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| #250 | Jun 26 2008, 09:46 pm |
| If you want to hear just how Mattamy Homes treats people, go to the link www.oakvillehomes.wordpress.com It will be an ongoing commentary of how one person was treated and the various experiences that show Mattamy Homes really is'nt all it appears to be... |
| oakvillehomes | [email] [homepage] |
| #249 | Jun 17 2008, 04:40 am |
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- the sheetmetal on the furnace was so loose that if you touched it it would all move. A good shake and it would all fall away. They came and "fixed it" It now has about a full roll of duct tape
- the stair spindles were rough , like you would find in a cottage ,no sanding sloppily done stain on the baseboards, and the #4 in indelible marker on the hardwood floor - The hardwood by the balcony door was raised . The flooring people came and said it was not their fault, that it had gotten wet. (- The intake pipes for the powder room sink were uneven. however: the holes were parallel in the correct place. The plumber hacked a hole for the pipe to suit himself leaving a mess - - The kitchen cupboards were not properly aligned, and the valances did not meet them properly. The flourecent lights glare through the cracks making it look cheap. - the air conditioning compresser was slapped in the middle of the balcony, making it impossible to place two deck chairs. . . the system, did not work. Only the fan. the electrical was improperly installed. . They obviously did not use electricians . That compressor should be by the railing with weatherproof cable clamped to the balcony floor and condensation tubes run into the gutter. The design was bad. Their refrigerator had to be brought in over the balcony. - The girl on the walkthrough was eager to get away from me, as I pointed out the sheetmetal ductwork problem and the unfinished wood on the stairs, so she said she would show them the garden,them outside around the corner...to discover...there was no garden...these are back-to-back- townhouses. THERE SHOULD BE A LAW THAT PURCHASERS BE ABLE TO WITHOLD $20,000. of mortgage money for 60 days, so that these irritating and sloppy things will be fixed quickly. In summary, Mattamy workmanship was shoddy and unprofessional. Phebe |
| Phebe | [email] |
| #248 | May 28 2008, 09:49 am |
| For those who purchased a home in Half Moon Bay, the delay is due to the soil conditions. The land was rezoned from agricultural to residential and apparently the land isn’t particularly well suited for residential. They are working overtime to ensure that the house foundations don’t sink or shift at a substantial cost to the company. Once this is done, they will be under the gun to get the foundations poured and the houses built as quickly as possible to meet the closing dates they have committed to. This could have a negative effect on the quality of the homes being built. They may be inclined to cut corners to meet the closing dates or risk customers cancelling the deal to purchase altogether. Getting good qualified workers is a big problem. I was in Kanata Fairwinds last weekend and I spoke with several home owners who were pretty satisfied with their overall experience. Not one whom I spoke with was incident free however. I did run into one disgruntled owner. As it turns out, I purchased the same home as him but in Half Moon Bay and he took me on a walk through to show me the issues he had. I had to admit, he had some valid complaints. The painting and finishings were done pretty poorly and the paint did not look like the premium paint they advertise as standard in all homes. The corners were not smooth and done as he puts it ‘very amateurish’. The kitchen cabinety was done in a poor fashion. There were lots of big scratches, bad installation overall and several different types of wood were used. Some cupboards had wood grains, and others did not. It looked like they ran out of maple and decided to use oak. It was obvious the work was done in a hurried fashion. Some of the frame joists were installed improperly in the basement and provided no support whatsoever. He pointed this out during the frame walkthrough and was told it would be corrected but it still hasn't. He’s had several contractors in to repair the issues and he’s not impressed with their work thus far. His impression was the workers were inexperienced and under qualified. He recommended to me that if they push the closing date past 120 days, I should cancel the whole deal at the earliest opportunity and get my deposit back. I’m a little concerned now that my wife and I will be walking into a mess. |
| Name withheld |
| #247 | Apr 10 2008, 08:11 am |
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I am currently looking into buying a new Mattamy Home in Hawthorne Village. I am very happy to see that these posts are avaliable and it is good to have a community to have discussions with when making a big purchase. I have a few things to say as well as a few questions.
Firstly there are some things in a house that cannot be skimped on, this meaning electrical, plumbing, underpadding, subflooring. Mattamy provides a new home at a price which is a steal compared to any pre-owned home but one would be blind to think that the sticker price would mean the final price. It would be like buying a car stock, without adding the air conditioning or a cd player. Before buying everyone should be thinking of these additional costs and then come to the conclusion as to whether this is still a good purchase for them. In the end I believe it still proves to be a very good deal in a community that wil only increase in value, just look at the purchase prices from 2002 to the current purchase prices and you will already see a big return in value on your home and these minor costs now will pay dividends in the future. Now I do believe their are still plenty ways to save and this is where my questions come in. It is far cheaper to hire an outside contractor to add marble counters, hardwood floors and even the entertainment unit which from what I have read costs nearly $30,000 by going with Mattamy. I am a very green and eco friendly person and knowing that I will be immediatley taking out the floors and counters I was wondering if Mattamy would simply just not put them in. I have no problem paying the sticker price for the product that they would put it but I dont see the sense in wasting it by ripping out floors and counters. Has anybody delt with an issue similar to this and how picky is Mattamy when it comes to getting that extra dollar for upgrades? |
| Andy Tamburello | [email] |
| #246 | Feb 15 2008, 11:31 am |
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This is an open email to everyone who buys or intends to buy an Mattamy Home . In my opinon mattamy is a good builder and whats to do a good job for you . But there is only one problem . They refuse to hire experience people . Instead they will promote laboures and tradespeople and dropouts. Who have no Knowledge on how to build the largest purchase you are going to make . They have large amounts of people in the trailers who do nothing but hide . Not because they don't what to fix a problem they don't know how.
As soon as mattamy abondons this method of work ,then their product will get better. I have many years of experience but they won't hire me because of my salert request so I have moved into the corperate word and make what I what. The best advice i I could give is have everything written done and sent weekly to the office and J C Powers ( oh by the way that is a bought award) . I have done amy inspection for homeowners and when I disclose all of the Ontario Building Code Violations the builder usually fixes the problem without quest because they do not what the city involved. My last comment is buyer beware. |
| domenic Suppa | [email] |
| #245 | Nov 04 2007, 01:41 am |
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My daughter plurchased a Mattamy townhome and was to mocve lin in lFebruary. The move in time has been changed to May/o8.
- The hardwood she chose is no longer availabel. - The formed sink and vanity are no longer available(corian and formed maarble unavailable she was told). = The door and window trim she chose cannot fit the doorways(door openings too close to wall) DESIGN FLAW- - The upgraded kitchen she chose could not fit the townhome (why was she not told this at time of purchase?- - She chose a different style with a corner glass cupboard.(they cannot supply the glass shelves) Why?? The trouble with prefabs is that they are a design package and a cheap one at that. (cheap in quality and not price. EVERYTHING (EVEN A WINDOW THAT WILL OPEN IS ECTRA.) The old song "thley are all made out of tickey tackey and thley all come out the same" comes to mind. If thely are going to do custom building, then do iat properly and dont show what you cannot give (this is bait and catch). Mattamy is like a consulting firm and farms everythilng out to contractors and project managers. The home is only as good as the workmen. I wonder if the contracts with these people were in lU.S. dollars. If it was, the Canadian contractors are having to leat the 20 per cent drop in their dollar compared to the Canadian dollar. That will lead to a lot of crappoy shortcuts, particularly since out labour costs are higher than in the U.S. |
| Phebe | [email] |
| #244 | Oct 03 2007, 12:59 am |
| Mattamy Homes sold a house that had no electrical power and the furnace was wired illegally (code) to the house next door. A Town of Oakville inspector passed this as well. In addition to this, Mattamy began construction on land that had been recently fertilized with bio-solids (human waste) without waiting the required time. An unsafe practice!! I believe both of these incidents should concern potential buyers and I certainly recommend that a home inspector be hired to monitor any new home construction by any builder. |
| Lance Naismith | [email] |
| #243 | Sep 21 2007, 11:41 pm |
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Hi All,
Does anyone know where I can find floor plans for a Mattamy house (model name unknown) that was built in 2000? It's in West Oak Trails in Oakville, ON. If I saw a photo of the house or a floor plan I would know which one it is. Thanks in advance. Shakey |
| Shakey |
| #242 | May 05 2007, 09:20 pm |
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Hi THere,
We have bought a Mattamy in Fairwinds..not moving in until Sept. 2007. We plan on doing much of the work ourself. As per places in Ottawa to get granite, check out Ottawa Granite Pro. They installed the granite in our current kitchen and we were very happy with them. You go right to their showroom and pick out your slab. It's quite an experience. |
| Karrie |
| #241 | Apr 07 2007, 09:20 pm |
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We purchased the Birchmount model in Fletcher's Meadow-closing Aug /07. Last time we went to check on the house they were starting to get ready to dig.
Both sales centre and design centre staff have all been very pleasant and helpful-only complaint so far is that a countertop we wanted for the kitchen was discontinued (before our 1st apptmnt). To find out about upgrades (cost etc.) visit the design centre and ask for a print out of the details. We checked out the design centre soon after signing and got all the details then. My husband's parents bought a new home in mississauga from another large builder (can't remember which one) 10 years ago-their plumbing doesn't sound all that great either. When someone takes a shower or flushes a toilet it sounds like the pipes will burst. Some tiles in their kitchen also cracked from most likely sub-floors not being nailed/screwed down well enough.......so Mattamy isn't the only builder with these sorts of problems. I think that the quality of your home might be more to do with the supervisor of the building site and the workers who are actually building your home.....if someone is proud of their work and is a true professional at heart they will do a good job. I too am nervous about the quality of our home and pray that we have no major problems...a friend from work said that her friend recently moved into her new Mattamy home in Milton I think and she had no complaints-only minor stuff that was fixed without a problem. |
| Birchmount | [email] |
| #240 | Feb 28 2007, 01:27 am |
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TJ,
EASY SAID GO TO THE MEDIA! GOOD LUCK, DON'T YOU KNOW THAT IN CANADA (THE FREE AND DEMOCRATIC COUNTRY) THAT THE MEDIA WILL NOT EVEN DO A NEGATIVE STORY ON A BUILDER. DON'T YOU THINK THAT I HAVEN'T CONTACTED EVERY LOCAL NEWSPAPER REGARDING THIS BUILDER AS WELL AS ANOTHER ONE IN BRAMPTON CALLED FANDOR HOMES! Fandor Homes that's another operation that has double talking sales agents that outright lie and misslead people. can you imagine putting an offer on a new home with fandor homes and they come back to you with, everything on your offer has been accepted by the builder, BUT WE NEED YOU TO SIGN AN AMMENDMENT STATING THAT WE HAVE TO CHOP A FOOT AND A HALF OFF THE ENTIRE WIDTH OF YOUR HOME ON BOTH FLOORS? WHY? it seemed that the lot could not accomodate the size of the home that my friend was bargaining for. Tell me, does anyone believe for a second that the site plan by the city of Brampton didn't indicate this to Fandor's people, the site has been open for almost 2 years! The horror stories just keep comming...another builder actually told us that the missing bidet in the master ensuite would be our responsibility as they only ruffed in for a bidet! Give me a break the plan clearly showed both a bidet and a toilet. not to mention that the ensuite with 2 pipes protruding out of the floor looked totally assinine and I guess that the shitters in the other bathrooms would be holes in the floor! LOL! God help the home buyers of Ontario because there is absolutely NOONE THAT CAN AND THAT'S THE SAD REALITY! Do you know that in order to even start an organization to expose the builders for what they are would never and I do mean NEVER get approved by our Government! Why do you think that as homeowners/buyers that we have to take the kind of abuse that we are dished out by these crooks? I would be first on the list to put a STOP to this bullshit but I even ran into walls at City Hall when i questioned why some of these sleezebags were even given permits to build. I was nicely told that I would be wasting my time. ENJOY YOUR NEW HOMES IF YOU ARE A FEW OF THE LUCKY ONES YOU'LL HAVE SOME RECOURSE IN THAT YOU AT LEAST GOT WHAT YOU OVERPAID FOR! Rob |
| Rob | [email] |
| #239 | Feb 12 2007, 09:47 pm |
| Why, all you people who complained about Mattamy Homes, why not take your matters to the news media they will be glad to take your complaints and let future buyers of Mattamy Homes be aware not to. Isn't that a great idea. If mattamy Homes will not listen to you then without letting them know take them straight to the news media. And what can be done also is a huge counter-action law suit (group of many unhappy Mattamy Homes customers). All the unhappy mattamy Homes customer can come together and formed a very strong alliance that can drive these people to build better homes or go underground never to build another house. It's up to you people (unhappy Mattamy Homes owners). Evidence speak louder than anying Mattamy Homes people will say in court. Take a lot of pictures, still and video. If anyone agree with what i am saying you can leave a response. Remember now people we need to stand very, very, very firm with Mattamy Homes as one big huge giant that will cause them to flee. |
| tj |
| #238 | Feb 12 2007, 08:32 pm |
| I bought a new home from Mattamy in Cambridge and we were very happy with everyone who delt with us from the time of the purchase to the delivery of our home. We've had some troubles like a water main breaking. Furnace needed repair and now we are dealing with cold rooms and ice building up in windows. I noticed last night we now have mold growing in our windows and we have only been in our new home since Oct. 2006 4 months to be exact. We did contact the builder and said someone from the window company will be by. We took a day off work without pay and waited for him to show last Friday and he never did show up. I'm a little concerned. I don't know where to turn from here. |
| Name I can't give | [email] |
| #237 | Feb 01 2007, 10:41 am |
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Mattamy .... not the # 1 builder by far. I have been in my home (Vales for Castlemore North);; I love my LOT.... the house well thats another ballgame... since I move in all the floors squeeked -I mean every room ...and they still do ... it's very annoying, very unprofessional, and embarrassing. My front doors have been dented from the beginning…. they are still not fixed. My bathroom pipes leaked (same with my nbrs)—I had to get them replaced. The pipes sound like they are going to explode every time you use the faucets. The walls near the stand up shower are deteriorating due to moisture. The paint sucks…I had to repaint. The list goes on… bottom line I am not happy with the workmanship of this home. I will not buy another MATTAMY.
