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By sticks I mean 2x4s. That's how the phrase "stick-built house" originated. Considering that the real dimension of 2x4 are 1.5''x3.5'', what are those scrawny pieces, if not overgrown sticks compared with true lumber you can occasionally see in some log-cabin types of houses.
By plaster I mean the sheet-rock, which is nothing more than gypsum wrapped between 2 sheets of paper. You can cut it with a knife. .
I didn't say anything about the use of the word stick. I'm well aware about the stick built phrase. You used the word plaster and that is not correct in the vast majority of houses for about 70 years...give or take depending on the region. Sheetrock is NOT plaster! You need to a REAL skilled craftsman to do plastic work and it takes days to do one wall. No covering all the studs in a day. That's impossible with plaster. Plaster does have some drawbacks. Ever try to hang pictures with plaster walls? There's a reason picture rails were created. You don't have that problem with sheetrock at all.
Nothing against any of the national builders, but I'm a big fan of smaller builders, those building three or four homes at a time instead of those that build in huge numbers. I find that there seems to be much more attention to detail in both the design and quality of construction plus they tend to be more customer-service focused after the sale.
Look for a builder that has been in business for a few years. By that time, the builder likely has a good relationship with the subcontractors plus has demonstrated that he/she will likely be around for a few more years to make good anything that might not be perfect with your new home.
True story: I bought my new home about seven years ago. Two years into ownership, my water heater failed. I called the builder just to ask if he could refer me to a good plumber. Gave me the number to a good local plumber who he'd been working with for many years. Two hours later and before I'd even had a chance to call him, this same plumber shows up on my doorstep with a team of people and a new water heater, courtesy of my builder. No charge whatsoever.
Small builders just tend to treat you better.
I agree with you 100%. A small builder has his reputation and the opportunity for word-of-mouth advertising. They do tend to listen to your concerns and go the extra mile for you as you.
The large builders work on volume and try to get the lowest bid for everything to make a profit. So speed and bare minimum building code is the order of the day. I watched a National Builder (Not Pulte) frame up several homes in one day. The carpenters grabbed any stick at hand and zoomed through the process. After the building is framed, a second crew comes by and corrects all the out-of-plumb and warped wood. It was cheaper to do it this way as with the frame in place the systems, electrical, HVAC and plumbing could be installed. Everything is building code minimum.
A small builder can be more responsive to a customer/homeowner.
I think what can be considered "quality" can vary by area too.
I don't live in an earthquake zone. I live relatively close to the coast, essentially a hurricane zone.
I don't need a home that meets all the earthquake standards. I need one that meets the latest windstorm standards, and I won't find that in a house more than 10 years old. We don't get a lot of tornadoes, so I don't need a safe room.
I live where some areas have ground that expands and contracts a lot, and most houses under 50 years old are on a slab. I need a house that won't settle.
We don't have basements here, but we do have attics and lots of stifling heat. I want a home that is energy efficient...that I'm not having to cool the outside, that the heat isn't making my a/c work constantly to keep up, that the attic is not unbearable on an August afternoon.
With an older home (pre 1950s), chances are the electrical and plumbing have been replaced/upgraded, or will need to be. Or there has been an addition, or a porch closed in, etc. So it's not just the original quality you have to judge, but the quality of any changes that have been made.
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