What I Look For During a New Development Inspection

One of the easiest assumptions to make when buying a brand-new apartment is that there shouldn't be much to inspect.

It's new, right?

The finishes are fresh. The appliances haven't been used. Everything looks clean. The walls are straight. The kitchen is shiny.

But new doesn't mean perfect.

I recently attended with a client for an inspection of a new-development apartment in Brooklyn. The inspection itself was pretty straightforward, and that's exactly what you want.

But there were still a handful of things worth paying attention to.

A little warping on a drawer.

Some caulking that needed attention.

A door that could use a stop.

The washer and dryer that were supposed to be installed.

None of these things were deal-breakers.

But that's not really the point of a pre-closing inspection.

The point is to look closely enough that the little things don't become bigger things later.

Look beyond the pretty stuff

New-development apartments are designed to make a strong first impression.

And they should.

The finishes are part of what you're buying.

But once you've gotten past the initial wow, I think it's important to slow down and start looking at how everything actually works.

Open the cabinets.

Open the drawers.

Run the water.

Look underneath the sinks.

Check the doors.

Look at the windows.

Turn on the appliances.

Pay attention to anything that looks like it doesn't belong.

One thing we noticed during this inspection was some warping and discoloration on part of a bathroom vanity drawer.

It wasn't immediately obvious what had caused it.

But the appearance suggested that water may have gotten where it shouldn't have.

The inspector investigated further and identified a potential issue around the plumbing trap.

Maybe it's minor.

Maybe it's something that needs more attention.

That's exactly why you inspect.

You don't need to know the answer immediately.

You need to notice the question.

Small things can tell you something

A punch list isn't necessarily a list of catastrophic defects.

Sometimes it's a collection of small things that need to be corrected before you take ownership.

That might mean a piece of trim that isn't finished properly.

A cabinet door that doesn't close correctly.

Caulking that needs to be redone.

A plumbing connection that needs attention.

An appliance that hasn't been installed yet.

A door that needs a stop.

Individually, these things can seem insignificant.

But you're buying a new home.

If something isn't finished properly, it's reasonable to identify it and ask that it be addressed.

And sometimes a small issue is also a clue that makes you look a little closer.

That's what happened with the vanity drawer.

The visible problem wasn't necessarily the important part.

The important part was asking:

Why is that happening?

Make sure you're getting what you agreed to buy

There's another part of new-development inspections that I think gets overlooked.

It's not just about finding defects.

It's about making sure the apartment you're receiving matches what you were told you were buying.

In this case, the washer and dryer were part of the plan. When we visited the apartment the appliances were not there. We saw the machines during the inspection, and they were scheduled to be installed & hooked up shortly afterward.

That's a small example, but it illustrates the broader point.

If something was promised, included or represented as part of the apartment, you want to know where that stands before closing.

This is where your attorney and your inspection professional are important, too.

Your agent can help you pay attention to the property and the process, but your attorney should be reviewing the contractual and offering-plan obligations, and your inspector is the person equipped to evaluate the physical condition.

Everybody has a job.

The best transactions happen when everybody does theirs.

Don't confuse a punch list with a problem

I think buyers can sometimes go into an inspection with the wrong expectation.

They either expect the apartment to be flawless or they see every imperfection as a reason to panic.

Neither is particularly helpful.

A new apartment is still a physical structure. Things get missed. Materials settle. Fixtures need adjustment. Contractors have to come back and correct things.

The goal isn't perfection.

The goal is to identify what needs to be addressed, understand what matters, document it and make sure the appropriate people follow through.

In New York, the Attorney General's consumer guidance specifically recommends inspecting the physical condition of a new-construction unit and notes that the written list of defects identified during the walkthrough is commonly referred to as a punch list.

That's a useful way to think about the inspection:

You're creating a record of what needs attention.

And this is where I come in

My role at an inspection isn't to pretend I'm the engineer.

I'm not.

I want the inspector doing the technical inspection. I want the attorney handling the legal questions. I want the lender handling the financing.

My job is to be another set of eyes for my client.

I walk through the apartment.

I notice things.

I ask questions.

I make sure things that matter don't get overlooked.

And sometimes it's as simple as saying:

“Hey, what's going on with that?”

Recently, the sponsor happened to be present during the inspection as well, which was helpful. Instead of issues being relayed secondhand, they could be seen and discussed in real time.

That kind of communication can make a difference.

The inspection ended with a relatively short punch list.

A few things need to be addressed.

Nothing felt alarming.

My client walked away feeling good about the apartment.

And that's really the goal.

A good inspection doesn't have to make you nervous about buying the apartment.

It should make you more confident about what you're buying.

Because when you're spending a significant amount of money on a new home, “new” shouldn't mean “don't look closely.”

It should mean:

Look closely. Understand what you're getting. Fix what needs fixing. And then move forward with confidence.