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We just got back from a trip to NC and put a deposit down on a property in Highland Creek (Centex). Before we did, we looked at about 20 houses and a few town houses in our price range and were just so disappointed at the floor plans of the homes we saw. I had done all kinds of online research about new communities in the Triangle area so I was really excited to see this development because of their location, the floor plans seemed to be more in line with what we wanted (and slightly different than the typical "box" you get with other homes) and the community plan looked really cool.
Once we saw the models, we were hooked. We were so excited about the place, put a $500 hold on the property we wanted, slept on it a night, came back and put down the full deposit the next day. We were psyched. Then we got to their design center for just an introduction to the place and were really disappointed with what I feel were very limited, expensive options. I'm trying to give them the benefit of the doubt because this wasn't our "sit down" with the designer day and I've honestly heard nothing but good things about Centex...and our experience up until that point was very positive.
Unlike KB homes, the sale rep sat with us before we even put the hold on it to go through some upgrade options, so we had an idea of what we'd be spending after we got through the design center...and she was nice enough to give us the full printout of options. Some things like flooring are priced by "levels." we upgraded to engineered hardwood, to a level 1 (which on paper sounds great, but to my dismay, when we got to the design center I saw the choices we had in level 1 and was really upset). So, I just looked at the floors by sight and picked out the one I liked best - which, of course, was a level 5 (the most expensive) which would probably tack on about $10k over the already "upgraded" price of what we had estimated for the areas where we wanted hardwoods.
The other thing that really bothers me is that they only paint in "flat" paint. We just got through remodeling the house we're in now and did most of the work ourselves...and painted EVERY room in this house. I would never paint with a flat finish. So, I'm miffed at the thought that I'd have to move into a brand new place, that has a pretty big scale compared to other houses (tall ceilings, lots of sq. ft.) and have to re-paint with an eggshell finish - and in the colors I want...Yes, i'm picky, and I admit it. But a flat finish? I understand it's easier for touch-up, but it's just so disappointing that I don't even had a choice. (maybe we do - I haven't have this conversation with the designer, but on the pricing sheets it's explicit about flat paint only. I suppose everything is an option to change, but it's a question of "at what cost?")
and the final issue for me is the kitchen cabinets. We have one line of cabinets from which to choose. Granted there are several different styles, but the color selection in the style I want doesn't exist in that line. There's something very close to what I want, but it's not what I'd pick if I had a full range of options. So I asked about the other cabinets they had on display, if we could get that in our place and I was told that wasn't an option.
I'm trying really hard to give them the benefit of the doubt because we haven't had our full session yet with the designer - who seemed very nice by the way. I just feel like we're paying a lot of money for things that we have to compromise on...and it bothers me. (oh, a word to the wise, if it's not in writing it doesn't exist. our sales rep told us we had 24 hours to use in the design center, but when we met with the designer, she said we had 8 hours, which is what's written in the contract...and it was an hourly charge after that.)
So, maybe in the end, since we know this isn't our "forever" house, we should just finish it with resale in mind and not for our own personal tastes.
Anyway, I'm just wondering if others have had a similar experience with Centex, because we're literally at the point of reconsidering and may potentially back out because of our design center experience: limited options, we're up to about $40,000 in upgrades with probably more to come once I decide on a floor(!), not trusting what our sales rep has told us and feeling like we've got to comb through the fine print. We're also curious about the quality of their customer service once they have your money.
I feel like it's a great investment given the location, floor plans, community plan, etc., and the home is beautiful, but I'm really struggling with our experience around "customizing" our new home. I know they've won several awards and seem to be well regarded, so I'm hoping we just had a weird experience that will get better once we start working with the designer.
not trusting what our sales rep has told us and feeling like we've got to comb through the fine print.
Does this mean you don't have your own RE agent? Sorry to hear about your troubles. There are a few otehr mebers on this forum who seem to have had positive experiences with Centex. I am sure they will be able to give you some good feedback.
We do have a realtor. She's been great, helping us think through everything. But ultimately she wants us to feel comfortable with the decision. She thinks it's a fabulous investment, but she knows that it's gotten to be slightly over the top end of what we wanted to spend and the experience we had after we signed was less than positive, and we're not done thinking through the upgrades. If we can stomach it, her thought was to finish the place with resale in mind and not necessarily do the upgrades we'd choose if we were staying long term in this place. I struggle with knowing which upgrades to make...(i.e. it feels wrong to exclude certain non-essential upgrades given that the place is being built from scratch).
I have a Centex home in the Dallas, TX, area right now (moving to Raleigh in a few weeks!). Here's my take -- they build nice homes, have good service, and (at least in my experience) have positive customer service during the warranty period following the move. (We had plumbing issues and a leaking toilet -- they replaced all very quickly w/ no question.)
Anyways, Centex is also very limiting w/ what they allow or do. One thing that drives me crazy is the absence of drawers in our bathroom. They absolutely would not put in drawers, no matter what I offered. Same thing when we looked at Centex in Raleigh -- it just wasn't an option. Also, we did not have a choice for smooth ceilings -- only popcorn. The Centex subdivision in Raleigh we went to said the same thing -- no option for non-popcorn ceilings. It was little things like those details that really irked me. My wife loved their homes -- but she didn't go through the process on our current home. The lack of flexibility on some things like that is a major disappointment to me. Again, we have a nice house and I respect their product.
congrats on your move! I hope it goes smoothly for you. (btw - I think the smooth ceiling thing may depend on which development you're in. I know the Knightdale community Centex is building has very few upgrade options. I know Highland Creek has more.)
