Building a house, screwed up the specs - Options?

[Our03z4]

If you are still at the foundation stage I would pay the difference for that extra 4 feet. See if they'll split the cost since you missed the larger option and they've shorted you half a foot. Good luck and hope it works out!

[RickFLM4]

Originally Posted by lsturbointeg

that's crazy! lived in Cali San Diego to be specific...HOA ok with trucks. Temecula, CA no problem there. Mesa, AZ no issues there and finally here in my current residence OH none. Just called my brothers for shi** and giggles in Texas and Alabama and both said they're allowed to. just surprised that you guys have this...unreal!

I think is is also common to see restrictions on auto work in your driveway, leaving unregistered cars in your driveway, parking across / blocking the sidewalk and overnight parking in the street.

There are also communities with no HOA’s , particularly in older or rural areas nearby me. Just need to pay attention and decide what you can live with / without before buying.

[Germanauto]

Why you got a 12 car garage when you only got 6 cars?

[zx10guy]

Originally Posted by Our03z4

If you are still at the foundation stage I would pay the difference for that extra 4 feet. See if they'll split the cost since you missed the larger option and they've shorted you half a foot. Good luck and hope it works out!

As I said, almost zero chance of this happening. The footers have been dug and poured. Plus the house has already been positioned on the lot based on the foot print of the home taking into account set backs and such. To add 4 feet, can very well throw off how the home is to be placed on the lot.

And with this being Florida based on his profile, there probably isn't a basement. Which means there's a high probability the concrete slab has already been poured for the rest of the house.

[Maestro]

Originally Posted by fun ticket

I do agree with some comments that I own this, yes, I do.

My argument is this:

I specifically pointed out i needed 20 feet, we discussed it at length
The sales person said yes, our garages are 20 feet
She did not point out that the usuable space is 19.4, I would have made a different decsion, you lose inches in the portion were the door shuts. They count that in the 20 feet but it is not usuable space.
At no point did she offer or point out the extended option, she should have

They own all of the above. This is their profession I expect them to be knowledgable of their products. That is not my job.

That is the discussion I will have tomorrow if they come back with an undesirable solution.

Based on that, I see why they said it was 20 ft, it all in where the measurements are made. Also 20 ft outside dimension is multiple of 4 ft or 16 in stud distance. Track home builders count every 2x4. I have done my one floor plans and do not worry about how many 2x4 I make sure the space is size I want and can use.

If you saw the floor plan with the dimensions you probably would have caught it, but most track home plans usually do not show dimensions. It would be easy to bump the front out 1 ft but they originally will not want to do that.

Good luck.

[PINeely]

There is no way they are going to modify the existing work unless you pay for it. I would move lots if the location is not important and they will let you. Shit happens but it's going to be awful if you really liked that lot; when we were building it was one of the most important things because it was the only one left that didn't have another lot behind it, and we spent weeks finding it.

My advice, park the truck outside. I know you've said you don't want to and it defeats your purpose for building a third bay. But if you are looking to get as close to 100% square as possible here, that's the way to do it. Everything else will cost time, money, or both. Good luck and let us know what they say.

EDIT: If you were making such a big deal about the length of the garage (and the fit is that tight for the truck) I don't know why in the world she didn't suggest the 4-foot option from the get-go. Very poor salesmanship on her part.

[sygazelle]

You probably already did this, but you might try measuring your truck. Google tells me the Raptor is 220 to 231.5" long. 231.5" is 19'3 1/2" or so. They also might be able to mess around with how they hang the garage door in the opening. The could buy you an inch or two. Good luck!

[eluded]

Been there done that, being an architect sucks sometimes when somone miss stuff like that. Hopefully you guys can meet in the middle or it's fixable? Otherwise it's only money. .

[dreamingat30fps]

Dude HOAs in FL are out of control and unless you live out in the boonies or in some very small areas everything has HOA. Condo HOAs forget about it even worse! My mom has a small condo in Miami Beach and the shit that goes on in that HOA is straight out of a soap opera. They have to be stealing millions.

