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Old 05-31-2007, 07:01 AM
 
414 posts, read 1,375,966 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MJPost32 View Post
TBLTZ...I was wondering the same thing. What makes you want to switch? I just heard ADT has a slow response rate. What do you know?

I heard CPI has a true response time and will come over a loud speaker and talk to you. I am not sure if that is necessary but it sounds comforting. Are they the same price monthly?



theobvious child...so how long will it look that bad? A few months or like a year? I have no clue and neither does my husband on anything that grows outside-ha! What do you recommend?
Same Reason I heard ADT is slow. I know I signed that contract I dont know if it is binding or anything like that. I guess I will see as time gets closer.
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Old 05-31-2007, 07:28 AM
 
28 posts, read 88,690 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Contreras-21 View Post
I have to say I'm surprised by the option of Pergo flooring; I didn't see it offered. Maybe you thought engineered hardwoods are the same. (?)
We orginally signed a contract for a house in the Blue Ridge Collection (the larger homes in Evanton) but I ended up not being happy with the floor plan we chose.
We switched to the Biltmore collection and changed lots and we are much happier.
My point is, we ended up with two sets of upgrade options lists, so we were able to see where they charged more (or lees) in some areas.
There was actually an option for Rear yard sod with the second choice house at a price of $2,235; it wasn't offered with the first (?)
But my question was if they charged the same regardless of the size of the lot and the answer is YES!
We are on a 12,000 sq ft lot and now I'm wondering if during our final appt if we should include this now.
My biggest problem is our house won't be ready until Nov and the sod should be dormate at that time and I'd hate to spend the money and see it die. (I don't suppose they'd come back in the spring?)
What do you guys think?

I'm glad I'm not the only person that was surprised to hear about pergo flooring. Interesting to hear that there are differences in options by home/neighborhood. As far as sodding the back yard, I wouldn't do it exactly for the reasons you stated. I've had success seeding in the past and hope to do the same again, it just requires more attention.
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Old 05-31-2007, 09:43 AM
 
Location: Charlotte, NC
49 posts, read 175,211 times
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The Pergo wasn't actually Pergo (that's a brand name), but Anderson Laminates. Their selection was much skimpier than the hardwoods, but the had a few tile selections and about 6 wood-pattern selections. We chose one of them. They really need to build up the selection. Even the builder didn't know the Studio was offering them. For the whole first floor hardwoods would have put us just shy of $20,000. A lot to spend on ONE upgrade. The Laminate came out to about $15,000.

If you're familiar with the KB Studio, there is a small free-standing unit with several display boards of the laminate located directly in front of the hardwood display rack.

As for the grass, I'm not sure how long it will take for it to grow/fill in. I was happy to run into my future neighbor and find out he went with the seed/straw as well so, at least our yards will match. I think if I was on a corner lot I would have done the sod just because it looks so ugly as you drive by the side.

As for the security pre-wire questions, all of that SHOULD be generic wiring. I believe they only offer ADT (actually the guy who handles that in the deisgn studio is an employee of ADT, not KB), but you should be able to go with any monitoring you want. They may just have to replace the control panel, but the wiring being pre-run is the most important thing. I wouldn't want to have to worry about batteries dying. Personally, I work for Time Warner so I'm planning on having them do the monitoring and using my discounted rate.

As for making "teeny" changes to your final options list, good luck. I had made a change that was an error on the studio's part and it took signing a change request form and waiting 3 weeks to hear back for approval - THEN I had to go in and re-sign everything. It does make sense though - they have to be firm otherwise they'd have everyone going back and making changes. In our case, we wanted a true double oven in stainless steel, but we were told that the only stainless steel ovens were one convection and one standard and the true double ovens were only available in black or white. So we went with the free-standing oven/range. A week later I was in the Studio to turn in my deposit and happened to see a true double oven there in stainless steel. So I brought it up, said it was explained to me incorrectly, and that I'd be surprised if they would stop me from spending MORE money on the gormet kitchen we really wanted. They were really nice about the whole thing and got it fixed for me, but it did take some jumping through hoops. In my case, I had only signed a week earlier, they hadn't even broken ground much less started the kitchen cabinets, it was due to an error on their part, and it still took a while so, if you're just thinking you want to change the color of your carpets or something, you'll probably be denied.

