Lee Wetherington Gives Tips on Building a Home at BuilderFest Sarasota
On Saturday, February 11, builders and consumers gathered at the Herald Tribune Plaza for BuilderFest Sarasota. Lee Wetherington was on the “Deciding to Build” panel, where he offered crucial advice to new construction homebuyers based on his over 40 years of experience in the homebuilding industry.
The most critical point that Mr. Wetherington made was that buyers must never buy a home without knowing the cost. At Lee Wetherington Homes, we pride ourselves on providing transparent and trustworthy pricing, ensuring the buyer knows exactly what they are getting and how much it will cost them.
Unfortunately, some builders use misleading tactics to drive up the final price. They’ll quote buyers a certain price and include “allowances” for various parts of the home. Then throughout the building process, the buyer picks “upgrades” and doesn’t learn until later that the quoted price was based on a “basic package.” These “upgrades” increase the final cost, forcing the buyer to borrow more on the mortgage or to dip into savings.
Mr. Wetherington stressed the transparency that LWH provides, giving buyers a bottom line they can count on. A buyer should never be surprised on closing day, which is why it’s important to choose a builder whose pricing is as reliable as their construction standards.
Another important tip for homebuyers, Mr. Wetherington emphasizes the importance of knowing the company that will be building your home, as well as the construction superintendent in the field. At LWH, our superintendents have many years of experience building homes in Sarasota and throughout Florida. It’s this experience that helps keep development on schedule while maintaining the highest quality construction.
On the topic of quality, Mr. Wetherington stresses that even in the $1 million price range, not all homes are created equal. Even with the finest materials and most luxurious finishes, there are specific techniques that premier builders use to create a more refined and reliable home. It’s important to ask your builder for details about the construction practices they employ to ensure they’re not taking shortcuts. At LWH, we use superior foundation concrete and steel, form and pour tie beams around perimeters, utilize engineered wall members on tall walls, and employ double ply roof dry-in systems to ensure every home we build exceeds even the highest standards.
The final tip Mr. Wetherington offers is to ask for references. Choosing a builder is a big decision that shouldn’t be made without hearing from other homebuyers that have worked with them. Listening to consumers who have been in your place before can help you decide whether this is a builder you want to build your new home. Having built over 4,000 homes, LWH has countless testimonials from happy customers highlighting the incredible experience.
Hear some of these testimonials by clicking here, and then contact us today to learn more about building your dream home with Lee Wetherington Homes.