NEW HOME - MANY DELAYS & SUPER LONG PUNCH LIST!

[chief38]

We are soon to close on our new home. We were originally told we could close in mid December, but I neglected to ask which year - lol! After delays, the builder then told us January 1st - 15th. That date came and went. Then they said definitely Feb 10th. Today is the 21st - and now they are telling us Feb. 24th. After our walk through last week and a punch list as long as your arm, I am still very skeptical! They said this time they are positively sure - uh huh!

They have many things to get done before that date! Thankfully nothing major just a pile of small annoying stuff - and this builder is supposedly a good builder - ha! Gas hook-up still not done, broken draws on cabinets, broken floor tiles, broken pavers, paint touch-ups, ripped screens, missing microwave, yada yada yada. What is really sad is that many little jobs were started and never finished. Some doors have hardware, some don't. Some crown moulding was meticulously installed, other pieces lack a quality installation.

I've been told by some of the neighbors that the first 6 - 8 weeks or so are going to be very frustrating - so I have already sort of accepted that and am now explaining that to the Mrs. I can't wait 'till this move in and fixin' period is all over, till we get our stuff delievered and we can then laugh at this whole process. We've now been "homeless" for 6 weeks - THANKFULLY my BEST friend of 65 years lives a few houses down the street and has been exceptionally hospitable about letting us stay here.

Well....... I KNOW good help is hard to find and I guess no matter how much you spend on a new home (and this one was NOT cheap) we are at the mercy of the labor they have to hire. I guess I had delusions of grandeur when we contracted the house to be built! I hope is all works out in the end! Keep you posted.......

 

[bigwheelzip]

Keep in mind the building codes aren't necessarily best practice, leaving you with technically correct problems.
Our master bathtub didn't drain well because the code allowable waste vent wasn't good enough. Our son the plumber fixed it.

Good luck.

Sent from my motorola one 5G using Tapatalk

 

[mckenney99]

Luckily I've been able to avoid the custom built home headache. Every person I know who has built a house in the last 20-30 years have said the same thing, it was the worst experience of their life and they would never do it again. Contractors who can't or won't follow plans, trying to sneak by with cheaper than specified equipment and fixtures, just plain incompetence and lying.
I sincerely hope you are finally able to get into your dream home soon.

 

[arjay]

I've spent the last year being a "sidewalk supervisor" on the new townhouses down the street-yikes!
Coming from a custom build background,American style home building is a trip. Engineering and design seem good,but execution? Holy ****!!

 

[lkabug]

My daughter and son-in-law new house was started November 2020. Plumbing is roughed in, electric is roughed in, HVAC duct work is about half roughed in. Supposedly the builder is tops in Jacksonville, NC.
If it were me a lawyer would now be speaking to the contractor.

 

[ladder13]

I had a custom built house done in 9 months 5 years ago. Rented an apt 3 miles away and went to the site every day.
We had some issues, all resolved at the 1 year mark.

House around here now are well over a year to build. Windows, appliances, etc in short supply. I see sq ft cost now at $300 and above.

 

[jimmyj]

The builders have a number of houses and remodeling jobs going at the same time. Thus, each job site might see the crews once a week at each individual job site

 

[Onomea]

It's a fine thing to have a home designed and built to your liking.

My only suggestion is an obvious one: Withhold the final payment until you are fully satisfied with the work.

 

[chief38]

It's a fine thing to have a home designed and built to your liking.

My only suggestion is an obvious one: Withhold the final payment until you are fully satisfied with the work.

Onomea, if I did that I wouldn't move in for years - LOL!! Thankfully I am handy and can fix most things myself. Even though it shouldn't be that way, sometimes it's just easier to fix it yourself and not have to wait for incompetent workers from the Builder. After a 9 week delay and not having a house, we're quite anxious to get in.

 

[ladder13]

It's a fine thing to have a home designed and built to your liking.

My only suggestion is an obvious one: Withhold the final payment until you are fully satisfied with the work.

My builder asked for 10% down, final payment at closing. He said " if you back out I can sell this in one day".