Last edited by TheObviousChild; 05-31-2007 at 09:53 AM..
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Old 05-31-2007, 10:47 AM
 
182 posts, read 822,100 times
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I'm doing my final by phone so I will run through my list for errors.,
We went with an engineered maple for the entire first floor and it was still $8,000.
I'm sure not many know this if you've done your options weeks ago, but KB has switched from ADT to Guardian as far as the wiring and stuff goes.
Thanks everybody for the opinions on the sod; I just saved some $$$
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Old 05-31-2007, 11:49 AM
 
1,242 posts, read 4,018,372 times
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Default alarm

oh that is interesting so how is gurdian..you think they woudl have called to say they switched/ Well TBLTZ that can be our out if you want CPI. I think I will post about them.
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Old 05-31-2007, 12:02 PM
 
525 posts, read 1,796,204 times
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The best time to start your yard is fall from my understanding..can't water a lot in the summer and new lawns need water.
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Old 05-31-2007, 12:04 PM
 
1,242 posts, read 4,018,372 times
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Default bugs?

thank you resident! do we have to worry about more bugs or snakes down there with this hay?
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Old 05-31-2007, 12:05 PM
 
525 posts, read 1,796,204 times
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maybe..I wouldn't worry about it...what about hiring a landscaper for a few months? We aerate and reseed our lawn in the fall around Oct, we have fescue.
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Old 05-31-2007, 12:19 PM
 
1,242 posts, read 4,018,372 times
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Default hmm

how much does that cost? Our lot is really small but we still talked about getting someone.
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Old 04-03-2008, 11:51 AM
 
87 posts, read 341,088 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by stmaarten View Post
Selling upgrades to people buying new construction is what I've done for nearly ten years, and here's the best advice I can give you:
1. Make sure the "bones" of the house are upgraded:
a. Cabinetry in kitchen (42", or tallest you can afford)
b. Wood floors throughout the first floor (keep the flooring consistant, so that if you get wood flooring, get it installed throughout. If you get tile, do the same. Don't get tile in one area, wood in another and then carpet in yet another area. It chops up the "flow" of the first floor.
c. Get fireplaces and any major plumbing and electric, such as double sinks, island in the kitchen, hi-hats.
d. If you're being offered upgrades such as higher ceilings , upgrade them (in the main areas only!) This is a sore spot for me, as I believe that these types of structural items should be included. It's just another way for the builder to get more money out of the buyer!
In any case, these are the things you will probably not tackle by yourself after you've purchased the home.
2. Items that can be changed later (or what I call "bells and whistles"):
a. Counter tops: Formica is fine, in upgraded colors. NEVER get light Formica without a beveled edge, as it will show an ugly dark line on the edges. Stick with dark Formica. Granite and any other solid surfacing is always less expensive done on your own, as builders mark these items up BIG TIME!
b. Appliances. Get the standard stuff and upgrade yourself later. You have more bargaining power at an appliance store when you're buying five appliances, than if you would buying them from a builder. I worked for a builder not too long ago, who marked up appliances to 75% more than what the retail appliances stores were selling them for!
c. Carpeting: get the upgraded padding, if available, then you don't neccesarily need the upper-level upgraded carpeting. NEVER get builder's grade carpeting! You'll be replacing it in a matter of 18 months, especially if you have pets and children.
d. If the builder offers upgrades in plumbing fixtures and lighting fixtures, only consider them in the foyer, kitchen, powder baths and master bath. Stay standard in all other areas, as you can upgrade them yourself later on.
Good Luck! Hope this helps.
Regarding the light fixtures you mentioned in 2.d. Can we not replace the light fixtures in the master bath or kitchen later? I'm looking at buying a new construction home and was just curious.

Thanks!
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