KENNY |
| kenny | [email] |
| #236 | Jan 25 2007, 01:34 pm |
| Does anyone know contact information to MAttamy's Corporate Office?? |
| Ali | [email] |
| #235 | Jan 09 2007, 01:01 pm |
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Did you know that Peter Gilgan, the President and CEO of Mattamy Homes has his OWN home for sale? The 9 bedroom MANSION located near Toronto has been listed since last March...I guess that there have been little or no offers considering the listing price is... just guess...you can't guess...clue...it's the HIGHEST listed price in Canada's Real Estate History...
$40,000,000.00 for those of you who can't pronounce it that's Forty Million Dollars! When you don't insulate windows and portions of walls of some of the homes you build in this Province I guess that you have no problem to own a $40,000,000.00 mansion. |
| Richard | [email] |
| #234 | Jan 08 2007, 07:31 pm |
| Mattamy Homes should really start to worry about lower sales! |
| Richard | [email] |
| #233 | Jan 08 2007, 07:12 pm |
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We purchased a 5 year old re-sale Mattamy home in Vales of Castlemore for over $500,000 just 1 year ago. It is approx. 3,800 sq ft and we hired a Co. to do a complete remodel to the tune of $150,000. We travel extensively and now that we are wintering in Brampton this year we have been horrified at just how second rate the construction of this house really is. Our windows leak cold air so much that you can actually extinguish a candle when held near them!
Our master bdm and master ensuite are a little colder than a walk-in freezer! We suspect that that part of the house, like the windows were not given any insulation! And, yes we did have a building inspection (but that in itself is another story and another site could be built to accomodate the horror stories for that one!). Mattamy's gigantic advertizing media campaigns porporting that they are recepients of the J. D. Powers Award for customer excellence is just laughable! I have called their head Office in Oakville and they just could not care less and they do not mind telling you so! Pathetic! If I had my WISH these crooks would never be given another permit to construct another home in the GTA or the Province of Ontario for that matter. Oh, I have to go the repairman is here to fix the tiles that are lifting off the floor in my powder room! Any suggestions on how to really lower Mattamy sales? e-mail me ry1153@yahoo.com |
| Richard | [email] |
| #232 | Nov 27 2006, 11:37 am |
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We got our invitation to an Orientation for tomorrow (Nov. 28th) It's a chance to meet the neighbours, and go over what's expected with the 2 scheduled appt's. Anyone else going? We bought a Springwick in Brampton's Fletchers Meadow - ready Aug. 2007
Cindy |
| Cindy | [email] |
| #231 | Nov 25 2006, 01:47 pm |
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Here's a lshortened etter that explains an on-going problem with the Town of Oakville and Mattamy Homes..
November 20th, 2006 Mr. Desi Auciello President Greater Toronto Home Builders’ Association-Urban Development Institute Dear Mr. Auciello: I read your November 18th article and found it to be very informative and positive. I note that you feel that your “reference point is the homebuyer” and your “mission is to guard their choice and ultimately the price they pay”. As well, at the end you mention that, “they say ‘you can’t beat city hall,’ but you can certainly work with them, and that’s our plan for the next four years”. I feel that the chances of someone actually being able to have a problem fixed has been almost impossible, considering the strong link there appears to be between builders and city hall. Case in point: Mattamy Homes sold a residence to a homeowner without electrical power and connected the homeowner’s furnace illegally to the home next door (indoor wire strung under joints, through a hole in basement wall, across outside walkway and through another hole in basement wall next door). A Town of Oakville Building Inspector passed this furnace for the homeowner’s use, with the illegal wiring still installed. The Mattamy representative told the homeowner that this was legal and showed the permit. In retrospect, if there had been a fire as a result of this illegal wiring, Mattamy and the Town of Oakville would be looking at criminal negligence. Possibly this is why they have not owned up to any wrongdoing on the matter. When notified, the Town of Oakville did an investigation, a copy of which the homeowner did not receive. When pressed, the Town of Oakville Council claimed they could not proceed on the complaint and shifted it to the province. When the province denied any responsibility, the Town of Oakville refused to have the case reopened. Neither Mattamy Homes nor the building inspector seems to have had any notification of wrongdoing. It should be noted that certain politicians in the Town of Oakville were actively involved with negotiations with Mattamy Homes in relation to fund raising. |
| Lance | [email] |
| #230 | Oct 24 2006, 04:08 pm |
| Mattamy Fairwinds Ottawa Forum: Mattamy Fairwinds Ottawa Forum / Discussions. Just making it known in case someone misses it (because this forum only comes up on google). If we discuss our progress as a group we can be aware of issues that might arise. If there is another specific Fairwinds forum let us know! :) |
| #229 | Oct 23 2006, 05:46 pm |
| Mattamy in Ottawa is paying the GST |
| Julie & Chris | [email] |
| #228 | Oct 19 2006, 10:49 pm |
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Hi Guys,
Do you really thinks the builders pay the GST for home owner? Well I sure don't think so, cause they would not even give you any thing free. |
| #227 | Oct 19 2006, 10:44 pm |
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Thanks Cindy for the info on the closing cost.
pj |
| #226 | Oct 18 2006, 02:53 pm |
| They told us to save $7,000.00 for closing costs to be safe. They said that it shouldn't be that much but put aside about $7,000.00. |
| Cindy | [email] |
| #225 | Oct 13 2006, 04:27 pm |
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So what's the average closing cost?
pj |
| #224 | Oct 08 2006, 04:30 pm |
| Who else bought a Westlake at Vales of Castlemore south? |
| #223 | Oct 08 2006, 04:26 pm |
| Bought a westlake home at castlemore |
| #222 | Oct 01 2006, 04:14 pm |
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Hi Mariam,
Yes, I do think it should be included. Everything is an extra and everything is so costly. Everything you see in the models and in the Mattamy Store, is an extra. But we are not getting much in extras. Just the bigger windows in the basement, probably the 2 extra doors and the Chef's kitchen. We'll just get regular counter tops and tiles and carpet and stairs. Nothing fancy there. Maybe we'll get the backsplash and I am not sure about the window coverings. I guess I just like the idea of having them there when you move in. But since you mentioned Home Depot, maybe I'll check them out first. I wanted to get the whirl pool jets in the master bath, but I am not so sure now. I think what I have to do since we have the specific prices now, is sit down, and figure out what we really want and then tally up the cost. Of course we don't want to go over our budget we have set for extras. You just get so totally involved and excited and that's where they get most people. I even wanted to get mirrored closet doors for the kid's rooms but that can wait until after. We will be doing very little extras besides the structual things. Did you see the kitchen cabinets? The way they can do the corner cabinet. (don't remember what it's called) But they way they can do it gives you so much more room. But of course, that's an extra too. But maybe after I tally up everything, we may get that. Don't know. Anyway's talk to you soon!! |
| Cindy | [email] |
| #221 | Oct 01 2006, 03:33 pm |
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Hi Cindy,
We were thinking of window coverings at first but when we compared prices , Mattamy was really high. We went to the home depot and found out that you could get a hard vinyl covering that looked like wood for a fraction of the cost! Also Home depot cuts them to whatever size you need and they are very easy to put up, all you need is a weekend! So we are going to that. Also we were shopping around for a blacksplash for the kitchen and the prices mattamy gives are okay for that. Because we also wanted granite it would be cheaper for us to get it after market from the granite guys becaues they will give us a better deal. I was thinking of putting a brick pattern balck splash in tumbled marble, i have seen it in magazines and on House & Home (which I love!) and it looks really good. Dont you think the entry from the garage to the house should be included, it is in othe builder models.... anyways talk to you soon! |
| mariam | [email] |
| #220 | Oct 01 2006, 09:47 am |
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Hi Mariam,
Thanks for your advice. You are so right. I think we are basically going to do structual upgrades at first too. Stuff that would be too difficult to do later. Like making the basement windows bigger, and putting the extra doors in (garage, side) I also have to have my Chef's kitchen. They gave us a tour yesterday and they do not offer laminate. So, more than likely, we'll be doing carpet and doing the laminate later on. My sister in law moved into her house last November, and they just installed their laminate last month. So, we'll be doing that too. Not doing anything extra to the stairs either. We only plan on being there for about 5 years and then moving to something a bit bigger. The kids rooms are not that big. Also, I wasn't thinking about a backsplash or window coverings but I found such a beautiful backsplash from the "High Park" selection. I wasn't thinking about window coverings at all but when we were there I started to think about how difficult it's going to be to go shopping for all the windows when you first move in. It would be so convenient to have them already installed for you. What do you think. (The lady said that you would have to get them all custom made??) P.S. I like to share these ideas with you since you are going through the same thing as me. It seems that you are just as excited as me. So, what do you think about window coverings? Is that something that you were thinking of? |
| Cindy | [email] |
| #219 | Sep 30 2006, 06:51 pm |
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Hi Cindy,
We are moving in next Nov 07, but im starting to get excited now! In the upgrade list i got it does not mention laminate flooring but going through the list my best advice would be to get it done outside. Mattamy charges 30% more then it would cost to get it done afterwards we were looking around for granite counters and found a huge difference in price. So basically we are getting structural upgrades done and doing flooring etc afterwards. We were at the sales center today just to check our brick colour! im crazy eh! its over a year away! Let me know how your design center visit went! |
| mariam | [email] |
| #218 | Sep 30 2006, 03:39 pm |
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Hi Mariam,
I'd rather have the Island too. We are going to the Mattamy Store today to look around and ask some questions. Maybe they have something more specific to our model. We don't have anything as specific as yours. I'd like something more specific. Do you know if they offer Laminate floors? That's something we would like to have since it's more durable than hardwood. Especially when you have kids. So are you moving this November or next November? |
| Cindy | [email] |
| #217 | Sep 30 2006, 12:46 pm |
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Hi Cindy!
In our model its called the "Entertaining elegence" It has a huge island but ill lose my brekfast area, its okay though id rather have the island. The upgrade list i got has the prices for flooring, granite, cabinets, and everything else, did you also get the same because from what I know they are not giving it out until three months before your closing... Anyways , No I dont have kids yet buy we are planning to start a family when we move in! bye for now! |
| mariam | [email] |
| #216 | Sep 30 2006, 12:34 pm |
| Thank you! I'll check it out. |
| Cindy | [email] |
| #215 | Sep 30 2006, 09:43 am |
|
oops
Another site that can give you more info on the fletchers site is www.buildinghomes.ca |
| k | [email] |
| #214 | Sep 30 2006, 09:42 am |
| c |
| k | [email] |
| #213 | Sep 30 2006, 09:11 am |
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Hi Mariam!!
We also got a general list of upgrades for our own model. But it doens't have as much information as the approx. list we got for all models. I checked the map and you are on the next block of homes. We are also on Owlridge Drive. We have no A/C either. Bummer! Well, that will have to be an extra! I am also getting the Chef's kitchen. I have to have that. The one where the cabinets extend and you get the pantry on the end. I just can't wait. Do you have kids? Maybe we'll bump into each other in the parkette!! |
| Cindy | [email] |
| #212 | Sep 29 2006, 05:11 pm |
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Hey Cindy,
we are lot 358 L on owl ridge drive I think you are on the same road! We got a general sheet of prices that mattamy gave us like structural upgrades etc. But then i got access to a peliminary price list for my model, Dont ask how!!!! so thats why i have an idea as to what things might cost. Apparently each model has its own price list. I agree with your husband about being to close to the rails we had to pay a premium to get our lot, but we are out of the noise zone! but no free A/C! anyways my closing is so far away, but just cant wait! Later Mariam |
| mariam | [email] |
| #211 | Sep 29 2006, 03:45 pm |
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Hi Mariam,
You must be just as excited as I am. Congrats!! We originally wanted a Westfield. (I loved that layout) That was my first choice, but the only ones that were left were too close to the train tracks (in my husbands opinion) I guess I agree with him. So, Springwick was our second choice. We are lot 348. What about you?? Did you receive a list of extras and their approx. costs? I don't know if they were handing them out to all buyers because we asked for some kind of pricing list. She did tell us that they were just approx. and we would find out more during our appointments. Another thing I can't wait for. We haven't had any appts. yet. |
| Cindy | [email] |
| #210 | Sep 29 2006, 03:26 pm |
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Hi Cindy!
