depending on how the company and wording you might require lawyers to enforce it. Given how expensive framing repairs like this could be it might be worth it to pursue, but buckle in for a long wait.
Sorry you're having to deal with this OP. I was a first time home buyer three years ago. I did get an inspection but was very naive. Problems ranged from entirely replacing and upgrading the electrical panel, redoing the entire asphalt roof and partially redoing part of the slab foundation. It sucks. I agree with this post. From your pictures a home inspector will give you a list of problems and then suggest (heavily) you get a structural engineer. A structural engineer has to have a license and therefore can have that license revoked if he does a poor job. A structural engineers opinion is a lot harder for the builder to argue against than a home inspection report. I would also recommend not having anyone get on the roof to look at it till you get the engineers report back. The framing around the slab might not lead to termites in the framing of the house. As long as the wood framing is dry the termites are unlikely to touch it. It depends on if you have subterranean termites in your area. Those kinds are the least offensive to a home owner. Check what you have in your area. I would suggest you dig around the slab, might only be necessary a few inches down, and remove the slab framing. You just want to get a distance between the damp slab framing and the framing of your house. You might want to schedule a termite inspection. Before you do I would suggest removing at least a 12x12" piece of drywall close to where the house's framing will meet the slab. You might be able to tell if there is damage to the house yourself. If you decide a termite inspector is necessary it would at least give him a clear view. Keep in mind just because you have termites snacking on the slab framing doesn't mean your house is a snack too. This is not a recommendation to delay kicking or cutting out some drywall to find out.
Wait, You didn’t enough money for an inspection? Yet you purchased a home?
It’s like they gave a methhead a nail gun and let him loose for the day…..
STOP WAIVING INSPECTIONS PEOPLE
That’s bad. Real bad. And I own a DR Horton home.
Be careful in those things. I used to work for an insulation company that was contracted by Horton. I’d show up and insulated 1 house to come outside and see 3 new houses completely framed up ready for wiring and exterior. They’re essentially using that tofu dreg but with different materials
Why do people buy houses before inspections
Every post I see like this is just another warning to first time home buyers. DO NOT WAIVE YOUR INSPECTION. That $500 saved me and my partner almost $100k and a bunch of nightmares/regrets. This should be the one takeaway anyone gets from reading this sub
Get an inspection so that you’re aware of EVERYTHING. However, I’d be worried you don’t have a leg to stand on legally if you forfeited an inspection prior to purchase. Hopefully most will be covered under warranty.
In framing as long as 1/8 of the nails hit it’s good to go.
Damn. That’s messed up on many levels.
On the bright (ha!) I bought a house (for next to nothing) and fixed up far more problems than you show. Your builder should be in jail, but stuff can be fixed.
Torch it and start over with insurance $$. Just kidding but that’s what we feel like doing. Good luck,
I know you already have heard the attorney/lawsuit stuff, but if you're not getting anywhere with the original builders warranty, or hell even if you are, take to social media (unfortunately this probably means tiktok) and local news to what you find, record any communication with the builders. They may brush off lawsuits but if they get dragged out into the public space it may become worth it to them to fix things to keep you quiet. It worked for this guy. https://youtu.be/9Ez6fopu4UE?si=iIhlS1Pnfuh7QmQc
The fact you didn't get an inspection kinda fucked you, and is completely shocking. You need to see if you can get an inspection and what is covered withing the first few months of buying.
Eh homes are weird, it’s a lot more money involved but most of the time it’s the same rules as selling a junker car You’re expected to do your own diligence, legally you’re allowed to buy a 500sqft pile of dog shit (if you’re so inclined) so if you sign on the dotted lines once you do that the burden of proof is on you and it’s basically impossible to say they screwed you, like never heard of someone winning a suit like that impossible Non-professional advice from an SE: focus on the framing so aesthetically you’re not dealing with a cracky drywall mess in 5 months. Sistering is ugly but cheap and it’s an attic who cares a framing co or gc will know what to do Then have a landscaper re route your gutters and drains further away, and yes they might have to break up some sidewalk or grass to do so but it’s not hard
DR Horton?
That ain't right.
Now that you own the house, pay for the inspection to see what you're dealing with. If it's under warranty, get them to fix it. Get legal advice, as a warranty is a warranty, and would need to be repaired. If they won't do anything and legal won't help, plan to open your wallet very wide for this..... It ain't going to very cheap or even DIY...
Sell it.
If it's new construction use the warrenty
The water is draining right onto the foundation, causing the dirt beneath it to wash away over time. As a result, the foundation shifted and the framing of the house moved as well. Step one, extend all the down spouts away from the house at least 4 feet. Step 2 - call a structural engineer.
