Man inspects brand new $2.7 million home. Then he checks the breaker box: ‘Terrifying’
For many people, buying a house is a lifelong milestone and an extremely big achievement. Americans spend thousands and thousands of hours working to get their dream home, oftentimes investing hundreds of thousands in new construction. But, one home inspector is pointing out that houses—even those currently listing for 2.7 million—can have a lot of dangerous issues pre-move-in.
TikToker USA inspections (@usainspection0), a man who posts daily insights from home inspections, added a video to his TikTok page that had many viewers floored. He went through and pointed out numerous issues in the $2.7 million home. His video, which managed to amass 24 million views, shocked thousands of people due to the severity of the defects inside the home.
USA Inspections—what did a home walk-through reveal?
USA inspections did a quick run-through of a newly constructed, $2.7 million house to check for any pertinent issues. He ended up finding multiple that he recorded and posted to his page.
For one, the inspector noticed that there were doors that didn’t lock properly inside the home. The stairway handrail was loose, as it was missing a bracket. USA Inspections also noticed that the newly built shower was uneven. That would lead to water pooling in the wrong area.
Coupled with that, there was also loose carpet at the top of the stairway. The worst part was when he checked for Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI) protection. GCFIs typically automatically turn off a breaker if there’s an electrical imbalance in the house. It’s a standard that’s expected in most new construction projects that helps prevent shock or electrocution in homes.
But, in this particular home, two different switches didn’t automatically switch off when tested. That means that they probably wouldn’t shut off if there was an issue or fault.
The last issue that the inspector pointed out was a vent or airway issue. “ This one doesn’t even line up, so it’ll be blowing most, most of the air behind the brick,” The man noted. He also mentioned that they were being held with silicone, which is usually a temporary fix rather than a permanent one. Vents need to be fastened using screws or another method; otherwise, they might become loose and shift, leading to bad airflow.
Is there anything a homeowner can even do?
While the inspector pointed out these issues for his TikTok audience, it wasn’t clear that they were going to be fixed pre-sale. That left many viewers wondering, what happens if a home has all of these issues?
One viewer supplied a probable answer to that question, saying, “Not always [an issue for the builders to fix]. [It’s] up to whoever is buying the home. Some people just don’t really care and they’ll just ‘fix it themselves’ and then never fix it. Some lenders will require them [to] be fixed before they dish out the money for the purchase.”
This is technically accurate. Most of the time, fixes that a builder has to deal with are determined by the builder’s contract—meaning that some of the fixes would be required, while others are not. They leave many issues up to the homeowner or buyer to deal with. But, with an issue like the one with the GCFI protection, a builder might have to step in before the house sells, especially if it poses a severe safety risk.
Builders typically have to fix code-related defects. For instance, builders have certain requirements to provide GCFI protection in bathrooms, kitchens, laundry rooms, garages, and other areas of a home.
There are also differences in how states approach home inspections, which are worth considering before making any specific home purchases.
The state of the housing market
Considering all of the issues that the home inspector pointed out, many commenters said there’s little hope for new construction and modern houses. After all, if a home that they originally thought was worth $250,000 is actually worth $2.7 million, how would they ever afford a house that doesn’t come with a litany of fixes?
“So not only can we not afford it but they ain’t worth [expletive],” one commenter said.
Another person added their thoughts, saying, “That’s so embarrassing for that amount of money for a house.”
Most viewers were not a fan of the house, regardless of the fixes the builders needed to make. So, that was the icing on the cake for many disgruntled home-buyers.
@usainspection0 #homeinspection #newconstruction #HomeInspector #RealEstateTips #dfwrealestate #DIY ♬ original sound – USA inspections
The Mary Sue reached out to USA Inspections via TikTok direct message for comment.
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