[sschuler1]

My husband and I are looking to buy a home in TV, and I wondered if anyone feels that the builder cut corners anywhere and what we should look out for. Any input would be appreciated.

[ldj1938]

Buy a block house rather than siding so you won't have to deal with the possible problems with vinyl siding. If we have another strong storm your siding may go away!

[SteveFromNY]

I bought a concrete block designer in 2005, and was very impressed with the quality. Little things, like the caulking they did around every piece of molding, the bath fixtures (Kohler), the fit & finish of the kitchen, the marble windowsills, were all outstanding. The overall structure seemed just about flawless. I saw no problems with any of the different aspects of construction at all. I came there from an old house, so anything new might have awed me, but I had visitors who also commented on how well made it was.
I was (and still am) very happy with it.

[graciegirl]

The building part seems excellent. We close on Monday and I haven't lived in it. I am a little disappointed in the light fixtures and the lack of stainless steel appliances.

I just had my house resided but I never knew anything was wrong. It looked fine. It was the Villages who inspected and said that not enough nails were used and finishing work was poor etc. Talking to them..it seems like some builders do a better job than others. Sorry, I don't know the names of the good builders. :dontknow:

[Muncle]

Originally Posted by ldj1938

Buy a block house rather than siding so you won't have to deal with the possible problems with vinyl siding. If we have another strong storm your siding may go away!

The siding issues as debated here and elsewhere and the cause célèbre of the POA were and are grossly overstated. Yes, it is accepted that much of the vinyl siding was not installed to industry standards. A few homes had problems with siding blowing off, but it was easily repaired or replaced. %-wise, few had performance problems. Houses didn't collapse or residents killed due to faulty workmanship. The developer now has an ongoing program to look and and repair siding (at least in part thanx to the POA effort, I'm sure), I think for any homes built in the last 10 years. They were here yesterday, told me that the installer had nailed and/or stapled too far apart, so they basically reinstalled my siding --- no charge. If you have a home with siding, call the home warranty department and ask about it. Do it now. Don't know how long the program will last.

[another Linda]

We bought a courtyard villa built in 1993. It really is in great shape although I do want to upgrade the kitchen.

[golfnut]

we purchased a new home in 2005 and we are very pleased with the quality!

[chelsea24]

We purchased new construction in Nov of 2007 and had it inspected by an independent inspector, of course he found a few minor things, like with all new construction. But, we are very very happy with it. TV does it right. :bigthumbsup:

[sschuler1]

Thanks everyone!

[Lucko]

You can't judge Florida construction by northern standards, it's different. All new homes are being build to high wind standards etc. and yet, each home can be a victim of a careless subcontractor or worker. Thus you have a year, or more on some items, to get things corrected by the contractor. We have had no problem getting a few things corrected in Duval, and now are building in Hemmingway. When you get in your house, take advantage of the free state inspection for wind etc., it will save on most insurance. Just expect to pay a little more for your home, or a lot more for a view, and chalk it up to buying into a way of life in a safe, active and beautiful community. Also, before doing anything with the house after market, check with locals and talk with previous customers.

[Lucko]

ATT: graciegirl -- All stainless steel is not equal, even in The Villages -- If you like that current look of stainless (that may have already reached its peak in style), go to a good appliance dealer and get the good stuff with higher nickel content that doesn't fingerprint -- it will cost a couple of hundred $$ more, but "you will never be sorry you bought quality" -- Welcome to The Villages --

[dadspet]

Bought a new ranch in 07. Construction in general is very good, only minor items had to be done on our 1 yr warranty - all taken care of by The Villages quickly. So far after 9 months we are pleased. Praying it will continue to be good.

[Muncle]

It's perspective, expectations, attitude. At dinner last evening, construction quality was another topic of conversation --- as well as bird :edit: in the pools. We discovered that all 5 homeowners had had the same builder back on '05. No idea about which subs were used. On the various warranty walk-thrus, 4 of the 5 of us said that we each had about 3 to 5 minor items, nothing serious -- missed paint spots, caulking, maybe a loose board or tight door. The final couple said they had more than 2 legal pad sheets of items to be fixed. Is it feasible that the builders did such a miserable job on one house while building the 4 around it so well? Doubtful.

[SteveFromNY]

Originally Posted by Lucko

ATT: graciegirl -- All stainless steel is not equal, even in The Villages -- If you like that current look of stainless (that may have already reached its peak in style), go to a good appliance dealer and get the good stuff with higher nickel content that doesn't fingerprint -- it will cost a couple of hundred $$ more, but "you will never be sorry you bought quality" -- Welcome to The Villages --

One way to test it is to see if magnets stick. The thin stuff used on most appliances isn't even magnetic. The heavier stuff used in our Kenmore Elite stove is. Seems to be a much higher quality.
However, it's not easy to clean, and we are opting away from it and going back to basic white and almond in each of our homes.