What is a PDI?
A new home pre-delivery inspection is carried out at the time a new home is transferred from the builder or developer to you.
Pre-Delivery Inspection is a small but incredibly important part of the process of buying that new home.
As most of you know, included in the adjustments on the purchase of a new home or condo (but not a conversion) is the cost of your Ontario New Home Warranty Program enrolment; among the things that you are covered for are defects in the completion of your new home.
Most of the Agreements of Purchase and Sale make the deficiency list prepared as part of your final inspection the only basis for repairs, subject to the major items such as foundation cracks.
When should you get a PDI?
Three to five days before you move in, you should make a pre-delivery inspection of the house. If there is anything not to your satisfaction, it should be noted in a pre-delivery inspection report. Minor details such as scratches and incomplete paintwork should be attended to before the day you move in. Other items will be corrected after you are settled.
What should be inspected in PDI?
Your inspection should address the following areas:
The Exterior:
- grading slopes away from the house for drainage
- the sod is rolled and watered
- the siding is placed evenly and nailed securely to the walls
- the brickwork is spaced evenly and is clean
- caulking around windows, doors, garage door, electrical outlets and fixtures
- inspect paint and stains on all surfaces and trim for coverage and colour
- securely fastened shutters, fascia and soffit
- clean shingles with no lifting corners
- garage feature non-combustible materials on the wall adjoining the house
- properly functioning garage door
The Interior:
- clean basement with no cracks in the walls and a floor drain in the lowest part
- quality wooden joists in basement
- instructions and warranty cards for appliances and equipment
- well fitted doors and secure locks for outside doors and doorstops
- lockable windows that open smoothly
- smooth and even walls with no cracks, visible seams or nail marks
- correct paint colour and even paint coverage
- good floor installation with minimum squeakiness or springiness
- every light, socket, tap, drain, toilet, every door, every lock, every window, every appliance, every thing that could be, or go wrong.
- smooth seams on carpet and other floor covering
- even grouting between ceramic tiles
- operating faucets and plumbing fixtures without chips or scratches and caulking around counter tops and fixtures
- right materials, installation and colour for upgrades and options
- overall cleanliness with no construction debris – clean heating ducts etc.
*Condominium - we check out the common areas – lobbies, garbage rooms, parking areas, lockers, pools, tennis courts, health clubs etc. - remember you own part of the common areas and if parts are incomplete, wrong or defective, we get them on the list!
There is probably more, but these are the main things I can mention. I hope this helps in making you realize how important it is to do a thorough job on the Pre-Delivery Inspection.
What is Ontario New Home Warranty Program?
Ontario New Home Warranty Program or Tarion Warranty Corporation
Fiction: Some consumers assume the Ontario New Home Warranty Program (ONHWP) offers blanket warranty coverage.
Fact: For a one-time fee, home owners receive a comprehensive financial and construction defect warranty.
The warranty program provides $100,000 total maximum coverage on each home or condominium unit and deposit loss, not exceeding $20,000. The program also offers protection against delayed closings, delayed occupancy and substitutions made without your agreement if the items of construction or finishing were specified in the agreement of purchase and sale.
*New home owners receive a one-year warranty against defects in work materials and Ontario Building Code violations.
For homes enrolled on or after Jan. 1, 1991, the builder provides a two-year warranty against: water penetration through the building envelope including the basement or foundation walls; defects in the electrical, plumbing and heating delivery systems; protection against health and safety Ontario Building Code violations. Materials and work in the exterior cladding, caulking, windows and doors must also be defect free.
New homes enrolled on or after Jan. 1, 1991 , have major structural defect coverage lasting for seven years while homes enrolled before that date are covered up to five years.
Fiction : Many home owners believe the warranty program’s warranty coverage has an unlimited time period. Unfortunately, new home owners only realize their mistake after they lodge a complaint of claim when the warranty on the particular problem has expired.
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905-231-9882
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