Depends on when you move in. I bought new in Evanston on the very first street. No amenities for years. I think if you're going to build new the best is to build at the latter phase of a development versus near the beginning.
Yeah fair comment.
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Captain James P. DeCOSTE, CD, 18 Sep 1993
Building isn't without its own headaches vs buying a completed home that is brand new. Sometimes you will end up with weird things quality control wise that need a significant amount of stupid arguing to fix. For instance, I had a friend whose stair banisters had random railings that were obviously installed upside down. When they complained, they were asked if it was ok to just ignore it (obviously not). They got it fixed, but had to argue about silly things like that. I've had others who had a builder ask to enter their home a few months after they moved in, did their own assessment, then offered to fix things my friend didn't even mention to them (above and beyond). I've had other friends who had no issues with their home, but there were so many months of delays that it turned into a headache as they had to move temporarily into a family members home to wait out the completion of their home to move in. I also believe it's important not to forget that a brand new home I believe has GST. I seem to recall there have been times where a few friends forgot this and were given a bit of a shock when they had leveraged themselves to the limit (All were able to ask for a family loan or were granted the extra loan to deal with the GST).
I think it's absolutely fair to interview realtors and select one that you're happy with, rather than jump on the first guy that responds or is recommended. I did this recently and my wife and I selected a realtor that we felt was more in tune with understanding what we wanted in our house search.
First was a starter home with Brookfield. It was pretty meh. They didn't allow any customizing at all and like others have said we had to argue issues or concerns pretty much the whole way through. We ended up fixing up some items ourselves because it was easier then dealing with the builder and their subs. I get that its a difference price point but they wouldn't let us change our tub base to a shower base because they didn't want to coordinate having to move the floor drain 2' over.
Next up we built a move up home (or semi-estate) whatever they're calling it these days with Cedarglen and the process was honestly AMAZING. They let us customize pretty much anything we wanted and their pricing on the custom changes was very reasonable. We had issues come up during construction and they fixed everything no questions asked. We had some ceiling finish fall off last winter (thought it was attic rain, it wasn't luckily) and they came out and fixed it all up again no questions asked. We've also had them out twice after our 1 year inspections took place to fix a grade settlement issue and to fix some loose tiles on our floor. Both items fixed 18 months after moving in no problem.
Any new built is going to have issues; CONSTRUCTION NEVER IS PERFECT. And there there will always be some shotty work from some subs that needs to be redone or fixed after the fact. Just stay on top of reviewing stuff on site and hope for a good site super.
Building is awesome. We built in 2003 and ended up with a sick house. With all-new and warrantied appliances and a years-long maintenance holiday, you avoid so many unexpected costs that you face in an older house. There also isn't the need/desire to update and renovate. New houses are the best.
Problem I have with a new build is that it hasn't been "tested". An older home will have been through living, inclement weather, etc. and any blemishes and problems will have probably been worked out. With a new build, you'll have to worry about warranty claims and the headaches associated with them. My sister moved into a new build and had a really tough time with it. My personal ideal would be a home that's got a few years under its belt. Just not too much. I like my houses like I like my women.
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Wait have you been down to the Mahogany/Auburn Bay/Seton area?
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Originally Posted by Sliver
Depends on when you move in. I bought new in Evanston on the very first street. No amenities for years. I think if you're going to build new the best is to build at the latter phase of a development versus near the beginning.
Absolutely. We were one of the first streets in the entire development. It was years before we had any commercial development or transit into the community. And about 10 years before the first school which was by then too late for us.
The moisture issues are inevitable.
I don't care how good the installation is; it's going to happen.
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Originally Posted by snipetype
k im just not going to respond to your #### anymore because i have better things to do like #### my model girlfriend rather then try to convince people like you of commonly held hockey knowledge.
Quality of construction is nowhere near where it was 15+ years ago. I think some of you would be shocked by the amount of 5-10 year old houses falling apart.
Quality of construction is nowhere near where it was 15+ years ago. I think some of you would be shocked by the amount of 5-10 year old houses falling apart.
A lot of what was built in the boom in this city is probably going to have issues.
Quality of construction is nowhere near where it was 15+ years ago. I think some of you would be shocked by the amount of 5-10 year old houses falling apart.
There's pluses and minuses IMO. You get 2x6 walls vs the old 2x4 walls, spray foam insulation on rim joists, above garage, etc.
Homes these days are much more efficient which is a key for me personally. You can do some efficiency upgrades on older homes (new furnace, new windows) but I think it's impossible to make them as airtight as new construction, and that is a big reason I'm leaning towards new build.
