What are our choices??

[graciegirl]

We bought a designer home two years ago when the developer wasn't building houses "to suit". You couldn't pick a lot and build a house, you could buy a house already built, and nothing, NOTHING, was a choice.

We are planning on moving here full time and plan to build a house, selling our two others.

So this question is for you who have gone through the process; what are the choices? What colors can be chosen for the walls and what color appliances? Can you get a bright colored washer and dryer? Is there a choice of blinds? Are great big floor tiles more expensive than just big floor tiles and what colors do they come in? What kind of choices for the exterior of your home? Are those Cape Cod shingles more than plain siding?? What colors do block and stucco come in?? Does it have to coordinate with the interior? What other choices do we have?

How long do they give you to make these choices and is there a design center where you can look at the tile and at the siding etc??

If there is such a place, can you enter this inner sanctum before you are really doing the buying part??

[dpingram]

GG,
I think that TV is trying to offer more options in the "new built" homes. When we were there in April, our rep (Alicia Ford) talked with us and really got a picture of our taste and life style. She then showed us pictures of different packages to get even a better idea. We then headed out to the model center to see first hand our preliminary choices. Some we changed, some we didn't. Of course nothing is set in stone at this point and won't be until we order the home in the spring. Many choices are offered as packages.... certain faucets with certain lighting, carpet color with tile color, counter tops granite or corian, exterior color and roof color are a package, interior still plain one color, shower can be walk-in or roman, appliances white, black or stainless steel, we didn't opt for the washer and dryer so I don't know. I may be mixed up on some of the packages. It was an intense day especially since we did not go to TV with the intent to purchase. We were just visiting my cousin!
Hope this helps.

[BlueHeronFan]

We bought a designer home two years ago when the developer wasn't building houses "to suit". You couldn't pick a lot and build a house, you could buy a house already built, and nothing, NOTHING, was a choice.

We are planning on moving here full time and plan to build a house, selling our two others.

So this question is for you who have gone through the process; what are the choices? What colors can be chosen for the walls and what color appliances? Can you get a bright colored washer and dryer? Is there a choice of blinds? Are great big floor tiles more expensive than just big floor tiles and what colors do they come in? What kind of choices for the exterior of your home? Are those cape cod shingles more than plain siding?? What colors do block and stucco come in?? Does it have to coordinate with the interior? What other choices do we have?

How long do they give you to make these choices and is there a design center where you can look at the tile and at the siding etc??

If there is such a place, can you enter this inner sanctum before you are really doing the buying part??

I know TV does change, but when we selected our build last September they were touting their new model center in St Charles which opened July 2009.

Our process and choices went something like this.
Block/stucko or vinyl siding. Colors depended on home style, and what was already selected around the lot. No two alike homes next to each other etc.

Then selections were Tile/Carpet areas. Tile size and style will vary in price, with size something like 10",12", 18" I think, could be a larger size, but not sure...senior short term memory issue.

Three wall colors. White, Off White, and a cream color.

Fixtures on exterior depend on the exterior style. Interior fixtures were packaged. ie.... lighting, faucets etc. Here we also had standard and upgrade pricing.

We had blinds installed with the home. I believe cost was about $1700, and every single including garage was included. I recommend this.

Appliances depend on kitchen choices, but colors generally are White, Black, Stainless standard, and Stainless upgraded.

There was no time pressure for us to make our choices, but the lot was different, and depended on home size etc. Our agent was able to hold a lot for us for about 2 hours, then you could still continue to look but the lot was free to be used by others again.

Washer/Dryer, I would not suggest buying it installed, as it won't be a good price, or exactly as you would like.

Hope this helps. Caffeine must be kicking in today, because for some reason the stress kicked in again. LOL:doh:

[graciegirl]

I know TV does change, but when we selected our build last September they were touting their new model center in St Charles which opened July 2009.

Our process and choices went something like this.
Block/stucko or vinyl siding. Colors depended on home style, and what was already selected around the lot. No two alike homes next to each other etc.

Then selections were Tile/Carpet areas. Tile size and style will vary in price, with size something like 10",12", 18" I think, could be a larger size, but not sure...senior short term memory issue.

Three wall colors. White, Off White, and a cream color.

Fixtures on exterior depend on the exterior style. Interior fixtures were packaged. ie.... lighting, faucets etc. Here we also had standard and upgrade pricing.

We had blinds installed with the home. I believe cost was about $1700, and every single including garage was included. I recommend this.

Appliances depend on kitchen choices, but colors generally are White, Black, Stainless standard, and Stainless upgraded.

There was no time pressure for us to make our choices, but the lot was different, and depended on home size etc. Our agent was able to hold a lot for us for about 2 hours, then you could still continue to look but the lot was free to be used by others again.

Washer/Dryer, I would not suggest buying it installed, as it won't be a good price, or exactly as you would like.

