Our home design experience

[pdnesbitt]

We just completed our “design week”, so I thought I would share our experience in an effort to help others who may be contemplating building a new home in TV.

First of, we are new to TV. We had barely heard of it before October, and had never considered moving here. But, I late October we took advantage of the Lifestyle Visit and immediately decided this was where we wanted to be.

After looking at a lot of homes during our Lifestyle visit and everything we could find online, we decided that the only way to get what we wanted was to build. Even then, we were very specific in what we wanted in a build site and one (and only one) just happened to open up that met the requirements. I have to say the methodology the developer uses to release very limited build sites, for very limited periods of time, is……..interesting. That said, we were able to place a deposit on the site we wanted and then schedule our design week.

Our week was really 10 days, which I though was a ridicules amount of time. I was a builder way back in the day and have a really good idea of how it works. I also had a really good idea of exactly what I wanted in my house, or thought I did. Well before Design Week I had already picked a floor plan, spent days thinking through and sketching how I wanted to stretch the floor plan, change the elevation, design the pool, etc…. I even poured through this forum to learn from others experiences, so I was very confident I was ready for the design activity.

I did set a budget and had allotted funds for the basic build, customizations, the pool and birdcage, and landscaping. Also, I was very prepared to have the builder exclude things that either were unreasonably expensive, or that they would not do the way I wanted.

Right off the bat the “basic” house cost was waayy more than I had anticipated from reading posts in the forum. However, as we worked through the design, we found that the “basic” build is extremely inclusive and the “included” materials, features and finishing are way better than I anticipated.

I had also read that stretches are pretty reasonable and that is true. We stretched the garage (a whole lot) and a couple other rooms to a lesser extent and it was very reasonable. There was some shortage of selections in flooring, tile, appliances, etc… but with just a couple exceptions we found plenty to choose from. And again, in many cases the “included” materials were pretty nice, so even when we selected higher level products the difference in price wasn’t that much.

We also anticipated that the pool and birdcage would be pretty expensive, at least compared to what we had seen in South Carolina, and that to was true, but “expensive” was not unreasonable. In fact, T&D led us through the pool and birdcage design process and we ended up with a beautiful pool, well within our budget.

Throughout the process our design consultant was super knowledgeable, patient and very thorough. She openly shared what changes would cost and was eager to provide ball-park prices on things I was just contemplating. There was none of the “holding-back pricing to the end” that I had read about and no hidden costs. There were a couple items I wanted that the builder wouldn’t include, either because of TV rules, manufacturer restrictions or warranty concerns, but they weren’t that important.

It did take almost the entire 10 days, but I think of all of that time we probably only spent 2 full days and 5 partial days in the design center. In the end, we left with a fully designed house, within our budget, build start and close dates, and a bag full for designs and pictures of what was to come. We are now looking forward to watching the build over the next 5 months.

[Garywt]

Are you renting so you can watch or will you be traveling back in forth. Sounds like you have a good plan, good luck and welcome to The Villages.

[pdnesbitt]

Are you renting so you can watch or will you be traveling back in forth. Sounds like you have a good plan, good luck and welcome to The Villages.

We already sold our home in SC, so we will be living in our Motorhome nearby, at least through the holidays. After that, if we get tired of the MH, we may rent until our house is complete.

[Normal]

We did the same, what I would recommend for all is:

The stove is very basic….upgrade
Don’t get the 850 dollar attic ladder system…upgrade yourself
Stretch, stretch, stretch…especially on your walk in closet side
Get the 48 inch cabinets
Raise the Lanai level to 3/4 inch from floor…it’s free
Pour the largest patio ever…dirt cheap at construction
Add outlets like crazy
Move your garage entry sink closest to the garage for adequate room

[MSchad]

Thank you for posting. Nice to read positive post about the developer.

[DAVES]

We just completed our “design week”, so I thought I would share our experience in an effort to help others who may be contemplating building a new home in TV.

First of, we are new to TV. We had barely heard of it before October, and had never considered moving here. But, I late October we took advantage of the Lifestyle Visit and immediately decided this was where we wanted to be.

After looking at a lot of homes during our Lifestyle visit and everything we could find online, we decided that the only way to get what we wanted was to build. Even then, we were very specific in what we wanted in a build site and one (and only one) just happened to open up that met the requirements. I have to say the methodology the developer uses to release very limited build sites, for very limited periods of time, is……..interesting. That said, we were able to place a deposit on the site we wanted and then schedule our design week.

Our week was really 10 days, which I though was a ridicules amount of time. I was a builder way back in the day and have a really good idea of how it works. I also had a really good idea of exactly what I wanted in my house, or thought I did. Well before Design Week I had already picked a floor plan, spent days thinking through and sketching how I wanted to stretch the floor plan, change the elevation, design the pool, etc…. I even poured through this forum to learn from others experiences, so I was very confident I was ready for the design activity.

I did set a budget and had allotted funds for the basic build, customizations, the pool and birdcage, and landscaping. Also, I was very prepared to have the builder exclude things that either were unreasonably expensive, or that they would not do the way I wanted.