[fun ticket]

Originally Posted by PINeely

There is no way they are going to modify the existing work unless you pay for it. I would move lots if the location is not important and they will let you. Shit happens but it's going to be awful if you really liked that lot; when we were building it was one of the most important things because it was the only one left that didn't have another lot behind it, and we spent weeks finding it.

My advice, park the truck outside. I know you've said you don't want to and it defeats your purpose for building a third bay. But if you are looking to get as close to 100% square as possible here, that's the way to do it. Everything else will cost time, money, or both. Good luck and let us know what they say.

EDIT: If you were making such a big deal about the length of the garage (and the fit is that tight for the truck) I don't know why in the world she didn't suggest the 4-foot option from the get-go. Very poor salesmanship on her part.

Regarding why she didn't offer the extension, she did not know about it and thats the part that I am pointing out to them. I have two data points to prove it. First, as you stated, if she knew about it she would have immediately offered it when I was making a big deal out of garage length. Second, when I went to the sales office yesterday and asked her why a house with the same plan had a longer garage she said "I'm not sure, let me check, maybe there was a plan change, I'll see when that one was finalized". After a bit, she came back and said "I found it, it was an option". Clearly, she knew nothing about it.

I know someone said earlier I was expecting too much of sales to know all that. I disagree. When you are selling $500K products it isn't child's play. So yeah, I expect product knowledge and I don't think that is unreasonable. Again, I readily admit my fault in this as well. All I am asking is they work with me. The lot is a good lot but we are open to changing lots and are willing to pay if it is an upgraded lot.....to some degree.

[zx10guy]

Originally Posted by fun ticket

Regarding why she didn't offer the extension, she did not know about it and thats the part that I am pointing out to them. I have two data points to prove it. First, as you stated, if she knew about it she would have immediately offered it when I was making a big deal out of garage length. Second, when I went to the sales office yesterday and asked her why a house with the same plan had a longer garage she said "I'm not sure, let me check, maybe there was a plan change, I'll see when that one was finalized". After a bit, she came back and said "I found it, it was an option". Clearly, she knew nothing about it.

I know someone said earlier I was expecting too much of sales to know all that. I disagree. When you are selling $500K products it isn't child's play. So yeah, I expect product knowledge and I don't think that is unreasonable. Again, I readily admit my fault in this as well. All I am asking is they work with me. The lot is a good lot but we are open to changing lots and are willing to pay if it is an upgraded lot.....to some degree.

And I keep saying it's on you to go through all the available options for the home. I'm sure the builder/sales person provided a full options list on what you can get for your home right down to upgraded door knobs. Again, I know as I had a big stack of papers listing all the available options for the homes I had built as new construction.

Yes, the sales person should have known something like this. But ultimately it's on your shoulders to be informed about all the available options for your home. If they didn't provide a full options list when you were configuring your house and submitted the final sales contract, then you have something. But if they did, you're pushing water uphill. Also if this builder is of any appreciable size, they probably have a huge number of models/floor plans to choose from. The builder I worked with has at least 30 to 40 different floor models to choose from. You can't expect someone to know all of those right down to the available options. I do know with my builder they show all the bump out extensions on the sales brochure for the home. Did your builder have something like this they provided you?

[Maestro]

My wife's sister and bother-in-law built their first home and one things they wanted was an attic fan, it was the only thing not on the options list, they fought with the track home build to put one in and add it as an option. You would think this should not be a big deal. Well, the builder would not agree to put one in. Attic fans in the summer can cut down on your cooling bill during the summer so it was worth it to them to pay to have it built in while the house was being constructed.

Since the builder refuse to add it to the contract (never found out why they would not agree) the bother-in-law went into the house while they were building it and installed the fan and figure he would have it wired later. Well the builder found out about and had his workers rip it out. Needless to say it lead big fight between the build the my wife's sister and brother-in-law.

The wife and I bought a brand new house and it was not from a track home builder, it was considered a semi-custom home they had basic plans but you can modify them how you want, the builder would do whatever you want within reason. We are planning on building our retirement home and we will do the same thing work with an individual builder not a track home builder for all these reason.

