Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sekas nice but expensive

Cheap AND expensive = Sekas. You are easily impressed

Sekas is on Evergreen level.

^sorry, those were 2 different things. Our windows are wood clad, which is supposed to be better than wood. Steel and fiberglass are probably the best.

The LVP/wood was about flooring.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So what are the differences between the “good” builders and the cheap ones?

Some things to look for:

Are they using the zip system or Tyvek?
Masonry fireplaces?
What is the roofing material?
We have stone on our house. It is real, not a composite. A mason spent a lot of time doing the stone.
What are the windows made out of? Do not cheap out on windows
No LVP. Real hard wood only.
You need a lot of landscaping. This is very expensive.
Cabinets need to be high quality. Do not allow your builder to buy the Home Depot cabs.
No cheapie bath tubs. Make sure they tile any tub fronts so it looks a lot more high end
The house should not overwhelm the property. The builder should not be squeezing every last sq ft and jamming it on the lot.
A good architect can be a very worthwhile way to spend $
Everything should be neat and clean. The subs should not be allowed to do sloppy work

This is a good list. I’m curious why you insist on wood window frames though? Personally, I have had a bad experience with them because they are more sensitive to moisture and require more maintenance.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So what are the differences between the “good” builders and the cheap ones?

Some things to look for:

Are they using the zip system or Tyvek?
Masonry fireplaces?
What is the roofing material?
We have stone on our house. It is real, not a composite. A mason spent a lot of time doing the stone.
What are the windows made out of? Do not cheap out on windows
No LVP. Real hard wood only.
You need a lot of landscaping. This is very expensive.
Cabinets need to be high quality. Do not allow your builder to buy the Home Depot cabs.
No cheapie bath tubs. Make sure they tile any tub fronts so it looks a lot more high end
The house should not overwhelm the property. The builder should not be squeezing every last sq ft and jamming it on the lot.
A good architect can be a very worthwhile way to spend $
Everything should be neat and clean. The subs should not be allowed to do sloppy work

Also - things like plumbing fixtures should be purchased from a place like Ferguson, not Lowe’s.

Lighting is a big one - there should be plenty of overhead lights, switches with dimmers, recessed lights. The fixtures need to be scaled properly, not undersized.

So as a buyer, I will need to be constantly checking on that or do we discuss these things at the point of the contract?

For ours, some of it was decided and put in the contract at the outset. Things that were personal selections were given an allowance (faucets, light fixtures, hardwood floor selection). You want to make sure the allowance is reasonable or you will have to come out of pocket later. I would choose as much as possible before you sign the contract, as that is when you will have the best negotiating power.

But the best thing to do is to talk to people who are in their homes and to agents in the area. Agents knows who the good builders are - they see the inspections and how well the houses hold up.

One last thought - all houses will have issues during the building process. You want a builder who can develop a reasonable plan to address the issues and play nice with the inspectors. This is very important. Even the very best builder will have things that pop up. It is the manner in which they address those things that really matter.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So what are the differences between the “good” builders and the cheap ones?

Some things to look for:

Are they using the zip system or Tyvek?
Masonry fireplaces?
What is the roofing material?
We have stone on our house. It is real, not a composite. A mason spent a lot of time doing the stone.
What are the windows made out of? Do not cheap out on windows
No LVP. Real hard wood only.
You need a lot of landscaping. This is very expensive.
Cabinets need to be high quality. Do not allow your builder to buy the Home Depot cabs.
No cheapie bath tubs. Make sure they tile any tub fronts so it looks a lot more high end
The house should not overwhelm the property. The builder should not be squeezing every last sq ft and jamming it on the lot.
A good architect can be a very worthwhile way to spend $
Everything should be neat and clean. The subs should not be allowed to do sloppy work

Also - things like plumbing fixtures should be purchased from a place like Ferguson, not Lowe’s.

Lighting is a big one - there should be plenty of overhead lights, switches with dimmers, recessed lights. The fixtures need to be scaled properly, not undersized.

So as a buyer, I will need to be constantly checking on that or do we discuss these things at the point of the contract?

For ours, some of it was decided and put in the contract at the outset. Things that were personal selections were given an allowance (faucets, light fixtures, hardwood floor selection). You want to make sure the allowance is reasonable or you will have to come out of pocket later. I would choose as much as possible before you sign the contract, as that is when you will have the best negotiating power.

But the best thing to do is to talk to people who are in their homes and to agents in the area. Agents knows who the good builders are - they see the inspections and how well the houses hold up.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So what are the differences between the “good” builders and the cheap ones?

So as a buyer, I will need to be constantly checking on that or do we discuss these things at the point of the contract?

Let's back this out a little. If you are going down the path of building a home, then your relationship with the builder is as important as any other major "relationship" you have in your life, and just as variable. In brief, it all depends on the builder. Some builders have pre-set grades of finishes/quality (ie, level 1, level 2, etc with differences in price) where you go to a showroom and pick through the options. Some don't provide you with any choice as they only go with what they already supply. Some, it can be practically anything you want - order it from anywhere (including online) and they'll install it.

The key is that it has to be a builder that you have good communication with and that you trust.

Also, building a home is not a sign paperwork and wait until occupancy permit is granted and you can move in proposition. There will (or at least should) be a steady back and forth on the build progression (including any issues that may arise, and no matter the circumstances and the quality of the builder, there will be issues, some big and some minor). Go back and search threads on people who have gone through the process. Educate yourself. If you don't want to do that, then buy an almost complete or already finished spec home.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So what are the differences between the “good” builders and the cheap ones?

Some things to look for:

Are they using the zip system or Tyvek?
Masonry fireplaces?
What is the roofing material?
We have stone on our house. It is real, not a composite. A mason spent a lot of time doing the stone.
What are the windows made out of? Do not cheap out on windows
No LVP. Real hard wood only.
You need a lot of landscaping. This is very expensive.
Cabinets need to be high quality. Do not allow your builder to buy the Home Depot cabs.
No cheapie bath tubs. Make sure they tile any tub fronts so it looks a lot more high end
The house should not overwhelm the property. The builder should not be squeezing every last sq ft and jamming it on the lot.
A good architect can be a very worthwhile way to spend $
Everything should be neat and clean. The subs should not be allowed to do sloppy work

Also - things like plumbing fixtures should be purchased from a place like Ferguson, not Lowe’s.

Lighting is a big one - there should be plenty of overhead lights, switches with dimmers, recessed lights. The fixtures need to be scaled properly, not undersized.

So as a buyer, I will need to be constantly checking on that or do we discuss these things at the point of the contract?