Right off the bat the “basic” house cost was waayy more than I had anticipated from reading posts in the forum. However, as we worked through the design, we found that the “basic” build is extremely inclusive and the “included” materials, features and finishing are way better than I anticipated.

I had also read that stretches are pretty reasonable and that is true. We stretched the garage (a whole lot) and a couple other rooms to a lesser extent and it was very reasonable. There was some shortage of selections in flooring, tile, appliances, etc… but with just a couple exceptions we found plenty to choose from. And again, in many cases the “included” materials were pretty nice, so even when we selected higher level products the difference in price wasn’t that much.

We also anticipated that the pool and birdcage would be pretty expensive, at least compared to what we had seen in South Carolina, and that to was true, but “expensive” was not unreasonable. In fact, T&D led us through the pool and birdcage design process and we ended up with a beautiful pool, well within our budget.

Throughout the process our design consultant was super knowledgeable, patient and very thorough. She openly shared what changes would cost and was eager to provide ball-park prices on things I was just contemplating. There was none of the “holding-back pricing to the end” that I had read about and no hidden costs. There were a couple items I wanted that the builder wouldn’t include, either because of TV rules, manufacturer restrictions or warranty concerns, but they weren’t that important.

It did take almost the entire 10 days, but I think of all of that time we probably only spent 2 full days and 5 partial days in the design center. In the end, we left with a fully designed house, within our budget, build start and close dates, and a bag full for designs and pictures of what was to come. We are now looking forward to watching the build over the next 5 months.

Different strokes for different folks. We bought a home built on speculation and we are happy with it. My wife, would take here six months to a year to pick out color of counter top granite and by the time she did that color would be gone. I cannot visualize blue prints. I need to see it. Done and it was far less painful for me.

We are due to have the outside painted. I've lost track of the colors she has selected and changed. Been there done that. I still recall her picking out wall paper for our previous house. We went to a shop that was like a library. The guy had over a thousand books of wall paper samples. We went there twice, the guy laughed when I told him I pitied him. She picked a pattern and a custom color so it cost us twice as much.

[Altavia]

Congratulations on your new home!

Nice job doing your homework!

This was the 4th home I've had built and by far the best and fastest process. They put the best construction managers on the custom homes.

Many of the workers will have 20+ years experience building homes the Villages way - amazing construction process. It's like a Toyota factory in the field.

You are right, many things that are extras or upgrades with other builders are standard with the Villages.

[HIgolfers]

We did the same, what I would recommend for all is:

The stove is very basic….upgrade
Don’t get the 850 dollar attic ladder system…upgrade yourself
Stretch, stretch, stretch…especially on your walk in closet side
Get the 48 inch cabinets
Raise the Lanai level to 3/4 inch from floor…it’s free
Pour the largest patio ever…dirt cheap at construction
Add outlets like crazy
Move your garage entry sink closest to the garage for adequate room

Agree on the stretches. We stretched our Gardenia 4 ways and so glad we did.

Also strongly recommend the 2 car plus golf cart garage. I frequently hear people moving solely because the garage not big enough. We have one car and 2 golf carts and plenty of space for anything else.

[ChicagoNative]

Congrats. Curious: does that 5 month timeline include completion of the pool and cage?

[fdpaq0580]

Agree on the stretches. We stretched our Gardenia 4 ways and so glad we did.

Also strongly recommend the 2 car plus golf cart garage. I frequently hear people moving solely because the garage not big enough. We have one car and 2 golf carts and plenty of space for anything else.

4 way stretched gardenia. Brother in law has begonia. To me, the only notable difference between the two is the golf cart garage which sits in front of the breakfast nook and closes off one window.

[dougjb]

I want to ditto the comments made by the original poster. The design team was fantastic. My design sense is so bad that I would tell people I have a rough time matching a tie to a white shirt. But, The Villages design people were incredible and helped me design a house that I am sooooo proud of. Thank you to all of them. Now, I wish they could help me with this tie thing. I am now wearing white on white shirts!

[Normal]

Our designer person was Heather. She was amazing!

[pdnesbitt]

Our designer person was Heather. She was amazing!

Heather was ours as well. She was Awesome!

[pdnesbitt]

Congrats. Curious: does that 5 month timeline include completion of the pool and cage?

Yes it does include the pool, as well as the landscaping. In fact, the total build is more like 4 months. The construction actually begins January 12 and closing is May 2.

[jayteadunn]

Thank you for this informative post. I was wondering if anyone knows if anyone started a sort of private consultant business to help you better understand the costs and options of the home before you buy land?

[Garywt]

I hope your build is going well. What Village are you in?

I’m dying to know what the 3 items you wanted but were not allowed.

Enjoy.

[SusanStCatherine]

Count your blessings. Not all have the same experience.

I suggest you keep a close eye on the build. They were pretty good about fixing things during the build.

And hire an inspector for shortly after closing as well as a month before one year warranty is up.

