If your looking for quality builders in Florida then you have to get away from the cookie cutter houses or pay extra for what you know needs to be there. Just like when we first got here. Single pane windows were the normal. When you asked why, they said you didn't need them since you did not have the cold like up North. Well what's the difference between keeping the hot out or the hot in? You get what you pay for down here, nothing more. Florida is a rainy area you need gutters and a good drainage system to carry the water away. Don't look for the builder to put anything in except enough to pass the local codes. If I could do it all over again I would try to have the builder only do what is necessary and then do the rest of the contracting myself where I had control. The concrete work here is abysmal. Having built several homes with custom builders over my lifetime I learned to ask the right questions. However the answer you get will probably not be what is done in the field. I asked how long they waited after pouring the slab before doing anything else? The answer I got was correct unfortunately 3 days later they dropped the block off at the home site right on the slab. Many of these crews consist of one tradesman and a bunch of helpers. There answer to fixing many things in the interior finishing is use white caulk! Now there are some builders that do a halve way decent job but not many down here and the one you get is the pick of draw or can meet the developers criteria. Here's another thing they do down here that I don't understand. They pipe the condensate water from the AC to the outside usually near the air conditioner. Don't understand why they don't put it to the house drain. One of the things that attracts Termites is moisture. Now we have this nice moist area next to the house saying, here Termite, here Termite. I just shake my head, get out my tools or hire a contractor to redo it! My advise down here is take the cheapest standard they offer and when you move in, put in what you want at the quality you want. Remember many of these house are built on a flat fee, the more they build the more they make. Just remember the only reason you have the house here is a place to sleep and get out of the rain. No snow, little cold, and lots of sunshine. Florida is about being outside and healthy.
|