Now, now folks...be nice. Name calling is for children.

@Dstemple1956: Do you have something to add pertaining to the actual topic here?

actual, simulating old building

Yes, twice. The first time they did a lovely job with solid construction. The second time (different builder) they rushed the job and we had 400+ incorrect items that had to be fixed. That was a nightmare. In hindsight we should have brought in a professional to the job site paid separately to check on the build as it was going up. Did I mention NIGHTMARE?

this picture was taken last week. Now the real challenge starts when temperature varies between -6 and 10 . Houzz.com is very helpful for design.

Yes. Twice. Have upgraded and changed out almost everything over time but it was a joy to move into a new place that needed very little to start off with and for a good long stretch was maintenance free. We are building a custom home now and experiencing the sticker shock of what what you really want costs when doing it all at once.

My house is 1 month old…okay it's actually not quite finished. But spending nearly two years designing and building we were able to get so many features exactly they way we wanted. How you live is such a personal thing - where your dogs sleeps, how often you cook/entertain etc. etc. It will be awesome.

I am concerned that one of the largest purchases that you will make in your life, and you don't research your builder, ask tons of questions, and keep your eye on what is going on with your new home. Keep a notebook, make a list of questions each time you visit the site, whether it is a custom build, spec, resale, whatever. I can't believe some of the issues you are having. I feel bad for you. Another thing, where is your mom and dad?

@Sheliaparker: Your post is bizarre. Who are you speaking to? And why are you asking about their mom and dad?

It was a little bizarre...but I can't believe adult people act so stupid when it comes to purchasing a home. Have you read some of the post? Some of these people just take the word of the developer/contractor, and never do any research/ask questions of their own. I just want people to get a good product. And our homes are a major purchase, one of the largest we will ever make, and some of these post act as though they were purchasing a pair of pants. I ask about their parents, because why are some of these concerns not addressed with their parents. Plus, I can't believe some of these post are mature adults. Thanks, Peter.

Sheila, not all people who responded have living parents. Some of us might be older adults who have never purchased a new build, or built their "dream home."

And maybe their parents have always rented--it's possible, you know.

All I am asking is to talk to others that have been thru the process, or educate yourself. Do something other than take a builder/contractor word for what they are telling you. Knowledge is power.

The most important factor is that the house you will live should be comfortable. It should have enough light, fresh air, and its surround also need to be quite.Anyway, to have a good sleep is vital for your work & life. The quality of the house is also an important factor.

Houzz really needs to figure out a way to limit or control the often irrelevant vendor comments on here before these discussion boards become useless.

wow I read all the comments. I am thinking to build a new house and this got me scared of crooked contractors. I was thinking to downsize and build a retirement home 1800 sq feet.
I guess unless the builder is your brother you seldom will find an honest one. Well I have to think more.

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Actually having a realtor represent you does NOTHING to your cost, so it doesn't make sense to feel like you don't need one. The selling agent just won't get the full commission. Realtors will ask the questions you miss! I just signed a contract on a new build -so I am still in the process. I wish I had the standard layout prior to contract so I could walk through the model and decide what and where I wanted things. Have a budget for the upgrades, and try NOT to roll it into the loan. Otherwise you are paying taxes (the first year at least) and PMI (if you have it), and interest on the upgrades for years, and sometimes the life of the loan. I set aside $25k for upgrades (most from the sale of my last house). I wanted a perfect turn-key home with no remodel needed and was willing to pay for it. My last OLD home was so run down and depressing. These days, it is really hard to negotiate upgrades - there seem to be enough buyers that they are no longer desperate to get you in. In all a fireplace, extending the kitchen cabinets 10 feet, overhead lighting and wiring, garage door, over range microwave, paint, cabinet upgrades and lighting, and several electrical upgrades ran me just under $10k - leaving enough to upgrade the carpet upstairs and install wood floors downstairs, add blinds, purchase non-included appliances, and landscape the wonderfully small back yard ALL within budget! Thankfully city and state codes (CA) required the builder to provide so many things I never had in my old home. Such a relief.

We purchased a new home from a builder that was a new construction 5 years ago when the real estate market went south so they took it off the market. We purchased it as a "new construction", however now that we have closed escrow and are in the process of moving in, it has become obvious this home was rented out while it was off the market (lines on the side of doors with dates and names I can only assume are the lines for heights of growing children)... I feel that should have to be disclosed - not that we don't love the house, but we were under the impression "new construction" was synonymous with "never lived in". Live and learn.

