This article by Heather Greenwood Davis is the first segment of a regular column aimed at young, first-time purchasers and the issues surrounding the new home buying experience.

Davis advises readers that perfection is difficult to attain, a hard lesson that she herself learned through her own experience with her new home. Homeowners have waited months for their homes to be finished and can sometimes develop unrealistic expectations about how their finished home will look. When the day finally arrives for the homeowners to move into the house, they’ve already formed many preconceived notions about their home and builder.

Stephen Dupuis, Executive Vice-President of the Greater Toronto Home Builders’ Association, states that there is nothing wrong with striving for perfection, but cautions that some homeowners become too focused on an unattainable dream, rather than the reality of what the builder can achieve. He further comments that while most homeowners are reasonable and work with their builder to resolve issues, some develop a more adversarial relationship and prefer to take legal action.

Rena Fernandes, Consumer Relations Co-ordinator for the GTHBA, also agrees with Dupuis. Most calls she receives are from homeowners who don’t want advice but simply want their frustrations to be heard. It is not uncommon for Fernandes to spend as much as half an hour just listening to a homeowner’s complaint. She suggests that when filing a complaint, homeowners need to treat GTHBA’s employees with respect, since they are well connected within the building industry and can resolve issues quickly.  

Dupuis also recommends that if homeowners are filing a complaint they should take the necessary time to properly assess the problem and give the system a chance to find a solution. He also offers tips on how to create the best working environment for homeowners and their builders:

• Focus, identify the problem and articulate concerns.
• Get expert advice from a professional technician and not just a family member or friend.
• Be reasonably patient when waiting for items to be fixed, but do not let problems go unfixed for too  long either.
• Expect reasonable outcomes when dealing with the builder.
• You can get more with sugar: Homeowners need to be firm but fair to achieve results. 

For more information on the GTHBA, visit www.gthba.com or call 416-391-HOME (4663) or 416-391-3445.