We bought a westfield elev B and we close in Nov 07 and I am very excited as well! What is your lot number? Have you had any of your design appointments? I have an idea as to what some of the upgrades cost for my model but i was hopig to get more information! anyways bye for now Mariam |
| mariam | [email] |
| #209 | Sep 29 2006, 03:08 pm |
| My husband and I just bought a Mattamy in Brampton - Fletchers. It's the Springwick - elevation B. We keep driving by to see how the development is going. So far, not much. Our closing date is Aug. 2007. Anyone know how long it takes to build from start to end? Anyone else out there by a Springwick in Brampton - Fletchers Meadow. I am so excited. I just can't wait. |
| Cindy | [email] |
| #208 | Sep 28 2006, 01:13 pm |
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In response to 202 - Dana
I saw your posting about the Mattamy village homes and asking about the ones in Milton. I too have bought a Village home in Stouffville and I drove out to Milton to check them out. They looked great, really blended in with the houses around them. I did talk to the sales rep and they did 2 phases of the village homes. The first phase was finished a year ago and the 2 phase is only just finished. The interesting thing that the sale rep told me is that they had re-evaluated the first phase when creating the 2nd and then go back and re-tool some things in the 1st phase. She didn't say what it is that they had to change so I am very curious to know what peoples experiences have been with them. |
| Jessica | [email] |
| #207 | Sep 26 2006, 06:56 pm |
| So good to hear a positive comment. I hope our experience goes just as well :) |
| K | [email] |
| #206 | Sep 25 2006, 05:15 pm |
|
I actually own a house in the Mattamy development in Stouffville. We closed precisely on the day promised (August 10th), which impressed us, and when we closed we had full front and rear grass, and a paved driveway. All our dealings with any of the Mattamy staff have been excellent and they have gone above and beyond when we have asked for anything. We just did our 30 day inspection, and the home inspector was not only telling me things that I had overlooked that should be fixed, he was also fixing them even though they weren't on the list we submitted to Tarion.
As a first time homebuyer I was a little apprehensive with missing things that should have been on the list, but we just weren't experienced enough to see. Most of our list was paint touch ups and minor details. After the inspection he had ordered us a new countertop, and set up a date for the tile company to come and replace some poor tiling in our backsplash that we hadn't even noticed as being wrong. |
| Mike G | [email] |
| #205 | Sep 19 2006, 07:00 pm |
| Visit nodump.ca for more info on the dump by fairwinds |
| K | [email] |
| #204 | Sep 18 2006, 02:41 pm |
| To follow up on my previous comment I have considered pointing this to a decent forum for discussion but never got around to it. |
| Tim | [email] [homepage] |
| #203 | Sep 18 2006, 02:39 pm |
|
I would agree that this isn't the best method to discuss Mattamy but it was started years ago and has an excellent search engine rank. It actually used to be number for many years (ahead of their official website).
I can also say that Mattamy has monitored this in the past (and likely continues to) and it does have leverage. There are a couple of Mattamy forums out there but as you have probably found by searching they are difficult to find. |
| Tim | [email] [homepage] |
| #202 | Sep 18 2006, 02:29 pm |
|
I'm not sure if there are any Mattamy specfic forums for Ottawa but I know a few recent buyers/lookers have been posting here:
http://www.buildinghomes.ca/community/forums/forumdisplay.php?s=&daysprune=&f=35 I would be very intrested in an online community were buyers can discuss their dealings with Mattamy and hopefully create some leverage. |
| P&A |
| #201 | Sep 18 2006, 01:37 pm |
|
Is this the only forum for Mattamy discussions in Ottawa?
I previously purchased a Mattamy home. Lived in it for 3 yrs. It was not as interesting or eventful as some of the posts I’ve read. In fact I think there are more satisfied customers out there than unsatisfied ones; it's just that people are more likely to invest time and energy into reviews when they are unhappy with a purchase. (Personal opinion). Not to say that there weren't problems with my home... there's always something. Good thing we have a warranty, huh! Now i am thinking about buying a home from their Fairwinds project. I can already see Mattamy have downgraded a bit, if i compare my old home with a same size house side by side: Smaller windows, smaller lots, more compact designs, cheaper standard materials .... However, i think it's the market in general not just Mattamy. What's up with this Crap (Carp) Dump? Can we all submit a complaint: http://www.carpdump.ca/ .... let's keep the air fresh :) (or the same). I'm really interested in forming a community for Mattamy Fairwinds Projects, unless there's something already out there... Mattamy is a hard cookie to deal with if on your own, if we have a community we have power! Remember united we stand divided we fall! - Yoshi |
| Yoshi Kumar | [email] |
| #200 | Sep 14 2006, 02:44 pm |
|
Yet another question :) or poll? How long after your purchase day did you have to wait until you received your upgrade prices?
k |
| k | [email] |
| #199 | Sep 13 2006, 12:57 am |
| $9K for 9' ceilings sounds about what we paid back a few years ago if I recall correctly. With Mattamy and 9' ceilings we had all our window sizes increased, much larger patio door and taller kitchen cabinets. There may have been other items I'm not remembering as well. The difference between Mattamy and other builders might be these extras (or not). |
| Tim | [email] [homepage] |
| #198 | Sep 12 2006, 09:27 pm |
|
I was told by a mattamy representative that second floor 9" ceilings would cost 9k. I heard others indicate their builder charged about 5.5k and others 4k. Which sounds more reasonable? Has anyone who is purchasing a mattamy home been told different?
k |
| K | [email] |
| #197 | Sep 12 2006, 12:55 pm |
| Mattamy is building a development in the BArrhaven area as well. But I beileve that it is not slated to be started until 2008. |
| Aaron | [email] |
| #196 | Sep 10 2006, 12:28 am |
|
How does people buy newer houses from builders without having a clear idea of the total price they will pay in the end, in particular the cost of the upgrades??
I'm a first time buyer and I'm very interested in one of the Mattamy models in Brampton (Fletcher's) but I don't feel confortable to close a deal without having a clear idea of the total cost of the house with the upgrades. In fact, I don't like any of the standard finishings that they provide and the model is basically built just with upgrades, some upgrades that are not even available to the buyer. The point is that they will not tell you the cost of the upgrades before you sign the deal. It's an abuse !! How people buy that?? |
| Thiago | [email] |
| #195 | Sep 09 2006, 10:28 pm |
|
Hi :)
Havent heard anything about a development in the east end. Only another two in barrhaven. One of the developments is by the trail dump i think (is that what it is called?). Mattamy loves their dumps :P |
| K | [email] |
| #194 | Sep 09 2006, 09:55 pm |
|
Hi there!
I went to visit Mattamy's model homes and I really loved them! I heard a rumour Mattamy has plans to build in the east end. The article in the Citizen says Mattamy was planning four sites here. Does anybody know where they are? Also, has anyone heard about Mattamy's plans for building in the east end? I can't find a corporate telephone number for Mattamy Homes anywhere. Any info. would be much appreciated. Kim |
| Kim | [email] |
| #193 | Sep 09 2006, 10:26 am |
|
Hi there everyone,
Was wondering if anyone had purchased the fernhaven? I was hoping to move the fireplace but that doesnt look like an option. Also, im sure i mentioned it in one of the threads but at the buildinghomes.ca site you can get an idea of progress, upgrades, etc from the site mattamy has built at stouffville. k |
| k | [email] |
| #192 | Sep 08 2006, 03:05 pm |
| Sorry meant to say we are closing on our Berrywood - Nov 2007 (not 2008). We'd certainly be interested in the progress of your development - with regard to upgrades, timelines...etc. I did a little research and found that Mattamy was building a model called the "Burkston" (in an area called Fletcher's Meadows) which seems to be a replica of Berrywood. |
| R | [email] |
| #191 | Sep 08 2006, 02:04 pm |
|
**Caveat** (So nobody tries to sue me, or people I know...)
This post is based on my reading and research, and should not be taken as fact, do your own research. In respect to "being built on flood plains" I have checked the Urban Geology of the NCR (Surficial Geology) from Natural Resources Canada, and that particular area of development is categorized as Offshore Marine Sediment (Marine Deposits, clay, silt). In some cases this could be "Soft Marine Sediment", but I doubt it as most of Ottawa is generalized as "Sedimentary Rock". That being said I have done some reading on Soft Marine Sediment and development, Soft Marine Sediment has a layer of "soft clay" which can shift and compress. It boils down to this, if the land or area cannot bear the weight of construction then developers are not allowed to build, end of story. I assume developers need to go through a grueling process in order to get permits to build in new areas, I am sure most of this is covered off in due diligence by the city, province, etc... Cheerio C |
| Julie & Chris | [email] |
| #190 | Sep 08 2006, 01:38 pm |
|
Chris here (not Julie),
Our closing date is August 21, 2007. Yours isn't until November 2008 are you part of phase 2 perhaps? Nov. 2008 seems way off in the distance. C |
| Julie & Chris | [email] |
| #189 | Sep 08 2006, 10:29 am |
|
Thanks for you comments about the upgrades list Tim.
Julie & Chris, when will you be closing on your Berrywood? We chose Elevation B and will be closing Nov 2008. R & P |
| R & | [email] |
| #188 | Sep 08 2006, 10:27 am |
|
First, thanks for referring to SayItCornell.com in your discussion. We are working very hard to provide a place for neighbours and businesses to stay in touch - face to face is sometimes not convenient, especially for those who have full time jobs.
I encourage you to start your website and create a very supportive environment for the exchange of information - if a site is monitored well and support is the main focus, then the site will succeed. SayItCornell.com's front pages have just been redesigned and most of them are viewable to the public. Please check them all out. I hope it will inspire: http://www.sayitcornell.com Sheila |
| SayItCornell.com | [email] [homepage] |
| #187 | Sep 07 2006, 02:38 pm |
| In response to R&P about price points. They wouldn't release upgrade prices for phase 7 of our development so it has nothing to do with them not being set yet but rather they don't want you to have much time doing your own price shopping. As I said unless you demand for the prices they will do their best to keep them from you until the last minute. |
| Tim | [email] [homepage] |
| #186 | Sep 07 2006, 01:50 pm |
| We did buy the Berrywood elevation A |
| Julie & Chris | [email] |
| #185 | Sep 07 2006, 10:16 am |
|
More so than the smell of the dump, I'm a little more comcerned about Fairwinds being built on flood-plains. This is in light of the flooding issues in nearby Glen Carin. We are currently looking into various options about reinforcing the foundation - but these requests will be sent through our lawyers, rather than directly through Bob.
I honestly don't think they have set the price points for upgrades in Fairwinds, hence the lack of information to the buyers. They are likely still making aggreements with local contractors to do the work. Understandably there will be mark-ups. Also, anyone else out there purchase a Berrywood? |
| R & P | [email] |
| #184 | Sep 05 2006, 09:03 am |
| Can anyone tell me what niches aren't included (but ARE on the floorplan)? |
| Monica | [email] |
| #183 | Sep 01 2006, 03:00 pm |
| If you go to the site www.ottawalandillwatch.org (or something like that..may need to google that) it gives you a pic of typical wind directions and we are about 1km away from that wind pie (depending on where you bought). Many people who live around there cant smell it (ie terry fox area). If you go to weddingbells.ca there is also a post on it and nodump.ca can keep you up to date on the plans (also posted there regarding the dump). Overall, its mostly the people of Stittsville or are experiencing the bad smell. And if it expands it will likely go west. As we are south east, the smell may not reach us. Anyway i went to www.buildinghomes.ca and there was an ottawa forum there where i posted. Maybe we can start our own mattamy site from there? it would be good to stay updated there on the dump issue as well as upgrades, lot development, etc. |
| k | [email] |
| #182 | Sep 01 2006, 01:07 pm |
| Actually the dump in not that close. My mom lives about the same distance away from the dump and can see it from her bedroom window in Kanata lakes and it is not an issue. |
| Julie & Chris | [email] |
| #181 | Sep 01 2006, 11:46 am |
|
Hi Everyone.
I did some research and the Carp dump is quite close to Fairwinds. Depending on the way the wind blows(no pun intended, The smell will be horrible. Also, we sat down to buy a Sandfield before I found out about the dump and if you look on there website, the options list in the Model Home and their floor plan in the book the niches are included in the Sandfield as per plan. But when you ask the idiot Sales guy Bob, he brushes it off as a human error and then he will insult you. He will go as far as to say that you are not Mattamy material. I actually spoke to the President. He didn't care either. I guess they make enough money not to give a crap about customers. The President didn't even offer for us to go back to deal with someone else. We are looking at a Phoenix home that offers granite counters, granite floors, ceramics, and hardwood as standard features. It is the same price. Still doing my homework on the builder. Those who were treated well are very lucky. |
| n | [email] |
| #180 | Sep 01 2006, 09:06 am |
|
I don't think we're going to get that list of upgrade prices for a while in Fairwinds.
There are other Mattamy forums, for Milton and Cornell Village where there is quite a bit of discussion about upgrades. The frustrating thing for me though, is that the model we bought in Kanata was not available anywhere else, so it's difficult to relate the upgrades to our model (Sandfield). http://www.sayitcornell.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=31 http://www.hawthornevillager.com/phpbb/ It would be nice if there was a site like this for Fairwinds |
| Monica | [email] |
| #179 | Aug 31 2006, 07:23 pm |
|
Hi everyone,
I also recently purchased a home in Fairwinds Kanata and it has been more than just a pain trying to get even an idea of the costs of the upgrades. Does anyone here have a list that they could email me if its not too much trouble? All I have so far from them is that hardwood *may* cost 14/sq ft. This is after several calls. I havent had any rude staff though. Not helpful really but not rude. Really they want us to wait till we have a design centre appointment but it would be nice to know now so that we could budget. Any help is very appreciated! Thanks k |
| K | [email] |
| #178 | Aug 31 2006, 11:53 am |
|
Monica
Without actually having an appointment at the design center and only hearing there estimates its hard to say. I think they run about the same as other builders though. The ceramic seemed quiet high. It usually is cheaper to do things yourself, but the question is will it ever actually get done if you plan to do it yourself. Julie |
| Julie & | [email] |
| #177 | Aug 31 2006, 08:07 am |
| Julie and Chris- What was your sense of the upgrade prices? High? Reasonable? |
| Monica | [email] |
| #176 | Aug 30 2006, 09:59 pm |
| We recently bought a lot in Fairwinds Kanata and have only good things to say. They answered all of our questions and encouraged us to come back or call if we had more. One of the sales reps even sat down with us to give us estimates of what our upgrades would cost, since the design centre is not open yet. When we finially decided to buy I had my daughter with me and instead of making her feel like a pest they gave her pictures to colour and supplied the markers for her. So far so good. |
| Julie & Chris | [email] |
| #175 | Aug 30 2006, 10:56 am |
|
We just got our "welcome to the neighbourhood" card in the mail from Mattamy, telling us what our address in Fairwinds will be next summer.
