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We’ve researched and visited 9 Charlotte area builders and it seems to come down to these three. Bonterra seems a little lower quality or fewer standard features but they’re “starting at” prices are lower too. Toll Bros and David Weekley seem to be a slight cut above on quality than all the other builders we looked at, but a little more expensive too.
Hard to judge based on online research as every builder has complaints (these days every product or service has complaints online).
Any opinions out there, good or bad, based on your experience or close family or friends?
We’ve researched and visited 9 Charlotte area builders and it seems to come down to these three. Bonterra seems a little lower quality or fewer standard features but they’re “starting at” prices are lower too. Toll Bros and David Weekley seem to be a slight cut above on quality than all the other builders we looked at, but a little more expensive too.
Hard to judge based on online research as every builder has complaints (these days every product or service has complaints online).
Any opinions out there, good or bad, based on your experience or close family or friends?
My Opinion:
Much like sneakers when you were a kid...the name on the product is just that. The highest price doesn't necessarily mean the best built...in the grand scheme, the above poster's assessment of the three builders' pecking order is legitimate. With that being said, the name on the house is only as good as the individual running the show - the builder (superintendent/construction manager/what have you). Currently building with Bonterra and it's been a great experience - the rest of the community has had minimal issues as well. The guy running the show is phenomenal. Dig around and you will see other Bonterra communities with a wealth of issues largely because the idiot in charge at those communities was, well, an idiot. Same goes for the other two companies, I'm sure.
Whatever company you choose, make sure to do your due diligence on individual running the show....poke around the community, or even check his or her references...
I would say Toll Brothers has the best reputation of the three, but the answer to your question is not so easy. Many of the standards of the builders are dictated by the community developers. Some DW communities are built as production homes in cheaper communities. I view Bonterra as mid-tier and Toll Brothers semi custom.
No matter what builder you choose, I think if you plan to pay about $400 and hire your own building inspector, you will save yourself a lot of headaches. Most people do not know you can do this. This is NOT a home inspection, a building inspection. They will come in and inspect at each phase - foundation, framing, etc. I used one - builder hated it with a passion of course. Sold the home 4 yrs later and had nothing to even fix.
No matter what builder you choose, I think if you plan to pay about $400 and hire your own building inspector, you will save yourself a lot of headaches. Most people do not know you can do this. This is NOT a home inspection, a building inspection. They will come in and inspect at each phase - foundation, framing, etc. I used one - builder hated it with a passion of course. Sold the home 4 yrs later and had nothing to even fix.
That is some sound advice, I will be building in a few months and I will now being hiring an inspector
No matter what builder you choose, I think if you plan to pay about $400 and hire your own building inspector, you will save yourself a lot of headaches. Most people do not know you can do this. This is NOT a home inspection, a building inspection. They will come in and inspect at each phase - foundation, framing, etc. I used one - builder hated it with a passion of course. Sold the home 4 yrs later and had nothing to even fix.
This is a very good piece of advice. However, make sure you can do this before you sign any contracts. We had a builder in Michigan, who also does business here, that would not allow this per the contract. I have had 4 houses in the past 5 years, 3 of them new builds, so I would concur that this is a good idea.
We bought a Bonterra home when moving to Charlotte just over a year ago. It's fine. Of course, after having a Pulte home, anything is a step up (Pulte does have really nice floor plans, however). I had a small local builder in WI, and it was the BEST new house we have had. The all-around best, however, was our 120 year old renovated house in St. Louis. The contractor did a fabulous job with it, and it looked custom rather than "production builder" like Bonterra, Pulte, and all of the other mass production builders.
I definitely have complaints about our current home, but the large lot and quiet neighborhood outweigh any of that. Obviously, nothing will be perfect, especially with a new build. I think my home is a beautiful home and, compared to most, fairly well constructed (for a new home). Some of the cheap things they did to cut corners are pretty annoying but can be remedied over time - like the ugly light fixtures, the cheap garbage disposal. The beautiful wood floors and beautiful kitchen are a huge plus, though. I personally found their customer service to be pretty good also. The warranty work was fairly painless, and they actually did a good job. Of course, my most recent comparison is my Pulte home where they had to come in and tear out the garage floor because the concrete was so bad; they had to totally redo some of the ceilings because it was done so poorly; some of the walls were lopsided and had to be corrected; most all of the windows had defective parts and wouldn't stay opened, etc. I could go on.... Plus, their warranty workers were totally incompetent and they did a horrible job. Now I am thinking that maybe I am not the best person to add my two cents worth on this..........
Just remember "caveat emptor" (buyer beware)- do your homework and stay involved with the process. People who have lived here for a while and know the reputation of builders are a good resource, I would think. Good luck to you!
We’ve just found a David Weekley new construction “inventory” home we plan to make an offer on - model locked in and permitted but they haven’t poured the slab yet, so we can still choose everything but the major structural stuff. We have a buyers agent semi involved, and I was planning to use our own inspector (thanks for the heads up on clearing with the builder), especially since we’ll be 750 miles away while most of the build takes place.
We did walk the neighborhood this evening and asked homeowners who were outside what they thought of working with David Weekley. Without exception, they were very pleased with the quality of their homes and the builders sales rep. Reassuring, but we have a long way to go. At least in the specific development, DW appears to be worth the premium from what we’ve gathered.
We’ve just found a David Weekley new construction “inventory” home we plan to make an offer on - model locked in and permitted but they haven’t poured the slab yet, so we can still choose everything but the major structural stuff. We have a buyers agent semi involved, and I was planning to use our own inspector (thanks for the heads up on clearing with the builder), especially since we’ll be 750 miles away while most of the build takes place.
We did walk the neighborhood this evening and asked homeowners who were outside what they thought of working with David Weekley. Without exception, they were very pleased with the quality of their homes and the builders sales rep. Reassuring, but we have a long way to go. At least in the specific development, DW appears to be worth the premium from what we’ve gathered.
Great - Congrats. Is this around zip 28277 right off I-485?
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Phase by Phase Bldg Inspector
