Your First Year in a New House: What to Check, Season by Season

You took delivery, you moved in, the build is over. And that is where another stage begins that almost nobody explains: the first year, when the house goes through its first full cycle of seasons and reveals things that could not be seen at handover.

This is not cause for alarm — it is normal in any construction — but it is worth knowing what to look at and when, because this is the period in which reporting something is simple and free.

First, what covers you

Chilean law establishes builder liability over different periods depending on the type of defect: 10 years for the load-bearing structure, 5 years for construction elements and installations, and 3 years for finishes. These run from the final municipal approval.

We go into this in warranty and after-sales: what is covered and for how long, and the specific terms of our service are on the after-sales page.

The first months: the house settles

Every new build has a settling period. The most common things to see:

Hairline cracks where partitions meet or around frames. They are fine, superficial and expected. Different from a crack that grows, crosses a structural element or lets light through: that gets reported immediately.
Doors and windows needing adjustment after the first swings in temperature and humidity. That is regulation, not a fault.
Construction moisture evaporating. In the first months it is worth ventilating more than seems necessary.

The first winter is the real test

It is the season that gives the most information, and it is why the first year matters so much.

Check junctions after the first heavy wind-driven rain. Not just any rain: the kind that comes in sideways. Look at window sills, roof junctions and service penetrations.
Watch condensation. Some vapour on the glass in the morning is normal in an under-ventilated house; water running down the frame every day is not. We explain it in double-glazed windows.
Track your energy bill. The first winter gives you the house's real baseline. To compare, see a winter electricity bill, broken down.
Clear gutters and downpipes before winter, not during. It is the number one cause of avoidable leaks.

Spring and summer: the exterior review

Walk the whole façade looking for sealant that has moved and paint that has given way on the most exposed faces.
Check perimeter drainage and that the ground still slopes away from the house. On sloping sites this can change after the first winter.
Assess thermal behaviour in the heat: if any orientation overheats, this is the moment to consider shading.

The full maintenance routine is in our maintenance guide, and the summer-specific part in summer maintenance.

How to report, and why doing it properly matters

Our after-sales protocol is triggered in writing to the after-sales address. From there, the commitment is to confirm receipt within 48 hours and arrange the inspection within 5 business days. Details and the form are on the after-sales page.

Two things help enormously in resolving quickly:

Photo and date. Damp photographed the day it appeared, with the context visible, is worth more than a description three months later.
Report it when it appears. A sealant that has moved is one visit; the same sealant two winters later can be significant damage. And warranties have deadlines.

What the warranty does not cover

Worth stating clearly to avoid unpleasant surprises: normal wear from use, lack of maintenance, modifications made by third parties after handover, and damage from force majeure events fall outside it. Keep the Owner's Manual handed over with the house — it is downloadable from the after-sales page — because it contains the maintenance routines that keep the warranty valid.

And one advantage of the building system

A good share of the classic first-year problems in traditional construction come down to rising damp and to materials that absorb water. The galvanised steel structure of the Canadian system does not rot, is not attacked by insects and does not change dimension with humidity, which removes much of that list. Covered in myths about fire and termites.

Already living in your Canadian Houses home? Review the protocol and download the manual at after-sales. Still planning? Start with the cost calculator or write to us.

Your First Year in a New House: What to Check, Season by Season