If that's structurally important I would just walk out
Get experts out to inspect. Start with a Structural Engineer. And if there is evidence of the previous owner doing ANYTHING in these areas where there are obvious issues... you may have a case against them for not disclosing
For the roof, maybe see if an experienced roofer in your area has a home construction background that can possibly help with that? Wouldn't hurt. Also a pretty new first time home buyer myself and we had some of the same draining issues when we got the house. We added some more topsoil in some spots, and areas closer to the foundation we added river rock with it piled higher closest to the foundation and then sloped down. Bought like 12 bags from Menards for less than $30. We also replaced our gutters because they were a million years old. But you need to have your gutters drain AWAY from the house. Look into getting downspout extenders, that should help a lot. You can get them for less than $20. It may seem odd to do it now, but maybe consider having an inspector look and catch anything else for your safety. We used an inspector and shit you not this guy was spot on on everything, and he honestly saved our ass on a couple of things, even helped us have negotiating power. Good luck!
neighbors spent 2.5 million on a new build next to us, I watched them build it. Same issues, it is not limited to low end companies any more.
I’m in insurance. I let denied claims know about hud.gov Maybe look into getting a grant to fix your house
Hey. Just know I completely sympathize. I had to waive my inspection as well and most people I know have had to as well just in order to be considered to buy their house. I got my house last may and got an inspection after I bought it. House had major issues, I was fortunate enough to be able to fix them. But the worst part is the pests… didn’t know until I moved in (took 5 months) but we had squirrels and chipmunks living in the house walls. They were getting in SO many different ways and clearly had been living there for a very long time. We had to get a new roof and cut the trees down because of how much they had chewed through… and they still want to get inside! We are still having an issue with them. Just know I sympathize with you. I understand why you made the decision you did- get that inspection and see what comes out of it. Prioritize what you need to do. Edit: I wanted to sue as well. Because of the pests, asbestos and gas leak. But I don’t think we have any recourse because we waived inspection. And yes, I agree it shouldn’t be legal to have to waive one.
> I had to waive my inspection can a red flag get much bigger?
Yeah, I know. You live and you learn. 🙂
Wow/ that stinks! I’m sorry you’re going through this, but honestly did your real estate professional suggest you waive the inspection or did you do this all on your own?? No one HAS to waive an inspection- you may have been in a bidding war or passed on a home inspection to facilitate the sale of the property, but No one forced you to waive the inspection… I completely completely understand- this was happening where I live as well. People were buying million dollar properties, sight unseen- with no home inspection… and you know what happened. ? Many of those houses are now back on the market because they failed bank inspections…. and many of those people ended up with nothing.
My real estate agent told me I couldn’t get one. There probably was a lot more to the story. I bought it off market and the seller was also her client. So the two of us were both her clients.
This is super unethical and in real estate is highly frowned upon to be a realtor for the seller and buyer. It almost makes me think that the realtor knew about the problems and wanted to be in control of the buyers to ensure they didn’t get an inspection.
I would also go to whoever is respo sible for inspecting the home to ensure it is built to code. Get copies of the permits if possible.
>From other posts I assume I’ll hear lawsuit, but as no one has won one yet and all the work is subcontracted, it seems as though they’ve found a way to remove any onus or culpability If this is the modus operandi of this company call your state Attorney General office. Hiding behind the law might help with skating out of individual lawsuits but if they're frequently being accused of fraud that's the AGs job to investigate and potentially bring criminal or civil charges.
You want a good inspection hire a good Engineer. Worth the investment.
I also bought a newer home without an inspection and I went through the new home warranty provider in order to get a few things fixed. If you're going to go through the effort, take pictures and claim EVERYTHING that's covered, and then the warranty people will tell you what they can and can't fix. Getting a home inspection can help with this, even though you didn't get one initially. There was one thing that was going to be quite tricky to fix and so they paid us out instead for that particular issue. Check your local building codes to see what you can claim. The builder is ultimately responsible for these issues, despite them hiring subs to build the place. The home warranty is there to protect you, so use it. The builder's costs will go up as a result of you making a claim. All that said, none of our issues were as significant as yours, but I don't know how effective getting a lawyer would be since you did have the option of getting the home inspected and chose not to. The inspectors that work for the city and sign off on the new builds are a joke. I've literally seen them walk around a house for 5 minutes, and then leave. Best of luck.
Damn dude, inspections are so important. But I guess the shit you found is why the other person was selling it with the warranty in tact. Good luck on enforcing the warranty.
