Selecting a home builder just may be the most important decision you’ll make during the building process. If you make the wrong choice, you may find yourself dealing with interminable delays, shoddy craftsmanship or cracked sidewalks. Before you make a decision to buy a Central New Jersey home, consider a few advantages and drawbacks of working with both local and national home builders.
Take a look at any national home builder website and you’ll notice something peculiar. All of the homes the company builds, whether they’re in Spokane or Tallahassee, may look very much the same. Since standardization is a benefit of working with a national builder, it’s not a surprise to see the same three or four models in most of their developments. After building thousands of homes that are pretty much alike, the builder has probably resolved any issues, which means that your build is likely to go smoothly.
Complaints and comments from current owners can help you decide if a national home builder is the best choice for you. Generally, it’s very easy to find reviews and information about a national builder’s reputation online.
Standardization may help the company deliver a consistent product, but it doesn’t leave room for much customization. Unfortunately, features popular in the western part of the country may not be highly valued in the northeast. Whether you like the feature or not, you may just be stuck with it.
When you work with a national builder, you may never be sure who to call when you have a question. You might work with one person before you sign the contract, several other employees during construction and yet another employee during the closing process.
Hopefully, you’ll never have to use your owner’s warranty, but if you do, you’ll probably appreciate a quick resolution to your problem. When you buy a home from a national builder, your call may be routed to a national office that handles warranty issues. You may have to wait days or weeks until someone can take a look at the problem and even longer for a repair or replacement.
Local builders are more likely to change things up than their national counterparts. A new home development built five years ago may look much different than the latest community, which may offer brand new models in addition to a few favorites.
Do want the flexibility to make a few changes to your new home? Your local builder will probably offer many more upgrades than a national company and include key features popular in your region. From changes to the façade to the addition of an extra bedroom, upgrades allow you to create the ideal space for your family. In addition to common upgrades, such as kitchen cabinets, flooring, paint colors and lighting, you may also be able to:
Getting your questions answered isn’t difficult when you work with a local builder. In most cases, you’ll probably work with just one or two people during the entire process. If they don’t know the answer to the question, they only need to walk down the hall and ask a co-worker.
Your local builder is a member of your community and has a vested interest in creating homes that are not only attractive but solidly built. He or she cares about craftsmanship and the quality of the finishes used to construct homes. Should you ever have a problem with your home, your issues will be addressed quickly by the company itself or its local contractors.
Local home builders might not always have fancy websites or huge design centers. Although you’ll certainly be able to see samples of kitchen cabinet materials or flooring upgrades, you may not be able to tour an entire room outfitted with the options. It can also be a little more difficult to find a large number of customer reviews online, although most local builders are happy to provide you with contact information for homeowners in their communities.
Have you decided that a local home builder is ideal for you? Country Classics has decades of home building experience and tailors its communities to the unique needs of Central New Jersey homeowners. If you’re looking for a home in the area, you’ll want to consider building or buying a new construction house that offers all the space and options you're looking for. Contact us today for more information about our available communities and floor plans.
Sources:
National Association of Home Builders: How to Choose a Home Builder
https://www.nahb.org/en/consumers/home-buying/home-buying-articles/how-to-choose-a-home-builder.aspx
New Home Source: National, Regional or Local — Which Builder is Right for You?