[zx10guy]

Originally Posted by Maestro

My wife's sister and bother-in-law built their first home and one things they wanted was an attic fan, it was the only thing not on the options list, they fought with the track home build to put one in and add it as an option. You would think this should not be a big deal. Well, the builder would not agree to put one in. Attic fans in the summer can cut down on your cooling bill during the summer so it was worth it to them to pay to have it built in while the house was being constructed.

Since the builder refuse to add it to the contract (never found out why they would not agree) the bother-in-law went into the house while they were building it and installed the fan and figure he would have it wired later. Well the builder found out about and had his workers rip it out. Needless to say it lead big fight between the build the my wife's sister and brother-in-law.

The wife and I bought a brand new house and it was not from a track home builder, it was considered a semi-custom home they had basic plans but you can modify they how you want, the build would do whatever you want within reason. We planning on building out retirement home and we will do the same thing work with an individual build not a track home builder for all these reason.

Both of my current homes are from a track builder. The first go around I had to argue with them on having custom wiring and lighting done to the home. We went back and forth for about a month until they finally agreed to do it. They gave me a price for what it would cost for the things I wanted with their mark up. In the end, they stepped away and told me to work with their electrical subcontractor directly. It was fine by me as I was able to get more custom electrical work done for the same money. The sales rep told me they were pushing back because they didn't want to pay for custom work before the house was officially sold to me. I told them I wold pay for the custom work up front to remove any risk.

As far as the attic fan, I had one put in after I moved into my primary home. It was no big deal to wire it in as there was already an accessible junction box near where the attic fan was installed. With regards to why the builder was inflexible, it could be due to Energy Star standards. With the vacation home I had built, the builder would not allow anything to be done to the home without their involvement. I understood why. For any hole that was put into the drywall or studs, they spray foamed the gaps. This was done to seal up any air leakage as the final validation for the home to be handed off to me was a blower door test. The builder pressurized the home and it had to meet a certain spec outlined by Energy Star before they could release the home to me. I can see having an attic fan would change the dynamics of the home. The HVAC unit the builder put in is pretty impressive for a track home builder perspective. The HVAC unit doesn't use a metal flue pipe. It's all plastic because of how efficient the unit is.

[lsturbointeg]

doesn't make sense sometimes when you want custom stuff done and they give you a hard time about it or come up with reasons on why they can't do it. i mean, you're the one paying for the house not them you could easily bring your business to another builder if it's possible

[zx10guy]

Originally Posted by lsturbointeg

doesn't make sense sometimes when you want custom stuff done and they give you a hard time about it or come up with reasons on why they can't do it. i mean, you're the one paying for the house not them you could easily bring your business to another builder if it's possible

And they'll say the same thing. The reason why they give you a hard time if it's something they don't normally do is money and management. The builders make money by throwing together something as fast as possible with as little cost as possible. When you ask for something custom, it throws off the assembly line approach. Even though you are paying for the custom work, the builder has to weigh in how much this will delay the house being handed over to you, the cost on their end to accommodate your request, and in the end because the builder allowed the work, they have to warranty it too.

The vacation home I had built didn't have the headaches I encountered when I had my primary home built. The builder was very open to the electrical modifications I wanted. I just marked off on the floor plans what I wanted. The electrician would send communication through the builder's sales office any questions or clarifications they needed. And then I got a quote. Stuff like accent lighting, rough ins for wall sconces, upper and under cabinet lighting in the kitchen are some of the things I requested.

Another way to look at this is would it be reasonable for you to ask BMW to install coil overs in your car at the factory? That's what these track builders are facing when you ask for something custom not captured in their standard options list.

[Clark_Kent]

OP, I think you're expecting too much from the builder's agent especially one representing what sounds like a tract builder. I've purchased new construction twice and on a couple of occasions I found errors in the selections recorded by the agent or the designer at the design center. You really have to check their work to ensure it is accurate or at least directionally consistent with your expectations.
The documentation you're endorsing essentially certifies that you agree with the information contained therein. It's not too late to modify the garage; however, that will likely come at a cost. Hopefully they're willing to work something out with you. Good luck and let us know how it works out.