Hope this helps. Caffeine must be kicking in today, because for some reason the stress kicked in again. LOL:doh:

Dear Blue Heron and Dpingram.

I thank you for taking the time to write this. I know it helped me IMMENSELY and will help others who are contemplating the process. I read it to Sweetie just now and I will print it and put it in my things I must remember file, because my memory gets gimpy every now and then.

If any of you can think of ANYTHING Blue Heron or Dp missed or I forgot to ask, please post.

Gracie. Grateful to pieces.

[Kelsie52]

Dear Blue Heron.

I thank you for taking the time to write this. I know it helped me IMMENSELY and will help others who are contemplating the process. I read it to Sweetie just now and I will print it and put it in my things I must remember file, because my memory gets gimpy every now and then.

If any of you can think of ANYTHING Blue Heron missed or I forgot to ask, please post.

Gracie. Grateful to pieces.


Gracie --we picked everthing out in June --so when we are ready to build, it will only be a phone call----
It was painless it took about 3 hours --Our salesman Greg Hudak was great

We visited several models

He had us pick the cabinets first --he explained most things, color wise would stem from there ---Counter tops/ tile/rugs/fixtures etc ---almost like a package but items were interchangable to some extent ---

We didnt take the washer/dryer --we will get it on our own.

The hardest part was deciding on all tile or tile/rug --
I wanted shutters --wife didnt ---I lost !! we took the window coverings from them

Good luck

[graciegirl]

GG,
I think that TV is trying to offer more options in the "new built" homes. When we were there in April, our rep (Alicia Ford) talked with us and really got a picture of our taste and life style. She then showed us pictures of different packages to get even a better idea. We then headed out to the model center to see first hand our preliminary choices. Some we changed, some we didn't. Of course nothing is set in stone at this point and won't be until we order the home in the spring. Many choices are offered as packages.... certain faucets with certain lighting, carpet color with tile color, counter tops granite or corian, exterior color and roof color are a package, interior still plain one color, shower can be walk-in or roman, appliances white, black or stainless steel, we didn't opt for the washer and dryer so I don't know. I may be mixed up on some of the packages. It was an intense day especially since we did not go to TV with the intent to purchase. We were just visiting my cousin!
Hope this helps.

Dear Dp and Kelsie.

Thank you so much for this. It is very VERY good to know that you can change your mind before you sign.

Is there a lot of difference dollar wise between standard and upgrade in lighting package for instance? Is there a cream option for cabinets rather than white white?

Kelsie, I bet everyone in your family will think twice before visiting THAT cousin...lol.

Gratefully Gracie

[BobKat1]

Gracie --we picked everthing out in June --so when we are ready to build, it will only be a phone call----
It was painless it took about 3 hours --Our salesman Greg Hudak was great

We visited several models

He had us pick the cabinets first --he explained most things, color wise would stem from there ---Counter tops/ tile/rugs/fixtures etc ---almost like a package but items were interchangable to some extent ---

We didnt take the washer/dryer --we will get it on our own.

The hardest part was deciding on all tile or tile/rug --
I wanted shutters --wife didnt ---I lost !! we took the window coverings from them

Good luck


Glad to hear that Greg Hudak is still on the job. We met with him in June of '03 and were impressed. Nice guy.

Sorry, back on topic...

[Carla B]

Gracie, our house is two years old this month. We were able to pick the lot and have it built. We could add a golf cart garage and extend the lanai a bit, but everything else had to be chosen as a "package." For instance, for our block and stucco Lantana, we had a choice of three elevations and a couple dozen exterior colors. Our salesperson gave us addresses of houses already built that we could drive around and look at. We didn't get our first color choice as it was scheduled to be built next door. Our second color choice/light fixture package was from a premier model at Miona Shores.

The interior packages were just that, packages with no variation (except for a few appliance package choices) and the choices had to come from designer model row (in Hadley) at the time. And, we could choose tile over carpet in the main living areas, which we did. We then pleaded and begged (to no avail) for the tile to be laid diagonally instead of on the square as specified in the package. We offered to pay extra for the change. Their answer was, "Sorry it would disrupt our production."

Last year our salesperson hosted a model tour (in St. Charles) for all his buyers. At that time we found out they adjusted the building process to allow for many more selections. Now you could have tile laid on the diagonal, specify rounded corners, granite instead of formica, put a two-foot stretch through the house, etc. They even offered changes to the Lantana kitchen to make it similar to changes we made (after closing, of course) at great expense.

The house next door to us has the Cape Cod shingles (vinyl). It was a spec house. It would be interesting to know if you could now order one with those shingles, as they are really very attractive, as previously you couldn't.

I would think that your salesperson could bring you up to date on all the features that are now allowed.

As far as the lot...it could be held for two hours, then was put back on the market.

