What is the name of your state? North Carolina
Hi,
I won't call names of companies here but my daughter asked me to see what I could find out for her, she and her husband are at the end of their rope with this situation.
It started with them wanting a larger home, so they contacted a realtor and she started showing them new homes, well my daughter would say "I like this about it but I don't like that feature" so the real estate lady says "why don't you build a home then you can have it like you want it ?" So in the end of December she has them come into the office and meet a builder who has the perfect lot and home plan. I was there for this meeting, having spent Christmas with them. The builder rolled out his blueprints, they went over them, my daughter and her husband said, I like this but I want a french door here and two windows here , etc.. The builder says we can do that, they met again a week or so later and had new blueprints drawn up and approved by the lender, and it was agreed for this builder to build the house with the changes specified for a set amount of dollars, plus, my daughter would pay 4,000 up front to upgrade to hardwood floors in the kitchen and family room. Sounds reasonable so far, oh the real estate lady is representing both the builder and my daughter. When my daughter and her husband started looking they told this realtor up front that they had never built a house before so they were depending on her to guide them in this experience.
At this point they have put out 16,000 dollars in upgrades,plus 6000 earnest money. There have been multiple things like the plans showed extra electrical outlets in the garage, one of the things they really liked about the floor plan, when they went out to look at the house, there was only one outlet in the garage, they asked and were told that "they were only putting in what NC code called for" they had to pay extra to get the extra outlets shown on their blueprints. Plan shows 5 floodlights, they only have one, the plans showed can lights over the tub in the master bath, they were told they'd have to pay an extra 85 dollars each to have the can lights. They purchased every light fixture in the house, they purchased every faucet and showerheads for the house, then were told that unless they used the Delta faucets that the builder wanted that the plumbing wouldn't be garunteed, so they had to return the faucets they bought and pay 1500 to upgrade the delta faucets to the brushed nickel finish that they wanted, yet they bought everything in that finish plus the towel bars, for 800 dollars themselves. The original plan showed 6 canlights in the kitchen but the new plan shows one light, so they paid 85 each to upgrade to can lights, they bought every door knob in the house and the deadbolt locks, and then had to pay another 65 dollars each for them to drill the holes to install the deadbolts. They have been given a carpet allowance that works out to $1.50 sq.foot for carpet, padding and installation, Lowes told them that they don't carry anything that cheap. The blueprints call for a pulldown - walkup attic , they didn't put that in and now don't want to because they'd have to move a light and they didn'tmake the access door large enough for stairs, in spite of the fact that it's in the blueprints. They had to pay extra to have screens for the windows, and the last straw tonight when she called me to ask for help is that they went to the house and the hardwood floors are not what she picked out, they're a red oak, gunstock? and she picked and took them a sample called "natural" a very light colored wood, no red in it. Now the realtor says she picked that color and they will not change it unless they pay for it again. This is the same lady that brought her a book of carpet samples to look at and pick one she liked, then called her back and told her that she'd have to pick another one that the one she picked was too expensive, she said pick from these, duh.
Yes, she is going to call the office manager of the realestate company and the local realtors association tomorrow, but what can she do ? It's been a fight the whole way, they say I want this, then they go look and it's entirely different. I was there when they met these builders and said I want this house with these changes, they agreed on it, drew up new blueprints and since then have done nothing agreed on. They have over 22,000 in this house already and will be paying another 194,000 for it, supposedly these guys build quality homes, I always thought quality homes would be more than meets code and cheap carpet. Is there anything they can or should do at this point, she hates that floor and it is not the sample she picked out, she has a sample of the same one she gave the realtor and builders. She wants this house but is so frustrated and angry by now that they wonder if they'll ever be able to enjoy it. Please advise us what to do next ?
Thanks a million.
Ooboo
Hi,
I won't call names of companies here but my daughter asked me to see what I could find out for her, she and her husband are at the end of their rope with this situation.
It started with them wanting a larger home, so they contacted a realtor and she started showing them new homes, well my daughter would say "I like this about it but I don't like that feature" so the real estate lady says "why don't you build a home then you can have it like you want it ?" So in the end of December she has them come into the office and meet a builder who has the perfect lot and home plan. I was there for this meeting, having spent Christmas with them. The builder rolled out his blueprints, they went over them, my daughter and her husband said, I like this but I want a french door here and two windows here , etc.. The builder says we can do that, they met again a week or so later and had new blueprints drawn up and approved by the lender, and it was agreed for this builder to build the house with the changes specified for a set amount of dollars, plus, my daughter would pay 4,000 up front to upgrade to hardwood floors in the kitchen and family room. Sounds reasonable so far, oh the real estate lady is representing both the builder and my daughter. When my daughter and her husband started looking they told this realtor up front that they had never built a house before so they were depending on her to guide them in this experience.
At this point they have put out 16,000 dollars in upgrades,plus 6000 earnest money. There have been multiple things like the plans showed extra electrical outlets in the garage, one of the things they really liked about the floor plan, when they went out to look at the house, there was only one outlet in the garage, they asked and were told that "they were only putting in what NC code called for" they had to pay extra to get the extra outlets shown on their blueprints. Plan shows 5 floodlights, they only have one, the plans showed can lights over the tub in the master bath, they were told they'd have to pay an extra 85 dollars each to have the can lights. They purchased every light fixture in the house, they purchased every faucet and showerheads for the house, then were told that unless they used the Delta faucets that the builder wanted that the plumbing wouldn't be garunteed, so they had to return the faucets they bought and pay 1500 to upgrade the delta faucets to the brushed nickel finish that they wanted, yet they bought everything in that finish plus the towel bars, for 800 dollars themselves. The original plan showed 6 canlights in the kitchen but the new plan shows one light, so they paid 85 each to upgrade to can lights, they bought every door knob in the house and the deadbolt locks, and then had to pay another 65 dollars each for them to drill the holes to install the deadbolts. They have been given a carpet allowance that works out to $1.50 sq.foot for carpet, padding and installation, Lowes told them that they don't carry anything that cheap. The blueprints call for a pulldown - walkup attic , they didn't put that in and now don't want to because they'd have to move a light and they didn'tmake the access door large enough for stairs, in spite of the fact that it's in the blueprints. They had to pay extra to have screens for the windows, and the last straw tonight when she called me to ask for help is that they went to the house and the hardwood floors are not what she picked out, they're a red oak, gunstock? and she picked and took them a sample called "natural" a very light colored wood, no red in it. Now the realtor says she picked that color and they will not change it unless they pay for it again. This is the same lady that brought her a book of carpet samples to look at and pick one she liked, then called her back and told her that she'd have to pick another one that the one she picked was too expensive, she said pick from these, duh.
Yes, she is going to call the office manager of the realestate company and the local realtors association tomorrow, but what can she do ? It's been a fight the whole way, they say I want this, then they go look and it's entirely different. I was there when they met these builders and said I want this house with these changes, they agreed on it, drew up new blueprints and since then have done nothing agreed on. They have over 22,000 in this house already and will be paying another 194,000 for it, supposedly these guys build quality homes, I always thought quality homes would be more than meets code and cheap carpet. Is there anything they can or should do at this point, she hates that floor and it is not the sample she picked out, she has a sample of the same one she gave the realtor and builders. She wants this house but is so frustrated and angry by now that they wonder if they'll ever be able to enjoy it. Please advise us what to do next ?
Thanks a million.
Ooboo