Didn't you have a chance to see that evidence before buying or closing on the house/

We did notice a few things, but the home had been a model for the development so we dismissed the patched nail holes and minor scuffs as a result of staging.

I am sorry if you were misled. Not good business.

I wish I had known more about the builder.

I am in process of getting a house from the builder..not a spec or custom..but can upgrade the existing specs for extra money. not even month into the process..and i am getting frustrated as there is little flexibility.every little extra thing costs way too much..very few options to choose from. very exhausting and emotionally tiring. since i have no experience in house building..i wanted to go for getting house through builder..looks like this is also going to be equally difficult job

This what I tell a lot of my clients there will always be setbacks and cost more then you want just make sure you know what you want and be upfront with the builder and do not change that's were they make there money and it cost more to change because the sub contractor charges more some times its easy but most of the time it not it can domino so just make sure you know what you want it is a lot cheep now then later so good luck just keep positive and know there some stuff that happens and always be pleasant it goes a long way and some times it not easy to be that way but they will work harder for you and make sure it is done right trust me on that I see it every day over 100 projects a year

Building our custom home and feeling frustrated... was just told they are afraid we are going to be happy with how the dining room ceiling is going to turn out. So they want us to spend another 2k on a product they can assemble and put up to give us the look we want. Really? Shouldn't they have that expense?

Custom usually means you pay if what you want isn't possible under original budget.

It doesn't matter with me if its old or a new house, as long as the quality standard is in it.

I have exchanged on a new build (1 of 6 flats) and am having a nightmare. The snagging list has thrown up larger problems than usual "snags" and I am being pushed to complete. It has been a complete nightmare from start to finish and having been sold a "high specification" flat, well, the photos should speak for themselves., not to mention that they are having to replace the acoustic windows as they are all without their protective seal and as a result the panes bounce..

Isn't scary to live in that 100 years old house? :) I prefer to newly build houses as long as its properly build and the places is also perfect.

We just bought a brand new house and the builder is telling us we have to seal the floor tile and kitchen tile. Is this the norm?

Buying a spec home or a lot from a builder (who then has you by the short hairs) is kind of like buying a suit online and figuring out how to make it fit after you get it. Can be expensive. "Ready" "Fire"..."Aim"... isn't the best way to hit your personal targets. Contact your friendly neighborhood architect - you'll be glad you did. You'll also save money. Remember your ABC's; Architect Before Contractor or get your architect and contractor on board at the same time so that they can work together to optimize your budgets. Both professions are valuable, each has its own strengths - avail yourself of both. If you buy a 100+ year old home, the same advice applies - your architect will help you maintain the integrity of the home and work with historic districts on your behalf. You will also find that your architect has access to materials for historic (and other) projects not generally available - or can detail things properly to have them made for you.

As for sealing the tile, First, NO porcelain or glazed tile should be sealed. All you'll do is end up with a white haze on the face of the tile. As for the grout, that's a different story... according to most installers. This is my own personal feeling, but in my mind, sealing grout is one of the biggest scams our industry plays on the general public. Even sealed, sooner or later, grout is going to discolor, get a little darker with age, and even stain. THIS INCLUDES EPOXY. It's just the way it is. Steam cleaning, or other methods, once the grout starts getting really dirty, will keep your grout looking good, and then there's the common sense factor. Don't use white grout in main traffic areas. A medium to slightly darker colored grout will do much better. But as far as sealing grout, my grandfather was a tile contractor. My father and uncle were both tile contractors. My sister and I have both been in the trade for over 30 years. Between me, my 5 siblings, and all my aunts and uncles, and all my cousins NOT ONE of us has EVER sealed grout in ANY ONE of our homes, and never had trouble with it.

I never seen sealing grout as keeping it clean. I always seen it as stopping water from penetrating the grout. If you call most grout manufacturers they will tell you to seal especially backsplashes. Contractors won't because like you said only the grout should be sealed and most contractors are too lazy because it is tedious work.

First, it's not that we're too lazy. If I'm going to seal your grout, I'm going to charge for the time that I spend. I get 45.00 an hour, and you're talking several hours for a decent sized floor for something that's not rocket science. So if someone really wants to seal their grout, I'll tell them how to do it, and let them take care of it themselves. It's more of a way of cutting costs for the homeowner than laziness, because if a homeowner really wants me to do it, I will.

