Welcome to your “open house”

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While touring a home in the perfect location, with a grand slam price, and just the right fit the buyer says “it’s not for me”.  Without expressing any more interest, they are ready to move on to the next house on the scheduled showing list.
Or…..on occasion a homebuyer may ask to arrange a few hours in house at a later date to read or just sit in the living room.  It may sound silly but in both of these situations it’s about how the buyers feel and see themselves living in a house. It’s really not much different than test driving a car.
Home builders often use this strategy to sell homes. Onsite sales agents always encourage buyers to take a minute to relax in a model home after touring a community.  Large homebuilding companies and developers may offer a few days accommodations for prospective buyers visiting an amenity packed lifestyle community. Real Estate professionals host “open houses” that offer a low pressure sales approach creating a casual setting for the visitor. All of these scenarios create a buyer/house relationship, for better or worse.

Buyers always shop first for location, price and size, but as they think through the final list, how they felt in a house will be a top consideration. After all, its the cozy feeling that will make the house a home.

Happy home shopping 🙂

Photo compliments of:

https://pixabay.com/en/girl-room-woman-living-room-sofa-342839/

 

What successful home builders have in common

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Let’s say you have weighed your options and have decided to purchase a new home under construction or hire a builder to start from the ground up.

My best advise is to select a builder that will deliver your home as agreed, and maintain a working relationship with you before, during and after the sale.
I would like to point out that not all home builders can make every home buyer happy all of the time. Scheduling, availability of materials, weather and so many more issues factor into the job, so its easy for the process to get disrupted.
Buyers always have a concern about “quality” building, and that’s a genuine concern. Keep in mind that many inspections are done during construction by the local building department and sometimes even ordered by lenders to meet some financing requirements. With those consumer protections in place “quality” will likely be determined by the workmanship and the materials used.
Without getting into a very lengthy note I am going to jump to the two points every home buyer should discuss before entering into an agreement with a new home builder

  • 1. What is the builders policy regarding unfinished items, touch ups prior to closing and a new home orientation walk through to get familiar with the operation of your systems….and….
  •  What is the standard warranty offered by the builder

The most successful builders I have worked for have both of these details implemented into their company policy.

When you are walking through your new home on move in day it should be ready for you to hang your clothes in the closet and set your furniture in place.
Most states have a warranty period for workmanship and materials.  This comes with responsibility on the buyers part to file claims in accordance with the procedure and time limits set out in the law.
A well written warranty program offered by a builder is much better to work with and results will come faster and easier. You will also have manufacturer warranties for the appliances and systems in your new home.  Ask your builder to provide you with the information to register these items in your name. The warranty may also include any soil treatments for termites or other pests and how you can keep this in place for years to come.  There are also third party warranty programs offered by some builders that cover defects and structural issues.

To sum it up….you want a builder with a well written warranty and a turn key home…

Happy home shopping 🙂