Please teach me how to fight with builder! (real estate, felony) - Indianapolis - Indiana (IN) - City-Data Forum

webuser · 05-30-2008, 02:32 PM

I am building new home with Drees homes with lots of custom changes. Friends are talking about to fight with builder during construction till I get what I want with respective quality. Most of the terms that we define in contract are abstract and they can be built in different ways....

any experienced home owners, please help. Major things to consider, while building.

Michelle Morris · 05-30-2008, 05:33 PM

Ask your REALTOR to help you negotiate the terms, that is what they are there for!

BU191433 · 06-02-2008, 06:18 AM

I think if you go into with the attitude that you plan on "fighting with the builder" that is entirely the wrong attitude to have. If you have a good builder, there is no reason at all to fight with him or her - you'll get your way much better and with less hassle with a nice attitude

domergurl · 06-02-2008, 09:40 AM

You have to keep in mind that no home is going to be perfect. You are basically buying a Drees blueprint and they sub out everything else. Get yourself a good inspector, yes, even with new construction, and don't close until everything is up to snuff.

Naptowner · 06-02-2008, 10:29 AM

You wouldn't expect to go into a car dealership, pay for a Geo Metro, and drive out in a Mercedes. So why would you expect to do the same thing with a builder? The best thing you can do is talk about cost early and often, and find the best fit between what you want and what you can afford. A home builder is required to do "workmanlike" work. Not perfect, but up to the standards of the industry. Find out what that means to your builder, and you can probably find some areas in which you can scrimp a little bit so that you can have higher quality in others.

Naptowner · 06-02-2008, 10:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MikiJayne

Ask your REALTOR to help you negotiate the terms, that is what they are there for!

Real estate agents are not qualified, nor are they legally permitted, to negotiate a construction contract for you. That is unauthorized practice of law, and is a felony. If your agent suggests she can help you with that, run.

In fact, if you already know where you want to live, you're much, much better off hiring a real estate attorney for a couple hours to review documents than to pay your agent thousands for doing nothing more than driving you around to a few houses and sending form contracts back and forth with the seller.

webuser · 06-02-2008, 11:30 AM

When I say fight, I mean literally being tough to get what I expected while writing the contractor. Most of the terms in the contract are abstract not to construction specification level. So builder can build in the low ball park with the range of standard. say, he might build the dry wall weak enough to make the people talking inside make audible to out side the room when th door is shut. The same can be built with proper sound proof material in the dry wall, We don't define that in contract but expect.

This is just one example, but there might be lots of things you might have faced. can some one list few here... thanks in davance...

1> I heard Pulte do not use glue and nail both to build the dry wall. Other good builders use both and that make the home strong... many more like this.

2> I have been to beazer home decorated model and found the paint smells like gasoline. Do they use cheaper paints.

any pointers like this might help......: )

domergurl · 06-02-2008, 06:32 PM

I'd take naptown's advice and hire a lawyer.

rrah · 06-02-2008, 06:38 PM

I seriously doubt Drees is going to sound proof between the drywall. Even custom home builders don't do this unless the customer specifically asks BEFORE the ink is dry. The customer will be charged for this addition.

These are the questions you should have asked BEFORE you signed a contract. Naptown's post #5 said it best. You're buying a house from a mass production builder. It doesn't matter if its $300,000 or 90,000. The construction methods are generally going to be the same--same subcontractors, same suppliers, etc. The quality of the materials and finishes may vary.

Mike Taylor · 06-03-2008, 04:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by domergurl

I'd take naptown's advice and hire a lawyer.

I guess it can't hurt, but it doesn't matter who you are the builder's contract are pretty much unchangeable. The best thing to do is make sure you are on the construction site often and if you don't know what you are doing hire an inspector to monitor the building of the home.