Secondly, most sealers, especially the better solvent based sealers, will NOT stop moisture from getting through. They're specially made to be what's called "breatheable", meaning they allow moisture to transmit back and forth, so that it won't get trapped under the tile and cause problems.

Unfortunately, I bought a new home from a small builder that just won't honor the new home warranty. His subs made major installation mistakes, and it's a nightmare! In my opinion, have an attorney review your contract and get a structural engineer to review the house plans before purchasing. Ask for referrals and talk to homeowners that have lived in a house that specific firm built for at least 6 years to see how their house is doing.

In the past, I purchased new builds (2) from a larger, reputable builder, and it was a great experience. This blind-sighted me completely. Bethesda, MD

I've purchased 4 new build homes and was very happy each time. I purchased from big, well-know builders each time. From a starter home under $200K in the 90s to the last home which was "semi-custom" in a gated neighborhood. It's very important to understand what is standard, optional and/or custom.

For me, sometimes a change in finish (ie. cabinetry or tile) was worth the upgrade cost. But I always found the upgrade dollars are best spent on the "insides" of the house. What I mean is what's inside the walls or structure -- electrical, plumbing, etc.

Having 4 kids, it was always important to me to have overhead lights in the bedrooms that worked with a wall switch, not just a plug that works with the switch to use with a lamp. I also chose 2 dishwashers in the last house, with a family of 6, I know it would be costly later to run the plumbing to the kitchen island (where each were located) if I wanted to add one later.

If it's more cost-effective to add it during construction, that was often the deciding factor for me. Carpet isn't too hard to replace in a few years, if you can live with the standard. But wood or tile is a much bigger project to remove and creates a tremendous mess.

It seems builders don't add enough electrical for lighting (you need a junction box if you're going to install ceiling fans) and all of our media and electronics need power and charging stations! Oh! And cable run to the best (or extra walls) in bedrooms. The builder never seems to put it on the wall that makes the most sense for furniture layouts.

Upgrade appliances if you have the option from the start too. You'd think it's easy to switch them out and they are if they are freestanding units only. If you have a cooktop and separate wall ovens, the size of these can vary more than you'd expect, meaning your granite will have to be re-cut or your cabinets resized. Oh, and if you have an open concept floorplan, pay the extra for quiet dishwashers and microwaves! I rented for awhile in between and this was something I missed so much!

Using a Realtor will indeed benefit you, if they are educated and experienced New Construction Buyers Agents. People interview doctors, lawyers, babysitters, etc. all of the time...why not agents?

I have helped a few of my clients purchase new homes. In addition to spotting material flaws (always at least a few), I negotiated the first years tax and HOA fees, appliance upgrades, and other details.

I also work with a new home builder and would like to give you a few pointers. Builders use contractors for electrical, plumbing, etc.; research who they will use for YOUR property. BuildZoom is a great site to refer to. If possible, have the house professionally inspected several times throughout the building process. By doing so, your inspector will be able to visually examine items that will soon be hidden by sheet rock and insulation. A good builder will welcome your inspector(s): who doesn't like to show off their good work!

Most large builders offer buyers numerous upgrade options. During the initial meeting with the sales representative,
you should find out about the design consultation and payment policies for options
and upgrades so there are no surprises. Even a “free”
upgrade package may require a substantial deposit or prepayment. Everything has
a cost and, since options and upgrades involve individual tastes and special
orders, the builder doesn’t want to be left with materials and choices that
can’t be undone if the transactions doesn’t close or you have a change of
mind. In addition to an earnest money deposit, you may be required to pay
up front even for included upgrades. Also, too many upgrades may result in a low appraisal, which will require you to bring more money to the closing table.

Good luck and I hope my information helps!

New home is awesome! After living from pillar to post and cramped apartments.

One does not purchase a new home all that often - important to get it "right". If you were to only buy one business suit and have it last for years, you'd go to a tailor and get their help with everything from fit and finish to materials and stitches. I doubt you'd go to a department store and take whatever off the rack. Same with your home. See the advantages (including cost) of working with an architect on Architects Creating Homes website and here on Houzz. As to builder upgrades, it doesn't take much imagination to realize that those are really profitable for the builder. You can get those without the big mark-ups if priced in your architectural drawings either as part of the base bid or as alternates - priced competitively. Sometimes "a close fit" for your lifestyle, budget and ongoing energy and maintenance costs works just fine. You may be moving in a year or two. Imagine if you will, a suit that really fits, a home that really adapts to you and your lifestyle - not the other way around. Then shop on Houzz and ArCH for an architect in your area.

