Ward Campbell, president of Starward Homes knows exactly
what a potential new home buyer needs to do before making what is likely the
most significant purchase of a lifetime.
“The most important thing to do is actually check the
builder out,” advises the homebuilder whose family has been in the business for
100 years.
He suggests that you find a desirable new community then go
door-to-door, asking the owners if they are satisfied with their new home. Talk
to at least six home owners, Campbell recommends, since a smaller sampling might
not represent an accurate portrait of the new community. Word-of-mouth recommendations from family and
friends also go a long way to determining a quality of a home builder’s
product.
In addition to this kind of legwork, it’s also necessary to research the
companies through industry websites that provide customer service ratings. J.D.
Power and Associates is an American company but rates new homes in Ontario. The
Tarion website is extremely informative since the organization is responsible
for administering the Ontario New Home Warranties Plan Act, which outlines the
warranty protection that new home builders must provide, by law, to their
customers.
When you purchase a new home from a builder, you are often
involved from the start of the construction process. Since this relationship
will be ongoing, it’s extremely important that the level of customer service is
high. Campbell advises potential buyers check out avid.com, the website of a
company that rates customer satisfaction. His company is currently rated at 93
per cent, a figure he’s aiming to see reach even higher.
“Everybody in our
company is working towards the goal of being the number one builder in Ontario
in terms of customer satisfaction,” Campbell explains.
He breaks customer service into three parts, how quickly the
process moves along, the quality of the work and catering to the needs of the
customer including follow-up.
Once a new home builder is selected and the purchase is completed, the new
home owner can rely on the warranty that all home builders must provide.
Starward Homes for example, provides a home warranty program that is offers
twice the coverage of the mandatory coverage.
“That’s the way we do business…We were the first company in
Ontario to offer a written warranty,” says Campbell of his company that dates
back 100 years.
The standard warranty is one year on the entire home, two
years on the mechanical, plumbing and electrical and seven years on the
structure or in other words, what would constitute a major problem. Starward doubles that.
It all comes down to providing peace of mind, something new
home buyers can find by following Campbell’s advice.
To find out more about Starward Homes in Ancaster and
Hamilton, visit the website at
www.starwardhomes.com.