Hope your good luck continues throughout the build.

[GpaVader]

Welcome to the neighborhood! I live near the postal station and have watched in amazement as the custom homes have been going up! They all look beautiful and it will be so nice when the construction is done and the clean all the sand from the streets...... Enjoy your new home!

[deej012160]

I realize this post is originally from last November. Does anyone know what kind of "lead time" there is, to get an appointment with the home design folks? We are in a very similar ballpark to the original poster--we are kind of picky about homes and have been looking & looking day after day and not really anything is clicking for us to date (at least within our budget!). We are definitely coming to TV but we are going to sell our home in south Louisiana first, then we will be ready to jump into the deep end! We are thinking seriously about building a home with an Iris floorplan. Thanks in advance for whatever info anyone can share. We are very much looking forward to moving to TV!!!!!

[Garywt]

We did the same, what I would recommend for all is:

The stove is very basic….upgrade
Don’t get the 850 dollar attic ladder system…upgrade yourself
Stretch, stretch, stretch…especially on your walk in closet side
Get the 48 inch cabinets
Raise the Lanai level to 3/4 inch from floor…it’s free
Pour the largest patio ever…dirt cheap at construction
Add outlets like crazy
Move your garage entry sink closest to the garage for adequate room

Garage entry sink? Is that just the laundry room sink is in the garage rather than the laundry room?

[Normal]

We have a Gardenia model that originally had the laundry room entry from the garage situated with the sink being located closest to the inside of the house near the kitchen. We relocated that sink closest to the garage entry to free up space upon initial entry from the garage. Our machines extended further into the house than the sink did. We liked the move. In addition, we added a half bath with ease. We extended the home 4 feet longer and took half of my closet and made it a 1/2 bath. My wife can't complain because now her closet is almost 10 feet long.

[Nick B]

Yes it does include the pool, as well as the landscaping. In fact, the total build is more like 4 months. The construction actually begins January 12 and closing is May 2.
Good luck!

[VApeople]

We are thinking seriously about building a home with an Iris floorplan.

When we were having our house built in 2016, we also liked the Iris floorplan. However, we noticed the Laurel Oak had a similar floorplan and it cost 10% more than an Iris and had 20% more interior space, so we had that model built.

We had them add a golf cart garage, extended the lanai across the entire back of the house, and changed a few minor things inside the house during the design phase.

[valuemkt]

Congrats.. You will probably get one of the "A" team builders. Since you have been on both sides of the desk building homes, you will be amazed at the "supply chain" of construction and the quality. We increased the size of our home about 40% and the garage about an equal amount. To preserve our marriage (tongue in cheek), I did NOT attend most sessions at the Design Center. This was second half 2019, pre COVID, so out shovel to close time was 3 months. Any other place on the planet that was a seven or eight month project. Top quality construction and finish work. We bought none of the standard appliances.. had the specs for wall ovens in the contract and openings and outlets were put in with appliances installed by others day after close. The spec sheet was as thick as a novel .. BUT .. ZERO CHANGE ORDERS ! and another shout out to Heather ..

[Altavia]

I realize this post is originally from last November. Does anyone know what kind of "lead time" there is, to get an appointment with the home design folks? We are in a very similar ballpark to the original poster--we are kind of picky about homes and have been looking & looking day after day and not really anything is clicking for us to date (at least within our budget!). We are definitely coming to TV but we are going to sell our home in south Louisiana first, then we will be ready to jump into the deep end! We are thinking seriously about building a home with an Iris floorplan. Thanks in advance for whatever info anyone can share. We are very much looking forward to moving to TV!!!!!

Contact a Villages Rep, things change fast so you need to find one you liked to work with.

A good way to do that is visit an open house until you click with somebody.

[BlueStarAirlines]

I realize this post is originally from last November. Does anyone know what kind of "lead time" there is, to get an appointment with the home design folks?

We bought our lot the end of March, had our design appointment the last two weeks of April. We broke ground the end of May and are going to closing the end of September. We got the call to schedule our design appointment about 7-10 days after we bought our lot.

It also was a custom build and we pretty much changed every room, added rooms, stretched the heck out of it, and added a pool. Everything the OP said was true of our experiences and was very upfront about costs and things we could and could not do. Our design person was incredibly knowledgeable and made our two weeks a fantastic experience.

The only caution I would offer is to be careful at the beginning discussing your overall budget. If you say your budget is $xxxk, they look out for you by steering you away from things or upgrades that you might want, but are outside your budget. We said we had no budget and if we didn't bring up something but there was an option for it we wanted to know about it. Some of the options\upgrades were ridiculous, but I'm glad we knew about them. We came in under our personal budget and got the options and upgrades that were important to us.

The best advice received over a year ago is to tell your sales agent the model home you want, that you want to stretch it, and if you want a pool (if that is true for you). With that knowledge he knew we needed a lot over a certain size and didn't call us every few days when lots went up for sale. It took us almost nine months to get our view lot that was oversized, but was worth it to us.