Amy Quimby - excellent points - fully agree. Always best to enlist the help of professionals. Good ones save you much more than you invest in their services.

My 2 cents: Realtors know real estate...they are not trained or certified in any way to make the best suggestions for exterior or interior design. You can have the best realtor in the world and not hear a WORD about making sure that a bathroom needs a 60" turning radius to accommodate a family member who is in a wheel chair (or to possibly accommodate an older couple who want to "age in place"). There are hundreds of other regulations and helpful items that an interior designer can assist you with! My 72 year old husband and I are just now completing our new "semi-custom" home. I trained for 4 years at one of California's premier interior design schools, and worked many years in several areas of interior design. Our builder was VERY open to any changes I asked for, and, yes, some of the changes were a little expensive, but we ended up with a home where we can "age in place", AND "fits our needs" in almost every way. Everyone who has posted here has brought up all the small points that are important, from "which way the morning sun hits the living room" to hiring a private inspector to check out the completed home....but, as I see it, there is only ONE type of professional who can help you with every aspect of a home...a DESIGNER...or an architect.

With my training, I knew that I needed to spend MANY HOURS asking my husband (who I am close to knowing EVERYTHING about) questions...which side of the commode does he prefer to have the TP holder on? Where does he want the light switch for the closet? INside the closet or OUTside the closet? What bothers him in the kitchen we have now? How high does he want the new kitchen cabinets? (Both those last questions caused me to design one half of the kitchen cabinets to be set 5" higher than usual, and the cabinets on "his" side of the bathroom 5" higher!) His back hurts him a lot...so, all electrical outlets in his office were set at 40" AFF so that he would not have to bend or stoop to plug in office equipment. How many pair of shoes does he have? (44).So, the six boxes provided by the builder aren't enough! How TALL is my DH? (6'4") So, a shower head set at 6' ISNT high enough for where he wants it to spray on him, adjust it. Did he want a special, tiled niche in his shower to hold his soap and shampoo? How high?

I looked at every outlet, switch, recessed can, lighting fixture, hose bib, etc in the house to make sure things were just the way I wanted them. I added GFI outlets under the eaves, front and back for the sole purpose of getting power to the Christmas lights we like to put up. There was a hose bib and a GFI added to one side of the garage, near the door, to accommodate the man who comes to detail our cars every other Saturday.

Every article I've read says "kitchens and baths" are the most important, and expensive part of the house. Almost ALL of the 125k "upgrades" done on our home were done in the kitchen and bathroom. Lots and lots of cabinets, granite countertops, extra lighting, under/over cabinet lighting, "chef" style appliances, etc.. All increase the perceived value of our home.

The last upgrade we did was to have pavers instead of concrete for our driveways, patios and walkways. This too, adds to the value. Unlike concrete, which settles and cracks, pavers don't gave that problem! (And it's a REAL problem in Florida, where all we have are shifting sands serving as dirt for our foundations! Also, where a "southern" or "western" exposure is best for homes above the Mason-Dixon...a home with that orientation in Florida makes a sliding glass door in your living room nothing but a magnifying glass! Almost as bad is a garage with a south-western exposure---the sun beating on an un-insulated metal garage door gives you nothing but a giant "hotbox" acting like an oven on two to three walls of your home! So, you put the garage on the eastern exposure...or increase the garage insulation and purchase insulated garage doors to keep the garage from becoming a literal OVEN!! (We did both)

So, ask lots of questions....get someone to help you get the home you want! We don't plan on EVER selling this home...(in your 70's, you know you have less than 30 years to live there, anyway!). So, we weren't concerned so much with "resale"...we made the home the way that would make US happy!! Folks told us "don't put in a pool! It will hurt the value!!" But, both of us get some relief with our back problems in the pool! (And WE won't be selling the house...our HIERS will! So, haha!!) In the interim, WE will be enjoying the pool while we can...and not worry about "resale value"!!

If, 31 years from now, a home buyer says "who in the world would make one side of the bathroom 5" higher than the other? Who in the world would place all of the outlets so high? Who in the world would place the pool only 5 steps from the master bedroom...and 5 steps from the bedroom with no closet?" We did...and we don't care...this is "our dream home"....and we did all those crazy things to make us happy....that's why God invented "Remodelers".....

