Fyi on PDI

What should you know

before performing the

pre-delivery inspection

(PDI) for your new home? How

can you be sure that your builder

has done a great job on your house?

Part one of this article looked at

the specifics of the PDI for your

condominium. While many of

those issues and suggestions also

apply to houses, extra things such as

systems and exteriors must also be

considered.

Many buyers think they'll get to

see their home during construction,

but unfortunately this is an urban

myth. Niall Haggart, vice-president

of The Daniels Corporation,

cautions, "the safety and insurance

requirements on a construction site

are significant. Homeowners can

drive by and take a look, but we don't

want to encourage people to walk

into the site for safety reasons."

However, Daniels keeps in

constant contact with its buyers throughout the building process. For

those homebuyers who are still

unsure or curious about what's

happening with their home, "we hold

purchaser gatherings that serve a

couple of functions. Senior executives

attend these functions, buyers get to

meet their neighbours, and the

construction team comes as well. It's

a great forum to ask these types

of questions," says Haggart.

Your builder should be available to

you during the building process, the

PDI, and afterwards. "We look at the

PDI process as a continuation of the

relationship that has been established

with the purchaser to educate them

in terms of warrantee issues and

walk them through a very thorough

analysis of the house."

Carole Metcalfe, manager of claims

for Tarion, says that "it's important

for homeowners to know that the

PDI is a mandatory inspection with

their builder." The best thing you can

do to prepare beforehand, suggests

Metcalfe, is to get familiar with the

Tarion website. It will help new

homebuyers who might be struggling

with what to ask or are intimidated by

what they don't know.

Haggart also refers to the Tarion

checklist and encourages homebuyers

to bring anyone they're comfortable

with to their PDI. "In some cases

purchasers attend with their interior

designer or somebody who has some level of knowledge about building." Haggart says that the idea of the

PDI is for the homebuyer to feel

comfortable enough to ask

questions. "Don't be shy...if we don't

know the answer, we'll find out."

The Tarion PDI checklist is a

useful tool that will remind you of

common sense things that might be

forgotten in the excitement of seeing

your new home for the first time.

"Bring a night light to test the

electrical outlets...and some basic

cleaning tools so that you can see any

damage underneath the dust," says

Metcalfe. While new homes are in

broom-swept condition for the PDI,

that doesn't mean that they're clean.

Another often overlooked spot is the

attic. The building inspector will leave

a card if it's been inspected and

approved; check to see that the card is

there. Most importantly, Metcalfe

advises, "if you don't know what it

is, then ask."