If you do build you must go over the contract with your most critical eye and point out any omissions or irregularities no matter how slight. It is extremely detailed as far as the specifications are concerned. On ours they forget to include a garage door opener for the golf-cart garage which my husband caught.

Good luck and have fun. Glad to know you'll still be south of 466 when you do build.

[YodaMom]

On Monday, we will be choosing everything for an At Ease on Dalecroft Trail. Is there someone out there that just did this for the At Ease or other cottages? We asked if they had a list of things we could look at before we go, but I guess that isn't how it is done. Our agent did tell us they are allowing ceramic tile now for the cottages. She said it would run about $2000 for tile in the kitchen and bathrooms. Does anyone know if this is high or would we be better off to have it done after we move in?

Good luck Gracie on your choices!

[bluedog103]

Hi Gracie,
We picked out the colors and packages for our designer in St. Charles in December of last year and closed March of this year.
As others have said, there is a little flexibility but not much. Most everthing is in packages. Within those packages you can make some changes. Your sales rep is key in making those choices and changes.
We originally bought our lot and picked out colors from another sales rep. He was adamant about staying within the packages. No flexibility. We asked about moving the patio to the opposite side of the lanai. Not a chance, can't be done. We picked out our packages and colors so that when we were ready to build we could do everything by phone.
That sales rep left the company and we were assigned Greg Hudak. He called and said things had changed and that we needed to return to Florida to make choices. It wasn't something I wanted to do but in December I returned to Florida alone, my wife couldn't make the trip at that time, to finalize the house and sign the contract. I agree with other posters, Greg is a good rep who knows how to get things done.
With Greg there were some more choices. Not alot but we could mix and match cabinets, counter tops, change flooring, that's about it. When he saw our lot he agreed that it made a lot more sense for the patio to be moved to the other side of the lanai. He called somebody, maybe the Wizard of Oz, but they too agreed that the patio should be moved and even suggested that we enlarge it slightly, which we did at a very minimal cost.
I guess the point I'm making is that the sales rep is important in your decision making. If there's something you want, ask for it. If someone says no, ask again.
I'm in agreement that the washer and dryer should be purchased outside of TV. We ordered ours from Lowes in New York and had them delivered the day after the closing. Much less expensive for nicer machines, at least that's what the missus told me.
We got our blinds from 48 Hour Blinds. TV wanted $900 for them, with a 1 yr. warranty. 48 Hour did ours for $700 with a lifetime warranty. That too, was for all the windows, including the garage and the slider. We called Rick a month or so before the closing and negotiated the price. He met us by the house the day before the closing to show us samples of colors, since we had difficulty picking out colors by phone. Then I called him when we were leaving the closing. He met us at the house and installed them about an hour after we closed.
You're in great shape buying your next TV home. You know the area, the people and have numerous contacts. Your knowledge of TV is far superior to ours so I'd expect the process to be painless and even fun for you. You have our best wishes.

[graciegirl]

Sometimes when I get cold feet in making the BIG move to year 'round down here, I will remember how I feel right now and you all should too if you have misgivings.

I feel that the people living here are so warm and helpful and so knowledgeable and so ready to share. How could I not chose to live here all of the time?

Thank you all very sincerely.

Please continue to add more when you think of it for all of our benefit.

[skip0358]

We signed 6/09. We picked the lot, style of house, changed the roof style, added a bay window in 3rd bedroom, blew out the back 2',extended the lanai 2', blew the front garage out 2', blew the side garage out 4', went with 5" baseboard, upgraded app liances ( what a waste, wish we had taken none. GE is here as much as I am, picked cabinets plus height of cabinets, blids tile color did dictate rug color. Lights went with faucet color choice. Outside stuco went with certain roofs. We were told no 2 houses would look alike and colors shouldn't match. Not. Be sure you like everything BEFORE you sign. We wanted to change outside color after we saw so many homes in our neighborhood with almost the same colr. No way, no how sorry to late. Oh well it'll change when it needs repaint. Good luck hope this helped somewhat.

[SALYBOW]

Dear Blue Heron and Dpingram.

I thank you for taking the time to write this. I know it helped me IMMENSELY and will help others who are contemplating the process. I read it to Sweetie just now and I will print it and put it in my things I must remember file, because my memory gets gimpy every now and then.

If any of you can think of ANYTHING Blue Heron or Dp missed or I forgot to ask, please post.

Gracie. Grateful to pieces.

Gracie, When we bought in May there were four color oackages White, Off white cream and Taupe. The color of the wall determines the type of carpeting you get if you are going that root. We extended the lanai 4 feet and I added granite. To extend the lanai you need a lot with a premium. One that was availiabel was +*,000 and one was +12,000. They are hard to find but Buttonwood does have some of them. We chaose the 12000 because we liked the extra 16 feet it gave us. The one behind us is longer also, so we will have to use semiphore flags to communicate. Just kiddin. I am getting silly. See you all soon. Sally

[Russ_Boston]

We'll be down the second week of August to make these same choices in our Buttonwood lot Begonia. I appreciate all the input from everyone. Makes life easier.

