Just bought a house myself and spent my first couple of nights there - so I can relate to this (why does my coat closet door not go all the way to the ground? There’s a crack on the bathroom sink 🙁And none of the screen doors seem to open easily😆).

Given you had an inspection, my guess is those are mostly cosmetic things or the typical wear & tear that may require upkeep/maintenance.

Not sure what market you are in; but I keep reminding myself that none of these are things that I would have dreamed of asking the seller to repair (and the seller wouldn’t have paid for or fixed it even if I had requested it!).

If you feel good about the inspector you might reach out to them to see if they can recommend someone to help with fixing things that you notice (I’d wait a week or so - you will likely have more items to add to that list!)

Your realtor should also be able to help recommend someone too.

Congrats on the new house!

@Faryl Zaklin - I don't think the OP had an independent inspector -- I think s/he means that the "inspection" was the buyer's walk-through before closing.

Did you buy it DIRECTLY from the builder? If you did, you might have the 10/5/2 warranty (Canada makes this a requirement). If these things bug you (the stair finishing is appalling...that needs fixing) then use the warranty you have (check with local state regulations and your Realtor for guidance) as soon as possible. There are time limits on many of these types of things...you need to be aware of them and work IN THE TIME FRAME given.

To do that, you need to know what the time frame is and how it affects you and your purchase. Realtors normally have a decent grasp of these things. Go back to yours and ask some questions.

@HALLETT & Co. You're right about this being a tract build. It's a brand new townhouse and I have one year warranty to submit deficiencies and request repairs. I just don't know what is acceptable or not. Should I ask them to install new stair nosing or just fill in the cracks with glue? To answer your question about the stairs, I'm not sure what they're made from. The developers just said it's laminate flooring. I just don't like how it's brand new and already cracking.

I'm also concerned about the cracks in the cement steps because where I live experiences quite a bit of the freeze/thaw effect. And I'm not sure if they will worsen over time.

@Lindsey_CA Correct. I didn't hire an independent inspector. It's a brand new house so I have one year warranty to get the builders to fix any deficiencies.

The huge amount of caulk that's missing in places combined with the paint peeling from the window trim would be a big concern to me. Does it feel moist in those areas? The stair nose trim almost looks like laminate or something. It might be worth a few hundred dollars to have a good home inspector come through and look at things for you. Even though you signed off, if there is a glaring issue, you may have some recourse with the builder. At the very least, contact the developer to tell them you were rushed during the walk through, and want some of theses items addressed. Go through the home carefully and have a complete list of your concerns.

Developer is janky. There is no reason to use covid-19 to push a 30 minute 'inspection'. They just wanted you to not see anything to blue tape before closing. If they're pushing you through on the visual cosmetic inspection can you imagine what they didn't do when they were building the home? I wish you had a third party inspection prior to your purchase. And this forum typically hates tract builders - they're not all bad; they're just not custom (eye roll).

"wish you had a third party inspection prior to your purchase."

Most developers put a clause in the contract that these are not allowed, probably for these exact reasons.

I do not see any major issues.

All homes require maintenance.

Best Wishes on your new home. Buyers Remorse is common.

@millworkman - Most developers? I disagree but maybe I've had the priviledge of working with tract home builders that encouraged an inspection Prohibiting an inspection is a bad developer move. The OP didn't mention that there was a clause they couldn't have one so they probably weren't educated on getting one (based on their willingness to accept a 30-min walkthrough). I still wish she insisted on one, regardless of any clause, to press the developer into doing the right thing. I can only imagine the delightful experience she'll have putting these through the warranty process = zero sum results.

OP hire a trade because you'll get no results from builder. You bought their lies without looking under the hood.

@lindsay_CA - Good point! I totally missed that it was a new build.

If that’s the case, @Hallet & Co - ignore most of my comment 😜 I’d make good use of the warranty.

Not sure if all developers/builders have this, but when I worked for Weyerhaeuser Real Estate (Pardee, Quadrant, & some other builders), we had a QA & customer service department whose job was to make sure that if you are finding issues like yours that they’re fixed and that you are taken care of.

New builds are rarely perfect; but unlike a sale from a homeowner, the developer should be making sure to address the issues you are finding.

(I’ve found this is one of the areas where people skills can go a long way - as frustrating as it all may be, being super nice to whoever is on the other end of the phone to address your concerns can get you a lot further than inadvertently making them the focus of that frustration. A cold beverage & some snacks for whoever they send out to do the repairs never hurts either!)

#1. looks like evidence of a roof leak, particularly with the brown contamination. That trim needs to be pulled and everything checked for water damage. This can get structural and very expensive quickly.

#2. is just awful.

I'd stuff some Translucent White silicone in the stair miter gaps. www.danidesigns.com

The exterior shims should be weatherproof, non compressive, and decent looking, unlike those pictured.

The concrete is normal. Push a little gray epoxy structural adhesive in the voids if it will make you feel better.

