Best of the Good Life

Transcription

1 Best of the Good Life HOMEBUYER S HANDBOOK Greenwood Home Buyer s Handbook 1

2 Thank you for choosing CityScape as the preferred builder of your new home. You ve chosen a home that is certainly an exceptional value today and a great investment for tomorrow. With years of building experience, CityScape understands how exciting and personally rewarding it is to own a new home. However, no matter how many times you have purchased a home, there may still be some uncertainties about the process. CityScape created this quick reference handbook that takes you step-by-step, from writing your purchase agreement all the way to warranty service after closing. We value you as a lifetime customer, and want to ensure that your home buying experience is pleasant and knowledgeable. Our commitment to consistently deliver exceptional customer services, quality homes, and revitalize communities, sets us apart from other builders. We would appreciate you sharing your CityScape home buying experience with a friend or family member and ask them to visit one of our communities and model home. Please make sure to ask us about our referral incentives. Thank you for purchasing a great home from CityScape, Atlanta s premier intown builder! HOME BUYER S HANDBOOK 2

3 THE DESIGN SELECTION PROCESS Many of our customers consider design selection to be the most exciting part of their home-building experience. We hope it is an exciting experience for you as well. Once you have finalized your purchase agreement, you will be contacted by an Interior Design Consultant to schedule an appointment with our Interior Design Consultant. Your one-on-one appointment will be scheduled within 2 weeks after have finalized your purchase agreement. Many options are available to personalize your CityScape home. In addition to personalizing your home with the Included Features, you may elect to choose from additional Design Options. Your Design Consultant will be glad to assist you with pricing for the design options you select. To avoid construction delays, many items for your home are ordered well in advance of installation. Please be prepared to make all of your selections at the time of your design appointment and pay for any extra charges that exceed the standard or agreement items for your home. To better serve our customers, the Design Consultants schedule their appointments well in advance. We will schedule appointments at least one week in advance. However, if you have purchased a home that is at phase 1 (see page 5) or beyond, your Design Consultant will attempt to schedule your appointment immediately in effort to provide you with as many interior options as possible. Making your selections in a timely manner and thus allow construction of your home to proceed on schedule. With planning, many of our homeowners are able to complete their design selections in one appointment. Please be as certain as possible in selections after they are made. CityScape will grant you a 3-day grace period after final selections are made in the event that you may desire to change, add or delete your previous selections. After the 3-day grace period your selections become final. HOME BUYER S HANDBOOK 3

4 YOUR BUILDING TEAM Due to the danger of construction and the liability involved, we prefer that you only make scheduled visits to your home site. These visits are at your own risk, so we ask that you are careful and attentive to your own safety. We also strongly request that you do not bring children to the construction site. When visiting the construction site, please direct all questions to your designated CityScape representative or agent. They all have the responsibility to service your needs. Our Trade Contractors are dedicated to providing service to our customers, but they have no authority to make changes or enter into agreements on behalf of CityScape. Your CityScape representative or Realtor is your primary contact and can assist you with any information about schedules. Your Builder will supervise the construction of your home. Since most of your Builder time is spent in the field, we recommend that you make an appointment when you wish to meet on site. HOME BUYER S HANDBOOK 4

5 QUALITY-ACCEPTANCE PROGRAM The Quality-Acceptance Program is our process for providing your service during the construction of your home. These are planned meetings where you will have the opportunity to review and discuss the construction of your home with your Building Team. We encourage you to take advantage of these opportunities to see for yourself the quality that is built into your home. Please bring your Home Buyer s Manual to meetings with your Building Team. You will want to refer to it for information. The Four Steps of the Quality-Acceptance Program are: 1. Plan and Purchase Agreement Review This meeting will be held after you have finalized your purchase agreement and design selections. This session is intended for your CityScape representative or agent and Builder to review your plan, purchase agreement and specifications of your new home. 2. Pre-Drywall Walkthrough Your Builder will conduct a Pre-Drywall Walkthrough with you after the framing is complete. During this meeting, you will have the opportunity to see the structural quality of your home. 3. Homeowner Orientation Your Homeowner Orientation is an introduction to your new home and its many features. This meeting will provide you information about your home regarding maintenance and operations within your home. You will also have the opportunity to identify items that do not meet standard quality expectations of materials and craftsmanship. The identification of these items should be made within reason. We will only proceed with closing when your list is signed by all parties. All items that are not recognized on this list will become warranty items at the time of closing. 4. Quality Assurance Walkthrough We will conduct a final walk-through of the entire home for items listed to ensure that you are satisfied and accept the quality of their completion. It is our goal to provide you with a home that is completed to your satisfaction before closing. HOME BUYER S HANDBOOK 5

