[dbiondi14]

We took the plunge and will start building in the villages starting in Feb.
Any suggestions with dealing with building our dream house and what to expect. How are the prices determined and how can I be assured that I am not being overcharged? Are prices negotiable? I was told to build with the most basic options and then make the upgrades you want later. Thanks

[graciegirl]

What style of home do you like the best? Villa? Cottage? Designer? No matter what series of home you build, it isn't quite like the building process you may have experienced before. The choices are limited somewhat and the way it is set up you can't put two things together that don't go together such as tile and carpet that are color clashes and the outside color of your house is automatically part of the color choices.

Most people agree that if you can afford to, make the garage and lanai bigger. It is much cheaper in the building process, and well worth the money. Just two foot extensions here are so very beneficial. The style home you build is limited by the choice of lot. Some homes don't fit on some lots. If you plan to add a bird cage or pool, I have heard many argue that you may as well wait until after you build because you can negotiate that price with after market contractors better.

Others will chime in. I hope you enjoy your new home. I am guessing it is south of 466A in Sanibel or Charlotte or ???? We have built homes several times up north and feel that the homes here are well constructed and the process is really amazing and beautifully planned. They have top notch teams building our homes here. We are in our second new home here and highly enjoyed the process of watching this house go up.

[champion6]

I'm not sure if you will meet with a TV designer or do everything with your TV sales rep. At any rate, they have configuration software which is used.

Some choices/options are "Yes or No." Others are "A or B." The prices are not negotiable.

If there is something you want that is not available for your model in the configuration software, your can request it in the Comments Section at the end of the configuration software. TV will evaluate your request(s) and either deny it(them) or approve it(them) and adjust your price.

This is how we did it in June 2011. I'm not sure if t process has been changed.

[zcaveman]

When I built my home back in 2001, they gave me a package with the cost of all of the things that I could add to the house. Since mine was done in 2001, I do not know how much the Villages has cut back on what you can do.

If you are thinking about exterior changes (Florida room, Lanai, etc) do it with the build because it is cheaper than adding it later. If it is some small thing, you can do it at your leisure.

Just consider how much disruption will be need to add the wanted changes.

[Yankee Quilter]

We put a reservation on a lot last week. We wnt through what we thought we would want to bump out and found a lot that would accomidate that. There were only 3 in the area of Charlotte! We then went through the wish list of things we wanted in the home and our rep input it into the appropriate spaces on her "cheat sheet" on the computer and gave us an estimate. We are going to work from there. We are definately bumping the den out to be a bedroom (closet) and the lanai at least 2 if not 4 feet. She advised that until we meet with the design team, we won't really know all our choices. We are looking at the designer series Sunflower - the Villas and Cottages are different in choices.
Let us know what you find out - we who are going to go through the process are curious!!!
Good luck with the move.

[Russ_Boston]

If possible go with the 4 foot (or more) lanai extension. And any other side bump-outs your lot will fit. You can always upgrade the interior later but the basic square foot space should be maxed at the build IMO.

[BookBarb]

We met with the design team in July when we were ready to build. It was so much fun picking out everything and then seeing it in a model home. We went to several models to see how the floor tile looked over a large area, how the cabinets looked, even the faucets! We had built a home in Ohio and were given options, but doing it in TV when they show you exactly how it will look is totally different and they are amazing. Our home is so neat and we are really enjoying it. Everything was how we had planned it.

Good luck!!!!

[KathyW]

We will meet with the design center in April. Does anyone know if it is cheaper to have a private contractor put in granite, or should we have the TV do it? I plan to have "48-Hour Blinds" do the windows, but not sure what to do with the granite in the kitchen?

[CarGuys]

I visited with Gracie and Henry in their beautiful Home and some others in TV.

And while I may be second guessed by some we are so Happy that we did the bumps on the Lanie and Garage and Ft Bedroom .

I have put my wife throught several Home remodeling " nightmares"

I was not going to have the dust men and construction going on when we were moved in our new home. A counter top or some cabiets later will be OK.

I had my Floors and Tile work done with the new home construction. Under the new home warranty. I got a email from my contractor saying Herv you did it all right/ Got it done up front good job!

Just IMHO a better fit for us.

The design team is a wonderful experience. I feel they saved me grief and money in the long run.

This week we fly down to see the finished Home and a walk thru and then the closing.

As my friend russ said! Do it up front on the square footage now vs later.

Welcome to the Villages

[Penguin]

When I put my deposit down on my cottage home I was never offered a design team. Is the design team only for the designer and premium homes?

[CarGuys]

If you bought a Spec home then what it is is what it is.

The Design team is a part of new house construction.

After your Lot is picked out and before you build you get a appointment.

By the way Nice CAR grew up in Lansing Michigan where the whole subdivision worked for GM Oldsmobile!

442's were everywhere! I remember my neighbor a engineer telling me he was working on a project doing something terrible.

A converted Gas engine, a GM Diesel engine into a Oldsmobile that he knew would never work! For CAFE laws, He said this is the start of GM's demise.

I was only in 8th grade. Now you see me sitting in a Toyota Prius Plug In- LOL

Herv

[Penguin]

A converted Gas engine, a GM Diesel engine into a Oldsmobile that he knew would never work! For CAFE laws, He said this is the start of GM's demise.

I was only in 8th grade. Now you see me sitting in a Toyota Prius Plug In- LOL

Herv[/QUOTE]

Funny you mentioned that, I worked for an Olds dealer in the early to mid 80"s and repaired a ton of those piece of junk diesels
As far as the house goes, It is being built as we speak but I still did not meet any "design team" I'm really glad to be building in the Villages but some of their practices are less than desireable.

[linandvin]

We built a cottage and met with the design team. I think it started up again over the summer.

[Penguin]

Originally Posted by dbiondi14

We took the plunge and will start building in the villages starting in Feb.
Any suggestions with dealing with building our dream house and what to expect. How are the prices determined and how can I be assured that I am not being overcharged? Are prices negotiable? I was told to build with the most basic options and then make the upgrades you want later. Thanks

My advice to you is TAKE YOUR TIME when deceiding how to build your home. Ask a ton of questions on everything you can think of. I picked my cabinet color but 12 hrs later I wanted a darker shade. The Villages charged me $250 to make the change. Really 12 hours later. Not real happy about that policy. Also check to make sure you wont have one of those stupid green transformers in you back yard.

[graciegirl]

Listen carefully everyone. If you make your choices and sign on them you are gonna be charged $250 if you change anything. This is not like your daddy's home building. They have it down to a science. They have teams scheduled to go in and do their job. My kids who were here at Christmastime watched a home's entire external walls go up in ONE day. The hoards of workers, more than 25, parked in a vacant lot, all at one time, and walked down the street with their long levels in their hands. When they went home that day the walls were up. The next day a different team arrived with a crane and put up the roof. It is like clockwork. It is a well oiled machine, right down to the day and time of closing. I believe that on the new video it was stated they built close to 5000 homes last year.

Tough as it is to hear that you were charged one day after you signed, the process was already well under way. If they keep changing things, well it slows things down. We are completely satisfied with the process and they correct things just as quickly. It is what it is. We are not new to building a house. How they do it here is by far the most efficient with the least errors that we have ever experienced.