Have you ever showed your client a model home and been told by the onsite rep that the house included designer options that aren't available to your client. Now, I'm not talking about the curtains and cute paint schemes. I'm talking about basic structural things like walls and doors and windows.
This week, this problem reached a new level. We were doing a pre-drywall walkthrough on a house in a nice subdivision being built by a well known national developer. We noticed that several electrical outlets were missing on the house as compared to the model and two return ducts for the air system were located in different walls than the model. Now this presented a problem as they were in the office and dining room and the new locations would be under a desk and a hutch respectively. All the furniture worked fine in the model, but the builder/sub had made changes without notifying anyone. Apparantly the electrical outlets were added in the model so that the designer could put a lamp on a table in the foyer. Well! My buyers would like to have a lamp on a table in there foyer too! Designer option my eye.
The builders response is that the contract does not guarantee that the home will be exactly like the model and that there is no requirement for the builder to notify the buyer to get permission to make these changes. Oh boy! I didn't like to hear that. I needed the project manager's head to do more up and down and not so much side to side. This is where having a Realtor really pays off with new construction buying. The home buyers were frustrated, but willing to accept the builders answer that they would have to change it after closing.
No way, no how. We had the builder fix both items, just as any good Realtor would. We have also added to our checklists to verify the locations of all outlets and air returns with the client and the builder rep during the design stage.
Anyone else having similar issues with new construction?
For additional information on the Charlotte NC Real Estate market contact Kelli Sheppe or Michael Fournier via their websites, www.KelliSheppe.com or www.LivingCharlotte.com. The Living Charlotte Team specializes in the South Charlotte, Ballantyne, Lake Wylie and Union County areas.
Over 18 years providing exceptional service in the Charlotte area. Husband and wife team with 2 buyer agents and 2 full time staff working for you. Active members of Star Power and Cyberstars.ABR,ASP
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I've never seen that before. Any builder I've worked with will disclose and say they have x number of outlets available to put where they want them. Maybe the sales person failed to let the purchaser know they had choice in where they are place?
Good work on your part though making sure it gets done before settlement. Like the builder has time to go back after...yeah right.
Kelli we had a very similar situation with a very large builder here in Orlando. The customer was from England and we had an inspector do the walk through for them guess what there no closet where there was suppose to be one on the wall. We sent pictures at the time and were ignored, but the plans were approved and the in the end the closet did go in. This was even initialed on the contract plans by all. It did delay the closing for a week, but in the end was completed. Especially for our out of town buyers having an agent there to help is invaluable.
The outlets were all done to code, but the model had additional outlets in areas that the designer felt needed them. The built homes only had the outlets that were called for in the plans. My thought is that the builders are misleading the buyers and should plainly label what is standard and what is not.
this makes a very strong point for the good a Realtor can do!