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CHOOSING A BUILDER
If you are in the market for a new home, you should shop for your
builder as carefully as you shop for your home. Whether you are buying
a condo, a townhouse, a house in a subdivision, or a custom built
house, you want to know that you are buying a good quality home from a
reputable builder.
START YOUR SEARCH
Once you have thought about the type of house you want, where should
you look for a builder? First, make a list of a good place to start.
Looking through the ads and reading the articles can help you find out
which builders are active in your area, the types of homes they are
building, and the prices you can expect to pay. In addition, your
local home builders association has a list of builders who construct
homes in your area. Local real estate agents may also be able to help
you in your search. Ask friends and relatives for recommendations. Ask
about builders they have dealt with directly, or ask them for names of
acquaintances who have recently had a good experience with a builder.
TAKE A LOOK AROUND
Once you have a list of builders, how can you find out about their
reputations and the quality of their work? The best way to learn about
builders is to visit homes they have built and talk with the owners.
Ask builders on your list for the addresses of their recently built
houses, subdivisions, or condos. Builders may even be able to provide
names of some new home owners who would be willing to talk to you.
Drive by on a Saturday morning when home owners may be outside doing
chores or errands. Just introduce yourself and say you are considering
buying a home from the builder who built their home. Talk to several
owners, and try to get a random collection of opinions. The more
people you talk with, the more accurate impression of a builder you
are likely to get. At the very least, drive by and see if the homes
are visually appealing. Look at homes that are like the style you plan
to buy-for example, if you are interested in a two-story home, look at
two-story homes rather than split levels.
When you talk to builders and home owners, take along a notebook to
record the information you find and your personal impressions about
specific builders and homes. Doing so will help you to make
comparisons later. Some questions you can ask include:
Are you happy with your home?
Did the builder do what was promised in a timely manner?
Would you buy another home from this builder?
Usually, people tell you if they are pleased with their homes. And if
they are not, they will probably want to tell you why.
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