When you decide to have a new home built in Alberta, it’s often for one of two reasons. First, you may want to have a home built right to your specs, and that’s the only way to get it. Second, you want a home that does not have any of the inherent problems that older homes can have.
The trouble comes when you get a new build and find out it already has issues.
For example, some builders will not position a house properly, taking water drainage into account. If the water drains down to the house, it can cause flooding. It should always flow away from the home, leaving the house in the dry zone, so as not to compromise the integrity of the foundation.
The amount of slope away from your house doesn’t have to be much. Many people say that the ground should simply fall at least six inches over a span of ten feet. It doesn’t have to be drastic, and you don’t even have to be sitting on the top of a visible hill. Water always takes the path of least resistance and moves downward. As long as that means moving away from your house, you’ll be good.
So, what can you do if you move in and there are problems with your new house? Depending on the issues you’re having, if the home is not up to code, construction laws may have been broken. Everyone deserves a safe home that passes inspection and never puts them in danger.
When you discover serious problems, you may want to look into your legal options.
Source: The Housing Guru, “Common Problems with New Homes,” accessed June 26, 2015