[fun ticket]

UPDATE:

The builder came back and said:

(1) They will not modify the exsiting slab (I did not expect they would)
(2) They will not allow us to move our contract to another lot after we told them we were more than willing to pay for an lot upgrade and change fees. (I was very surprised by this)

We have consulted with a real estate attorney who said it is an interesting situation. Yes, we signed the docs and acknowledge our error so that will come into play. However, counsel said our representative (in this case the builders sales agent) has a duty to represent the product correctly. They said we may have a window of opportunity there. They are doing some additional research and said they will most likely send a letter to the builder and request resolution (depending the outcome of their research).

Personally, I doubt anything will come of it. Worst case, Raptor gets parked outside and this problem goes away with the next vehicle purchase (unless it is a truck).

[F32Fleet]

Basically it's on you if 1 foot is a make or break for being able to fit your vehicle. Don't expect them to be able to retrofit the slab edge because it'll require drilling (re-bar attaching the sections together) in addition to having to build out the base (gravel, plastic barrier).


Sell the vehicle or move to another lot.

Edit : Just saw your update. Good luck with the attorney. You have a uphill battle.

[fkim119]

I developed commercial property, and built homes.

To do it the right way, you just can't simply add the extra length you need if the foundation is poured. I am assuming you are on a post tension slab. To add the length you need the right way (this is a guess since I don't know your home elevation or floorplan)you have to dowel in to your post tension slab/foundation from the front of your garage. If you simple make cuts all over your foundation, you will be cutting the rebars that is laid into your foundation. Not good. In case of severe weather, the homes foundation will be considerably weaker. In the long run, the foundation will crack. Matter of time.

I would move onto a different lot, make them pour the foundation to the correct foot print and start the right way instead of making something wrong, right .

[jlstyle]

Originally Posted by fun ticket

UPDATE:

The builder came back and said:

(1) They will not modify the exsiting slab (I did not expect they would)
(2) They will not allow us to move our contract to another lot after we told them we were more than willing to pay for an lot upgrade and change fees. (I was very surprised by this)

We have consulted with a real estate attorney who said it is an interesting situation. Yes, we signed the docs and acknowledge our error so that will come into play. However, counsel said our representative (in this case the builders sales agent) has a duty to represent the product correctly. They said we may have a window of opportunity there. They are doing some additional research and said they will most likely send a letter to the builder and request resolution (depending the outcome of their research).

Personally, I doubt anything will come of it. Worst case, Raptor gets parked outside and this problem goes away with the next vehicle purchase (unless it is a truck).

Things done verbally is very hard to fight against. There was no written order request for garage size but they have your contract ticked with smaller garage size. That rep can always come back and say, "I've never heard you say that". If this was a simple cabinet extension or bathroom upgrade you missed, it can be easily fixed but concrete slab isn't something they would deal with at this point. And I'm an architect and a developer. As soon as my clients sign off on certain things, I wont' go back and do things again regardless of the money. Money can be made anywhere.

[UglyBuzzard]

Originally Posted by fun ticket

House is $510K, reputable builder, been around a long time.

I just bought the Raptor last April so selling it now is not really an option. Plus, I friggin love it.

If they wont work with me worst case it just sits outside and I use the third car side for storage.

I wont take legal action, because I dont think i have basis for it, but i might make them think i will. Hopefully, they will work with me.

I think both sides are at fault. Me and their salesperson.

Must be nice to build a house with 6 figures. Good luck - should not be too much of an issue.

[Alpine300zhp]

Originally Posted by RickFLM4

They make it clear before you buy the house. It’s not like they changed the rule on everyone and I’m quite certain it’s the rule. All houses have 2 or 3-car garages. Our’s is 3-car and 20.5’ deep. If a truck doesn’t fit in the garage, personally I don’t mind not seeing it in anyone’s driveway.

HOA probably wants to avoid stupid shit like this from the next town over:

http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/200...ck-jeff-george

I remember that guy and he was as obnoxious as they come. He is now doing federal time for his part in running a pill mill outfit in South Florida.