When my husband and I put down our initial payment for a brand new house in Estero, we were over the moon. A brand new house!
What could be better? Our home would be new and shiny. Everything would be up-to-date and adhere to the latest construction codes and regulations. Best of all, we’d have a year-long warranty in case anything went wrong.
It turned out, there was only one problem. Everything went wrong.
I would give a lot of money to go be able to go back in time and know what I know now about new construction homes in Florida. While I can’t wave a magic wand and change the past, I can share everything I learned with my soon-to-be neighbors.
While there’s no antidote for new constructions woes, consider this blog post to be the closest thing to preventative medicine. I’ll outline everything you can expect to go wrong – and how you can mitigate the headaches along the way.
After all, buying a brand new home is a huge milestone. With the right knowledge, you can spend more time toasting to your new life in Florida – and less time complaining about construction mishaps with your neighbors (yes, I’m 100 percent guilty of that).
Everything that can go wrong with your new construction home in Florida
There’s no doubt about it. New construction homes come with a whole load of nonsense. It’s not just reserved for Florida, either. These woes extend from sea to shining sea.
But you probably didn’t move to Florida for the same old hassle of living up North. If you’re like me, you moved down here to live in paradise without a care in the world. Unfortunately, it wasn’t that easy.
Check out the top two reasons new construction causes people to go bananas – or, at the very least, congregate at the pool and talk construction woes for hours on end.
1. New construction delays
The great thing about buying existing construction is…wait for it… it already exists! As long as both seller and buyer stick to the agreed upon timeline, there’s no waiting around for your move-in date. Not so with new construction.
In fact, inclement weather, like hurricanes, can precipitate supply chain issues AND labor shortages. My original closing date was for December 2022. Then Hurricane Ian happened that September. I didn’t find myself moving in until April of the following year.
Delays aren’t limited to construction, either. Our builder was responsible for doing an acid floor wash on our home before we moved in. Let’s just say that we showed up with a truckload of furniture only to discover that the floors were still filthy. But by that time it was too late. We couldn’t wait days-on-end for the builder to come and wash them.
Truth be told, I don’t know a single person who had their floors washed before they moved in – unless they had the luxury of keeping their furniture in storage for an extra few days.
The more time you have on your side, the better. You don’t want to rush the process if you can avoid it. With new construction, nothing is guaranteed. Except the headaches.
2. Building quality concerns
I don’t have ten years to write this blog post, so I’ll come right out and say it. No one is going to care about your home like you do. And that includes the developers, construction workers, middle-men, etc.
Everyone is trying to make a buck, and make it fast. If you buy a tract home, you’re more than likely to encounter the following annoyances:
If you were to carefully inspect every inch of my home, you’d find uneven drywall applications, gaps in caulking, and crooked doorframes.
The good news is, no one will be looking at every inch of your house except you. Once you get the furniture in, you’re even less likely to notice the flaws. But…if you’re descended from a master carpenter like I am, the lack of workmanship will drive you batty.
Of course, cosmetic issues are one thing. Clogged pipes or leaking windows are another. I have friends who have dealt with some SERIOUS new construction issues. Which leads me to our next section. Check out these insider tips to avoid having a melt down. I confess, I had at least one melt down. Okay, maybe three.
Insider tips for dealing with new construction
Knowledge is power. I would give anything to go back in time with the following information. Consider this your insider-guide to preemptively dealing with things that you shouldn’t have to deal with. But hey, such is life.
1. Research your builder
There’s a famous saying: You get what you pay for. Nowhere is that more true than in the world of home developers.
Not every builder is created equal. If you opt for a luxury developer that offers customized floor plans, you’re less likely to deal with low quality materials or a rushed job. Choose a tract home, however, and you’re bound to deal with one issue after another.
Still, there are good reasons for buying a tract home:
- Developers of tract homes buy in bulk, so can create homes at a much lower price point
- This allows many people to get into a luxury community that they otherwise might not be able to afford
Custom homes also take much longer to build. If you’re in a rush to move, a tract home is the way to go.
Really, it all comes down to what you can afford and your moving timeline. But either way, research your builder in advance. This way, you’ll set your expectations early on.
2. Have your construction manager’s number on hand
The moment you sign the dotted line, find out whom your construction manager is. Make sure you get their number, and put it on speed dial.
Your construction manager is responsible for overseeing your build. You’ll want to relay any problems along the way to them. Constructions managers are often dealing with tons of new homes at any given time, so it’s important you fill them in on details that they might otherwise overlook.
Actually, one more tip. Consider YOURSELF the construction manager. Document every little blemish that you notice, then relay it to the person with the actual job title.
3. Make frequent visits to your home as it’s being built
Unfortunately for me, I was living in Wisconsin while my home was being built. Because of that, I didn’t have the luxury of popping over to check up on things whenever I wanted. But if you do have that luxury, take advantage of it!
I have a friend who stopped buy to see their house before the closing date only to find that there was water damage everywhere. They were able to relay that information to their construction manager and monitor the clean up and restoration process before their walk-through. Had they not that done, the damage would have only gotten worse.
4. Hire a home inspector before and after your one-year warranty
If you do one thing on this list, hire a home inspector. Not just once, but twice.
You might think, if I hire one before I close, won’t they catch everything? Well think again. They will absolutely NOT catch everything. This is especially true if you choose to forgo a systems check.
My inspector caught many important things before our closing date. For one, it turns out our washing machine wasn’t hooked up.
When our one-year warranty was about to expire, we hired another inspector. This one found cracked tiles on our roof, missing window seals, and chunks of stucco missing from our foundation.
Inspectors document EVERYTHING for you, so you can hand a copy of your report to your builder. If you have to upload your grievances into a computer system, you can still use your report as a reference check.
Most importantly, it’s hard for your builder to argue about a design flaw when there’s photos from an inspector in existence. And trust me, they will argue. Which leads me to the last insider tip.
5. Do not grow complacent
I repeat, do not grow complacent. If your builder is anything like mine was, they are banking on the fact that you will get so frustrated that you give up and fix any outstanding warranty items on your own dime. I know plenty of people who have done that. Why?
Because there’s a good chance your builder will make filing a claim so annoying that you will never want to do it again. Plenty of times, they’ll deny your claim out right.
Even if they do approve it, there’s the risk that they will break something new in their efforts to fix the original problem. I can’t tell you how many times that has happened to people I know.
A piece of advice. If you happen to have more than one adult in the household, do a little good-cop-bad-cop routine. Being nice goes a long way. But sadly, being nice doesn’t always go ALL the way. You have to be firm. You have to stand your ground. And you have to be persistent.
Next steps for peace of mind
Before you run for the hills, remember that there are plenty of perks that come with new construction. With new construction, you can expect:
- Homes built to the latest hurricane-resistant building codes
- Impact-resistant windows
- Builder incentives and financing options
- Flood mitigation
- Luxury amenities
And the list goes on. Really, it’s all about doing your research up front, knowing what to expect, and making smart choices. Check out some of the resources below to mitigate the pain points of buying a new home in Florida.
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