Home Quality

[Spectreron]

Our home is listed and as soon as it sells we'll be on our way to TV. I will probably buy a spec home but I would like to know if the new homes are as well built as those a few years old? What is the quality of your homes? I've visited twice and toured the models and they look nice, but quality, or lack thereof, is not always easy to spot in a few short minutes of a walk thru. The trim, paint, windows, shingles, cabinets, etc. all look great on a new home... but are they holding up well? Just curious, because it really doesn't matter how you respond, we're on our way, even if we have to live in a tent! Thanks!

[jebartle]

Not sure of quality but our friends in Buttonwood seem very pleased...
Also, when buying, remember that homes bought in Lake County have
NO bond, which will save you anywhere from $20K to $50K

[batman911]

I believe the quality may have actually improved over time. Lots of new products and designs.

[swrinfla]

Spectreron:

I'll bet that the quality hasn't gone down one iota since I built in late 2004!

But, beware, I'm not sure Deed Restrictions will allow you to erect a tent!

:cryin2:

Welcome to Paradise!

SWR
:beer3:

[MikeV]

My wife and I sold New Construction in the Albany NY area. When we did the walk thru with buyers before closing we always had 3-4 pages of items to be fixed or mistakes corrected. So when we closed on our newly constructed Iris here in TV we brought along a yellow lined pad for items we wanted fixed etc. We ended up with 3 items and one the builder found on his own. The quality of these homes seem to be very good in our opinion. Also it has almost been a year so we are having a home inspection done and I anticipate only 1 or 2 items to be on the list. The driveway and lanai concrete have chipped and split in two places. Minor but we want them fixed.

[fb32162]

We've been pleasantly surprised by the quality of construction of our home (4 yr old spec house). We've owned new homes in the past and have always had some minor issue come up with in the first 5 yrs (sticking windows in one house, leaking shower head in another). So far, no issues with the house in TV.

[DangeloInspections]

I have found the homes in The Villages to be of good quality, and The Villages Warranty Department usually strives to keep their customers happy.

I do not work for The Villages in any way, but I inspect homes in The Villages daily. I also do many one year warranty inspections, and usually find 6-12 or more issues that need to be corrected. Many items are minor, but on occasion I do find issues that are serious, that if left as found could have serious and costly consequences.

A good inspection usually takes at least 3 hours or more, and the attic and roof need to be inspected up close. That means going into the attic and walking on the roof. Many folks just do not know what to look for.

Simply stated, The Villages homes are generally very good quality builds. They do go up fast, and every sub-contractor cannot be watched all day, every day. Sometimes things do get missed or done incorrectly. That is why in my opinion it is wise to have a GOOD warranty inspection done, as it is the last time an issue can be fixed without opening your wallet.

Hope that helps!

Respectfully, Frank D'Angelo, ACI

[buggyone]

The new homes are built quickly but I am sure the Developer makes sure quality is in every home. This is no shoddy operation.

May I suggest looking at resale homes as well as new homes? Get BOTH a Villages Properties agent and a MLS agent from outside The Villages such as ERA/Grizzard or Realty Executives. Neither Villages nor MLS can show each other's listings.

I bought in 2009 and my home was built in 2002. Lots of upgrades I never would have considered but now would not be without. With a resale, you can negotiate price with the owner, you see what is actually around you and not just an artist's rendition, no bond or low bond, mature landscaping, and no construction going on for months.

I am in Sumter County so it is not just Lake County with the low bonds. My bond was only $2,000 and I had friends move into new homes at the same time and they have $20,000 bonds. I enjoy using that extra money for cruises!

[mjdollard]

I bought a new unit and I feel the quality of construction is very good. I don't see where they used cheaper materials or inferior products. Floors, cabinetry, doors and windows, plumbing materials, electrical work and general fit and finish are good

[e-flyer]

What's up with all the new spec homes only having gutters at the entrance? Looks to me like a way for the builder to cut cost. I've been told from other owners that you at least need them across the front to protect the driveway (runoff eventually stains or grooves the concrete??) and over the lanai to stop water from splashing inside. Any opinions?

