Responsibilities of the Homeowner
It goes without saying that home builders want to keep their home owners confident in their choice of builder long after they have settled into the home. They want to ensure their clients are living in a healthy home for years to come. At least, we hope that is the case! At Lexis, it certainly is. There are, of course, responsibilities of the homeowner when it comes to a home’s warranty.
In our last article, we discussed warranty on a new home. You might have felt surprised to discover there is no formal law in Saskatchewan that mandates warranty on a new home. We listed the various safeguards in place to ensure your new home comes with a warranty policy. We also discussed the importance of talking to your home builder about their warranty policy.
We’ve outlined the most important homeowner responsibilities below. You’ll want to be sure you are doing these to ensure you have the best possible warranty experience.
#1: Communication
- Responsibilities of the homeowner include communication. Communication is a critical factor long after you’ve moved in. This includes immediately communicating to your home builder when problems arise. Understandably, it is easy to become overwhelmed by the excitement of a new home. In some instances, this can contribute to forgetting to report defects at the moment they are noticed. In past experiences, we have seen home owners report defects 6 months to a year after they were noticed. This scenario presents a challenge, as it is impossible to know if it is a true defect, a result of normal wear and tear, or something else. In situations like this, your home builder may decide your repair is not covered by warranty. Communication also includes responding to follow ups from your home builder or communicating directly with a trade if they have asked you to keep them informed on a recent repair.
#2: Following the Home Builder’s Policies and Procedures
- If your home builder provides their own internal warranty program, they will have specific procedures in place that must be followed. Responsibilities of the homeowner include read these thoroughly. Don’t skim over them. You might think some of the procedures are inconvenient. However, it is important to know that the builder’s policies and procedures are designed in a way that allows them to effectively handle issues that arise. Most home builders use dedicated software to keep record of communication on warranty claims. At Lexis, we use Buildertrend. Communicating via software may feel cumbersome, and there may be the occasional glitch (it is technology, after all!). Submitting warranty claims via text or email should be avoided, unless it is an urgent situation. Using text or email creates a risk of your deficiency being missed as home builders deal with a large volume of emails between trades and suppliers on a daily basis.
#3: Keeping a List
- Depending on your home builder, you might receive an inspection after a certain length of time. At Lexis, we arrange a walk-through of your home at your One Year anniversary. Throughout the year, you will want to keep a list of the non-urgent items that have come up. These may include interior door adjustments, paint touch ups, nail pops. Keeping a list over the year will ensure nothing is overlooked or forgotten about. It is best to address low priority items at the one-year mark as this eliminates multiple trips for minor items. Multiple trips for small items can both be a challenge for trade’s schedules and be costly for the home builder.
#4: Following Recommended Care and Maintenance
- Responsibilities of the homeowner include care and maintenance. It may seem straightforward, but the truth is, proper care is not always followed. This can lead to damages that could have been avoided. Defects caused by homeowner action/inaction are not covered under warranty. Sometimes, a home builder will cover the cost and give you a freebie – but, they can’t do this all the time. Depending on the home builder, you might receive documents outlining care and maintenance for things like flooring, cabinets and countertops. You may also receive a seasonal maintenance calendar. Following proper care and maintenance will ensure your home and the materials in it stay in great condition for years to come.
#5: Recognizing the Priority of Defects
- As a homeowner, it is understandable that you want your deficiencies to be taken care of at the earliest opportunity. While it would be nice to address defects the immediately, this isn’t always the case. Home builders often address their warranty claims based on priority levels. It is important to keep in mind that the home builder provides warranty services for all of their homes and must work with trades to schedule repairs based on the level of priority. Cosmetic things like paint touch ups, or screw pops, door adjustments are considered to be a low priority and may take longer to address. You might want to ask yourself if a defect is something you can easily address yourself. A good rule of thumb, is that if it doesn’t impact the way you live daily – it is a low priority. On the other hand, defects pertaining to appliances, HVAC, plumbing are a high priority (or sometimes an emergency). These are addressed before any low priority items.
#6: Allowing Trades to Access the Home for Repairs
- Most homeowners have busy lives and it can be challenging to find time between work, children, and activities to be available for trades to complete repairs. While inconvenient at times, it is necessary to have some flexibility in allowing trades to schedule items with you. Keep in mind, most trades have dozens of other jobs to schedule. If you have challenges finding a day and time that works for you, communicate this to your home builder. Sometimes, you can set a temporary code for the trade to access your home. Another option is to leave a lock box with a key.
How home builders handle their warranty program (if they have one) varies from builder to builder. You will spend more time living in your home than it took building it, therefore it is important to do all that you can to ensure you enjoy your investment for years to come! Stick to your responsibilities as a homeowner and have a detailed conversation with your home builder about their warranty program. By doing so, this will ensure you know what to expect when it comes to your home’s warranty and provide you with the best possible warranty experience.