6 THE FIVE CONSTRUCTION PHASES ARE: PHASE 1 PHASE 2 PHASE 3 PHASE 4 Permits Foundation walls Concrete-Basement Inside Trim Finish Floor Framing Tile/Bath Sub Flooring Walls-Studs Shingles Chimneys Plumbing Rough Fireplace Wiring Rough Insulation Footings Sheetrock Rough Sheetrock Finish Exterior Paint Prime Inside Studs Joists Sheathing Roof Framing Decking Doors/Windows Exterior Siding Exterior Siding-Finish Cornice Exterior Paint Finish Inside Trim Rough Inside Doors Cabinets PHASE 5 Interior Paint Garage Door Concrete-Drive Stoops/Deck Septic/Sewer Tile Vinyl/Hardwood Electrical Fixtures Plumbing Fixtures Gutters Landscaping Carpet Air Condition Unit Appliances Final Inspection HOME BUYER S HANDBOOK 6

7 ISSUES THAT MAY DELAY YOUR CLOSING? Construction of the Home Can Be Delayed Due to: Delay in completion of selection sheet. Delays in obtaining all building permits. Delay in completing site plan. Delay in scheduling customer meeting with builder Community developmental delays Poor or incomplete start package including incomplete selection sheet Scheduling conflicts. Push of other homes. Model homes (incomplete information, changes, backorder materials). Holidays, vacations. Backorder of materials Use of generators. Mechanical and equipment failures. Injuries and sickness. City and inspection problems. Weather (rain, snow, cold, etc.) Strikes, incomplete or improper shipments, errors by supplier. Defective materials or parts. Utility connection delays. Change orders. Sales/customer communication problems and mistakes. Occupancy of the Home Can Be Delayed After Completion Date Due to: Permanent occupancy requirement not issued Bank closing problems. (CityScape will not allow for occupancy of a home before a funded closing) Customer problem (home not sold, etc.). NOTE: The above list is incomplete. These items represent just some of the things that can cause delays. HOME BUYER S HANDBOOK 7

8 PREPARING FOR YOUR CLOSING Your CityScape Representative (or Realtor) and lender will schedule your closing based on the completion date of your home and the approval of your loan. The closing is conducted by the attorney who is fully qualified to answer any questions you may have. Prior to closing, title to the property will be checked. Checklist for Closing Please bring the following to the closing: An Insurance Policy (With Proof of Payment) And insurance policy and bill for the first year s premium showing coverage of the least amount of your loan. Payment for the first year s coverage must have been made by closing. A Certified Check This is to be used for any additional costs. Your Loan Processor will inform you of the estimated check amount. In the event that total amount exceeds the certified check, a personal check (not to exceed $500.00) for the difference will be accepted. If the total amount is less, you will receive a check refund for the difference Additional Items Your CityScape Representative, Realtor and/or lender will let you know, in advance, of any additional items you may need to bring to you closing. HOME BUYER S HANDBOOK 8

9 UTILITIES REMINDER At closing, you will receive a notice stating CityScape will be disconnecting utility services to your home within 48 hours of closing. It is your responsibility to transfer all utilities into your name. To avoid breaks in service and reconnection fess, we recommend that you contact the utility companies two weeks prior to closing and establish service in your name effective closing. Phone numbers for common utility providers are available below. Electricity To arrange for electrical service at your new home, contact the utility company two weeks before you schedule closing date. There may be a deposit or service charge that will be added to your first bill. In some cases, the electric company may advise you that your order cannot be processed until the final inspection is received. In this case, inform the company that the inspection will be done prior to the date you wish service to be connected. The company will ordinarily take the order, and then process it when the final inspection is received. Call Georgia Power at (888) Water/Sewer Two week prior to closing, you and your CityScape Representative should make arrangements to transfer water service from our name to yours. A deposit, which will appear on your first water bill, maybe required for new customers. To transfer water service please call the following number: Water (City of Atlanta) Sewer (City of Atlanta) Natural Gas Natural gas is a regulated utility in Georgia. A complete list of natural gas providers can be obtained by calling the Georgia Public Service Commission at (404) or by searching on line at Georgia Natural Gas is the natural gas provider during the construction of your home. Should you wish to continue your natural gas service with Georgia Natural Gas, please contact the company directly at (770) ; or you may contact Georgia Public Service Commission, at the above phone number, for a complete listing of residential suppliers. You should contact the natural gas supplier of your choice at least two weeks prior to your closing to arrange service. HOME BUYER S HANDBOOK 9

10 Additional Utilities Telephone/Cable/Internet Your new home is pre-wired for telephones and cable television. To arrange for service, contact your provider about 10 days before service is needed. The company requires someone to be present when service is connected. Comcast XFINITY AT&T U-Verse DirectTV Sanitation The City of Atlanta will supply a 96 gallon green garbage bin and a 96 gallon blue recycling bin to all new residents. Residents requesting a new bin should fax or their settlement statement or warranty deed showing proof of home ownership to: Fax : pwsettlements@atlantaga.gov More information, such as a schedule, can be found at HOME BUYER S HANDBOOK 10

