First time home buyer- Katy (Houston, Howe: buyers, construction, subdivisions)

[Florjad]

Hi all,

I would like your advise on this.

We are looking to buy a home in Katy. We have two builders - Meritage and Khovnanian(Brighton) in that area.

Khovnanian's floor plan already has what we want,like 4 bed 3 bath and wooden floor in the living room etc.

However Meritage homes have only 2.5 bath for 4 bed and carpet in the living area etc.Though they have an option to upgrade to 3.5 bath, wooden floor, Backsplash tile,fire place tile,bay window etc,it looks like everything we ask for is an upgrade !!?

If i choose Khov over Meritage i would save roughly around $30 K.

One advantage i see in meritage is that they have spray foam insulation and they say it would save us good money on electricity bills.

Is it true that Khov compromises on the quality of products used?

Any input on these builders is highly appreciated.

Thanks.

[cheryjohns]

Meritage over Khov. Realize going in that Meritage is difficult to deal with throughout the process.

[Sugarlandbubba]

Neither.

I had lived in both (Brighton and Meritage) and would choose KHOV and take that $30k to upgrade kitchen and Master bath or outdoor kitchen/larger patio. You will not get that money back when you're ready to sell but your house will probably sell much faster.

Btw, many builders in Houston have moved away from spray foam because it doesn't allow the walls to breathe and traps in moisture. (It does cost more to install spray foam ins.)

[Rip808]

I really don't like the "low" ceilings of Khov. They like to trap as many square feet inside their homes as possible and it makes it look cramped. Meritage, for the most part, has high ceilings which are very appealing to buyers. Khov has roomier closets which are very appealing as well. I have dealt with both, and the process was around the same. It all depends on the construction manager. One thing I will say is that Meritage screwed up the permit at the end for electricity and while the home was ready for move in, we had no electricity and they wouldn't (couldn't) let us move in but they reimbursed us for the delay. Overall, I would choose Meritage over Khov, they have nicer home designs. Good luck.

[Florjad]

Thanks. Meritage uses open cell foam insulation and I heard it does not trap moisture. Any insights on this?

[descovy]

Only thing I will say, you mention flooring and backsplash as things that were swaying your decision to one builder or the other. Don’t do that. Those are easy swaps. In 10 years you will be tired of whatever flooring you have now and will probably replace it with whatever is on trend at that point. Selling sooner than 10 years? You’ll probably still be expected to upgrade floors to attract buyers.

You should care about build quality and layout first. Today’s decorating trends will go out of style eventually.

No idea on Meritage or KHov. But I’ve had my house bought new 10 years ago, and have replaced all my flooring (done by EZ floors) for less than $5000 and one hectic weekend. If you really wanted to, you could put in cheap builder grade carpet in the whole house and replace it with nice stuff as soon as you move in too. As a bonus, your average flooring store has way more options to choose from than your builder’s design center.

[Houston321]

I don't like either, but if you put a gun to my head - Meritage

[Sollaces]

As many builders and new areas opening up in Katy. . . Why not shop around and look at more builders?

If you have your heart set on either of those. . . Look at those builders in older subdivisions and see how they hold up. Look at homes online, talk to a realtor, or ask on another thread here on this forum / this thread.

I ditto going for quality of build over surface splash. Ask about radiant barrier, upgraded A/C, gutters around the whole house, etc. If you're building, get it inspected before you move in.

[SpringBrancher]

Meritage is the crew that wanted to build 800 homes in a flood plain at the golf course near my house. I'd be real careful and ask questions like "has the hone ever been in a flood plain?" and make them sign disclosures on that.