Builders, building new homes and condos is more than the finished product, it is also          building relationships with your purchasers/homeowners.  You need to build trust, and     give your purchasers confidence that they have bought a new home from the best builder.

Yes, construction is a business, and of course making money is the objective, but builders are dealing with people who have spent hard earned money and expect the best customer service.  Builders are dealing with human emotions and must respect that.  Following Tarion rules is important, but don’t lose sight of the fact that the politics of building a home can’t over ride the practical aspect of this business.  Most times the builder needs to realize that they have to go beyond what the rules say, and bring in a mix of compassion, understanding and some flexibility during the process.  Sometimes going that extra mile to make your homeowner happy is the difference between a repeat buyer and a homeowner who’s only thought is to sell their house.

The Customer Care Department needs to remain fresh and upbeat.  When the representatives become frustrated or burnt out the purchasers don’t stand a chance.  I have seen many builders who do not monitor their Customer Care Department to the detriment of their purchaser’s/homeowners.  Customer Care is the face of the company, and it a very difficult position.  This department needs to be able to see situations clearly, they need to work as a team, and they need to be realistic.  They can’t just stick to the rules.  They need to be able to assess a situation, be a good mediator when necessary, and deviate to make their homeowner’s happy.  Without this, the builder’s reputation is at stake.  I am not saying that people will not buy their homes, but I say, why not have the reputation of being not only a builder who produces an exceptional product, but also a builder who cares about their purchasers and is a pleasure to work with.

Builders, a word to the wise, work closely with your Customer Care Department.  Make sure that they work as a team, make sure that they are people orientated, and make sure that they have your support. Too many conciliation requests from homeowners is a good indication that the Customer Care Department may be in trouble.

The most important thing to remember is, to make sure that Customer Care understands that going that extra mile is your best advertising.

I am counting on this column to be very successful because, if what everybody tells me is true, new home buyers need a place where they have the opportunity to learn as much as possible about the policies and procedures that are in place when purchasing a new home from a builder.  I hope that new home buyers will take advantage of this opportunity.

It’s a new day in the newspaper industry.  We used to only be able to ask questions to Ann Landers or Abbey about our personal lives.  Columns that helped us through many stressful moments as teenagers right up to middle aged adults.  Now things have gone one step further.  With all of the new homes and condos being built everywhere, the Toronto Sun has recognized a need in the new home buyer, and has given them a forum exclusively geared to their questions and experiences.  I am honoured to be a part of that.

I am looking forward to hearing from you!

dfconsultants@live.ca

Valentine’s Day.  It’s a day that is set aside every year to celebrate love.  Not only love between husbands and wives, girlfriends and boyfriends, partners and lovers, but it extends to our children, mothers, fathers, friends and family.

Can you imagine if this kind of love was celebrated every day?  If we just took the time to stop and appreciate the love we have and the love that we have to give, there would be less time to think about hate and anger.

I love Valentine’s Day because you can truly feel the happiness and positive energy all around us.  Everyone is thinking about someone else and not themselves today.  We are planning lovely little surprises, or intimate dinners, or just feeling content knowing that we have people who we love, and who love us, in our lives.  It’s a day the involves everyone, young, middle aged and the elderly.  We all participate.  We all celebrate love.  I think that folk singer and song writer Stephen Stills said it best, “If you can’t be with the one you love, love the one your with”

Happy Valentine’s Day.

I started my business, my blog, my Facebook page and my Twitter account all in the name of educating people who buy new houses or condos from builders.

My goal is to make sure that purchasers totally understand exactly what to expect after they have purchased their new home, and what is expected of them during the period from Pre Delivery Inspection right through the first year of occupancy.  This is why I am so happy that I now have a column in the Toronto Sun where everyone can email me their questions and concerns.  This venue can really help to reach the masses who are feeling overwhelmed with all of the policies and procedures from the builders and Tarion Warranty Corporation.  I am here to help alleviate all of the anxiety.

Together we can change the dynamics of the new home construction industry to create a cohesive and trusting relationship between builders and their purchasers.  Why shouldn’t the home buying experience be exciting and stress-free?  Well it can be through knowledge and education.

If you have any questions regarding your new home, builder, Tarion, or if you know anybody who is having a difficult time, or just needs some answers, please email me. Even if you don’t live in Ontario, I may be able to help out.   dfconsultants@live.ca

Help me spread the word!

My first question to them was,” did you call or email the builder to let them know all of your contact information”?  They confirmed that they had not.  They thought that the builder would just be coming to do the work no matter who lived in the house.  This is not an uncommon scenario.  Many people who buy a new resale home that is still under warranty, don’t realize that it is important to let the builder know how to get in touch with them.  Although it is the builders responsibility to get the work done, it does make the situation a whole lot easier if the builder has the new contact information.

Secondly, I advised them that they had the option of filling out the Tarion Year End Form to report all of the outstanding deficiencies from the PDI and the 30 Day Form along with any other items that they may have noticed.  I also told them to contact their builder to let them know that they were the new homeowners so that they could arrange to begin getting the work completed.

Many people who buy a new home that is still under warranty don’t know what their options are, that is why I stress that new home buyers need to get educated in the new home buying process.  The responsibility to complete any outstanding deficiencies in the home lies with the builder, however; my advice to everyone is to stay on top of things.  If you see that work is not getting done in a timely manner, contact your builder.  Don’t wait until you become angry or stressed out to take action.  Communication is the key to getting deficiencies completed and to maintaining a positive relationship with your builder.

