Consumer complaints flood Colorado’s largest homebuilder

[eatsDEN]

Originally Posted by rushhournewb

Years ago I had a buddy who was a full-time real estate broker. He had his opinions about builders. He'd had "problems" with a house he bought to use for a rental and wanted to go after the builder bigtime for some minor stuff. I was a home builder at the time and didn't comment on his righteous attitude.

A few years later he bought a lot and built a home ("Hey, I'm gonna be a builder, I mean, how hard can it be!?!" he asked me.) I didn't comment some more.

After having innumerable issues with his buyer that went on and on and on...and on, he later said to me "I never knew". I know what he meant but your interpretation may vary (YIMV).

I can see this as reality.


thanks for sharing the perspective!

Originally Posted by stockwiz

Well you could spend an extra $5000 on a $200,000 home and get significantly better quality if you supervise the building process and know what you're looking to do, but few people have this level of knowledge.

not in some "track home" developments - some builder contract's stipulate that you as the buyer do not have the right to engage their subcontractors directly in mere conversation or oversight roles --the ability to be onsite at all can be outlined as requiring an escort by a member of the builder's project management team; nor do all of the builder contracts allow for buyer's to engage professionals in the field to perform periodic quality assurance inspections during the construction period...


maybe when dealing with some builders, but not all the time...

[2bindenver]

I thought I was better because I am a long time real estate broker, that I did not need a home inspection on my new build.

The GFI was bad in the kitchen, so I made coffee in the bathroom and then I replaced the GFI myself.

Well, the sewer line was also broken and that wouldn't have been caught by an inspection. I had 32 drywall cracks. I knew that was not normal.

So my next house was inspected by a structural engineer. I always recommend one for a new build.

[emm74]

I've never even heard of Oakwood! I was just glad it wasn't my builder (KB) as they have not the greatest reputation. But while there were a few hiccups along the way, overall, I am pleased with the end result.

I used my own inspector for a pre-drywall where everything looked ok and a pre-close inspection. They took the pre-close report, created a punch list with every single item listed on the report and corrected all of them.

[SQL]

Originally Posted by 2bindenver

I thought I was better because I am a long time real estate broker, that I did not need a home inspection on my new build.

The GFI was bad in the kitchen, so I made coffee in the bathroom and then I replaced the GFI myself.

Well, the sewer line was also broken and that wouldn't have been caught by an inspection. I had 32 drywall cracks. I knew that was not normal.

So my next house was inspected by a structural engineer. I always recommend one for a new build.

My condo was built in 2000. Not sure who the builders were as I didn't buy it new. They didn't use GFI outlets in the kitchen near the sinks, which isn't up to code. I had to replace those. The microwave was technically hung too low and close to the range and wasn't up to code. So I had to buy new, smaller cabinets to hang them from for the required 15-18" gap. The outlet behind my dryer wasn't even the correct outlet for a dryer. So I had to replace that myself. An outlet in my master bath was shorted out. I had to replace that. I can only hope the plumbing is solid.

The build quality on some of the newer, post-2000 developments definitely seems kind of shoddy IME.

[Hschlick84]

Originally Posted by vegaspilgrim

Where do you get that Oakwood is the largest homebuilder in Colorado? This list is 2 years out of date, and it's Denver area only, not the whole state, but Oakwood doesn't even make it into the top 5:
http://www.bizjournals.com/denver/su...ebuilders.html

Oakwood homes also builds in Utah, just pointing it out.

[brown_dog_us]

I built over 500 homes before retiring and moving to Colorado. It's a tough business!

It's good to remember that home builders build what people will pay for. The problem is most buyers have very little interest in quality or don't understand what makes a house well built. They just want more sqft and shiny stuff.

If you want a quality house here are a few suggestions:

1. Pick your lot carefully. Soil and drainage matter.
2. Over engineer your footing and foundation. If those move then everything moves and it's tough to fix.
3. Beef up the framing. This depends on how the house is framed, but think about more joists to minimize floor bounce. Bigger beams/headers to minimize deflection. Plywood the entire outside to add strength.
4. Copper supply pipes if you are not on a well.

Pick where you spend your money carefully because the next buyer probably won't pay for the extra effort. I would never run 12 gauge wire to bedrooms for example. What are the electrical demands of a bedroom? A few led lights and an alarm clock. Space heater? Size the HVAC correctly and add zones. Using 12 gauge wire and therefore 20 amp circuits where they will not be needed is just a waste of money.

Also, most home inspectors are close to worthless. Structural engineers are better, but make sure you pick a good one.

[headingtoDenver]

Wow, some of those people make it sound like their house will come crashing down any minute. Just like typical service work, your warranty claim will be prioritized. For instance, the lady with the water leak had that fixed, but her "sinking patio" hasn't been. Water leaks would definitely take priority over a (lol) sinking patio. She makes it sound like it is on quicksand and every day it is sinking further and further. Yes, there is a problem, but that is hardly a priority. Same with the guy complaining about molding not being level and seams in your carpet coming up. Again, yes these are problems, but if I had a huge list of items to fix, these would be at the bottom.