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I guess my point is that I am not a building expert. A round sink vs a rectangular sink is one thing. However, I (and most people) wouldn't know how to evaluate electrical work, HVAC, etc. Outside of hiring inspectors (which I plan on doing), how can the average person monitor good /bad work?
Seriously, I would be a little 5'2" woman walking around my building site trying to play it off like I knew what was happening.
You just described me exactly when I used to be an appraiser for county tax purposes. Tromping around construction sites in the mud all day long....
Those design center marathon appointments are enough to make your head spin. We went through that and it was like 10 hours one day and a few the next. Best thing for anyone buying a new home is get a list of the upgrades and prices BEFORE you attend the marathon. I wouldn't give them a dime until I knew what I was getting into. There are certain common sense things like countertops and kitchen cabinets. Upgraded tile is another possibility. Outlets and lights are much easier when the house is being built, depending on the price. Reinforced wall for giant TV.
Well, you can tell me that what I experienced didn't happen, but that won't do a lot of good.
I will say that we did not make any cost-up structural changes.
I didn't ask the neighbors the details of their surprise at closing, but I can tell you that my experience, which actually happened, I was there, and I know what I witnessed, was that we were asked to sign a final commitment at the design center (which I assume came with a hefty check), before a final complete price was presented to us, and that we refused.
You were not there. I was. I am confident that my memory is in good order.
My point was, and has always been, that it is CRITICAL for the buyer of any large purchase to know WHAT they are buying, and HOW MUCH it will cost, before committing. Are you arguing with this?
Try not to mix my comments between the 2 discussion points. Your experience with "the gal" from the design center is typical, so I wasn't insinuating you misremembered it. When you finish the design center experience, of course they will be looking for you to sign-off on the agreed upgrades.
Specific to the bolded comment, your assumption is incorrect in a typical tract builder experience - they won't ask you for a "hefty check" for design center upgrades. That is because you are agreeing to finish upgrades, not structural changes to the base home. Keep in mind, when you sit down at the design center, you are "in contract". So, common sense dictates that the final cost of the home will include your contractual agreement PLUS the upgrades you define at the design center. Asking the builder to total everything up and give you 1 number is logical, but my point was that you would be in possession of all the agreed costs at that time - nothing is "hidden" or should be a "surprise"... unless, of course, you don't read what you're signing.
I know this is an older thread, but my first house was a Pulte home in NOVA. The build quality is okay. A lot of the time, though, they nickel and dime you for the more basic things, like having stainless steel appliances and using the cheapest carpets instead of quality brands. Everything seems packaged together (like how Audi/BMW build their cars options) and it's hard to individually select items in what you want (example, if you want hardwood floors in one room on a level, you have to get them in ALL of the rooms, not just that one). Sadly, though, the houses are just made to be okay. But I wonder how they'll last the test of time.
If I could go back in time, I wouldn't have gotten as many of their "packaged upgrades", which consist of basic features in a house. Like someone else mentioned, better off buying a new house structurally, have them install the cheap free stuff, and then just hire a contractor to do the same upgrades later. They'll add in like 15-25K in "upgrades" to your mortgage, when you can do all of the upgrades independently for maybe 5-10K out of pocket.
Get private phased inspection done on a new construction house. Make sure the builder agrees to resolving your issues and not just follows the bare minimum city code. Million dollar home or not, inside the wall is all the same and is what matters. The difference comes in upgrades and vanity of the house. For 650+ how are you building a home in Washington DC area. My relative just bought a Condo for that much in Herndon VA and thats little outside of metro area. Price seems attractive but there maybe a catch.
Yes, but you were a trained professional. I know nothing about construction or building.
All these people saying they showed up everyday must not have jobs.
Well, when I was having a tract house built I went by every couple days on the way from work.
The vast majority of things I found them doing wrong anyone could have seen, like the huge pimple on the bathroom wall where the vent pipe in the wall wasn't installed straight, or the windows on the wrong wall in the bedroom.
If I hadn't caught those things when they could be easily rectified, the amount of trouble and strife I would have had to fix them would have been tremendous. For example, it's an hour of work at most to re-frame two window openings the day after the framing is put up. If you wait till the brick work outside and the drywall, tape, bed, texture and paint inside is done, and then you discover that two windows are on the wrong wall, the builders will probably refuse to do it at all unless you file a lawsuit. Good luck with that.
City inspectors can confirm the hosue is built to code, but they won't care that the laundry room is 4" wider at one end than the other; that won't affect livability or safety, but I darn sure made sure it was fixed as soon as they framed up the room.
I'm sorry, but if you rely on "professionals" to have all the common sense and attentiveness in this process, you are likely to end up with some things you didn't want. The professionals are there to ASSIST you, not do everything for you.
Try not to mix my comments between the 2 discussion points. Your experience with "the gal" from the design center is typical, so I wasn't insinuating you misremembered it. When you finish the design center experience, of course they will be looking for you to sign-off on the agreed upgrades.
Specific to the bolded comment, your assumption is incorrect in a typical tract builder experience - they won't ask you for a "hefty check" for design center upgrades. That is because you are agreeing to finish upgrades, not structural changes to the base home. Keep in mind, when you sit down at the design center, you are "in contract". So, common sense dictates that the final cost of the home will include your contractual agreement PLUS the upgrades you define at the design center. Asking the builder to total everything up and give you 1 number is logical, but my point was that you would be in possession of all the agreed costs at that time - nothing is "hidden" or should be a "surprise"... unless, of course, you don't read what you're signing.
Please read my account again.
I am telling you that we were asked to sign off on the complete build prior to being provided with a total price. I am also telling you that when we insisted on a full complete price for the build before signing off on the final commitment, we received considerable resistance, which we overcame. I am telling you that had we not insisted on this, WE WOULD HAVE SIGNED A FINAL COMMITMENT THAT IT WOULD HAVE BEEN EXPENSIVE TO GET OUT OF, WITHOUT KNOWING THE TOTAL PRICE FOR THE HOUSE.
You can argue with me till you are blue in the face that this did not happen, but I am telling you for the last freaking time it did.
Look up the reviews for Pulte and that should answer your question very quickly
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