[graciegirl]

What's up with all the new spec homes only having gutters at the entrance? Looks to me like a way for the builder to cut cost. I've been told from other owners that you at least need them across the front to protect the driveway (runoff eventually stains or grooves the concrete??) and over the lanai to stop water from splashing inside. Any opinions?

All homes come with just gutters across the front. We now have gutters all around the home but am not convinced they are a huge plus. When we get a tropical drencher the rain still overruns the guttering.

I don't think it is a cost cutting thing. Both of our new homes here came with just front guttering, one a designer and one a premier.

[Ricksteer]

We just purchased in Gilchrist on the golf course We found 4 small items this was construction damage from other trades.home warranty repair a
Guess your not coming tonightll items in less than 1 month as cabinet doors needed to be ordered.Im a carpenter by trade so I was very satisfied.

[Cedwards38]

My new home in Sanibel is a year old, and I had it subjected to a complete home inspection by a certified inspector and he found very littlw wrong with it, all of which The Villages Warranty corrected. My wife has an uncle who was a builder before retiring, and he visited and was impressed with the quality of the construction. I think the developer holds the builders to a pretty high standard on new home construction, or else word gets around and harms business.

[Indydealmaker]

What's up with all the new spec homes only having gutters at the entrance? Looks to me like a way for the builder to cut cost. I've been told from other owners that you at least need them across the front to protect the driveway (runoff eventually stains or grooves the concrete??) and over the lanai to stop water from splashing inside. Any opinions?

Quite common here in Florida.

[batman911]

What's up with all the new spec homes only having gutters at the entrance? Looks to me like a way for the builder to cut cost. I've been told from other owners that you at least need them across the front to protect the driveway (runoff eventually stains or grooves the concrete??) and over the lanai to stop water from splashing inside. Any opinions?

I believe that is common practice for most new homes. The previous new home we bought had no gutters at all. You can get gutters install at a reasonable price. We had M & M install gutters around the house and bury drain lines attached to the down spouts for about $900.

[Duvalboomer]

I believe the quality may have actually improved over time. Lots of new products and designs.

I agree, plus updates to building code

[patfla06]

We built a Custom house in Tampa and had pages of "fixes" although the house is beautiful.

Our Spec house in Gilchrist had maybe 6 little things and were taken care of immediately.
I think the quality is as good as our custom house.

And our T.V. house was spotless!

We can't wait to sell and move into our new house.

[Big47moe]

All homes come with just gutters across the front. We now have gutters all around the home but am not convinced they are a huge plus. When we get a tropical drencher the rain still overruns the guttering.

I don't think it is a cost cutting thing. Both of our new homes here came with just front guttering, one a designer and one a premier.

All homes do not come with gutters! When I purchased a cottage home one year ago I was told gutters were not needed. After two months of rain and concrete stains I had gutters installed and no problems since!

[swrinfla]

I'll retell a story I've posted before which establishes the Developer's attention to quality. Yes, we're now talking 8-1/2 years ago, but I seriously doubt that his standards have been lowered!

I had a week after closing to present my checklist of things I found "lacking."

At the end of that week, I had less than 10 items. The builder's representative looked at the list, immediately energized his walky-talky thingy and within 30 minutes a horde of workers descended upon the house and fixed every item, except one - the plumber didn't have the item on his truck; he came the next Monday!

I was, of course, blown away. As was my niece, who built a large home off Villages property, and spent 18 months doing so, arguing with the builder almost every day!

Yes, you may run into problems, but I have always been convinced that The Villages will make it right, every time!

SWR
:beer3:

[gomoho]

I agree TV builds a good home and definitely think you need gutters around the lanai to prevent the splashing. Also you want to keep as much water away from your home as possible to discourage termites so it also helps along those lines.

[e-flyer]

Good to know, being a transplant from Cincinnati, gutters around the entire house is the norm, since most have basements and it helps to keep the water away from the foundation. I'll probably do the front and back at a minimum. Thanks for the suggestions!

[Lpierleo]

We are just entering our first year of our 2nd home in The Villages. Also had home inspection done and very minimal fixes, all taken care of within days of inspector sending report. One of the first things we did on each house we owned were gutters. They now match the color of our home rather than the standard white which is used on the downspouts. In my opinion, good investment. Best wishes on your new home.