Our modular house was just set...we had to rebuild after sandy. We have about 8 weeks until move in and I am overwhelmed with all of the things I need to do. Pick out interior paints (the house interior is primed); window coverings for privacy; and landscaping...we lost all of our trees and bushes in the storm and now my yard is just dirt; and I need to figure out a way to make the pilings attractive without using lattice everywhere. These are the first things I need to tackle...the rest I hope I will figure out after we move in.

I just bought a new built construction and all the plumbing is thin clear tubing. I want to add a water softener and need to tap into the main line. I went to Home Depot and Lowe's and spoke with the plumbing department and nobody knows what is is called or where to get parts?

I just bought a new built construction and all the plumbing is thin clear tubing. I want to add a water softener and need to tap into the main line. I went to Home Depot and Lowe's and spoke with the plumbing department and nobody knows what is is called or where to get parts?

I just bought a new built construction and all the plumbing is thin clear tubing. I want to add a water softener and need to tap into the main line. I went to Home Depot and Lowe's and spoke with the plumbing department and nobody knows what is is called or where to get parts?

I believe it is called PEX piping.

PEX should be either red or blue - no idea what the clear stuff is - and ArCH (Architects Creating Homes), the premier international association of home architects, is now calling out to members to eliminate PEX from consideration due to recent problems. The material is NOT accepted in all jurisdictions.

Shoot, I paid $9000 to re-plumb a house with PEX piping. It was replacing polybutyl piping that failed.

In the middle of building my home in central Mass and am completely satisfied. Steps we have taken; 1) You should know what town you want to build in at this point and what builders are in the area do your homework. take to the web see if you can find any consistent bad reviews. there will always be some but if there basement wall cracked in a certain area ask them about it, did they fix the problem? knock on the door of people who live their, people love to talk about their homes good and bad. 2) Get a real estate agent who works in the general area not the exact area of your soon to be new home. Eliminates the possibility of cohesion between builder and your agent. The agent should have experience in new builds. 3) Get a lawyer you know or is not from the area and does not know the builder (important) also they must have experience with new build. 4) Go to a model home of the builder talk to their rep and remember this is usually a high end home so this will have almost every over the top item. They will usually plot plans and copies for you. If you sign in at the model home write your real estate agents name in. Don't hesitate put money down on a plot you will have 2weeks or 30days to get that money back. Do that asap, that day if possible. 5) Drive out to the site and check it out for drainage location etc. 6) P&S this is where you tell the lawyer you want a 1yr guarantee, land needs 4 inches of loom and to set a schedule, with some flexibility. This will take time going between builders lawyer and your lawyer. (build starts in 2weeks after deposit of $15,000 foundation and framing completed in 30 to 45 days etc. Occupancy within 4 months of build start date. If builder cannot meet deadlines then ask for contingencies, lights, flooring, bath room fixtures etc. 7) Monitor the build take measurements, compare with plans. We drive up everyday meet the carpenter bring coffee and stuff. Take lots of pictures, after wiring and plumbing installed take pictures of every room before wall board to remember location of wires and plumbing and keep in a binder. 8) ask lots of questions and keep on the builder, if you don't like something email them, our builder is quick and professional so far with feedback. 9) holy crap is it a lot of work prepare yourself for stress and weather delays. We sold our last home and living with her father, who is set in his ways and it is very very hard. Makes the new home all the more exciting. enjoy

One other bit of due diligence - if you are not engaging the services of an architect to create a truly custom home, engage one to help you evaluate your purchase. Most architects have a Before You Buy or Pre-Purchase Service designed to help you look at elements that could end up biting one in the backside - right where you keep your wallet.

Also a bit of advice to consider; be careful if you purchase a lot from a builder who will not allow you to bring your own architect or your own builder. Neighbor recently bought a lot from a builder - inherited both the builder and the architect. I did a number of improvements for the owner. I then asked him about the construction price so that I could stay in touch with current pricing.

He provided the pricing he paid for the home. Shocked, I took the drawings (builder's set) to two other contractors. The higher of the two was $15/s.f. lower... 4,000 s.f. house... the Owner paid an extra $60K thinking he saved $ by not hiring an architect, using a stock plan, and buying a lot from a reputable builder. Does this always happen? No - but do your homework as recommended in the original post.