Well, we thought this was going to be our New Orleans home.
Hopefully, you’re well aware that you must have an inspection done after you go under contract on a home, even if it’s a new one. We were under contract on this house and the inspection served two important purposes. First, I was able to get an education in how homes are built in New Orleans. I’m coming from a world of concrete footers and foundations, so following Mike around and peppering him with questions like an annoying little brother was the best way to get my learn on. Mike is an inspector and a builder, so he was a great teacher.
Secondly, we had to make sure the home was constructed properly. Yes, a new home has a warranty, but it’s absolutely necessary to see what you’re getting into as a buyer. That does include a termite and sewer line inspection. (I do know of instances where confusion led to a waste line being buried before it was ever connected to the main.) What I was able to see here, in addition to some other defects in the inspection report, caused us to cancel the Agreement to Purchase and get our deposit returned. I’ll get into more details about what to look for when you inspect a new home and why we decided to terminate in other posts.
(I’m know this was the equivalent of wading into the shallow end when it comes to exploring what’s under a New Orleans home. I won’t truly earn this badge until I’m crawling under a house through decades, if not a century worth of funk in it.)
