NEVER contract a builder to build a custom home (granite, pool, appliance)
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One would think a person would learn a lesson from one bad experience. BUT foolishly, I (we) tried a second time to have our "Dream Home" built (in Paulding County), only to be screwed over by a second local builder. Yes, that's right, in the span of 2 years I've had one home constructed that had more structural defects than you could shake a stick at. The builder wouldn't fix them, but boy was he more than happy to buy the house for himself. Guess he wasn't kidding when he said he REALLY liked our house plan and our 4 acres. Now the second builder has managed to throw the budget out by more than $24,000 and climbing AND the house is only 50% complete. I GIVE UP! The stress is/has taken it's toll already.
Construction Contracts aren't worth the paper they are written on and lawyers don't accomplish anything other taking your money. There is no such thing as customer service, ethics, or integrity anymore. Tell the people what they want to hear even if it is one lie after another. If you ever consider having a custom home constructed, DO NOT hire a builder, do as much as you can yourself, or contract the labor yourself, but eliminate the middle man OR buy a home that is already constructed. This ends my vent of the day......
Sorry you had two bad experiences. I hope you reported these builders, so that no one else will have to deal with them. You can also report them to the Better Business Bureau and also find out if they are a member of the Georgia Homebuilders Association. I think you can report them to that organization too!
Two homes built in 4 years and we've had virtually no problems (yes, small stuff, but that's it). And both homes were built in about 5 months. I'd never contract myself personally, especially not on what is our family's biggest investment. We're in Western Michigan area btw.
the additional $24K is that from the builder under estimating the costs of building products and construction crew or is it part of it from going over alllowances or adding items on that was not part of the initial signed contract? I work for a custom builder and you'd be surprised how many of our clients go way over their allowances or will add items on half through through construction. things like instead of having tile or granite in the bathroom decide to select handmade custom tiles or glass tiles which are extremely expensive or selecting the most expensive fixtures for the entire house even though the total amount goes way above the allowance or adding elaborate crown moldings, custom made mantles, selecting appliances that total more than the allowance. We just finished building a home for a client who decided half way through that instead of a small kitchenette type kitchen in the pool house they wanted a full fledge second kitchen in it with high end appliances but b**ched when they got the bill for the work saying it should have been part of the contract. ummm... no.
the additional $24K is that from the builder under estimating the costs of building products and construction crew or is it part of it from going over alllowances or adding items on that was not part of the initial signed contract? I work for a custom builder and you'd be surprised how many of our clients go way over their allowances or will add items on half through through construction. things like instead of having tile or granite in the bathroom decide to select handmade custom tiles or glass tiles which are extremely expensive or selecting the most expensive fixtures for the entire house even though the total amount goes way above the allowance or adding elaborate crown moldings, custom made mantles, selecting appliances that total more than the allowance. We just finished building a home for a client who decided half way through that instead of a small kitchenette type kitchen in the pool house they wanted a full fledge second kitchen in it with high end appliances but b**ched when they got the bill for the work saying it should have been part of the contract. ummm... no.
LOL, this is totally what my husband and I would do if we built a house, that's why I won't let him do it.
We had major remodeling work done on our house. We ended up doing most of the GC work ourselves in the end. Because our contractor was such a deadbeat and a horrible project manager that kept disappearing... once with a check for $10,000! Yikes!
Got the job done took 3 x as long as it should have, that was scary. We did get references and checked the BBB. But he happened to be going through a money crisis at the time he had our project - it was obvious.
Never again! He is now out of business - at least under his original business name. Probably terrorizing some other poor unsuspecting soul under a new company name though.
I hate to hear those horror stories. It take just a few bad apples, but there are plenty of good honest builders out there. We have an architectural practice and found over the years that the most headaches came from the homeowner trying to get the very cheapest builder that they could sober up. Not saying that is what you did, but that has been our experience. The better paid contractors are usually worth their salt and have good tract records that you can check. I would avoid trying to build it yourself unless you have had building experience. It can be a nightmare as well. Read your contracts closely and if possible, have a construction law attorney go over them before signing. Sorry you had two bad ones in a row.
Last year they passed the law requiring certain subcontractors and contractors to obtain an actual "Contractors License" You could be "grandfathered" in with enough experience and referrals (from architects etc) up to a certain date, but now you must have the experience and pass a test in order to do it. (or take classes and the test) Also homeowners can only build so many of their own personal houses within a certain time frame otherwise they will be required to get this license as well. Up until last year you really could be any Joe Shmoe and build a crappy house for someone, then run off with their money and there was little the homeowner could do to protect themselves. I hope this helps people in the future from having the issues you had.
After hearing and now reading about so many horror stories, as well as knowing of some good experiences - I cannot help but feel that you generally get what you pay for when it comes to a home builder.
To avoid the issues mentioned, I would only go with a builder who could provide references for recent work in houses comparable to what I was having built. Additionally, I would not go with a low-end/non-custom builder as they are low-end for a reason they must be saving money somewhere to keep making a good profit.
At least around me it was easy to figure out via reputable contractors, real estate agents, and friends, who the top builders are in terms of quality. As it happens, they do tend to be a bit pricey, they all do custom homes as well - but to avoid a horror story, I'd be willing to pay a premium.
I would really think twice about having a home built in Georgia. Those guys are not licensed in the state of Georgia...now they have to have a license but there are ways of getting grandfathered in yada, yada..
Home inspectors are not licensed here either...I think that explains why the houses here have so many problems.
I think the above issues are the reason why homes here have problems with stucco, LP siding, poly plumbing, etc.
Sorry you are going thru this but I had a realtor and a builder tell me that they would never buy a new home in Georgia because of the above. Give it five years to get all the bad stuff out and then buy...
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