While my situation was a bit different then yours, I wish I would have just did it all and been done with it. What I mean is, when we built our house we didn’t do the garage and the basement. Trying to save money and do it later. 10 years later I finally have my garage while my basement is mostly unfinished. Should have sucked it up and did it all in one shot.
It makes me smile that at the same time this was happening you thought the Oilers were on the brink of something special... So many wrong turns in the life of an Oiler fan.
Put money into the things you can do now that you can't do later that will bring energy savings, build quality and livability to the home for many more decades beyond your occupancy.
You can upgrade to fancier pretty things down the road later. You can't go back and change the framing, insulation, ceiling heights etc without great cost later.
If I were building as you've described these are my first thoughts....
9 foot basement ceilings for sure. They won't actually be 9 feet and you still lose some headroom to ducts and beams.
Main floor as well if not both floors.
Engineered Wood Floor I-Joists glued and screwed.
Ask about using Tstuds. I don't know how prevalent they are now in the building industry but these things should be the new minimum code.
Discuss the location of your utilities entering the property and basement. Builders will just stick anything where every it's easiest. Put all your mechanical in one location even if it costs more to move the electrical panel or main drainage. Create a design for the basement, if not in full at least in partial to plan your mechanical (with option for A/C if you don't add it at initial construction) and bathroom rough in. If possible located under/ear all water runs to the upper floors to reduce the amount of plumbing running throughout the basement.
Also structural supports. My brother has a molley post 2 feet from a wall that makes 3 areas of essentially unusable space in his basement all because the builder went by "code" for where the next post should go and used no logic as to how to best utilize the space even if it took a bit more time/money.
This also goes with your electrical. Many electricians will just stick plugs every code required distance without thought as to usability once the walls are finished and furniture is placed in the rooms. When I re-wired my sister's remodel I used different colour duct tape to mark out plugs, switches and other electrical boxes when the house was just studs. Walked her through as if she was coming into the home and using the lights, plugs etc. We discussed where she'd up her X-mas tree up and put a plug in that corner with 1 outlet switched to make turning the lights on and off easy. Put a plug in an inconspicuous location in the soffit wired to a switch by one door to plug exterior X-mas lights into. I'd also look at landscape lighting/features requiring power and possibly wire another exterior plug to a switch inside.
Hot and cold water manifolds with dedicated runs to the kitchen, all bathrooms, washer, outside (use frost free faucets) and all shut-offs be 1/4 turn ball valves not will eventually leak gate valves.
If your garage is detached look for possibility to run utilities to it. Power obviously but water and sewer in case you want to plumb a sink or bathroom. Gas for heating. Not sure about that area but in McKenzie there are a number of detached garages with lofts above them. My parents have looked at adding to their garage but the utilities installation costs for their property make it super expensive.
Discuss what features you really want to have that are pretty and plan for them even if you can't afford them now. Under cabinet lighting requires additional wiring. My sister installed a heated towel rack in the master ensuite, radiant electric in floor heating in bathrooms and in main kitchen galley. Moisture sensors with timers for bathroom vent switches. In-wall/ceiling wiring for entertainment systems. Wired internet connections for all bedrooms, entertainment areas and other places you might want to plug in a device. Illuminated house numbers. Security systems (look into POE cameras, don't rely on wireless that either required plug-ins or run off batteries you'll forget to change). Don't skimp out on an electrical panel that will be just enough. Have room for future expand ability. I'd also discuss with the electrician what will be on each circuit. Plugs and lights should not be tied together because it's the easier (laziest) way to get the job done. Circuits should feed a single floor not turn off lights in the basement, plugs in the living room and fans in the upstairs bathroom.
It's lot to think about but the best time to do all of that is when you first build. Everything else that goes inside the walls is far more difficult to do after they are built and covered up. I'm spit balling thoughts as they come up as I did with my sister or any other project I've worked on. You can never have took much advice from people who've done things like this, though it can get overwhelming. Take your time and create a workable project book or folder or however you best function to keep track of it all. I'd even recommend learning how to use a program like Sketchup to create your own model of the home you can play with, adjust and tinker before making final commitments. It doesn't have to be 100% architecturally perfect but once you get the hang of it you an convey ideas so much better.
But the granite can wait. Silent floors and comfortable temperatures with low energy costs and intelligent power/network connections are all far more valuable now that squeaks, drafts, ugly cords and a piece of polished stone.
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Bit of a bump - Wife & I are starting to look at buying a house finally.
We are leaning towards building our own as we have some specific wants - one builder whose homes we have liked is Broadview Homes - anyone have any experience with them?
