Starter house in HSV/Madison (hardwood floors, appointed, home builders)

[HSVmom]

I have a relative who wants to buy a starter house, preferably new construction, close to Research Park for around $165 - 185K. She has looked at a couple of models for Adams Homes since they're all she has found in her price range. A friend of hers bought an Adams house recently and is pretty pleased. However, when she started checking into them, she was told that almost everything is an "upgrade" - gutters are not even standard! She was also disappointed that engineered hardwood floors are not an option; the laminate in the model looked really cheap. On the plus side, the houses are four-sides brick and come with a radon vent. She likes some of the floorplans, too. My only suggestion has been to make sure that she can include a clause in her contract that purchase is subject to the house passing inspection by a certified inspector to be hired by her.

The only negative comments about Adams that I have found are from folks in Florida. A couple of people posting on the local newspaper's forum said to avoid ALL new home builders but did not cite any specific problems or give any alternatives. The local BBB says Adams has a "satisfactory" rating, and has responded appropriately to the four complaints filed in the last three years.

Most of the resales that I've seen in her price range were built by Adams (and I think Hunter Homes, too) or they were much older houses in need of a lot of work. She doesn't have the time or inclination to do major remodeling.

Has anyone here bought an Adams house in AL or know someone who has? Do you know of any other builders whose houses are in her price range? Thanks.

[dbkeel1]

I've never heard of anyone having problems with Adams Homes and from what I can tell they seem to stand behind their products pretty well. Adams, like most builders in that price range, build on concrete slab due to the cost savings that's passed to the buyer.

With concrete slab they all tend to use a laminated real wood flooring (basically a thin plywood with finished hardwoods on the outside) that is glued to the slab. The actual hardwood on the laminate should last well and is normally thick enough to be refinished once in its lifetime. Usually, though, it's replaced pretty much like carpet. Slab and laminated flooring are just a reality these days as the cost new homes climbs over $100/sf for starter homes. Those same homes were only $60/sf just four years ago.

If that's not appealing to you, the best alternative may be to consider looking for a nice older home that's built on a crawlspace. Many, but not all, of those will have 3/4" hardwood floors.

[VMH2507]

Based on the experience of the last poster about Adams Homes, I would like to reiterate what dbkeel recommended - buy a nice older home. I think you get alot more value for your starter home dollar. Established, sometimes fenced yard, larger lot in most cases, established neighborhood with no surprises, crawlspace rather than slab, etc.

[Keeper]

Per the Terms of Service
This is not the right place for consumer complaints. Such posts present defamation issues and they don't give the other side the opportunity to present their side of the argument.

Send a DM

[MadHaus]

I'd welcome a message about problems, just to know if the owner should be on the alert for any specific issues. However, an inspector was hired and found no major items and only a couple of minor ones that were promptly corrected.

We've owned a dozen houses in the last three decades, and not one has been trouble free. The houses ranged in age from over a century to brand new, and the new ones included inexpensive production builder houses, mid-range builder spec and very high end custom. Several builders have told me "nothing is perfect on this earth" even though I didn't expect perfection but just reasonably good workmanship. The latest uses the size of the house as an excuse, but he sure expected to be paid well for all of the square footage and not just a portion. I don't expect to ever move again, but if I do, I will find a builder who has actually studied building science and understands how systems work. Too many builders are former something-or-others who rely on their (lowest bid) subs to tell them what they need.

Anyway, this particular Adams house seems fine and the new owner is pleased.