We have seen "bloopers" on TV, heard about the fiascoes that occur at weddings, and laughed along with American Express commercials when someone gets their precious vacation cash stolen while they're not looking. But has anyone ever described any laughable (or tear-producing) stories in new home purchases? Some of these may not sound so funny. In fact, they may make a new home buyer stop and think if they are currently in the process of watching their new home being built.

Here are but a few of the unfortunate scenarios I have personally encountered or heard tales of in my years of production home sales and marketing. However rare these occurrences may be, the fact is, stuff happens.

• The pitch of a driveway is so steep, that at the curb and at the top of the drive of the new home, the buyers' full sized American car must bumper-scrape severely to go up, and then gets caught again when trying to drive into the garage. A full refund is given (no one wants to buy a new car). The builder puts the home back on the market with a disclosure and a discount to buyers owning 4 X 4's.
• Buyer does not realize that the builder plumbs an electric dryer outlet only for standard laundry room hook-ups. He owns a brand new gas dryer.
• A model home is built over an ancient tree stump and the buyers discover severe termite infestation in their new home. (This is a "not funny" tale)
• A huge boulder is discovered buried in the backyard area in which some new homebuyers intend to build a pool. (The disclosure did say "soils may contain rock".)
• A builder sells a home touting square footage of 1900 sq. ft. The day before the buyer walk-through, the appraiser can measure only 1650 square feet.
• Buyers are told their phase of homes will eventually back up to a neighborhood park. They find later on that it is a "high-use" park, with flood lights in full regalia around the softball diamond until 11 p.m. each night.

In retrospect, the buyers in all these scenarios eventually were able to work something out with the builders or the city to ameliorate the problems, or found ways to deal with their discoveries or disappointments.

Here, now, are some common oversights in design by both builder and buyer, hard to spot at first glance. Most builders do try to think of everything when designing a home. But it is truly up to the buyer to analyze the logic and flow of the builder's floor plans and amenities. Caveat emptor:

• Furniture and appliances may not fit through door openings.
• Light switches and electrical may not be in convenient locations.
• Interior doors may swing out in directions that block access to some areas. (Model homes rarely display doors)
• An open dishwasher door may permit room for only one person to stand at the sink at any given time.
• The beautifully displayed formal dining room may have no access from the kitchen, forcing the chef to traipse through carpeted formal areas with the turkey platter.
• The kitchen, overlooking the backyard area, may be situated at the opposite end of the house from the garage, necessitating the grocery shopper of the family to hike through the house with bags of groceries each time.
• When the clothes dryer door is open, the door to the garage may not be able to open in a pass-through laundry room set up.
• Look for picture windows that cannot open for needed ventilation.

Read enough? It's difficult for home buyers to spot every anomaly in the emotion of a new home purchase. It's wise to inspect both model homes and nearly completed production homes for yourselves, or with the aid of a knowledgeable inspector, Realtor, or construction professional. Ask as many questions as it takes to satisfy your concerns regarding issues such as those raised here.

In other words, when making an investment as large as this, don't let beautifully decorated model homes and fancy marketing campaigns filter your perceptions. The more information you can gather regarding the new home area, the builder, and home site location and the floor plan you are about to purchase, the more peace of mind you will gain when escrow closes and the moving van pulls up.

Published: June 18, 1999

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