You`d think designers and builders of model homes would take extra care to present their products in the best possible manner in this recession.
Not always so.
On a recent Sunday, I dragged two other couples and my wife through Belcrest, a development in Mission Viejo, Calif., by Signature Homes. We found a few problems and enough oddities to at least partly detract from what was otherwise an exemplary design, marketing and construction effort by all concerned.
I had watched these homes with interest as they were built because some have an almost Midwest or East Coast architecture, rare in this land of pink stucco. While the look of some West Coast homes would be inappropriate for many places in the country, this tract`s design would be acceptable for Chicago, Milwaukee, Omaha, Albany or Long Island, N.Y.
First, some of the negative things we found:
I had barely walked in the front door of the first model when I almost fell off the first of two steps into the living room below. Those steps were only about 2 feet from the door. Anyone entering this home would be looking up at the 20-foot ceiling or at their hosts. Certainly they`re not looking at the floor. To the designer of these homes: If you`re stuck with this plan, at least alert visitors to the proximity of these steps with sharp differences in colors in the tile or carpet.
While I was busy falling off the steps into the living room, my friend Marv Crocker, president of Blue Ribbon Builders (a longtime Orange County remodeling and home construction company), pointed out that there was no fireplace in the living room. It was obvious with the grouping of windows that a fireplace would normally have been there as the room`s focal point. Instead there was a huge painting. The couple who walked in just behind us- definitely not builder types – noticed it.
She asked him: ”Shouldn`t there be a fireplace there?”
Sometimes what`s left out is almost as noticeable as what`s included but done improperly.
The other friend I dragged on the tour, Mickey Blunk of Huntington Beach, pointed out an obvious flaw in the construction of one of the models. Adjacent to the living room entrance steps was an amazingly cockeyed pilaster. It had obviously been built improperly by the framing crew or finish carpenter, but none of the subcontractors – the finish carpenter, tile man or painter – had bothered to point it out or was successful in pointing it out to the contractor. They just went ahead and each did their jobs, adding to an already bad piece of workmanship with each job. Again, don`t developers think people who tour model homes notice these things?
The back patio of one model – already small enough because they had built these large homes on relatively small lots – was made even smaller because a designer had stuck two large air-conditioning condenser units within sight of the dining room and kitchen sliding-glass doors. Not only do these units take up badly needed space on a small patio, but they`re ugly and can`t be hidden. Why not put them on the side of the house where there was plenty of room?
In each kitchen, the microwave was placed so high that Mickey Blunk`s wife, Chris – all of 5 feet 2 inches tall – could barely peer into it. If there had been a dish of food she was cooking in it, I don`t think she would have been able to see the top of it to judge if it might be done. This is a bad design for short adults but also bad for kids. Aren`t there a lot of
”latchkey” kids out there, kids who know more about the microwave than I do, short kids that wouldn`t be able to use this oven without standing on a stool? Back to the drawing board, someone.
In one model, there was one of the worst combinations of ornate wallpaper and tile I`d ever seen. The rest of the model was decorated tastefully. This was completely out of synch.
To be fair, there also were some nice things about these models.
For most of the homes, the exterior design was great. I am not an architect, but I do tour hundreds of homes every year and I listen to a lot of people who know more about houses than I do. The squared-off rooflines and arrangement of windows of these reminded me of the Frank Lloyd Wright homes I had seen.
One model featured cabinetry and stair rails in either cherrywood or birchwood stained nicely in dark cherry. This is a wonderful look, again reminding me of upscale Midwest and East Coast homes. It`s also refreshing because it`s not glossy white cabinetry. I like that look, but it`s getting a bit tiresome. (I also hear it`s starting to go out of style.)
In upstairs hallways, there were plenty of storage cabinets, a real plus for any home.
Bathrooms were big enough to hold a small dance in, and the showers featured two shower heads at high and low levels.
Kitchens featured Viking ranges as an included item. These stainless steel beauties are great but might be a little intimidating to some potential homeowners. One model had a combination stainless and porcelain range. I think some potential buyers might like a simple cooktop and ovens, but these commercial ranges make an interesting marketing effort.
My wife liked the huge entry doors. Each model had only one door, as opposed to the usual two-door entries for most upscale homes.
My wife also liked the two-door hallway entry closet in one model. Anything that gives – or gives the impression – of more storage appeals to my wife and most other homeowners I know.
There was a multitude of colors and styles of homes offered. That`s great because it gives each potential homeowner a chance to be at least a little different from the guy next door or even down the street.
Signature Homes must be doing enough right in Belcrest because sales have been hot in an otherwise down market. People obviously like these homes. I hope that continues. Home sales always lead this nation out of recessions. I`d hate to see even one home not sell because something was improperly built or designed. As a builder, I wouldn`t tolerate it.
