Comments:

Savic Homes Ltd.

Our experience with Savic Homes Ltd. has been very disappointing. Some of its trades (ie. plumber, parts of mechanical, etc) seem to have reasonable skill and some aspects of our home seem to be well built and we don't have any current complaints. However, other apects (painting, trim, EIFS, caulking/sealants, grading, etc) of the house appear very poorly done. In particular, we have been extremely disappointed with Savic Homes Ltd.'s customer service. We took possession almost 6 months ago and many of our deficiencies remain outstanding. We have drywall compound and patches all over our walls, trim is still incomplete, the entire interior has to be repainted, our lot was very poorly graded and prepared for sod, our garage door openers don't work properly, and our EIFS is very poorly done (just to mention a few). In addition to deficiencies, we are unhappy with what we received for a few of the items specified in the contract. We paid for min 1.25 inch thick quartz counters and only got 0.75 inch thick ones; we paid extra for Benjamin Moore paint and got General Paint "Tradesman" flat; we bargained for 8 inches of compacted topsoil (to provide a good base for lawn and garden) and I'd be surprised if there was 2 inches in many places and our yard is very, very bumpy and uneven; we paid a lot for stucco as an "extra" and showed up to take possession and face sealed EIFS had been installed instead (and poorly at that). This is a wonderful neighbourhood but we're envious of many of our neighbours who seem to be quite happy with their homes and (other) builders. I understand and accept that some deficiencies should be expected when you buy a new home - it's how the builder deals with the buyer and those deficiencies that really matters and this is where we have felt really let down. If I can offer any advice to people investigating builders, it is this: Ask a builder you are considering buying from to give you the addresses of two or three of its more recent sales so you can look at the houses. Then go to the door, knock, explain to the homeowner who you are and that you are thinking of buying from their builder and then ask them to tell you about their experience. If they were really happy, they'll tell you. If they were really unhappy, they'll be delighted to be able to convey their experience. Whatever the outcome, past buyers will tell you more about what to expect than anything the builder says while trying to make a sale.