CHOOSING A BUILDER IN SOUTH JERSEY

If you’re in the market for a new home, you should shop for a builder as carefully as you shop for a home. Whether you are buying a condo, a townhouse, a house in a subdivision or a custom built home, you want to know that you are buying a quality home from a reputable builder. Here are some tips to help you chose a builder.

Make A List of Possible Builders

Once you have thought about the type of house you want, you will need to find a builder.

• Click here for a list of South Jersey’s prominent homebuilders who are members of the Builders League of South Jersey.  You can also look on Move.com, the official new homes listing website for the National Association of Home Builders.
• Look in the real estate section of your local newspaper for builders and projects. Looking through the ads and reading the articles can help you to learn which builders are active in your area, the types of homes they are building, special offerings on available homes and the price range you can expect to pay. Make a list of builders who are building the types of homes you are looking for in your price range.
• Local real estate agents may also be able to help you in your search. Ask friends and relatives for recommendations. Ask about builders they have dealt with directly, or ask them for names of acquaintances that have recently had a good experience with a builder.

Do Your Homework

Once you have a list of builders, how can you find out about their reputations and the quality of their work?  The best way to learn about builders is to visit homes they have built and talk with the owners.

• Ask builders on your list for the addresses of their recently built homes and subdivisions. Builders may even be able to provide names of home owners who would be willing to talk with you.
• Drive by on a Saturday morning when home owners may be outside doing chores or errands. Introduce yourself and say that you are considering buying a home from the builder who built their home. Talk to several owners and try to get a random sample of opinions.
• The more people you talk with the more accurate an impression of a builder you are likely to get. At the very least, drive by and see if the homes are visually appealing.
• When you talk with builders and homeowners, take along a notebook to record information you find and your impressions about specific builders and homes. Doing so will help you make you to make comparisons later.
• Some questions you can ask current homeowners include: Are you happy with your home? If you had any problems, how were they handled? Were they fixed properly and promptly? Would you buy another home from this builder? What should I expect from the home building process with this builder? How was the design selection process handled?
• Usually, people will tell you if they are pleased with their homes. And if they are not, they’ll probably want to tell you why.

Shop For Quality and Value

Look at new homes whenever you can. Open houses and model homes presented by builders in South Jersey are good opportunities to look at homes. Model homes and houses displayed in home shows are often furnished to give you ideas for using space. You may also ask a builder to see unfurnished homes or if they have a design gallery to visit that will help you make your decision.

When examining a home, look at the quality of the construction features. Inspect the quality of the cabinetry, carpeting, trimwork, and paint. Ask the builder or the builder’s representative a lot of questions. Get as many specifics as possible. If you receive the answers verbally rather than in writing then take notes. Never hesitate to ask a question. What seems like an insignificant question might yield an important answer. The builder’s staff is there to answer your questions about new homes and the community.