11 2-10 WARRANTY Your 2-10 warranty will be activated the day of your closing. Please refer to the warranty portal for any warranty problems that you may incur. Our intent is to resolve all legitimate warrant issues in a timely manner. However, communicating warranty issues outside the designated warranty program will not be acknowledged and may delay the process. Thus, we respectfully request that you use the proper channels of communication for all warranty issues. A brief description of the 2-10 warranty is as follows: 10 full years of insurance-backed, structural defect coverage for designated loadbearing components 2 full years of systems coverage against defects in wiring, piping and ductwork in electrical, plumbing, heating, cooling, ventilating and mechanical systems 1 full year of coverage against defects in workmanship and materials HOME BUYER S HANDBOOK 11

12 MAINTENANCE CHECKLIST Your CityScape home is designed and built to provide many years of service. In order to keep your home, its equipment and all other components at peak performance, periodic maintenance is required by the homeowner. Regular preventative maintenance will help minimize problems and enhance the enjoyment and value of your home. In the southeast, the extreme temperatures that occur during both summer and winter will cause deterioration of certain building materials, paints, coatings and sealants. We recommend that you inspect your home after each of these seasons and repair any damage or deterioration you find. Included here are three maintenance checklists for your suggested use. They cover: Move-In, Spring and Fall. You will also want to refer to manufacturer s operating or maintenance instructions for the equipment and components in your home. 1 MOVE IN CHECKLIST 2 SPRING CHECKLIST 3 FALL CHECKLIST HOME BUYER S HANDBOOK 12

13 MOVE-IN CHECKLIST Electric Locate the main circuit breaker in the electrical panel and familiarize your family with the operation of the panel, circuit breakers and Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI) receptacles. Erosion After any heavy rain, check for erosion and fill eroded areas. Ensure that splash blocks are correctly positioned to divert rain away from the home. Thereafter, always be on the alert for erosion and take immediate action to fill eroded areas before they deepen and become more serious. Fire Extinguisher Purchase a general-purpose fire extinguisher for each floor of the home plus one small kitchen extinguish er for grease fires. Demonstrate proper usage to family members in case of an emergency. Fireplace Purchase wood grate and/or irons and tools as necessary. The first few fires should be small to gradually season the firebrick interior. First Aid Kit Keep first aid materials and book on procedures in an accessible location. Flooring Attach furniture protectors underneath furniture legs to protect hardwood, resilient and ceramic tile floors Landscaping Follow instructions in the Landscaping and Grading section of this manual for year-round landscaping care. Paint Store all touch-up paint in a safe place so that it will not be discarded or be susceptible to freezing or overheating. Oil-based paints should not be stored near a furnace or hot water heater. Plumbing Locate the labeled main water line shut-off and show all family members how to close it in case of a plumbing emergency HOME BUYER S HANDBOOK 13

14 SPRING CHECKLIST Air Conditioning System Have an HVAC Contractor perform a seasonal maintenance check-up for summer. Review Air Conditioning and Heating section of this manual for seasonal start-up instructions. Ensure air supply registers are not blocked by rugs, draperies or furniture. Attic Check attic to ensure that soffit vents are not blocked with insulation and move insulation back to its original location if there are voids on the attic. Attic floor framing systems are not designed for extra heavy weight. Check to see that attic spaces are not loaded beyond what the framing is designed for. Deck Seal deck with preservative if needed Dryer Vent Clean dryer vent duct to remove any lint or obstruction. Exterior Hose Bibbs Turn exterior faucets on by reversing the winterizing process described in the Plumbing section of this manual. Foundation Inspect grades for proper drainage away from foundation and fill any areas that may have settled. Open any closed foundation vents to allow proper ventilation of crawl spaces. Check gutters and down spouts for proper operation and flow away from the home. Roofing Hire a contractor to check and clean gutters and downspouts, inspect for ice or winter damage and repair gaps in flashing and soffits. At the time, have the contractor inspect the roof for loose, warped, HOME BUYER S HANDBOOK 14

15 FALL CHECKLIST Doors Check and repair or replace weather-stripping on exterior on doors as necessary. Check and tighten door hardware and lubricate as necessary. Tighten all bolts on garage door(s). Oil moving parts on garage door(s). Exterior Hose Bibbs To prevent exterior pipe freezing, turn off cut-offs to each exterior hose bib and drain remaining water. Fireplace Have chimney professionally cleaned as necessary. Check firebox for cracks. Heating System You may want to have an HVAC contractor perform a seasonal maintenance check-up and startup for winter. Review Air Conditioning and Heating section of this manual for seasonal start-up instructions. Plumbing Clean out faucet aerators, spray nozzles and drains. Roofing Clean and check gutters for leakage. Check alignment of gutters, downspouts and splash blocks to ensure that water is properly diverted away from the home. Windows Check weather-stripping around windows and repair or replace as necessary. Check windows tracks for smooth opening and closing operation. Lubricate as necessary. Inspect windows screens and repair or replace as necessary. Maintain caulking around exterior of windows Smoke Detector Test smoke detectors. Replace batteries if necessary. HOME BUYER S HANDBOOK 15

16 Notes HOME BUYER S HANDBOOK 16