One Year Walk....Is What, Again?

There was a little extra background noise on one of our team calls this week: the sound of contractors working their way through Chloe’s house as part of her one-year builder warranty walkthrough. It sparked a conversation we think more new construction homeowners need to hear.

When you buy a brand-new home, moving day can feel like the finish line. You completed the inspections, signed the paperwork, got the keys, unpacked the boxes, and started making the house yours. But depending on your builder and the warranty that came with your home, there may be another really important date you need to have on your calendar: the end of your first year.

Many builders provide warranty coverage during that first year of ownership, giving homeowners an opportunity to identify items that need attention after they have actually lived in the home for a while. As Chloe is experiencing right now, that can mean contractors coming back through the home to address things you may never have noticed during your original walkthrough.

Why the One-Year Mark Matters

A brand-new home is still a home, and homes settle. Over your first several months of ownership, you may start noticing small things that weren't obvious when you first moved in. Maybe drywall develops a crack, a door begins sticking, caulking separates, a cabinet needs adjusting, an outlet isn't behaving the way you expected, or something outside doesn't seem to be draining quite right.

Individually, these things may feel minor enough that you tell yourself you'll deal with them later. The problem is that “later” can become after your warranty period. That is why we encourage our new construction buyers to understand exactly what their builder warranty covers, how warranty requests need to be submitted, and what deadlines apply to their particular home.

Living in the Home Gives You Information the Final Walkthrough Can't

Your original new construction walkthrough is important, but there are some things you simply cannot know until you have lived in the house. You haven't gone through a full Arizona summer yet. You haven't used every cabinet hundreds of times, run every appliance week after week, watched how water moves around the property during a monsoon, or opened and closed every door through seasonal temperature changes.

After almost a year, you know your home differently. You know which things were a one-time quirk and which ones keep happening. You notice the little issues you've been walking past every day, and you have a much better opportunity to create a thoughtful list of questions or concerns before applicable warranty deadlines arrive.

Don't Assume the Builder Is Going to Remind You

This may be the most important part. Homeowners are busy, and a year after closing, you are no longer thinking about builder paperwork. You're thinking about work, school schedules, landscaping, furniture, holidays, and everyday life. It can be surprisingly easy to forget that your warranty even exists.

Your builder may communicate with you along the way, but ultimately, we don't want our clients relying on someone else to remember an important deadline for them. Pull out your warranty documents, understand your coverage, and put the applicable dates on your calendar well ahead of time. Warranty terms and processes vary by builder, so always refer back to the specific documents provided with your home.

Consider an Independent Inspection Before Your Warranty Expires

Another option many homeowners choose is having an independent home inspector take another look at the property before the applicable builder warranty period ends. You know what you've noticed while living there, but a trained inspector may notice things you wouldn't naturally know to look for.

An inspection can give you a more complete picture of the home and help you create a documented list of items to review with the builder. Whether a particular item is covered will depend on your warranty, but having the information before the deadline gives you the opportunity to ask.

New Construction Representation Doesn't Have to End at Closing

This is also one of the reasons we talk so much about having your own real estate representation when purchasing new construction. Buying the house is one moment in a much longer homeowner journey. A good real estate relationship should help you understand the process before you sign a contract, advocate for yourself throughout construction, connect you with inspectors and other trusted professionals, and help you remember the milestones that come after closing.

Sometimes our job is negotiating a contract. Sometimes it's helping you understand your options months after closing. And sometimes it's hearing contractors banging around in the background of a team call and saying, “Wait, homeowners need to remember they can do this.”

If You Bought New Construction This Year, Put This on Your Calendar

If you recently purchased a new construction home, take a few minutes today to pull out your builder warranty information. Find out what is covered, how requests must be submitted, which deadlines apply, and whether you want to schedule an independent inspection before those deadlines arrive.

If you purchased new construction with our team, reach out. We are always happy to help you think through the next step, reconnect you with trusted inspection resources, or help you figure out which questions to ask your builder. Getting the keys wasn't the end of the process; it's when homeownership actually began.