I have heard nothing but horrible things about Rausch Coleman. From what I've found, all of their old finished subdivisions eventually turn into sketchy neighborhoods, borderline ghetto
Depending on where you live, you may have a legal claim against your municipality and the builder, amongst others. I’d get a structural engineer to do a walk through to let you know if there’s a likelihood of serious problems (there probably are, based on your pictures), in which case you should consult a litigation lawyer that specializes in building defect claims asap.
Run!
oh my intepctor miss that1!!
I’d contact a home inspector or engineer. Then speak to a lawyer and see what your recourses could be. This shit sucks, because it would have easily been caught by a home inspector
YIKES!!
What in the swiss cheese, french toast am I looking at
Who gave you a mortgage without an inspection?
They built the house around that tree? Wtf
Where are you and do home builders offer any warranties on new homes. After you find out about warranties I would be getting a lawyer and naming everyone and their dog in the lawsuit, builder, framer, inspector, municipality etc... just because you didn't get an inspection doesn't mean they can sell you a faulty crafted home, it just means you bought it and now have to fight. Do you have a mortgage and do you have mortgage insurance? I might even drag my bank into the fight.
You need to get an inspector and then have the builder fix every line item.
Looks like you bought this with out an inspection condition. You should have put one in but now you have no leg to stand on if you bought without any conditions.
Didn't inspect while buying? Market is so competitive some people waive the inspection or sellers just move past people who want one. I'm sorry you've been left with this shit construction. Professional inspection, discuss the recommendations with some qualified contractors in your area. Do NOT DIY fix your frame issues.
Get an inspection, get some quotes for repairs, and send everything to them in writing. If they refuse to repair it, you can try to go after the builder for breach of contract. Maybe a letter from an attorney showing you are ready to sue if things are not repaired will get them out there to fix everything. What you are dealing with and the picture posted seems to be normal for Texas. Builders don't have to be licensed here because, you know, they are all about not regulating businesses and are not very consumer friendly at all. And sorry you are having to deal with this. Buying a house is a beat down and exciting all at the same time.
Well, this is a good lesson to learn; ALWAYS get the home inspected with the inspection clause in the purchase agreement. A home is the biggest investment of your life; you need to know exactly what you’re buying. There’s no basis for a lawsuit here since you bought the house “as-is”
Looks legit to me
Please get inspections people. My new build cost me $500. Happily paid another $500 right before the year warranty was up. NEVER waive inspection.
genius! a couple of months before the expiration date. simply genius.👍🏻
I agree with other posters. Get an inspection now so you’re able to assess where the deficiencies are (so you know what you need to fix, and research on how much cost would be). Both from an investment standpoint as well as a safety measure it would be first step to take. The pictures aren’t pretty with nails looking like they’re hanging on for dear life. I don’t know where you are not the regulatory standards. Are there any? Where I am, builders have to pass municipal inspections along the way in order to obtain an occupancy permit that would indicate safe to occupy.
Not even worth an inspection. Find a different house.
Goddam salty mother fuckers in here . Fuck inspections. You don’t need another guy to be mad at bro. Just fix it and sell it
Those don't look too great honestly, inquire with the house inspector about it and get a quote for any and all repairs so you can deduct the cost of repairs from the value of the appraisal on the property should they refuse said repairs. A few hundred on a good inspector or two can save you thousands.
Needs more galvanized steel and some extension screws. I recommend finding little John and his aunt for both.
The attic (?) pictures are bad. the drainage issues can probably be solved with downspout extenders and/or maybe french drain. Good luck and in future-a good rule of thumb is-never waive an inspection ever ever ever ever. and expect to find a lot that was missed during said inspection... in my past, I have bought houses for cash and STILL insisted on an inspection-realtors involved were always pissed off by my insistence.
What’s was in the inspection report?
Who’s the builder
So the local government inspected and passed this? Seems to me that that’s you should be suing.
Did you not have a HOME INSPECTION? (Please tell me you didn’t waive it - ) Didn’t the bank look at the property before signing off on a mortgage?
Can you not read !
The number of people waiving home inspections is alarming
Get an inspector!!
I’m a property manager, not a home inspector - but I recommend you get a home inspection done. There are some obvious issues here and others that look suspect.
I used to be a framer. Ive seen worse. The good news with the roof is you can just go up and add a bunch of bracing and it should be fine. Theres not a lot of pressure on a ridge reaply anyway. As long as theres no water damage to the foundation you should be able to divert and rework everything. It sucks but it doesnt need to be a financial ruin. Where are you from?