Thanks for the input. I understand this is how they make money and also how they keep their costs under control. I know we'd get a good product, but I guess for those of us who are picky and have strong feelings about the details, we either have to accept it and leave it as-is, pay to redo it when we move in, or find something else entirely. It's helps to hear that they've provided good customer support. that definitely plays into the bigger picture experience.
I know quite a lot about Centex Homes. I've been to a lot of their communities. Here's my take...
1- compared to some of the other large builders around here their quality and customer service seems better than all of them. They are very proud of their JD power awards!
2- They have a range of homes termed Fox and Jacobs. I'm not sure whether they exist in Highland Creek. These types of homes are very low on options, but what they do have is very low price per square foot, say below 100 dollars. sq foot. Given the rapid increases in land prices in Raleigh this dollar amount is remarkable, but you do lose many upgrades. I'm sure the onsite agent told you all this anyway. They sell incredibly well to large families with moderate income.
I'm not sure whether your house will be a good investment as this really all depends on your location and there's so much building going on in your part of town. But, you'll be living in a good quality home.
I drove out to Highland Creek last week to see the site. I think it is going to be very nice when finished. I have looked at several townhomes, and so far I like the Centex plans best, especially the ones that are being built at Highland Creek.
I can certainly understand your frustration, but I guess the question you have to ask yourself is whether or not you'll fare better with another builder. The paint issue, for example, is probably the same everywhere. I know it is with Pulte. Its not cost effective for the builders to custom paint each unit according to each individual buyer's taste.
And if you do find another builder that offers the interior design options you like, or better service, you may have to compromise on the floorplan? The neighborhood and floorplans are key. If you end up with a less desirable floorplan, the best cabinets and flooring in the world won't fix it.
This is all helpful for us. Thank you. To tell you the truth, we were just discussing what makes the most sense for us in terms of compromises. We were drawn to the town homes in highland creek **because** of their floor plans - which we can't find with any other existing or to-be-built town house - or single family homes in the $$ range we're looking in. We saw the finished models in Westover Park (in Cary) - same floor plans as Highland Creek, but Highland Creek is much less $$...and about the same commute for me to work given the congestion around Cary...or so I'm told by people who live there.
I don't think we'll fare better with another builder. Fortunately, the Highland Creek town homes do offer more upgrade options than some of the other Centex communities - and that's another reason we were drawn to it. I'm a sucker for nice kitchens and the set-up in the town house is more along the lines of what we wanted. Fortunately we got in early and secured an end unit. So we have that going for us! (Seriously, for anyone looking for townhomes with beautiful floorplans -imho-, I highly recommend the units at Highland Creek Gables.)
Even though we know this is not our forever house, we still want certain things the way we want them - and overall, this place fits most of our priority criteria. Floor plans and upgrades aside, we just wanted to make sure others have had a positive experience with Centex - from beginning to end.
I have a Centex home in the Dallas, TX, area right now (moving to Raleigh in a few weeks!). Here's my take -- they build nice homes, have good service, and (at least in my experience) have positive customer service during the warranty period following the move. (We had plumbing issues and a leaking toilet -- they replaced all very quickly w/ no question.)
Anyways, Centex is also very limiting w/ what they allow or do. One thing that drives me crazy is the absence of drawers in our bathroom. They absolutely would not put in drawers, no matter what I offered. Same thing when we looked at Centex in Raleigh -- it just wasn't an option. Also, we did not have a choice for smooth ceilings -- only popcorn. The Centex subdivision in Raleigh we went to said the same thing -- no option for non-popcorn ceilings. It was little things like those details that really irked me. My wife loved their homes -- but she didn't go through the process on our current home. The lack of flexibility on some things like that is a major disappointment to me. Again, we have a nice house and I respect their product.
Good luck with everything!
That's odd....we just bought a Centex home in Dansforth (Wake Forest) and we have drawers in all three of our bathrooms and we have smooth ceilings, too. (As far as I can tell - I don't see any bumps up there.)
That being said, I would give Centex HIGH marks across the board for everything. We are very happy with them and the options available to us.
We've lived in Raleigh for 18 years and always rented. Were thinking of a townhouse and looked at a few.
The one from Pulte on Litchford Road was bad beyond belief. Awful floorplan, very poor quality of workmanship, and evidence of soil settling even before construction was complete.
We then saw some from Centex. Much better plans and workmanship. Almost ready to buy until we discovered the following design issues that were a show-stopper.
1. Gas heat - why? PSNC just got an 11% increase and gas has been very volatile in price. Could it be because a gas furnace and A/C are cheaper than an electric heat pump? No option to get rid of the gas and upgrade to a heat pump.
2. Light in stairwell insanely bad design. Bulb cannot be safely replaced by homeowner. Why not put fixture on the side wall to be safely accessed? Cannot believe that this wouldn't have been fixed after the first few complaints.
3. Water heater in your attic. So, when the ceiling falls on your head from the leak, you need to buy a water heater. Yes, some builders do this to save living space. Do you want the risk of this kind of damage when water heater fails, as they normally do, by leaking. As they leak, more water fills the tank, so a catch pan will soon overflow.
As seen in the other posts, the builder sure wants to sell upgrades for decorative stuff. No option, however, to buy useful upgrades like a heat pump.
I guess we will stay renters. At least, if the place falls apart, we won't need to fix it up and pass it on to a new victim.
Homeownership - Bah Humbug!
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Unbelievable Design Errors in Townhomes