We've had a really good experience so far...although we haven't gotten to the design stage yet, so fingers are crossed. |
| Monica | [email] |
| #174 | Aug 29 2006, 03:10 pm |
|
Wow, based on the last few comments about Mattamy in Ottawa I would be very careful dealing with them. It sounds as though they couldn't care in the slightest to deal with customers in any human sort of way. Might be a sign as to how the workmanship and the rest of the experience will be.
As for upgrades, you can bet that the Mattamy upgrades will be much much more than what you can get on your own. However, some upgrades will be about the same price/easier if you just let them do it. What you can do is go to the design centre and ask for a price list. You just have to be persistent and demand it until they hand it over. |
| Tim | [email] [homepage] |
| #173 | Aug 29 2006, 09:11 am |
|
I agree in the way of "Salesmenship" and "Customer Service" the staff ranks very low in my books. I was about ready to walk out during our initial consultation - but my husband is a patient man, and tempers me. I chalk it up to the old saying the "devil you know" - so I take everything that comes from Mattamy with a grain of salt. Unfortunately they can get away with poor service because they own a high demand property.
But for those who have gone through with a purchase, I recommend finding your own bank financing and lawyer - rather than the ones offered through Mattamy. Overall we got a better deal, and have a third party not in any way connected to Mattamy. The other point that I am wary about are the additional upgrades - I have a feeling they are really going to guage the buyer for things like ceramic tile, hardwood, fixtures. Mattamy is very hush hush about the price list for those upgrades. In the end we may opt for nothing and have an outside company come and upgrade the home after our closing date. R & P |
| R & P | [email] |
| #172 | Aug 28 2006, 02:35 pm |
| Wow! You should hear what happened to me. I walked in there with my cheque book in hand to buy a Sandfield model. The sales staff especially Bob were rude. After being hung up on 3 times prior to my purchase, I still went in to buy a home. Well, They screwed up the plans for those who did not notice and added the niches as a standard. When I called them on that, I was told that I was not Mattamy material and I should not buy this home. I was extremely insulted. Then, Bob ruined my cheques by stamping them all. They would not accept our cheque dated September 1 on Aug 26. They said it had to be dated for Aug 26. This is after another staff approved it. I did not want to lose my interest in the bank so I did not want to date in for Aug. Bob was so irrational that he picked up his papers and walked away without even saying goodbye or to compromise. Then he tried to kick us off of his property when we were giving a survey. This is the most insulting, unprofessional, garbage company. DON'T BUY A HOUSE FROM THEM. YOU WILL ONLY BE SORRY. |
| s | [email] |
| #171 | Aug 25 2006, 09:53 am |
|
Hello from Kanata-Fairwinds,
I wander if they named the site "Fairwinds" in order to offset the Carp Dump issues? In anycase, my husband and I just put a deposit on a lot in Kanata West. The sales-centre has only been open for about 2 weeks and at peak times it is a nightmare in there. It was extremely difficult to get the attention of the sales consultant, unless you are waving a cheque in front of them. Even then it was less than satasfactory service. We were told we had 7 days to get our finances and lawyer in place, however (4 days later) Mattamy have yet to give us the signed copies of our aggreements that the lawyer requires. But in defense of Mattamy - the model homes were very nice. Especially in comparison to the Ashcroft and Claridge model homes in Kanata North. With regard to the building quality and workmanship - I have heard nightmares from many friends building new homes in Ottawa during the boom steming from a variety of builders. So I don't think its just Mattamy using unskilled workers - it all depends on the demand in the marketplae. I have a Braebury home in Kanata Lakes built right before the housing boom (1997) and it is flawless. So knowing this, its best to cover your "asseets" with any builder - by being informed and paying for a third party inspector. But as Joseph says, Mattamy is new to Ottawa and I think it is in their best interest to establish good-will in the community. Fairwinds being the first development will certainly set the stage for what is to follow. A couple of friends of mine who had new home building nightmares (Barhaven & Stittsville) put together a book outlining their experience and their advice in hindsight. I'm going to get a copy and will post my thoughts on it in a later post. R. |
| R & P | [email] |
| #170 | Aug 17 2006, 11:21 pm |
|
Norma,
You do not need to worry about the smell from the Carp landfill site... its not that close. I live by Terry Fox and Maple Grove and I have never smelled any odour from the garbage dump. That Mattamy site is a really great location for Kanata. If they had a model (floor plan) that I like, I would be buying there too. I am disappointed with the "standard" features that come with the home. But still good for the price compared to other builders in Ottawa. I'm waiting for the next phase to see if they will have other floor plans (assuming I do not buy something else by then). If you do buy, you should post how your experience went. Mattamy is new to Ottawa, so I wonder how much of an effort they will put forth to have happy customers and establish a good name for themselves. Joseph |
| Joseph | [email] |
| #169 | Aug 16 2006, 04:05 pm |
|
Glad I read this site prior to purchasing a Mattamy home. They have opened a nice new site in Kanata - call it the Fairwinds. However it is sort of near the Carp Dump which has been getting bad press lately due to odours. Ottawa plans to triple the dump. I am not sure whether Fairwinds will be 'down wind' of this mass of rotting garbage. Do the winds blow west to east mostly? Any one know?
I want to get wind of this before I purchase. The homes look lovely and the site it great. Norma |
| Norma | [email] |
| #168 | Aug 06 2006, 05:56 am |
|
Well hello rothgate!
we are practically neighbours Im on lot 358L. I also hope someone from, the previous phases responds, but it doesnt seem like they visit this site much. I would also love to see an already built westfield. I will keep my fingers crossed! Mariam |
| mariam | [email] |
| #167 | Aug 04 2006, 06:40 pm |
| well im on lot 364R...im a bit far from the tracks..we were first considering lot 509R but then when we heard that there might be vibrations and cracks in the basement we decided not to go for it...since we dont' intend to stay in it for a long time....so for resale we had to consider the noise...im looking for someone who has a rothgate...I soooo want to go inside and have a look at it...ask questions and stuff...help me out if someone can...:) |
| Rothgate |
| #166 | Jul 29 2006, 11:38 am |
| I have a Mattamy home (my 2nd) in Upper Glen Abbey West. My experience with Mattamy has been stellar the second time. The building crew responded to EVERY concern we had and even found new things to fix. They've been responsive and overly polite and patient. Closed in May and so far no big problems or issues. What night and day from the first time around. We even got coupons from them for free car washes, pizzas, Mattamy-money-for-flowers/garden, soil, etc. These guys are now so obsessed about getting good survey responses, their willing to do just about anything to please their customers. We're a pretty demanding couple, but I gotta admit, I'm liking the "new" Mattamy.. at least in Oavkville... |
| Andrew |
| #165 | Jul 27 2006, 05:34 pm |
|
Hello Rothgate!
As for the railroad tracks we actually paid a premium and changed our lot so that it is out of the noise zone, we lost the AC but we can install that ourselves. The sales lady told us that walls and closets may shake or vibrate due to the railroad. Which lot is yours? is it directly across? As for asking around i really dont know where to start james potter road doesnt even exist yet! Im hoping someone from the previous phases can post something up here so we can get a better idea. bye for now Mariam |
| mariam | [email] |
| #164 | Jul 27 2006, 12:10 pm |
|
Hi...Im in fletcher's meadow phase 7 too...we bought a rothgate elevation B.. I too would like to know if there is anyting that we should be worried about with Mattamy... any complaints, concerns...
mariam..what do you think of the noise from the railway tracks... have you asked around for other people's opinion who already live there? |
| Rothgate |
| #163 | Jul 24 2006, 10:11 pm |
| I was searching under mattamy homes for some reviews and stumbled across this site. I purchased a townhome in Fletchers Meadows in Brampton, The Hillgrove End and was wondering if anyone else has purchased any homes in the area. My closing date is Feb 2007 and wanted to know anyones experience so far in dealing with Mattamy. Pictures are always welcomed! |
| tasp | [email] |
| #162 | Jul 24 2006, 06:07 pm |
|
Hey guys!
I just stumbled on this web page and found it to be very interesting. My husband and I just purchased a Mattamy home (semi-detached) in Fletcher's Meadow phase 7 (the Westfield elv.A) in Brampton. I was just wondering if anyone has a home in the previous phases and what their experience was in this neighbourhood. Pictures would be great! |
| mariam | [email] |
| #161 | Jul 03 2006, 12:55 pm |
| Tried calling Gurinder for over 6 months now..he never gets back to us -via email, phone or anything. Never sent our papers and keeps making empty promises, never follows through. |
| S |
| #160 | Jun 27 2006, 09:16 am |
|
I am trying to get a good understanding of what the standard for upgrade costs should be. For example how much extra per sq ft. for hardwood floors? How much extra for oak stairs? Upgrades to granite? Does anyone have a good idea on what these costs should be?
M |
| Marilyn | [email] |
| #159 | Jun 26 2006, 10:03 pm |
|
Hey folks,
Just found this site and was wondering if there are any readers who have purchased one of Mattamy's Village homes? My wife and I recently got one in Stouffville (closing date in '08) but we saw that they have them in Milton and probably in other places as well. I would really appreciate it if anyone had an experience with their Village home (good or bad) in regards to the finished product. Thanks Dana |
| Dana | [email] |
| #158 | May 30 2006, 06:36 pm |
|
In Repsonse to Shell Post #200.
No our home did not close on time, we were delayed a little over a month. The workmanship was $hit. A majority of our deficiencies were avoided. Along with numerous neighbours, we've since sold our Mattamy. |
| #157 | May 23 2006, 01:39 am |
| Printer Cartridge |
| Printer Cartridge | [email] [homepage] |
| #156 | May 22 2006, 09:37 pm |
|
IRS
http://www.irs-problems.com/ |
| IRS | [email] [homepage] |
| #155 | May 19 2006, 11:29 pm |
| I am moving into my Mattamy home in September of 2006, in Alliston, I am just wondering of the workmanship of Mattamy homes, also the closing dates, did your houses close on time? I am hoping to hear from other Mattamy owners especially within the Alliston area. |
| shell |
| #154 | Apr 26 2006, 11:13 pm |
|
That seems really odd-Gurinder called me back everytime. Just signed the final mortgage papers. I would try giving him another call.
C. |
| c | [email] |
| #153 | Apr 24 2006, 08:35 pm |
| Do not use the Vales of Castlemore recommended mortgage guy-he never follows through or calls back on anything (Gurinder). They shouldn't be recommending him. |
| S |
| #152 | Apr 15 2006, 02:00 pm |
| I have a question I hope someone can answer. Is there a rule about the length of time a builder has to give you regarding an extension of the closing date? In other wards, by 60 or 90 days before the arranged closing date, would they have to let us know if they are extending the closing date? |
| Helen | [email] |
| #151 | Apr 12 2006, 12:47 am |
|
We just had our PDI today in markham, and we cant believe how great every thing was, shure there wher several spots that needed to be touched up but nothing major, slight tear in weather stripping, scratch on doors here and ther, but scott was with us the whole time with two staff fixing problems with in minuts, one bulk head was out 1" that we noticed and we had mentioned earlyer, and within 10 min two workers wher tearing it downm and rebuilding it, so it would be done for move in tomorow.
So far i would definitly send other buyers to them. Brian |
| Brian | [email] |
| #150 | Apr 01 2006, 08:46 pm |
| How did your repairs turn out? Did Mattamy ever agree to fixing it? |
| Nicola | [email] |
| #149 | Mar 11 2006, 12:16 am |
|
Rose,
I totally agree on with your feedback regarding the shoddy workmanship. There's alot of homes in our neighbourhood have either sold (including ours) or in the process of. Could that be an indication of unhappy Mattamy home owners? |
| Neva Again! |
| #148 | Feb 23 2006, 01:16 pm |
|
Please place comment near #41 by Tim
Tony still works at the Sales Centre in Brampton. He is definitely the used car salesman type. We bought from the other one Andy who seems more decent. Some staff at the Design Centre (Mississauga) are better than others-Jenn Lukezic and Kelly seem to know what they are doing. The person we bought the upgrades from honestly told us what upgrades were worth investing and what was worth buying later. The only disappointment was that after months of selecting our tiles we like, they are now "pulled". Fortunately they have similar new ones & our colour appointment is still coming up. The brick selection is quite limited-mostly reds and pinks. Even the countertop colours needed to have more neutrals like light greys and beiges like the new Milton development. The Design Centre is currently under construction for Peel so it's quite busy in the Halton portion. Generally speaking, thus far the "owner's manual" seems to answer a lot of questions and everything else seems to be going well. |
| TS | [email] |
| #147 | Dec 17 2005, 12:34 pm |
|
In Mattamy's haste to meet their "closing dates", their sloppy workmanship shows through. For example, there were 10 houses closing in our neighbourhood the same day. When we peeked into our windows of our home 1 week before closing, and realized that there was no way that our house was going to close when they said it would. Well, it did. And, now we can see all of the mistakes that were made because of their haste to close.