Remember, you can email me your questions regarding your new home to dfconsultants@live.ca  and they may be published in my column in the Toronto Sun along with my answer.  Your questions could help others who have just purchased a new home from a builder.  Keep those questions coming.

When new condos are being built throughout a major city, and I am talking inundated with condos, do the prices go down?

I know that many people want to live in, or close to the city core, especially if they work there, so buying a condo downtown makes a lot of sense right? So what happens when there are an abundance of brand new condo sites to choose from?  I personally think this might be the perfect opportunity to get an amazing condo with lots of extras thrown in.  I would think that builders might even be ready to negotiate prices.  But then I have to wonder, with all of these condos, how is resale value?

Is it now time to start looking a little north of the city?  There are less condos to choose from in great areas.  Could north of the city be a better investment, especially for resale?  We were talking about this at our breakfast table last Sunday.  One of my sons felt that the better investment is north, while my other son insists that no matter how many condos are going up in the city, there are always people who want to live downtown.  He felt even for rental opportunities – buying a condo and renting it out –  downtown was a better choice.  That could be very true, however, my other son felt that for resale, north is the way to go.

I say that you have to make decisions based on your needs, expectations, and preferences of location.  No matter where you decide to live, do your homework.  Are you planning to live in your condo?  Is this your final home, your stepping stone to something bigger, or an investment?  These are the questions you need to answer before you make a decision. You also need to make sure that you are totally prepared for the process of buying a new home.

This is what I wanted to do as part of my company’s services, but it is also a little daunting.  I want to make sure that I am able to help everyone who, after buying their new home, feel that their questions and concerns have been answered. I am also hoping that the questions that are asked will help those people are who are reading my column, but not writing in, will get the answers that they have been looking for as well.

I truly believe that a column like this is long over due.  There are so many new homes and condos going up all over Ontario which means that there a probably quite a number of people who really need some advice, but are not getting it from other sources.  I hope that this column will become that source.

If you have any questions, or if you know anybody who has purchased a new house or condo in Ontario who has any questions, please feel free to send them to me.  I will do my best to post as many questions and answers as I can in the Toronto Sun.  Here is my email address: dfconsultants@live.ca

I am looking forward to hearing from you.

I wanted to let everyone know that my column has started in the Toronto Sun news paper.  I will be answering questions from homeowners who have purchased a house or condo from a builder.  I am looking forward to being able to play a big part in assisting homeowners in a way that they have never had before. I am going to be the new “Dear Abbey” of the new home construction industry.

Hopefully, this will make the new home buying experience so much easier with much less stress.  Like I always say, “A savvy purchaser becomes a happy homeowner”.

Wish me luck!

http://virtual.homes-extra.ca/doc/Toronto-Sun-Homes/jan27-29-2012-sun-homes/2012012701/29.html#28

I have kind of inherited my son’s cat.  I have always loved cats, but I have two dogs already so I wasn’t really prepared to bring another animal in the house.  I can’t allow the cat to roam free while we are not home because he will jump on the counter, stove, even the top of the fridge.  I am not a fan of cat fur in our food, so I would be constantly cleaning and vacuuming my kitchen, not that I don’t do that already, but not every minute, which is how it would be if I took my eyes off that cat.  He also loves my bathtub, especially after a shower.  I have never heard of a cat who likes to lie around in a wet tub, that was until my daughter got her cat.

Whenever my daughter comes home for the weekend from university, along comes her cat as well.  So that means that I have two dogs and two cats in my house all at once.  Thank goodness my son’s cat has trained the dogs to respect him, so now they know that the cats rule the house.  My poor dogs don’t stand a chance against either of the cats.  Anyway, my daughters cat also loves lying around in a wet tub.  It’s crazy but true.  Last weekend when my daughter brought her cat home, I was getting ready to take a shower, and when I went to pull back the curtains on my tub, there was Macy, in the tub lounging around.  She even looked at me as if I had my nerve to disturb her.

So I have two cats now.  One part time cat and one full time cat.  Both who think that they can do whatever they want.  Both who think that they can sleep where ever they want….and they do.  It’s quite obvious that these cats not only have trained the dogs, but unfortunately, it seems as if they have trained the whole family.  No wonder people say Cats Rule….it’s true!

I will never understand why people make it so difficult for themselves.  I truly believe that they do it on purpose because they think that they are actually proving a point to the people or company who are trying to resolve whatever issue they might have.  They believe that if they make it difficult for them, that they will come out the winner.  On the contrary, all they are doing is holding up the process and in turn giving themselves a bad name.  Why would people want that??

When I worked for new home construction builders, I found that as soon as someone caused trouble, the process slowed right down, just short of shutting off.  It’s takes too much energy to have to deal with people who are not willing to work cooperatively with you, so it’s easier to put those kind of people last on the list.  That is why I always tell my clients, be cooperative.

I know that I write about this kind of situation quite often, but it’s because it still boggles my mind when I hear about people who continually create problems just to get a job done.  I truly think that these people care more about the fight then they do about resolving issues.

If I can give out the best advice, I will reiterate it again and again…and I have, BE RESPECTFUL, BE COOPERATIVE, ASK QUESTIONS, LISTEN TO THE ANSWERS, AND MOST OF ALL GET EDUCATED.  I always say, if you understand policies and procedures, you are less likely to get stressed, angry and frustrated, unless of course you like those feelings.