It may just be the contractors in this area, but I've never seen new homes take so long to complete, located so close together, on such tiny lots. House #1, a two story house that matches most of the existing homes in the area, I can see it in the distance behind Mom's house. It was put up as a rush job, with a crew of about twenty on Thanksgiving Day 2021. Between then and Christmas it had windows and shingles installed. Nothing else. House #2 was started two weeks ago, Early March 2022. It had the same size foundation as house #1. Imagine my surprise when they put the roof on the first story. It's too short to be a ranch style floor plan, and with a hip roof it looked silly from here. I drove around for a look and they bobbed the roof in the front and crammed a two car garage in between what had been the street and front porch. It looks silly. The back yard is washing down the hill into the ravine behind the house. It's not a total random build job. I saw another similar house up the street at about the same partially built stage. House #4 is another two story that I can just see through the trees. The roof covering blew off yesterday. I'll have to look some time when I'm less worried about nails in the street, but I seem to remember a #3 foundation back there. One corner was hanging in space where the hill had washed away. I wonder what they'll do with that? Really odd changes I see in these houses include the really screwy looking hip roof on the one story, very short eves, no overhang at the roof sides at all, which is quite unusual for our hurricane prone area, and so far, no ridge vents or roof ventilator at all. Hurricane Florence showed us how well these lumber saving measures work. New houses ruined inside by wind driven rain. Older homes mostly had to clean the gutters. In another neighborhood nearby I got a report that a builder had put up a $25,000 reward sign for whoever stole the materials for the house they were building. I have to look at concrete block prices. Are they going crazy too? How are new homes going up in your area? More than 90 days? 120? Six months? It all looks crazy to me.
Houses in our area are going up at record pace, it seems like they just barely get the lots surveyed and cleared and bam, foundation is pored and then their shingling the roof and poring a driveway! Start to turn key move-in ready is about a months time! The building material is the standard el-cheap-0 crap they have been using since the 70's with only earth quake hangers and stuff added since then! We took out time building the two we have built the wife and I hired the general contractor and all contractors and subs as needed, we hired our own architect to do what we wanted inline with any county or state rules or specs. I rented the heavy equipement to clear out the lot, level it and dig out the underground area for the two convex containers and then graveled the pad and I stalled french drains before installing the cans then did the roof in heavy gravel and then concrete and back filled over top! When the contractors showed up, they had no idea anything was there until they looked at the blueprints. The total build took around 8 months partly due to the work I did on my own, partly due to heavy snows/winter, and getting all the materials. We sourced actual plywood instead of press board, and real full length floor joists and roofing beams. The second house took a little over a year and a half, partly because my Bro was the general contractor and partly because it's a Craftsman's build, so everything is custom and top shelf, all the subs are craftsmen and their work is beyond the best! He spent a fortune to build it, but it's worth 5 times his investment, and he paid it all off in two years! Both are full ranch style with mine a custom design having both a sunken living/formal dining room and fire place as well as the storage bunkers underneath! Brothers is a more classic western ranch, nice and airy with lots of room, low ceilings and plenty of windows for natural light!
The supply chain crisis has really caused delays in home completions. I have heard horror stories from builders and homeowners, mostly concerning the high costs of materials, but also stories about loooooong delays in special order items. One couple had special ordered some windows 6 months ago and the house was complete, except for the windows. They finally had to go ahead with some windows that were available and are now in their new house. Due to the high cost of construction, people are looking to cut corners wherever they can, and land is one of the best places to start. If you're not going to have at least a couple of acres, then a postage stamp lot measured in square feet is the way to go. Less cost, work, etc..
I keep getting snail mail (and a rare pjone call) from developers wanting to buy my three acre property. The nice woods across the road were long since bulldozed and replaced by a tract of cheaply built crackerbox homes on tiny lots. I know those developers want my big lot to bulldoze and divide into another dozen or more home lots. Screw them. My family has owned this property since 1964, I grew up here, and inherited it from my parents when they died. I plan to stay here til I die too.
I'm no expert,, but it sounds mostly like the contractor is dropping the ball. But there's all kinds of factors that could be happening here . Supply chain has been an issue ,, windows and doors have been 3 months out ,, scheduling,, finding subcontractors,, they're all busy ,,, the contractor may not even be paying his subs. Failed or didn't call in inspections , but if he's got foundations washing out ,, he's going to have issues and I definitely wouldn't be wanting that house . The house I'm building is on pylons,, in wetlands. Waiting on authorizations , paperwork, inspectors , engineers, grading and backfill ,, my pylon driver,,, we waited on him for about 3 months,, he finally gets there ,, I can't be there because of knee surgery,, but he starts driving pylons and hits wood in the hole ,,, get my grader back out with a track hoe ,, and he's pulling out stumps and trees 10 foot in the ground. So now we're waiting on soil specialists, and engineers . I should be in the sheetrock to trim stages at this point ,,, but crap happens. But a simple slab house should be moving on pretty quick. All kinds of things could be happening,, but I'm going to guess he's run into supply and worker issues ,, if I were to give him the benefit of the doubt. Hell,,, I picked up about 800 pounds or more of galvanized nuts bolts and plates for the framer on my house and with the delays and nowhere to put them where they won't get stolen,, I'm carrying them around in the bed of the truck. It'll be nice to get that weight out of the truck , soon I hope .
Heard a horror story from a bricklayer a few months back saying that he had two projects fail because of crappy, defective cinder block. It was probably from China like everything else.
I live on 12 acres located on a main road, it's a prime building location close to town, with city water and gas, but it's not for sale! This is "family land" that my folks have held for 4 generations and it's my duty to pass it on to the next generation. I know that it's worth somewhere north of $500,000 but it isn't for sale!
IMHO, a hip roof might be worth looking at where it snows, but in high wind areas (hurricane or tornado prone areas), it seems to just be an easier target for the wind to tear your roof off. But hey, if you're into having your roof replaced every few years, with sky high insurance rates, go for it! Honestly, though, I would not even consider a new construction home, unless I could be there, every day, to call out the contractor on the corners they'd be trying to cut. I've seen the "quality" of the modern slapdash home, and I'm NOT impressed! Not to mention, when they put up a housing area, you're stuck with a few cookie cutter designs, and your house looks like ever 3rd or 4th house on the street. I'd rather look into something older, and put the money into making it energy efficient. You might find the occasional headache, but if it was built 40 years ago, it's already proven itself worthy of the investment.
My Nephew and his family moved back home 2 years ago, they had sold their house and had a bit of money to build their dream home. However, Covid, the housing boom, the cost of materials, etc. forced them to consider purchasing an existing house. They got lucky and got a 9-year-old house on 13 acres of land just 2 miles from me. It also has a pool, barn and pond! They moved in around Thanksgiving and are very happy! If they had decided to build, they would still be living with family!