I'm kinda surprised your lender didn't have an inspector or require one.

I'm in a new house, also in a thaw-freeze area, but just over a year ahead of you (year warranty extended because of COVID to minimize people in the house). I have the same problem determining what's important, and it makes me anxious: I don't want anything to get past me, but I also don't want to go into worry-wart mode over something non essential.

Apart from technical flaws, there's a separate issue of what is just plain unacceptable. Sloppiness is in this category.

I would not caulk or cover or conceal anything until AFTER the one year so you have satisfaction from the builder.

Freeze/thaw causes settling, and that can create some alarming-looking cracks. We are just finishing winter, and they may grow or shrink. At any rate, they don't always look the same from one week to the next. Mine aren't too much to irritate me, I do know my builder often has to fill minor cracking during the warranty year. It's normal.

While concrete cracking is also normal around here, there are different degrees of it. If your home is on a concrete slab, I'd have an inspector check it. It would definitely be a warranty issue if there's a problem underneath the house. AFAIK there are better or worse conditions to make concrete in, and either some short cuts might have been taken or COVID messed up the build schedule or..... Get it checked.

I'd insist they fix the stair "cosmetics" to my satisfaction: those are in the area of completely unacceptable to me, and they're a potential tripping hazard (imagine your toe hitting the edge).

There's something definitely wrong with the balcony jury-rig. The "vertical" lines don't all seem to be vertical. For freeze/thaw reasons, builders do use wood shims in this area (though I have no idea if they'd use them in that particular spot), but those shims just look half-baked.

********

While we're doing spring—and we have thaws and rains—there may be some more things to check that may have nothing to do with the build, but are smart to do. I'm sure other folks here can offer some more.

A few:

-check the dripline from the roof. Make sure water is flowing away from the house. Is there a one-foot margin (pebble, rock, gravel?) around the house to minimize splash?

-check all the windows to make sure air didn't leak between the panes

-have a good look at the siding. Is it buckling, slipping, etc.?

-check water-bearing fixtures (e.g. sinks, toilets, W/D) for any sign of water leakage.

-sketch a map of your lot, the house, the trees, everything you see....Take a lot of photos. Then, next winter you'll be in a place to plan landscaping etc. with every season accounted for. Houzzers recommended I wait a year before I made major landscaping decisions, so I could get used to the property. They were so right!

I don’t think these are acceptable. Builders often are rushing to finish, so the close can take place. It’s very common they are contacted regarding issues after the fact.

My daughter works for a huge condo developer in Canada, there are 2 pre-move in inspections actually. Once occupation occurs, anything that was missed or has happened due to no fault of the homeowner, there is a guarantee for a certain period. If not done to the satisfaction of homeowner and a complaint is made, there are ramifications to builder based on number of complaints.

You should inquire ASAP as to steps and be very specific/include your photos, so they send the relevant tradesperson. Hope you have the same guarantees where you live.

I say, do go back to the builder with your punch list, based on the recommendations from the pros above - look for other problems as suggested, and document with photos and written communications- as much as possible- your interactions with them. IME contractors who do shoddy work prefer verbal since they can then deny the conversation. So, if you have a verbal conversation about these issues, either follow up with an email or letter repeating what was said, or make a detailed note to yourself (dated and timed, with the name of the person you spoke with).

You should have gotten a packet from the builder when you closed or one left in the unit. It will have contact numbers and the warranty protocol.

One way to handle this is to make a list of the issues, attach pictures. Don't submit this every week when something new pops up. Do an initial report. Then, at six months and at around 10 months submit an updated list reflecting the repairs, the remaining items and any new items that have appeared. Mail this document return receipt request to the builder's warranty department if they are not responsive. You will need proof that you sent it.

You are done with the on-site builder. Your contact is now the warranty department. Everything is in writing from here on out.

I suggest that you mark every issue that appears with blue painter's tape. This way it won't get missed or forgotten. It's a good idea to take the picture with the blue painter's tape in the frame. This way the warranty department understands that you are serious.

The structure will begin to settle as you go through a summer/winter cycle. Lots of cracks in the drywall and trim will appear. You will also see imperfections in the paint job. These are irritating but normal.

Nothing says that you can't invest in an inspection right now to see if there are other hidden items that need attention such as the roof, HVAC, electrical or plumbing. That attachment of the steel plate to the structure needs to be looked at. It's unacceptable. You will want an inspector to look at the deck construction and attachment, too. It's a famous place for shoddy engineering. You might want to have the roof looked at, too as Joe Corlett suggested.

The irregular areas on the riser part of the concrete step is from not getting the air out/ not vibrating enough when they poured it. There was air between the concrete and the form and it left those marks. Its not a structural issue but definitely poor craftsmanship. (or pour craftsmanship if you will, cause it happened when they poured the concr—) Anyway, it looks like a bit of shoddy finish work but nothing that can’t be fixed. While you have a one year warranty, definitely bring up all the issues you have and hopefully they fix them. Good luck!