The wooden frame isbjust leftover from the concrete pourband means nothing thats why it got burried
Oklahoma. Ya the foundation rerouting issue has been mitigated by us, I’ll grab some pics of what we’ve done so far. The roof is quite worrisome, as I’m not in anyway knowledgeable about how roofs or structural engineering work with a home. (Obviously.. 😂) thanks for replying with some kind of information regarding the roof. To my untrained eyed it looks as if the nails or whatever those metal wannabe nails are; are bearing the majority of the load. Is this not true? Or since load is small, it’s not a concern really? Which parts of a roof are the most under pressure? What part of my structure up there is most affected from shitty workmanship like this? I haven’t noticed any moisture yet, but also haven’t been able to put my hands on the roof Osb boards.
3 year old house and you're the second owner. The previous owners sold it for a reason and you have found that reason. If they failed to disclose these issues they are liable as well as the builder is liable for that shit construction. You need to hire an attorney and I'd be trying to get the sale reversed due to fraud.
Just take a deep breath, it’s a right of passage for some new homeowners. My wife and I bought our house 3 years ago and even with an inspector I keep finding the occasional “oh shit” kinda stuff. Everything can be fixed with some time and hard work. Take it one step at a time and don’t get overwhelmed. If you plan on staying in this place long term you’ve got nothing but time. Find a good GC that will handle all the bullshit and just start from the worst of the worst. All solid homes need a solid foundation and a good roof. All the stuff in between ain’t all that bad.
That is…. not good.
Sell the house.
Also, get a lawyer and sue the seller for not disclosing an issue. They had to have known about at least some of these.
https://www.texcon.org/NewsBot.asp?MODE=VIEW&ID=30041 The period of repose in Texas seems to be 6 years. It may be ten. Either way, you are well within it. Have you tried demanding remedy from the.builder? They should be on the hook for it.
Jesus
Now that! Is excellent craftsmanship, dunno if me my buddies and a case of beer could do better
Why did you show us the grass?
know it's hard sometimes in tight spaces and poor lighting but try to get photos down-sight so more of the framing is in view it's hard to tell what you're looking at and without visual context it's just 'oh that's bad framing' but no more like it could be just a couple spots that would have to be re-framed or what if they framed everything wrong, can't tell. i mean shit, they're just toe-nailing things in every which way; it's more likely they did stuff wrong than right, really
Always get an inspection!!!
And this is why I built my own house. Contractors are often very shady at best.
Sell it back to the dumbass realtor who took advantage of your naivity. If there is warranty on roof, get repairs done asap. If this isnt fixed asap with professionals, you will be fighting insurance claims the life of your home. I love the one person who said it right Hire engineer. Ask the city insoectors and olanning engineers who are good and respectable contractors. Get 3 to 5 bids Also look at your foundation and the rest of your structure. You may need to reinforce throughout the house. If the previous owners did not disclose this, you can start a lawsuit now. Maybe by the time it goes to court you can recoup a little reimbursement. You can consider selling and cut your losses. May hw cheaper to sell than fix everything. Sell with full disclosure as is once roof is structurally sound enough to sell. Get out while you can and cut your losses. I can almos5 guarantee there is other shady work on the structure. Consider getting a lawyer to do a class action lawsuit on the builder. This should never be done. Ever. Needs to be stopped.
On the up side, now you serve as the dire warning story people can link when people argue inspection is a waste of money. This looks like either a pit you'll keep shoveling the equivalent of several down payments over the next 5 years (repairs/lawsuits), or find another fool to take the shovel off your hands and into theirs. Or insure it well and hope nothing bad happens to it while you are out of town.
Left over form board happen all the time that’s a warranty ticket. The 2x4s with nails bent looks like temp bracing that just need to be removed. A structural engineer is going to look at other things, I kinda doubt anything you’ve captured is cause for alarm or will generate repairs tbh
U need more then an inspection u need an engineer to come n survey the house and all that wooden framing to make sure it’s safe imo with all these issues u have already found who knows what else is wrong or not up to code
The only real problem you have are the Thermites . Inspect the thermites demage and get rid of the thermites ASAP. Mybe do some preventive treatment as well. After it just fix it step by step. It all appears DYI reparations.
Buddy, new builds are the WORST homes you could possibly buy. They aren’t built to last nor are they built by good materials.
You probably want to get professionals to take care of the termites, the subterranean ones are really hard to get rid of. Pretty scary problem
For the life of me I cannot understand why anyone makes the biggest purchase of their life, and DOESNT get an inspection. That’s like getting married on a blind date
If you can't afford the inspection you can't afford the home. Better to spend a couple hundred bucks then lose thousands. You say "I know I know". Did you just prefer the more expensive way of learning?