The getFIXLY guide for homeowners
Buying a brand-new home?
Here’s what happens next.
The walkthroughs, the punch list, the warranty deadlines — a straightforward guide to your home’s first year, and how to stay on top of it without carrying it all in your head.
- Chapter 1 · Start here
First, breathe. Every new home has a list.
Maybe you’ve seen the horror stories — flooded crawl spaces, warranty fights. Take a breath. Here’s the honest version.
Your home was built by hand, outdoors, by dozens of skilled people, over months. Even a well-built home closes with a list of small things to make right — and the industry expects this. It’s exactly why walkthroughs, inspections, and warranties exist.
You don’t need to remember everything. You just need everything written down in one place.
- Chapter 2 · During construction
Your one chance to see inside the walls.
Just before drywall goes up, everything that will spend the next fifty years hidden — wiring, plumbing, ductwork, framing — is visible for the last time.
Do this
Book an independent pre-drywall inspection, and photograph everything. Issues found now are simple fixes.
Remember
Most builders welcome the extra set of eyes — catching it now is cheaper for them, too. Don’t be shy about it.
Words you’ll hear
- Pre-drywall inspection
- An independent inspection done while framing, wiring, and plumbing are still exposed — before drywall hides them.
- Punch list
- The running list of items to fix or finish. Yours starts now, and this guide keeps coming back to it.
With getFIXLY: Your home’s record starts here — every find lands on your list with a photo, tied to the room and system (think plumbing, etc.)
- Chapter 3 · A week before closing
Blue-tape day: walk it like you’ll live in it.
Your final walkthrough with the builder. One job: test everything that moves or turns on, and take a close look at all finishes. Tape it, photograph it, on the list it goes.
Do this
Run every faucet, flip every switch, open everything — a phone charger tests outlets just fine. Check paint, flooring, every surface…
Remember
You are not being picky. Finding items is the walkthrough — plenty of blue tape means you did it right.
Photograph everything you flag — even if it’s already blue-taped. Dated photos are what your warranty remembers.
With getFIXLY: You don’t start from a blank page — your list comes pre-filled with what to check. Keep, dismiss, add your own.
- Chapter 4 · Closing week
The list doesn’t end at closing. It changes hands.
Some items get fixed before you have the keys; it’s okay for a few to remain. What matters is what happens to them next.
Do this
Confirm each finished item against the list — the item, not your memory.
Remember
Anything still open gets a name and a date, and is documented. You or your warranty rep don’t want to forget anything here.
From here on, your punch list quietly becomes your warranty record. Treat it with the same care as the closing documents.
Words you’ll hear
- Punch-out
- The builder’s final push to finish open punch-list items, before or shortly after closing.
- Warranty claim
- A request to fix an issue after you own the home — a different process from the punch list, with the same need for good records.
With getFIXLY: Sign-offs happen on the list — what’s done is archived with photos and dates, and every open item keeps a clear owner.
Halfway there. Everything from here on happens after you have the keys — and it’s where a good record starts quietly paying for itself.
Get getFIXLY for your home — free- Chapter 5 · The first months
Your house is settling. So are you.
In its first year a new home dries out, flexes, and settles — and every system gets its first real workout. New things will show up. Most are normal. A few deserve quick attention.
Usually normal settling
- Hairline cracks in drywall or grout
- Nail pops on walls or ceilings
- Doors sticking as seasons change
- The occasional floor squeak
Flag it now, not later
- Water — any stain, drip, or musty smell
- Rooms that won’t hold temperature
- Dead outlets or tripping breakers
- Cracks that are wide or growing
Log it the moment you notice it — a 30-second photo note today beats an hour of reconstruction at one year.
With getFIXLY: Your phone is already in your hand: snap, describe, done. When the 30- or 90-day builder visit comes, your agenda writes itself.
- Chapter 6 · The one to circle
One month before your warranty turns one.
Most builder warranties cover workmanship for one year. Month 11 is your window to catch what a year of living revealed — while it’s still the builder’s to make right.
Book a one-year inspection, then submit everything on your list — in writing, before the anniversary.
Do this today
Whatever chapter you’re in, put the one-year inspection on your calendar now. Future you says thanks.
With getFIXLY: This is what the record was for — everything you’ve logged is already organized, dated, and photographed. A review, not an archaeology dig.
- Chapter 7 · The fine print, translated
Your warranty, in plain English.
The single most important thing to know: every builder’s warranty is different, and your contract is the only source of truth. Most follow a similar shape — coverage in layers:
Workmanship & materials
~1 year
finishes, fit, the small stuff
Major systems
~1 year
plumbing, electrical, HVAC
Structural elements
up to 10 years
the bones of the house
A typical shape — but every builder draws these lines differently. Your contract has the exact layers, terms, and dates. Read it early, not at month eleven.
Documentation, offered kindly: a dated item with photos isn’t ammunition — it’s what helps a warranty team say yes, faster.
General education, not legal advice — your purchase agreement and state law govern your coverage.
- Chapter 8 · The years ahead
The warranty ends. Your home’s record shouldn’t.
Repairs, upgrades, appliance fixes, that new water heater — keep logging them, even long after the warranty is done. Detailed records of your home pay off in ways you don’t expect.
Do this
Log any repair or issue as it happens — what it was, who fixed it, and a photo. Thirty seconds each, for the life of the home.
A documented home is worth more. When you sell, a clean history of care and repairs answers a buyer’s questions before they’re asked.
With getFIXLY: getFIXLY stays with your home for the years ahead — every repair and record in one place. And it’s free for homeowners, warranty or not.
You’ve got this.
See inside the walls if you can. Walk the home like you’ll live in it. Get every promise in writing. Log as you live. Circle month 11 — and keep the record going long after. None of it needs an expert — all of it needs one organized list.
That last part is the bit we’re building.
getFIXLY is one place for all of it.
- One list for your home, from pre-drywall through the warranty year — every item with photos, dates, room, and system
- Starts already filled in with what to look for, so you’re never guessing
- Free for homeowners — and useful even if your builder isn’t on it yet
Be first in line when getFIXLY opens for your home.
A few things people ask us
My builder doesn’t use getFIXLY. Does it still help me?
Yes — everything in this guide works with your own list alone: the guided walkthrough, the photos and dates, the month-11 record. And when you’re ready, inviting your builder takes a moment. What they receive is clearer than the email thread they’re used to.
Is it really free?
Yes — keeping your home’s list is free for homeowners. Premium features may come later, but the record of your home will always be yours.
I closed months ago. Is it too late to start?
Not at all. Add what’s open today, pull in the history you have — photos, emails, your inspection report — and you’re organized for the coverage you have left. Especially that month-11 window.
Who can see my home’s information?
You control it. Your home is visible only to the people you invite — and never to anyone else. Sensitive data is encrypted at rest.