Yes, every new home has some problems. There is no perfect builder. The difference between the other builders and Mattamy is this: When there is a mistake with another builder, the builder fixes the problem. And, they fix it within a certain time period. You don't have to wait months and months. It is repaired within a few short weeks. Mattamy, on the other hand, will never admit to a mistake (so that they don't have to repair the problem). The customer service department stinks. It's sad because Mattamy now has a bad reputation in regards to the quality of their homes. We did not buy cheap, yet the quality we got in the home is terrible. What's the point of having 9 foot ceilings, when the crown moldings are hanging crooked, and the potlights are not centered? Not to mention, crooked light switch plates, and crooked exhaust fans in the bathrooms. If the job was done properly the first time around, Mattamy would not have these compaints. Mattamy should admit they made a mistake, repair it, and be done with it. After all, we are the customer and customers should be satisfied (expecially if Mattamy wants a repeat customer). We put our trust in Mattamy when we purchased our home. We paid a lot of money and expected to recieve optimal service and workmanship. This did not happen. It's time for Mattamy to start giving the customer what we they were promised. |
| Rose | [email] |
| #146 | Dec 17 2005, 12:33 pm |
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Anyone who orders $50,000 in upgrades through Mattamy needs to get their head examined (and we fit into that category!!). You certainly don't get what you paid for, nor what you see in the Model home. We bought in Upper Country Club in Cambridge.
Our biggest problem was the staircase. After spending over $6,000 (we ordered an oak staircase with white spindles and risers), our stairs were completely dark stained (no white spindles, no white risers). Mattamy argued that it's what we ordered, yet when they checked their own paperwork, they realized it was MATTAMY's mistake. A worker had read the paperwork wrong. They repainted the spindles in white, but the job was terrible. Furthermore, the stain on our staircase is too dark and doesn't match our plank hardwood flooring that Mattamy installed. From the beginning, Mattamy said that they would match the staircase to the hardwood flooring, but they didn't. We found out later from the painter, that the staircase was installed prior to the hardwood floor going in. So, how could a "match" be done??? We have had many Mattamy workers, supervisors, etc. into our home in regards to the staircase, yet not a thing has been done to correct the mistake. Some agree with us, but to actually get Mattamy to restain the staircase is another thing. We even had the supervisor's boss come out and tell us that in order to fix the staircase now, Mattamy will have to completely remove the entire staircase and put in a new one. Unbelievable! All they would have to do is sand down the staircase and restain it, but because this would take too much time (and money), they refused to do it. When Mattamy installed our bathroom mirrors, they left clear silicone all over the edges. We have been patiently waiting for them to come and clean up this mess, and now, almost 1 year later, still no-one has cleaned it up. We have not signed off on our PDI. We suggest that you do not sign off on your PDI until EVERYTHING is to your satisfaction. I telephone Mattamy every couple of days and complain about what is still outstanding. Mattamy has our money....so I feel it is right for us to complain if service has not been rendered. Rose |
| Rose | [email] |
| #145 | Dec 16 2005, 05:17 pm |
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We bought a mattamy home in stouffville(Mattamy on Main) and have just found out for the third time that they are not going to be on time. From the time I have purchased and when we are supposed to move in it will be 3 YEARS!!! Mattamy was so quick to take our money for the upgrades this past summer and then they tell us it is going to be another 9 months before we close.
I am fed up. But after 3 years all we can do is sit and wait. The homes value right now has increased greatly and to walk away would be stupid. I am just sick of living in a shoe box. |
| metallamp |
| #144 | Jul 13 2005, 10:35 am |
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For any home buyers in Mattamy on Main and Wheler's Mill in Stouffville, I wanted to let you know about another super message board on www.buildinghomes.ca. We just found it ourselves, and it is a great way to meet neighbours and discuss building issues, much like this site.
Looking forward to seeing our neighbours in Stouffville! Thanks |
| Mattamy on Main | [homepage] |
| #143 | Apr 25 2005, 11:09 am |
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Round 2
We purchased a new Mattamy home in georgetown with a closing of Sept 05 - we'll keep you posted. There are a few reasons we returned to Mattamy for our new home that I think are important: 1. Mattamy Homes are beautiful and there communities are really well designed 2. Mattamy's standards are higher than the other builders in this class 3. All Homebuilders have problems, and our experience was way better than my parents dealings with Monmar in Acton or my sisters problems with Lormel in Brampton 4. Good contractors tend to work for bigger builders that can keep them busy year round so the overall quality is better (always exceptions) ** Also of note - Mattamy has done a way better job of keeping us informed this time around. Things like Mattamy University and Decor 101 show that Mattamy is really trying to exceede our expectations. Mattamy seems very open this time around empowering the purchase by giving as much information to us as possible, like site plans, elevations, Upgrade lists ect, in our first purchase we where given nothing until closing. KevR |
| KevR |
| #142 | Apr 25 2005, 11:08 am |
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Round 1
I bought a Mattamy back in 1999 in Vales of castlemore with a closing date of August 2000. Overall we had a good experience. We did get stuck with a 2 month delay but the builder met time and register mail requirement so nothing to be concerned with. We did a frame walk and everything looked normal and eventually they scheduled our PDI. The PDI was one negative we encountered. We were rushed through and did not get the chance to examine things closely. The Supervisor just kept saying "Dont worry so much about the PDI, you will also have a 90 Day warranty inspection", So we filled out the 90 day warranty forms and submitted them to the builder. After living in the house for 90 Days the builder phoned to make an appointment to go over the 90 Day warranty Items. the inspector arrived with our list in hand and asked us to walk him through and point out the problems. This guy had all the answers, he basically whent down the list one by one and discounted all our claims with catch phrases like "that meets code" or "That is within spec". I was so pissed off - it seemed like this guys was paid on commission from Mattamy base on the number of items he could get us to "Forget About"! We stuck to our guns and basically fired back at they guy with our own choice phrases like "if it looks like S$%T it is going to be fixed" and I dont care about code or spec's - this is our house". Eventually everything did get fixed and we only had one major problem in our 4 years living in the house, which was a leaking toilet on the second floor that was fixed 3 times (I eventually fixed it myself by putting a wax gaket in place of the rubber one the builder put in). KevR |
| KevR |
| #141 | Apr 01 2005, 12:00 am |
| Hiren, I guess all you can do is call them up and ask. Hopefully with their new name they'll be better than the old ONHWP. |
| Tim | [email] [homepage] |
| #140 | Mar 30 2005, 10:45 pm |
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Tim:
Tarion is the name of the provincially mandated new home warranty provider in Ontario. Check out the website: www.tarion.com |
| Hiren | [email] |
| #139 | Mar 30 2005, 02:18 pm |
| Hiren, what is Tarion? |
| Tim | [email] [homepage] |
| #138 | Mar 29 2005, 07:06 pm |
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Sorry Tim, that last comment was mine. Forgot to identify myself.
Hiren |
| Hiren | [email] |
| #137 | Mar 29 2005, 07:05 pm |
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Tim:
Thanks for the response, even if the future looks bleak, in terms of dealing with this issue. What if I alert Tarion to this issue, and ask for arbitration? There is a clause, I was told, which allows us to call in a Tarion admin. to convene over a meeting between the builder and client. What are the options? |
| #136 | Mar 28 2005, 12:31 am |
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If there is anyone out there in dire straits with Mattamy - pls email me. I may have answers.
D.M. |
| D. Merovingian | [email] |
| #135 | Mar 26 2005, 11:23 am |
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Hiren, thanks to the pointer to the Ontario Building Code.
In my experience Mattamy will laugh in your face about your ceramic tile issue. There is no way they are going to do a single thing other than avoid responding to you on that. |
| Tim | [email] [homepage] |
| #134 | Mar 25 2005, 03:27 pm |
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Oh yes, just in case you want to browse the extensive Ontario Building Code for yourself, take a look at the following website:
http://www.e-laws.gov.on.ca/DBLaws/Regs/English/970403d_e.htm Read these carefully, and use the codes wisely. You don't want to misinterprest or misquote a code. But, if used corrently, your dealings with Mattamay and Terrion will be less ambiguous, I would think. Just FYI |
| Hiren | [email] |
| #133 | Mar 25 2005, 03:03 pm |
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Hi everyone. I am new to this site. All your comments are very informative.
I have a few comments/questions about ceramic flooring. I had my PDI last week (March 16). I brought a family friend who is training to be a home inspector. While the entire home did seem fine, the only place Mattamy seemed to be in breach of the Ontario Building Code is in the construction of the ceramic tile in our kitchen. There are two basic methods that builders can use to build ceramic tiles. One is: "Ceramic Tile Set in Mortar Bed" and "Cermaic Tile Applied to Mortar Bed with Adhesive". (Building codes 9.30.6.2 & 9.30.6.4 respectively) In the case of the former, the mortar bed must be at least 32 mm thick, while in the case of the latter at least 12mm thick. During our inspection, I found our mortar bed to be max 8mm thick. More importantly, no matter what method is used, a sheathing paper, felt, or polyethylene film must be applied between the wood subfloor and the mortar, or else the subfloor will get wet. And when it dries, the floor will contract and there is a chance for shifting, and cracking. AS well, if your kitchen floor gets wet, there is the risk of the water seeping through to the subfloor, causing expensive damage in the long run. Of course, I wouldn't have been aware of this problem unless I brought our family friend to the PDI. I am not sure if any of you have notice the same procedure. Is your mortar at least 12mm thick? Do you see evidence of any sort of sheeting used between the mortar and wood floor? We won't see any problems with the floor until after the floor fully dries-- that is in about 2 years-- precisely the time the Mattamy warranty expires. I haven't yet heard back from Mattamy, though I will follow up next week. Not even sure how Mattamy will respond. Any thoughts? Thanks, Hiren |
| Hiren | [email] |
| #132 | Mar 17 2005, 07:41 pm |
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Janice.
As far as I know, all buyers should have some sort of framewalk inspection. I bought my townhouse in Upper Glen Abbey West (Oakville) and had my framewalk a couple months ago, when all structure was ready and they wanted to confirm everything was as planned. We did not find anything wrong, and the builder was very courteous to explain every detail in the house. I was a little scared right after buying the house and reading all bad reviews here, but I guess it's pretty much a guessing game. You might be lucky (as I have been so far) or not. Call the sales office and ask them when the framewalk is scheduled. I'm pretty sure they simply forgot to tell you. |
| Andre | [email] [homepage] |
| #131 | Mar 12 2005, 11:22 am |
| We just bought at Wheeler's Mill. I was reading over some of the comments and didn't realize that there is supposed to be a frame inspection. We've bought new before and didn't have this. Is this a Mattamy thing or were we supposed to have it previously? |
| Janice |
| #130 | Mar 08 2005, 09:01 pm |
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did my PDI today and it was a breeze.
Minor problems, like small scratches and a small hole in the window screen. I was surprised not to find anything major. Actually, it all seemed so "all right" that I kind of felt like missing something, but am still confident it's all ok. |
| #129 | Mar 05 2005, 05:54 pm |
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Does anybody have some sort of checklist of what I should be looking for on my PDI ?
Mattamy has called me to schadule it next week. Any help is appreciated. |
| Andre | [email] [homepage] |
| #128 | Feb 16 2005, 11:32 pm |
| I would agree with Joseph's comments generally. You can actually tell the difference with supervisors just by looking at the condition of the job site. During construction of my house it was a complete and utter mess with mistakes being made continuously. That equates to a completely incompetent superviser which was definitely the case here. Just down the street there was a huge difference in the appearance of the job site. I was floored to see that during construction it wasn't a complete mess like here. There was definitely a different supervisor working that section of houses and it showed big time. Unfortunately you won't be able to pick your immediate supervisor or anyone else for that matter. |
| Tim | [email] [homepage] |
| #127 | Feb 16 2005, 03:47 pm |
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Hi there,
While all of the comments are very real and of grave concern, I think you need to put things in perspective, I have just completed my year end work on the second Mattamy home I purchased within the last 4 yrs. Yes, I too have had my share of challenges largely because I am particular about details. I am happy to say that at the end of the day, my experience has been that with the right disposition and contacts (taking to someone who cares in Mattamy) you will find that Mattamy has a concience and will (if you talk to the right people) go at great lengths to please you. Like any organization there are some employees that are customer oriented and others that just do not care about the customer. Your key in coming up on top is to have a Supervisor (builder as they are called) that is willing to listen to you while the house is being built. The builder who built my first house was excellent, he always made the time to discuss my concerns and acted on them, his philosophy was that this was going to be my dream house and he was going to do every thing he could to make it so! with such a good experience I eagerly looked forward to moving up and bought our second home from Mattamy only to be initially dissappointed with the builder who did not want to give me the time of day!, to make a long story short I believe Mattamy realised that the customers were not happy and implemented a swat team to deal with all our concerns. This was their saving grace since the team was Fantastic to say the least, they really did a great job. I do know that people have had much worse experiences than you will see at this site with other Builders (other than Mattamy), for one Mattamy will allow you on site to view the house during construction, which is why you will be able to see much of the issues before they are covered up, most builders will not allow you to step on site without an escort! I used to be at the house everyday during construction. I wish you all the best |
| Joseph |
| #126 | Feb 16 2005, 09:51 am |
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You guys are freaking me out! We are considering buying a Mattamy home in Stouffville in Wheler's Mill. All your problems are starting to make me reconsider the purchase. My husband is a very good "handy man" and pretty anal about things so I'm sure he'll be fit to be tied if he discovers some of the problems you are speaking of.
