choosing a builder- is this normal or a red flag?

10 years ago

Hi,
We are in the very beginning (feasibility) stages of deciding to build or not. We have met with a couple of custom builders so far and the meetings were very different. Builder 1 basically just showed us 3 of his homes that were just about done, one being his own home that was fully done and furnished. Didn't discuss a lot of pricing other than he told us how much each home cost to build but not knowing where the money was spent in the home as far as upgrades.

Builder 2 had a very organized (91 page) power point presentation and immediately emailed us his pricing table and we spent a lot of time talking about what was standard in his homes and what was not (although obviously this was not fully comprehensive). There were a lot of upgrades included in the price of his homes- even more than I might ask for in trying to keep costs down. Such as granite in kitchen and every bathroom, tile in rooms like mudroom and every bathroom, 3 ceiling beams in the kitchen, tray ceiling in the master, and a bar in the basement, and a 3 car garage. However the exterior does not include any natural materials, those are all full upgrades. So I guess what I'm saying is that the finishes on the inside are on the higher end while the exterior standard is vinyl siding. And of course I expect to pay for natural siding, but I 'm just wondering if this is fairly standard practice or if it's a red flag of any sort that these kind of interior finishes are in a way being 'pushed' because they are 'standard' in his pricing. He did say we would get credits for not using those things but i'm not sure how much of a discount that would be in trading those things off to upgrade the exterior and staying within a budget.

Just to give you a super general idea of pricing, 3200 sq feet of above grade house plus 1300 sq feet finished walkout basement would come to around 500-535K if we stick with all of his standard options. Build price only, lot not included.

oh, another thing that I was wondering about is that this builder has 3 designers on staff. One called a "In-home design consultant", one called "interior and cabinetry design" and one called "cabinetry design". I have no idea what credentials these people have but their services are also included on an unlimited basis. This builder builds 18-20 homes per year.

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Comments (4)

ILoveCookie
10 years ago
From what I read, builders who don't hesitate to show you houses they built for other clients are worth considering. I think it kind of tells that they are proud of their work and have nothing to hide.

I haven't built my own house yet, but personally I think I'd be cautions with builders who try to overwhelm me with lots of finish materials & finish details during the first meeting. To me, construction quality is the most important, so I'd want to find out how the builder handles certain things first, like foundation details, insulation details, etc. I think the finish details can be discussed much later, after I decide to go forward with the builder and after the lot has been purchased.

This post was edited by ILoveCookie on Sun, May 19, 13 at 20:30
Spottythecat
10 years ago
Having been through firing a builder after we began construction, I would say expectations is so important. If your expectations and your builders are different, it won't work out well.
When we found our second builder, he walked us through the house he just completed. It was close to our price point, so we were able to see what X number of dollars per square foot would get us. He pointed out the quality, his standards etc....after that walk-thru, we knew we shared the same expectations.
We also liked the idea that he would oversee the construction, not some hired project manager. He also limits how many homes he builds per year. We liked that and felt that he wouldn't be too busy to not care about our home. We learned through the process that you get what you pay for....the first builder talked about the details of our home...we thought we were on the same page....we said, glass shower doors and his idea was glass doors that sit on the edge of the bath tub.... Ours were 1/2 in thick full glass swing doors...no tub involved! He said we would have casement windows, but when I said I wanted them to be brown, he said we could only have white. As you can see, our expectations didn't match. The build was a train wreck...
We are in a Much better place now with our new builder!
Good luck to you! Interview more builders and ask for references....of recent projects!
Pam
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illinigirl
Original Author
10 years ago
Oh the second builder did walk us through one home that was just about finished also.....though that one was well above our price point. Certainly seemed like quality work but the kitchen layout was a disaster. Hard to know if the owner insisted on it or if the designer was just not good.

ALso both builders built homes at higher pricepoints for friends/colleagues we know and have given the thumbs up.
redlodger
10 years ago
When we built in 2010 we chose a builder that we had been watching for years. He has done many Parade of Homes houses and, after going through them all, we liked his eye for detail & quality. I got very hands-on with the custom build and had all of my materials picked out before he gave us the bid so he knew exactly what our expectations were. The estimate he gave us was extremely accurate. We decided to upgrade a couple of things while the build was in progress so, of course, that added to the cost. In addition to our builder's eye for quality he was a dream to work with. The lines of communication were always open and he never made me feel bad for asking questions. He was up-front and gave me honest answers to questions that he could have said otherwise. Of course , the cost of the home the builder will be building for you is a huge factor but not to be dismissed is your ability to get along with the builder and his staff. It is hugely important that you feel this person is honest, has integrity and can work well with you.

choosing a builder- is this normal or a red flag?

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ILoveCookie

Spottythecat

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choosing a builder- is this normal or a red flag?

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ILoveCookie

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