”Love at first sight” is a wonderfully appealing notion carefully cultivated in the marketing of new homes with breathtaking display models.
”But what is ultimately far more valid,” says home builder Carl Bongi,
”is a love that endures after the glamor has faded, and the best way to achieve it is to look beyond the fluff for the right stuff: Good engineering, top quality material and components, and well-crafted construction.”
To combat the ”morning after” frustration and disappointment that visits many buyers 6 to 12 months later in the form of squeaking floors, popping nails and wind whistling through the walls, scrutinize the quality of the model itself, Bongi said.
Key questions to ask are: ”What kinds of materials are used?,” and
”How well constructed is the house?”
”Virtually every new home built today meets code standards,” noted Bongi, president of Bongi Development Corp. ”But there are important shades of difference within those standards that keep the emotional flame aglow.”
Bongi`s company is developing Plum Grove Estate Homes, a semi-custom, single-family project in northwest suburban Palatine that offers a dozen different plans priced from $188,900.
If it is possible for you to do so, it is advisable to spend at least as much time checking components and construction methods as you do in the hypnotic spell of a glamorous display model, Bongi said.
Here are some of the major items Bongi suggests you look for:
– Well-made (non-squeaky) floors consist of 3/4-inch tongue-in-groove glue and nail lumber, rather than 5/8-inch. The extra fraction makes a big difference.
– Floor joists should be 2 inches by 10 inches or 2 inches by 12 inches rather than 2-by-8 or even, in some cases, 2-by-6. And look for Douglas fir or similar quality lumber.
– Well-made walls have several important components that Bongi recommends: Exterior lumber for fascia or soffit should be fir or cedar, the energy shield should use 1/2-inch to 3/4-inch wood rather than 1/4-inch hardboard (Some builders utilize pressed cardboard for this) and Visqueen, a plastic material, should be applied to the inside of exterior walls to further help prevent air infiltration.
– Proper insulation is essential for year-round comfort and energy conservation. Recommended minimums are R13 to R19 ratings for walls and R30 for the ceiling.
– Windows should be both glamorous and functional. ”We view high-quality, well-known, wood-framed or vinyl-clad windows as the best,” Bongi said.
– Nails popping from the drywall often are the first sign of a romance doomed to fail. The best antidote for popping nails is to use screws instead of nails to fasten drywall.
– Families who settle into their homes most comfortably are those whose homes settle most easily. All homes settle.
Solid plywood corners, rather than V-shaped 1-by-2-inch boards, are the preferred way to reduce problems that commonly occur when a house settles.
All 12 semi-custom plans are available in several architectural styles at Bongi`s Plum Grove Estate Homes.
Estate Homes range in size from 2,000 to 3,300 square feet and in price from $188,900 to $242,400.
Standard features at Plum Grove Estates include a choice of Tudor, Colonial or traditional elevations, sodded front lawn and parkway, double-pane, vinyl-clad wood casement windows, choice of face brick and aluminum siding and blacktop driveways.
Also standard are wood-burning fireplaces and central air conditioning, carpeting in living areas and bedrooms, parquet entry foyer floors, stained woodwork and doors, basements and drywalled two-car garages.
Plum Grove Estates is on Illinois Avenue one mile east of Quentin Road in Palatine.