Have you heard of anyone having a really positive experience with Mattamy? There must be some good experiences or they (Mattamy) wouldn't be considered one of the top 10 builders in the GTA. Or maybe everyone else is even worse. I'm glad I found this site but now I'm very skeptical about buying a new house. |
| Karen | [email] |
| #125 | Jan 20 2005, 02:09 pm |
| Frank has an interesting comment about gas inspections up on his blog here |
| Tim | [email] [homepage] |
| #124 | Jan 02 2005, 10:36 am |
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Great site.
I am in the process of looking around for a new home with my wife and small child. This site contains a lot of good information and all of it is excellent. I guess sometimes it is good to learn about others misfortunes in order to be a little wiser. I have a great deal of sympathy for everyone in here that has had problems and I expect some for us as well. Does anyone have suggestions for someone that is in the beginning phase of research? I expect number one: Get a good lawyer?? Thanks and I wish you all the best in the new year. Ken |
| Ken | [email] [homepage] |
| #123 | Dec 11 2004, 04:42 pm |
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Its pretty simple. There are a few good framers I'm sure.
I could have done a better/quicker job than the framers on my house and I've never framed a house before. I watched both houses on either side of mine go up in no time while mine took many weeks/months to get completed. You can see while watching the crews exactly which ones were experienced and which ones weren't. You could also tell very easily with the end product. I just got unlucky. |
| Tim | [email] [homepage] |
| #122 | Dec 11 2004, 10:50 am |
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I have been framing mattamy homes for over ten years now After reading about all the buyers complaints i have to wonder if some of complaints are worthy .
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| #121 | Nov 28 2004, 10:34 pm |
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Just answering a few questions that were posed directly to me here recently.
Jinx: There were a number of items but the one I was referring to in my a previous post was the fact that the garage was not sealed whatsoever. The garage must be completely sealed from the house by having all the electrical outlets/switches, and anything else fully caulked so that no carbon monoxide can leak into the house. This is a major item that is on the city's inspection. Not a single thing was caulked in my garage. Even the gas line had a one inch gap all around it leading into the house. My carbon monoxide detector on the top floor of the house was always read levels of monoxide until things were properly sealed up. The thing that bothered me about this is that the city inspection passed this and when I challenged them on it they didn't want to have anything to do with it and tried to cover their ass. Obviously somebody's hands were greased on this and likely the rest of the inspection. I highly doubt a city inspector even stepped foot on the property. If they did they are obviously completely incompetent if they can miss something major like this. Turbo: I was told directy by people at Mattamy. I don't remember who exactly. Two or three inspectors that I contacted to accompany me on the inspection said this is very common from builders with Mattamy being one of the main culprits. They've probably changed their ways now. |
| Tim | [email] [homepage] |
| #120 | Nov 27 2004, 12:03 pm |
| Construction on the Upper Glen Abbey West had been delayed (they moved our closing date 2 months ahead) but seems to keep up the expectations now, with the good weather. Every week, a new floor is built. I'll post some pics later on. |
| Andre | [email] [homepage] |
| #119 | Nov 04 2004, 05:13 pm |
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hi tim, sorry to hear about your misfortunes - i hope that it all gets
sorted out. i close next june and was planning to bring along a home inspector. as far as i know, my lawyer and the home inspector himself says that mattamy (or any builder) cannot prevent the home owner from bringing along an inspector. i also just returned from my last decor centre appt (finishing) and asked our design rep, she said the same thing. so i'm curious who told you that you couldn't. -turbo |
| turbo |
| #118 | Nov 02 2004, 03:30 pm |
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tim: can you give us some of idea of the major items that were overlooked?
Were this apparent during the frame walk? |
| jinx | [email] |
| #117 | Oct 27 2004, 06:20 pm |
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Just a couple points here on a few of the comments that have come in over the last couple of days.
Rob, as someone else mentioned, they won't push out the closing date just because the PDI isn't signed or things aren't completed unless it is something major and they can't let you move in. Not signing the PDI "might" make them look somewhat bad to ONHWP. As for taking an inspector onsite during the PDI, Mattamy won't allow it. I asked them and they said they will not allow anyone who is not the owner onsite. I asked an inspector this and they said they can get around it by posing as a relative or owner. They said this is illegal but Mattamy can and does get away with it. Likely other builders do to. And again I'll stress as "disappointed" did, make your own list and send it to them and "Home Warranty Program". And take as much time as you like. They typically try to rush you through in under an hour. We took 3 hours and probably could have taken longer. I've also had run-ins with the city inspectors that have missed major things and signed off on them. In talks with the city they said that there is no way their inspectors would miss something like this. Well, it was obvious it was missed (even according to Mattamy it was missed somehow but signed off by the city). The supervisor for that department of the city didn't want to hear any more and wouldn't believe me anyway. He also refused to come out and see for himself. So, its likely that some of these inspectors (and the supervisor) are completely incompetent or are taking bribes (either of which would not surprise me in the slightest). Seems like the supervisor is likely involved as well and covering his ass. So anyone at the City Of Brampton that wants to look into this just let me know. I can likely give you some evidence as I believe I have it all documented. When Mattamy knew I was up to contacting the city and fire department about these issues they were bending over backwards to fix (ie. coverup) it immediately. I held them off until I was satisfied that it was properly documented and known by various departments. |
| Tim | [email] [homepage] |
| #116 | Oct 27 2004, 02:18 pm |
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got a question ..
Can anyone confirm how exactly the builder measures the total area in the house ? Does it include any unfinished areas like the utility room or garage ? Reason for that is that I was talking to a friend, and comparing houses available in the market and the one I bought, I came up with this idea of measuring the individual rooms (bedrooms + living room + bathrooms, etc) and the grand total equals to less than 1000 sq ft, when the house is supposed to have 1333 sq ft. Coincidence or not, the garage and utility room would have about 300 sq ft ....! Can anyone confirm this ? Any reply is greatly appreciated. |
| Andre | [email] [homepage] |
| #115 | Oct 27 2004, 01:42 pm |
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I realize that now, Disappointed.
To my knowledge, the closing date won't be moved. But I'm not complaining since I have already arranged everything for THE DAY. Just too stressful at this point in time to be changing dates...barely 2 weeks to go. |
| Rob | [email] |
| #114 | Oct 27 2004, 07:39 am |
| Hey, Tim, I noticed your comments on the upgrade prices. I don't know about you guys, but when I got my list, approx. 3 weeks before I went, to the design centre it stated subject to price changes. You can expect to pay over $100.00+ more for some of the items from the original list which is actually given to you. Not sure if this is typical of all builders now a days, but I did purchase a house a couple of years ago, and didn't have to go through all this. |
| Tristan | [email] |
| #113 | Oct 27 2004, 07:20 am |
| One more thing guys make sure you get a copy of the frame walk paper as proof as well. |
| Disappointed | [email] |
| #112 | Oct 27 2004, 07:14 am |
| Rob, from what I understand, your closing date won't get change regardless of you signing or not signing your PDI or them fixing your counter. |
| Disappointed | [email] |
| #111 | Oct 27 2004, 07:11 am |
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Guys take as much time as you want, don't be rushed, take all day if you have too. Inspector on site, is theirs, get your own. Note, from what I can understand, you can't do anything legally to stop from closing even when they made so many errors, even the big ones if they have been approved by the city. (Not sure how the city inspector could have approved) Like previous comments, make your own list and send to The Home Warrenty Program, really take your time with chips and cracks, because they won't fix it, if you didn't write on your PDI. Make sure you look at your doors, and your stairs as well. It is a real battle for them to admit to mistakes and I agree with Tim, you will get the run around from every person you try to deal with. I think they are use to side stepping clients .****** MAKE SURE- PLEASE/PLEASE TAKE A CAMERA during the frame walk, and your PDI, take as many pictures as you can, write down what ever you can on the forms you sign. Do not listen to them and leave things off. Put your outlets on your floor plan. If you guys want to do further research there is also articles in the Toronto Star, you guys can look up addressing buyers complaints and how they were handled. It may give you an ideal how far you will get.... I just wish I'd seen it sooner and check out other web sites, one other guy has actual pictures posted on the web with all the big dents (over 13) which they didn't fix for him.
Only good thing, is I know someone who actually bought from them and had a happy experience, note-hers was built with one of their Co-Op programs where they had high school students come in. Just wish I had those kids for mine. Good luck to all you, who still have to go through the process, hope you get one of their better completed homes. |
| Disappointed | [email] |
| #110 | Oct 25 2004, 04:26 pm |
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Mattamy scheduled my PDI about 2 weeks ago for today, Oct. 25. Stoneworx, who supplies and installs the granite countertops for Mattamy, told me during my Oct. 15 meeting with them that it would take them about 8 days to finish installing the countertop.
So I called Mattamy last Friday (Oct. 22) to check if it was completed since my PDI was today. Sure enough, they did not know. I told them that I'd like my PDI re-scheduled until they know for certain if the installation was done. Same day...they called back and told me it has been rescheduled for Nov. 1. Today, they called again telling me to further move the PDI for another week ( to Nov. 8) since there were more stuff in the house to be completed. This just tells me that they are rushing to have the PDI done with several portions of the house incomplete. I just hope this won't push out my closing date since it will be 2 days after this re-scheduled PDI. Anybody here with similar experiences? |
| Rob | [email] |
| #109 | Oct 25 2004, 02:00 pm |
| was your PDI done with a home inspector? How long did you spend on it? |
| jinx | [email] |
| #108 | Oct 23 2004, 08:25 am |
|
Thanks for the responses, I will definitely shoot my own responses to Therion. I just did my PDI, and there are major, major problems. Just to mention a few for you guys to look out for, not only am I worried about the shower leaking, I am now worried the basement is going to leak.(no membrane on the front of the house under the ground. I upgraded the electrical and the fuse box hasn't been done right, it needs an extra switch or it will overload and the power will go out in the entire house. (just ask an electrician) They also painted all the hinges on the hardware, which have made all the doors stiff. I was told this was typical. So much for paying extra to get the trim painted. Does anyone else have this done to their house, because the paint will eventually cause this condition to be worse and hopefully you will still be able to close your doors. Also check to see if there overpainting has weakened the condition around the doors. (mine was the garage-just press the areas around the frames) Theres insulation there or something, and the paint has made it all soggy, and that part of the door frame needs to be replaced. My advice is make sure you get a good home inspector in there who knows what he is doing, or you are going to have a lot of problems later on. Also have him check your toilets, we pulled a one inch piece of metal in mine. -Not sure what its doing there. Also the parquet floors-don't get them, I have waves in all the room, you can actually feel the bumps when you walk on the floor. Get a professional to do it. Just wasted over $6000.00 on my floors. My estimate so far, if this does get done right from watching Mike Holme's show is probably well over the $50000.00 range. Who knows maybe I will end up on his show. I could go on and on, however, I now have to draft up my list to Therion, and it is definitely going to be really long. Can anyone else let me know if they have problems similar to mine? Oh, just wanted to say thanks for posting this site, and for all of you getting back with your comments.
Tristan. |
| Tristan | [email] |
| #107 | Oct 12 2004, 04:09 pm |
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Tristan, nobody can force you to sign anything. What they will tell you is that you are just signing to agree that the list is made and its known to both parties. Make sure you also make a list of your own and perhaps submit that. Get a photocopy of their useless list in the format that they write it up in.
Having been through this, the next time I wouldn't bother with stuff that you can fix yourself. We found that having Mattamy come in to fix stuff that we could have done ourselves (ie. simple example is spots they forgot to paint) just caused more grief. Typically what they did was come in and make things worse so they had to come back a second, third, fourth, and a fifth time. And usually they still wouldn't have it right. In the end it would have saved a lot of grief to just do the simple jobs yourself if you can. |
| Tim | [email] [homepage] |
| #106 | Oct 10 2004, 07:58 pm |
| Can anyone tell me, when you go for your PDI, and the kitchen counters are chipped. Floors tiles are not aligned properly vs. the wall, flooring has gaps vs. the dry wall, ect. Can you not sign for the PDI, until your issues are fixed, and actually delay the closing date, until they are? |
| Tristan | [email] |
| #105 | Oct 09 2004, 01:41 pm |
| Tristan, great post. Very typical. I've tried to warn people here about not trusting a thing Mattamy does even when it is noted. Don't sign a thing until it is to your liking and even then wait for a while. Most stuff like this they just cover up and bury so you have no idea if they've actually fixed it or not. |
| Tim | [email] [homepage] |
| #104 | Oct 09 2004, 08:12 am |
| Noticed comments on people who have purchased a home, and having leaks in their bathrooms. One thing to watch for is the height of the shower liner on the floor. I went through for my frame walk, and noticed the shower liner came up to the just under the top of the 2X4 and shorter than . Industry standards are shower liner should come up at least 6+ inches, or you will have leaks within 1-8 years. This was noted on the paper I signed for the frame walk, however afterwards the guy who did the frame walk refused to fix this afterwards, mainly because they put up the dry wall within a week. I would advise anyone who goes for the frame walk not to sign for it, until problems are fixed. I have him on a tape line, so the Mattamy co-ordinator is now having to rip out the kitchen ceiling to have this tested. Not sure if it will actually be fixed at this point. I was told their is no code on this from the co-ordinator, which I already know. However, ask any trades person who is in this industry and some will tell you they will do their shower liner up to 8 inches high. |
| Tristan | [email] |
| #103 | Oct 01 2004, 11:42 am |
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Just got a letter from Mattamy...they notified me that my house will be delayed about 2 months..