I do sales in a showhome (in Edmonton), so perhaps could help a little on the builder perspective on a few things!
First, if you haven't done it yet...get a mortgage pre-approval first. Before you ever step into a showhome or call a realtor, get your mortgage pre-approval setup. You don't even need to use that bank when the time comes, but have it done and ready to use. Even if you're positive that everything is in place and your income is great, credit is perfect etc...call the bank or broker first. I have seen so many weird issues with bad credit reporting, double hits of debt popping up and income verification failing. Better to have it done before you find your home and waste all that time if something needs corrected. Mortgage approvals can still blow up when sent for final approval, but it's less common.
For Realtors, some builders will not pay them unless they are with you on the very first visit, which is the official rule of thumb. However there is some flexibility there, if you haven't signed a registration card you're probably safe to bring a realtor in after that initial visit. Realtors make a good chunk of change off you, don't feel bad about calling them to go into a showhome with you last minute...it might save everyone a lot of hassle down the road and the realtor won't mind!
My personal rule, if you've been in my showhome before and you're coming into sign a contract and suddenly a realtor walks in with you after you never mentioned one over the past days/weeks/months we have been talking...they are not getting paid a commission. They are welcome to be there, but they're now working pro bono for you!
If I know you're selling your home, I'll usually ask if you're working with a realtor for a purchase as well, but builders are not required to ask, and many will not. It's best to be up front if you have a realtor and they are not there with you!
Also, if you don't want to use a realtor for a new home purchase, but have been using a realtor to look at resale homes...make sure you haven't signed an exclusive buyers agreement with that realtor before you shop without them and make a purchase on a home. Although most realtors wouldn't do it, they can technically ask for the buyers commission on that home you just bought, out of your own pocket. It does happen.
The asking price or promotional price of a home will not and cannot change if you have a realtor there with you acting as representation. However, some builders I have worked for do calculate that realtor commission into the margin when looking at a proposed discount on a buyer offer. Some builders factor that commission out of a marketing budget, so don't factor it in on an offer. Every builder is different.
Some builders inflate their prices so they can claim giant discounts, ignore the noise of that and focus on the bottom line price when comparing homes not the "$80,000 off" claims, which are all bogus. The best deals I see customers get is when the developer has lot promotions offering certain lots or phases at discounted prices. Then you can get a deal from both the builder and the developer which both have their own margins. Ask someone in the showhome and they can tell you if anything like that is happening, most representatives in the showhomes have knowledge on any community that they build in and would know of any lot promos happening around the city if you haven't settled on one community.
I have some homes that I know I cannot take a dime less than asking price, I have some homes that I know could be had for less, particularly standing inventory. However, there is no harm in asking to make an offer on anything. Especially during slower times of the year. The only risk you take currently on an offer, is someone else can come along and scoop that spec home or lot that you wanted out from under you. Be reasonable in your offer, the best deals I see are not where people go in and lowball, it's where they hit that sweet spot of "it's more than we want to give, but not enough to lose the customer over a counteroffer".
Don't buy blinds, landscaping, AC or appliances from the builder directly. All have massive markups on them and can be bought cheaper elsewhere. If possible ask for a store credit or discount on the purchase price on the included appliances and deal directly with the store (most builders do this anyways), you can then negotiate a better deal on the appliances you want with the store. Keep in mind, if you install your own appliances and something leaks and causes damage, warranty will not cover that!
Landscaping not only costs more, but builders always have a hard time getting it done in a reasonable time. You're better to hire your own company or do it yourself.
If you want to develop your basement but don't want the builder cost for it (some are reasonable, some are stupid) and don't have the cash leftover to do it, you can get a home + improvements mortgage from the bank. This will give you a mortgage for both the house you're buying and the cash required to develop the basement on your own or with the help of a contractor at a better rate.
Happy to answer any questions in Pm's if anyone has anything they want to know.
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You want all insulated walls, ceilings, etc, to be air tight as possible. That means having the vapour re tarder completely sealed (including around openings and penetrations) so that you have no warm moist air from the interior of the house condensing in the insulated space during cold weather. The walls, ceilings etc., should be breathable only from the outside face of the vapour re tarder to the outside (so that any moisture that does get into this space can evaporate to the outside). This will mitigate issues with rotting studs and wood framing, mold, etc., and will make the home much more energy efficient. Bottom line - you want the house to be completely sealed. You can vent the interior through bathroom fans and hood fans when you end up with a lot of moist air inside the house - such as when taking a shower or cooking, You don't want that moist air vented outside through the insulated walls and ceilings.