[Kelsie52]

We signed 6/09. We picked the lot, style of house, changed the roof style, added a bay window in 3rd bedroom, blew out the back 2',extended the lanai 2', blew the front garage out 2', blew the side garage out 4', went with 5" baseboard, upgraded app liances ( what a waste, wish we had taken none. GE is here as much as I am, picked cabinets plus height of cabinets, blids tile color did dictate rug color. Lights went with faucet color choice. Outside stuco went with certain roofs. We were told no 2 houses would look alike and colors shouldn't match. Not. Be sure you like everything BEFORE you sign. We wanted to change outside color after we saw so many homes in our neighborhood with almost the same colr. No way, no how sorry to late. Oh well it'll change when it needs repaint. Good luck hope this helped somewhat.

Skip ---What style home did you get --I tried to ask for a bay window in the front bedroom and was told no --??? Ours will be a Begonia

Thanks

[Minnesotalyn]

If your not sure if you want to buy already built or buy a lot can you still go to the model store, to look at the options? It would be kind of nice to see the options and the prices to see how much more it would cost building verses buying already built.

[dsnrbec]

We just went through the process a few weeks ago. There are lots of choices but many things come preselected together. For instance, if you pick a particular lighting finish, that dictates the color of your faucets. Tile and carpet come as a package and the color of your exterior dictates the roof and lighting choice. There is no design center which makes the decision making process very cumbersome. You have to walk from model to model to look at the options. A lot of times you need to hold colors "in your head" so you can make the next decision. For instance, I couldn't see my granite choice and cabinet choice together so I'm crossing my fingers they work well. As a professional designer, I found it very hard so I'm sure those with no formal training have as well. There needs to be a design center where everything can be coordinated after looking at the models. I'm not really sure how folks who have physical challenges can do the legwork required. Our realtor told us some just give up and order their home the same as one of the models. Too bad it has to be that way. Having said all that, I found the choices to be very attractive and broadly appealing so you shouldn't have trouble finding something you like! Just make sure to wear comfortable shoes.

[laurie91423]

Dear Dp and Kelsie.

Thank you so much for this. It is very VERY good to know that you can change your mind before you sign.

Is there a lot of difference dollar wise between standard and upgrade in lighting package for instance? Is there a cream option for cabinets rather than white white?

Kelsie, I bet everyone in your family will think twice before visiting THAT cousin...lol.

Gratefully Gracie

Wow, we went through this awful process in May when we purchased our Lily in Pennecamp and I don't wish it on anyone. I cannot understand why you cannot sit down in a nice air conditioned building and see all the color samples and other options in one damned place. :confused: On top of the heat, it was raining. I guess the rain was a bit of a relief from the humidity, but this is no way to pick out options on a quarter million $ house.

I did not pick out their washer dryer because I wanted something in color at a fair price; They didn't offer many choices.

The same with the granite. It was "take it or leave it". I'll put in the granite I pick out when I want it and not pay $5k add'l for something I hate. It was same for the tiling of the bathrooms. Not enough choices.

There are only 3 paint colors and I got a credit of $1500 because this gold color came with my house. I got that painted cream so I could repaint it the color I like. I had no problem with getting my tiles on the diagonal but that, too, was extra. I noticed earlier that someone wasn't allowed to have her tile laid the way she wanted it. That's just not right! :rant-rave:

The sink was an issue for me. It's a cheap sink. The stainless steel sink that comes with the homes isn't deep enough. I got our broker (Brad Becker) to put in a bisque sink that is deeper and larger. It was a little bit of a fight, but we got what we wanted. We had the same one in the cottages we were staying in and I liked it. I can't see spending all this money and not having a sink I can wash dishes in. I think it depends on who your broker is and how much he/she is willing to fight for you. :boxing2:

I paid extra for under cabinet lighting... I'm not sure how much, but I'm sure it was plenty.

One thing that annoyed me was that I got dinged $250 for a change order for something that I told Brad to do in the first place... because he wasn't listening... but then the whole place would have been painted "goldenrod" - still, I didn't see him writing all the details down... I told him I wanted the blinds in bisque.

The other big splurg was the garden tub in the master bath. I didn't see no tub in my bathroom for the next 30 years. I tested one out in the Lantana and I got in and out of it just fine. Sure, I'll miss the vanity a little, but I'm buying one for the master bedroom... and the garden tub is a real plus.

Right now I'm up to my ears in boxes, give away piles, and throw away piles. It seems never ending. We'll be at our new home on August 12th. I am both looking forward to it and dreading it at the same time. Maybe it's just the exhaustion kicking in.

Laurie