Upper Glen Abbey West, by the way...anyone else bought a house there ??? |
| Andre | [email] [homepage] |
| #102 | Sep 25 2004, 04:48 pm |
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My dad works at mattamy
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| em |
| #101 | Sep 25 2004, 02:24 am |
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The last two posts (yohann, boxcarwilly) here bring something to light that I don't think has been covered here before. And that is that a lot of how well your house is built and how smoothly the process goes has to do with the specific builder (or site manager). And I don't mean Mattamy as the builder but the person responsible for your house or for a section of the development. Usually there is someone who oversees a number of houses. Typically called a builder or supervisor as far as I can tell.
In boxcarwilly's case, you can see he is dealing with a completely incompetent builder, whereas yohann seems to be dealing with a very organized and decent builder who knows exactly what he is doing and takes pride in making sure the trades do what they are supposed to do and do it well. Just the fact that Emilio (yohann's builder) was able to let them know 6 months in advance that they would have a 1 month delay tells me that he was very organized. In boxcarwilly's case, he is dealing with a builder that obviously should not be building houses or anything else for that matter. I would be interested to know whether boxcarwilly is dealing with either Dominic or Tony (or both). It wouldn't surprise me one bit. Neither one of these morons know a thing about building houses. These guys are as incompetent as they come in all aspects of the house building business. I never heard correctly whether these two losers either moved onto another Mattamy development or were fired from Mattamy. I have to hope that someone at Mattamy finally figured out that these guys couldn't build a house of cards let alone a real house but my guess is they just moved on to another development to make another mess somewhere. At least those who have Emilio could breath a sigh of relief as they will probably get a decent product. |
| Tim | [email] [homepage] |
| #100 | Sep 24 2004, 08:46 pm |
| bought at rouge park in 2003 closing date was july 2004. was notified by mattamy of a month delay back in jan 2004. the new date was kept and we were very satisfied with the service that mattamy provided.the frame walk was good and at the final inspection the service was nothing short of excellent. minor paint problems were all that we found and the builder Emilio was extremley helpfull. |
| yohann |
| #99 | Sep 19 2004, 02:14 pm |
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David -
RE Topic # 80 We purchased Oct. 03, for phase one one of the 50 foot jobs - delivery date was scheduled for June 20. About 2 weeks before the close, Mattamy calls, asks for a two week extension. We were flexible and told them to take a month. Bottom line, moved into a complete, total unmitigated disaster. Place had not been cleaned, trim, hardwood, stairs were all a mess. Dirt on brick. For the past two months, we have had workers here every day, essentially trying to do what they should have done before we moved in. Heck, we even moved out for a week so they could get stuff done. They promised all would be done Sept. 03, then they promised Sept 10 - hell, I don'k know if we will ever be really done. But here's the good news. This project is out of control. They can't get trades, the ones who show up are next to useless. We understand they are way ahead of projections on sales. As a result, the builders can't keep up with the dates that sales and the management team in Oakville have set. Probably the best thing they could do is postpone ALL the houses under construction here and take the time to get the project in control. Some things you gotta watch for: no junction boxes in bathrooms (they just fish a wire to the light and screw it to the wall), some ceiling junction boxes are not attached to studs, not a big deal unless you want to hang a light there. If you ordered the central vac rough in, be sure they give you electrical outlets near the vac outlets - you need 'em for the power head. Be prepared to be firm but polite. Don't take 'we are doing our best' as an answer. ONe of the site managers told me that in 30 years of building houses, he has never got one perfect. Heck, if I tried something for 30 years and couldn't get it right, I'd try something else. |
| boxcarwilly | [email] |
| #98 | Sep 14 2004, 02:01 pm |
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they gave us more than the 65 days notice they were going to delay us so no compenstation is due. :-(
We just have to suck it up a make temporary living arrangement out of pocket. |
| David | [email] |
| #97 | Sep 12 2004, 11:43 am |
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wow...120 days is quite some time.....aren't they supposed to financially compensate you in any way ??? I thought the builder had the "right" to delay in some circunstances, but also would have to compensate the buyer if the delay is too long.
Anyways, in my case such delay would be benefitial, as I dont really want to move in in the middle of winter (my closing is on Jan/20/2005) and I even tried to get a house with a later closing, but were unable to do so.... In the end it'll be fine for you.....I'm sure all things happen for a good reason in the end. |
| Andre | [email] [homepage] |
| #96 | Sep 09 2004, 03:47 pm |
| we bought a mattamy home in Cambridge Upper Country club. bought it Labourday 2003. Labourday 2004 finally see a foundation going in. Closing was to be Dec. 2004. Just got a letter that our closing is being delayed nearly 120days till March 23rd. Screws up our house closing on our existing house too. What a mess. I never want to buy brand new again. |
| David | [email] |
| #95 | Sep 06 2004, 11:14 pm |
| Actually you are probably ok. They took 4 months to build ours and that was with considerable delay with nothing going on for weeks at a time now and then. But of course they were late and had to move us back 4-7 days. Of course Tony, the lying piece of work that he was, told me outright that there was not going to be a delay and they can finish no problem. Needless to say the same day I returned home to find a letter in the mail stating that our close was going to be delayed. Knowing nothing about construction (and that is a whole lot more than Tony) and seeing the pace they were on I knew it was going to be late. |
| Tim | [email] [homepage] |
| #94 | Sep 06 2004, 02:16 pm |
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until last weekend, theres was a full amount of nothing sitting there.....
just some folks excavating the area...no foundations or a single piece of wood standing.... |
| Andre | [email] [homepage] |
| #93 | Sep 05 2004, 03:29 pm |
| Andre, is the foundation in? |
| Tim | [email] [homepage] |
| #92 | Sep 04 2004, 11:38 pm |
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Anyone else here bough a townhome in the Upper Glen Abbey West (Oakville) ???
I'm just wondering when the construction is supposed to start. My closing should be on Jan/20, but until last week there was absolutelly nothing on the site... not a single nail. Anyone else here sharing the same expectations regarding that site ? |
| Andre | [email] [homepage] |
| #91 | Sep 01 2004, 09:24 pm |
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now i have an idea of what to look for when we go to the site. that was what the camera was for indeed. our floors were wet in some areas-a sign of leaks - both on the first and 2nd floor when we visited last weekend but i was hoping it was because they have not put the joints between the shingles yet.
i guess we need to open our eyes and check even minute details. i hope its not too late to take pictures. its good to know and learn from other people who are going through similar experiences. again thanks. |
| hehi |
| #90 | Aug 31 2004, 12:51 pm |
| Rob, good work with the camera. At least its documented but I would still have concerns about these cracks. I don't want to alarm you but I don't think that these can be fixed easily if they are in fact real problems. Likely they just patched it up so that it appears to be fixed long enough for your warranty to lapse. I would certainly see if you can get a 3rd party to come out and have a look at these and let you know for sure whether they are of a concern or not. One can't possibly trust Mattamy to be honest with anything in this regards. |
| Tim | [email] [homepage] |
| #89 | Aug 30 2004, 01:08 pm |
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Just an update to what happened during our framewalk last week:
One of the foundation wall cracks we saw 2 weeks ago was already fixed. The other one was left as is. So during the framewalk, I mentioned it to the builder. He insisted that it was something that would not compromise the structure since it is normal to see concrete like that when it settles. I insisted that it was a deep crack and something I would worry about. He tried to ignore me so I took out my camera and shot a picture of it. It was only then that he wrote it down on his sheet. At the end of our tour, the Mattamy guy gave us some sheets with our concerns written on it. It was only then that my wife and I signed into it. I think the camera did the trick. I am sure the photographs will be useful later on if some leaks do occur from where the cracks are/were. |
| Rob | [email] |
| #88 | Aug 26 2004, 06:19 am |
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mattamy can be promising and reassuring about everthing they do as evidenced by the "pleasant" staff they hire to "sweet-talk" home buyers.
i did my frame walk yesterday and was not asked to sign anything. they even gave me a camera to take pictures. i had an appointment at 2 pm and were waiting in our house for 30 minutes. i had to call the site office and eventually found out that she had the dates mixed up. she was apologetic tho. the woman was nice i should say. we went over our upgrades that was supposed to be put in already. i did not know what to expect in a frame walk and i dont know as well if i missed out checking on the things i needed to check. when i asked about the distances of the braces on the floors, she said it was all standard...what can i say when there is very little i know about home construction. it's my first time to buy a new home. i have their calling card should i find out anything of a concern and i'm crossing my fingers that they will be there to adress them. i guess i should be ready andjust keep my eyes open when we do our pdi. this weblog is very helpful thanks for being around. |
| hehi |
| #87 | Aug 18 2004, 12:48 pm |
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Good point.
I'll provide updates how it will go. My experience may help other who are first-time new home buyers like I am. Thanks, |
| Rob | [email] |
| #86 | Aug 17 2004, 06:45 pm |
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Rob,
I can't remember if you are required to sign anything during the frame walk or not. If so, do not sign anything until they give you a letter saying the wall cracks are normal. Just be extremely forceful and start walking away until they do something. Otherwise, you'll make a complaint or they will note it on your framewalk and do nothing about it. Tim |
| Tim | [email] [homepage] |
| #85 | Aug 17 2004, 04:45 pm |
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Thanks for the tip, Tim.
I called Mattamy and they told me I could submit my complaints in a form provided during our frame walk. At first, the guy on the other line told me that visiting the site was illegal, which I completely understood for safety reasons. (I also happened to remember reading that somewhere in the agreement). But eventually he addressed my question. My frame walk will be happening in a few days so hopefully, we can get something going after then. |
| Rob | [email] |
| #84 | Aug 16 2004, 07:35 pm |
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Rob, I'm no expert but that certainly doesn't sound correct to me. It might depend on the size of the cracks though (I know floor cracks are to be expected but only to a certain size. Any cracks in the walls walls however would be a very big concern to me.
Mattamy's standard response to just about any problem is something along the lines of "that is normal". They hope that you buy that response and stop bothering them until it is too late. Most of the time they get away with it because it becomes a full time job to continually get Mattamy to admit that it is a problem. The first thing you can do is have the person you talked to send you a letter stating that this is normal and expected. See how likely they will want to put that in writing. My guess is that you will spend 2-3 months trying to get them to put that in writing but if they do, then at least down the road if it really is an issue you have something to hang them with. Either way, you'll know where you stand sooner than later. Definitely get some advice from somebody completely unrelated to Mattamy in the construction business. Don't bother with Ontario New Home Warranty Program either. They'd rather just look the other way. Don't bother with the city as they'll likely want to look the other way too. |
| Tim | [email] [homepage] |
| #83 | Aug 16 2004, 01:17 pm |
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I bought a semi last year at Mattamy on Rouge Park and visited the site over the weekend. The house is already standing and complete with exterior bricks and roof shingles. As I went to the basement, I checked the foundation walls only to find 2 long cracks on 2 different sides.
I called our coordinator but was told this is not unusual as the concrete settles in. Does anyone have any similar experience? It may not cause problems now but I'm concerned it will lead to bigger problems a couple of months/years down the road. Rob |
| Rob | [email] |
| #82 | Aug 04 2004, 10:40 am |
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Hello Dennis,
Just a note of caution, I understand that the City of Brampton is raising the Development levy on new homes by approx $ 10,000 !! my research indicates that if you have not got the levy clause in your agreement caped, the price of the house will go up by the above amount. The Brampton City Council will be meeting on Aug 11 to finalize this raise in charges, however they will be having a public meeting before their meeting on Aug 11. I have a friend that has bought a home in the Vales South who is affected by this. Should this affect you, now is the time to get Mattamy along with your self to urge the city to absolve you of this charge. The city has indicated that this development has not been registered as yet which means these increases in levies will affect home buyers as well. |
| Joseph |
| #81 | Aug 03 2004, 03:59 pm |
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the "widelots" are usually very short and the setback of the garage is usually necessary to allow room to park your car.
