StyleCraft Blog
How to Prepare for Major Milestones in Your StyleCraft Building Experience
July 16, 2020
Sometimes, flying by the seat of your pants is the preferred way to get from Point A to Point B. But that approach really doesn’t fly when it comes to new home construction.
We’ve designed the StyleCraft Building Experience to be a highly transparent, seamless process from the time you sign your purchase agreement to long after closing day. In that vein, we’ve made sure to provide you with everything you need to adequately prepare for each of these major milestones.
By avoiding surprises, we make sure your move Lives Up in every way imaginable. Below, we’ve detailed some, but not all, of the milestones you’ll encounter as a StyleCraft homebuyer — and how you can prepare for each:
The Pre-Construction Phase
Yes, homebuilding begins well before we break ground on actual homesite. Here are some key steps you’ll encounter during this initial phase:
THE PURCHASE AGREEMENT
Before we start building your home, we need to know what we’re building. This is where your New Homes Sales Consultant comes in — helping you make big-picture decisions on your homesite and floor plan and then dialing in the details. Before this all comes to life on your homesite, it comes to life on a document you’ll sign to officially kick things off.
HOW TO PREPARE
Before meeting with your New Home Sales Consultant — it’s always helpful to take mental notes of everything you like an don’t like in a new home so that your space uniquely reflects your personality.
STRUCTURAL CONFIRMATION & DESIGN SELECTIONS
Your new home should reflect your style from the outside in. This is the phase where we make sure that happens. If you’re purchasing a Gateway home, you’ll dial in your Structural Confirmation & Design Selections with your New Home Sales Consultant at the community’s Model Home. Here you’ll confirm structural options and use our curated Design Boards to decide on interior finishes. Expressions and Freestyle community buyers will be introduced to our New Home Design Consultant, who will guide you through our Design Studio while helping you make your new home vision become a reality. Curious about what to expect during your Design Appointment? Take a sneak peek
HOW TO PREPARE
Do your design homework. This means studying up on selections before your appointment so you’re making these big decisions with total confidence.
YOUR PRE-CONSTRUCTION MEETING
It’s time to make it official. You made your design selections — now you just need to confirm them. This is also the milestone during which you’ll meet your Project Manager, whom you’ll begin sharing weekly progress calls along with your New Home Sales Consultant.
The Construction Process
Let’s put the paperwork down and pick up a hammer — us, not you. Once you see your homesite abuzz with activity, your new home starts to feel real. Here are some key steps to prepare for…
YOUR FRAME STAGE TOUR
This is a unique opportunity to see the bare bones of your future home before drywall is installed. Even at this stage you’ll be able to get a sense of how rooms flow together as you also confirm the locations for home technology hook-ups.
HOW TO PREPARE
Bring your boots (or any closed-toe shoes), your questions, and be prepared to don a hard hat. You may also want to pack your floor plan to reference as you connect the dots of your future home.
YOUR HOMEOWNER ORIENTATION
We don’t just toss the keys to your new home your way and wish you luck. With the close of the production phase, our Warranty Manager takes over, demonstrating the home’s many features, sharing maintenance best practices, and explaining how your warranty works.
HOW TO PREPARE
The more prepared you are for this day — bringing questions and taking notes — the less likely you are to be frantically searching YouTube to troubleshoot an issue in the middle of the night months from now. Also, as you walk through and inspect your home, be sure to point out to any details that appear to need our attention. We’ll handle any of these questions and requests ahead of the upcoming Home Confirmation Tour.
The Post-Settlement Process
It seems like just yesterday that your home only existed between the lines of some paperwork. But now it’s real, and you’re enjoying every inch of it. While we build our homes with great care, occasionally there are issues that may require some follow-up attention. Fortunately, we make it easy. Here’s how…
YOUR WARRANTY VISITS
We don’t put the ball in your court when it comes to home maintenance. Instead, we take a proactive approach, scheduling a 60-day Primary Warranty visit to see how you and your home are settling in. This is the ideal time to ask us questions and share any possible issues. We’ll be back about 10 months later for your anniversary warranty, again ensuring that our craftSmanship stands the test of time. Did we mention that the we have our very own in-house warranty team who will handle any warranty items needing attention? Yep, it’s true, and you’re in great hands.
HOW TO PREPARE
Have a pad and a pen? Good, that’s all you need. By simply keeping a list of any issues you encounter within your new home and sharing these with our Warranty Coordinator, you make these visits quick and easy. We’ll address everything in a timely manner. Remember, something doesn’t need to go awry in order for you to engage our expert team. We’re here to answer your questions about maintenance and other homeownership topics.
Before we wrap up this quick trip through the StyleCraft Homebuilding Experience, we just want to remind you once again that this is an abbreviated list of milestones. For a comprehensive listing, and a taste of the preventive maintenance tips we provide, we invite you to check out a sample copy of our Homeowner Guide (this one is for Freestyle homeowners), which all homeowners receive at their Purchase Agreement. Think of it as your handbook for Living Up!
*This blog post has been modified as of 6/1/21 to reflect a change in warranty or Freestyle services