Also it makes for a more pleasing street scape where the garage is less emphasised on the front of the house. There are lots of builders that will build the garage way up front on the lot to give lots of living space inside, but in the process most of them end up building a hideouse garage dominated house. Who wants to live in one of those. That is the main reason we bought a Mattamy. I don't think your too likely to convine them to do it. |
| David | [email] |
| #80 | Aug 02 2004, 11:03 pm |
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Dennis,
Anything Mattamy related is just fine posted here. You'll likely get responses from the folks who pass by. As for your question about moving the garage forward by 5 feet I very highly doubt Mattamy would do anything like that. That would be a major change effecting load bearing structure etc. They'll do minor things for a charge but my guess is nothing remotely close to that. Tim |
| Tim A | [email] [homepage] |
| #79 | Aug 02 2004, 04:50 pm |
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Hello Guys,
This is an amazing forum, and kudos to the wealth of information being posted. My wife and I have purchased at Mattamy at Castlemore South, and since I could not find a Castlemore South weblog, I hope I could post an upgrade question to you guys. "We were wondering if there was any flexibility in requesting layout modifications, to the existing floor plan, such as requesting to move the location of the two car garage forward by 5 feet, Have you come across a situation where, a purchaser would like to relocate the location of the garage by 5 feet forwards, towards the front of the house, in line with the porch line, inorder to gain more living space on the inside ? Is such a customization allowed ? Are such modifications expensive? Are they entertained by Mattamy? Did anyone in this group have a similar experience with their layout at the Hawthorne Village or other Mattamy site ? Any thoughts or experiences would be a great help thanks Dennis |
| Dennis | [email] |
| #78 | Jul 16 2004, 02:12 pm |
| Hey, I posted on here a while back. Just thought I would update ya on my experience. I bought in Fletchers and the house is about 1 month from closing. The experience with Mattamy has been great. We had a little problem with an arch in the doorway being uneven and they went in with no probs, ripped it out and commenced the rebuild. The house is on track and really starting to look good. |
| Daniel | [email] [homepage] |
| #77 | Jul 07 2004, 04:36 pm |
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it doesn't really matter if the price goes up after you buy. If you end up selling your going to buy another place to live and guess what that place has gone up in value too. So unless you cash out and live in a cardboard box or go back to renting you not really going to see that money. Same thing if the value goes down. Chances the other house that you would move to went down too.
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| David | [email] |
| #76 | Jun 30 2004, 05:17 pm |
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Andre, I guess you were in line with Rick and a bunch of other people!!! Sounds crazy but I understand.
I suspect if interest rates go up that the housing market will finally level off. Its just been going crazy for way too long so don't think it can keep going. But like anything else you just never know. Hopefully Andre you'll get your increases like others have but I wouldn't bet on it. |
| Tim A | [email] [homepage] |
| #75 | Jun 30 2004, 11:02 am |
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I dont really understando what's going on in the market now...
5 days in line waiting for a chance to buy a house ? Is it worth ? I bought my Mattamy townhome in the Upper Glen Abbey West a couple months ago (closing is in January 2005) and was not sure if it was the "best deal" at the time, but took my chances anyway...now it looks like the best investiment I could ever do ! A friend who owns a townhouse nearby told us that she bought the house and moved in 18 months ago, spending some 230K in total (some nice upgrades) and now, just 18 months after moving in, some real estate agent was in the area checking out if houses were available for sale, and after a appraisal, the guy said that her townhome would sell for 310K !!!!!!! Another friend bought a semi (Sundial is the builder) in Mississauga for 240K, and just moved in last week....and some of the neighbours are already selling their identical houses for up to 290K, just next door ! Now I hear the interest rates will go up quickly....any prediction to what will happen to the resale market ??? |
| Andre | [email] [homepage] |
| #74 | Jun 27 2004, 11:24 am |
| Rick, who has posted comments here a number of times, just stood in line for 5 days in order to get a newly released Mattamy home. See his weblog here. |
| Tim A | [email] [homepage] |
| #73 | Jun 24 2004, 08:02 pm |
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I should have posted this earlier. People might want to check whether Futureway (FCI Broadband) provides the infrastructure for the area that you might buy. And especially if they control all cable and phone service. If so, I would serious consider not purchasing unless you are happy to have phone, cable TV and Internet access work maybe 50% of the time.
In my area we were lucky enough to have direct Bell lines installed but I've heard that in some Futureway areas Bell can't bring their lines in. Especially early on I watched as most people in the area who went with Futureway (since they made it sound like you couldn't get Bell) were complaining day after day about not having phone service. In my area since Rogers can't bring in their own equipment/lines we have really lousy Internet connections that work maybe 50% of the time. This has been the norm for that last 2 years and half. I'm currently working with the city to have Futureway thrown out of my area and will let people know how things develop. I've been documenting this lousy Internet service I'm receiving for a while here. Although I don't even log half of it cause it would be a full-time job and I certainly have better things to do. |
| Tim A | [email] [homepage] |
| #72 | Jun 24 2004, 09:55 am |
| Derek, just to let you know that the Mattamy office in Milton is already swarming with potential buyers. They've all camped out since yesterday and there are cars everywhere. |
| Sue |
| #71 | Jun 21 2004, 07:49 am |
|
HAWTHORNE VILLAGE POLL
- Is anyone planning on purcasing one of the new homes in Hawthorne Village being released this week ? - Which model are you planning on purchasing ? - What time are you planning on going to the Sales Office ? |
| Derek | [email] |
| #70 | Jun 16 2004, 11:49 am |
| I am looking into to buying the ferngrove which is a new phase coming out in hawthorn village this month. Does anyone know anything about this house that i should know. I would appreciate any information you can give me. This is my first time buying a house and i am still fairly young which there for means i am less knowledgeable since i have never purchased a house before. Its a great investment but i want to make sure its a smart one. |
| Dawn | [email] |
| #69 | Jun 13 2004, 11:00 pm |
| Thanks for the info Max, It was informative and I think I have made my decision.......good luck to everyone........... |
| cathy | [email] |
| #68 | Jun 11 2004, 07:34 pm |
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Hi #49 Cathy - I would like to just say that I live in a Mattamy home and I and really enjoy it. However, you must keep a few things in mind. 1. Mattamy is a production builder. They are not a custom home builder. 2. There is a trade shortage and some of the construction will be of poor quality. Getting trades back in your house to fix issues can be frustrating, but you must understand these trades are contracted by Mattamy. It is even hard for Mattamy to get them to return. This is not specific to Mattamy. In fact, Mattamy is one of the better (if not the best) production builders in the gta. You must have your expectations properly set before you buy. Mattamy is only obligated to deliver exactly what is in the purchase agreement.
If you cannot live with some of this...look at resale or buy from a custom builder. |
| Max |
| #67 | Jun 10 2004, 08:43 pm |
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hey matt,
great to hear some feedback. sorry to hear about the floor situation, as the floor was an upgrade, do you plan on escalating the issue? cheers |
| esel |
| #66 | Jun 10 2004, 05:46 pm |
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Well they've fixed the pot light problem and it appears they will patch up the plywood (not replace the section). Gonna wait and see what type of a fix-it-job they do on the subfloor before I bring it up again.
|
| Matt |
| #65 | Jun 08 2004, 04:29 pm |
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Hello Everyone
We were first interested in Mattamy about a year ago at the Richmond Hill site, Wild Flower Village, loved the layout and the price of a particular model. Then we found this site and also a nasty article in the Toronto Star about Mattamy and decided to go resale.......found nothing so far as far as desireable layout and price.......then saw an ad for a Mattamy home for sale, just built.......checked it out...........really love the layout and negotiated a pretty decent price...........Now we don't know what to do...............I am sooooooooooo skeptical as you all know......others say for every bad comment there is a lot of good.....i am still unsure........Any good advice? |
| cathy | [email] |
| #64 | Jun 08 2004, 04:18 pm |
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Does anyone have pricing for the Westcorft Model Elevation B from Mattamy's Wild Flower Village development in Richmond Hill?
Thanks! |
| apollo | [email] |
| #63 | May 31 2004, 04:29 pm |
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Sent off an email last night to both the construction office and the head office (including photos of the problems) and got a email reply today (along with a 'read' confirmation I requested) stating they "will need to research the issues with the Builders for your home at construction" and "will provide follow-up for you by the end of this week." No reply received from the construction office.
Let's commence the countdown. Gonna have to keep a close eye on the plywood repair as I think they'll try to make due by simply patching it up (sorry, I didn't pay all this extra money for a patch-work type job). Also, we've instructed them to ensure all litter is cleaned out from within the gaps we've pointed out as we found pop cans and broken drywall stuck within them... Appreciate the helpful replies. |
| Matt |
| #62 | May 31 2004, 03:50 pm |
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I agree with Tim, You have to be consistently after them to a point of being a pest, the chances are high that the plywood will not be replaced but will be patched as was in my case.
My house was closed a few months ago and the only way I have been able to get a few items done is by being persistent and emailing the head office - and yes choosing the items that are urgent (and important) rather than on everything I see wrong. They tend to address two or three items at a time, although I do list all outstanding items I emphasise two or three at a time. A useful resource is the "construction performance guidelines" document published by Tarion (New Home Warranty program) found at http://www.tarion.com/NR/rdonlyres/8FEE560B-D84F-4FB2-BD80-E8D6ED6D0584/0/CPGDoc_v2.pdf it is a very useful document and outlines what are considered defects and may be used to support your claims. Hope this helps |
| Joseph |
| #61 | May 31 2004, 12:43 pm |
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Matt, what you are experiencing is pretty typical. They will keep telling you they will fix these things or take down your concerns but nothing ever happens unless you keep on them a couple times a day for a few weeks. Even then, they'll likely not fix the mistake properly. They just hope you forget or stop trying to get them to do these items. As well as email I would send a fax and also send it to the main office and as many other locations as you can. If you want to be certain they can't say they never received your concerns send a certified letter or hand deliver it and have them give you some sort of signed receipt that they received it. Otherwise they have an excellent track record of conveniently "loosing" these items.
A drastic measure that I don't recommend you take is to rip up some of their "work" so that they have no choice but to fix it properly. |
| Tim | [email] [homepage] |
| #60 | May 30 2004, 10:07 pm |
|
Hey Matt,
thanks for the feedback. the count down for our one 1 is approaching..lets see what will happen to our enormous list of deficiencies. i agree its a good idea to be on top of the items of concern. if you need contact(s) just drop me an email. good luck on your paper trail. Cheers, "Our mission is really quite simple. We want every home we build to be the best home we build." |
| Esel | [email] |
| #59 | May 30 2004, 06:03 pm |
|
Wow, thanks for the comments Esel. Hope you get your issues resolved.
We're looking to take possession of our Mattamy home at the end of July so here's hoping... We've had our framewalk and noted a couple issues: - globes in kitchen not positioned correctly. We were told this would be taken care of before drywall installation. So far nothings been done and the drywall has been installed... - we had plywood subfloors installed and there are a couple spots where they've made 'mistakes' (errors in cutting, holes were there should be none). Again, we were told this would be corrected however we'd like them to replace/fix these mistakes by putting in whole, larger pieces of plywood instead of some sort of patch-work (yes, we're not going to see it once carpet and tiles are installed but that's not the point) - nothing has been done so far... So far we've only voiced our concerns in person (during framewalk) and over the phone. I'm now considering beginning a 'paper-trail' by emailing both the construction office and the customer care co-ordinator... So far, more-or-less good... |
| Matt |
| #58 | May 24 2004, 11:09 am |
|
Thanks Andre for the Map and hours of the decor centre
Nancy |
| Nancy | [email] |
| #57 | May 24 2004, 12:34 am |
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Matt Comment #53
in response to your question regarding Mattamy brampton development. We purchased the Grandview model, and from my experience, i would not buy another mattamy. Since we've taken possesion of our home (09/03), we had 2 leaks in the ceiling. first leak caused severe damage to the ceiling "above second level landing" in which the drywall has to be replaced. the second leak was in the master ensuite, exhaust fan. all in all the repair(s) are complete, but the response time, was not exceptable. the overall quality of our mattamy home is terrible. our entire kitchen counter was replaced due to knife marks, 4 cabinet doors had to replaced due to scratches, and to top it off our pantry was also replaced as it was damaged. upon closing pay close attention to the workmanship of all floor &bathroom wall tiling, wood trim and walls. as kevin posted on Comment #1 "CRAP That is what you can expect from Mattamy customer service" he is speaking the truth. pls follow this link as i have posted on another website regarding my experience with the Mattamy "90 deficiencies" follow up. http://69.93.162.98/forum/showthread.php?t=71887 judging by the number of "4sale" signs camping on the front lawn of numerous homes in the Mattamy Fletcher's development, this "could" be an indication of a unhappy customer. just my .02 Esel |
| Esel | [email] |
| #56 | May 08 2004, 01:15 pm |
|
The Design Centre is in Mississauga, but is only available through appointments during weekdays, although you're free to go on weekends.
You can see a map here : 
if the image does not work, just go to this link : http://s88425127.onlinehome.us/design.jpg |
| Andre | [email] [homepage] |
| #55 | May 04 2004, 02:55 pm |
|
Does anyone know where the upgrade /decor centre is located and if one can visit it before purchase?
Nancy |
| Nancy | [email] |
| #54 | May 01 2004, 01:49 am |
| Keep in mind they don't always start building as soon as you purchase. We were probably pretty lucky in that we moved in 8 months after purchase and approx 4 months after they broke ground. |
| Tim | [email] [homepage] |
| #53 | Apr 30 2004, 09:03 pm |
|
The latest news re: release of the next phase is end of May. they say 12 - 18 mths till move in date. Also said that they would inform first those with email addresses, then follow up with phone calls
Nancy |
| Nancy | [email] |
| #52 | Apr 30 2004, 03:00 pm |
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Hi,
Ours took five and a half months, but I am sure they can do it in four if they need to. Joseph |
| Joseph |
| #51 | Apr 30 2004, 11:53 am |
| anyone know on average how long they take to build the house from the day they break ground on the foundation to closing? |
| David | [email] |
| #50 | Apr 28 2004, 12:01 pm |
| You can also do it while nobody is looking and it will likely not be noticed by anyone. You just have to time it right after the electrical and just before the drywall goes up. Of course I'm not necessarily recommending this but thats what I would do the next time around. |
| Tim | [email] [homepage] |
| #49 | Apr 28 2004, 11:53 am |
|
I did the same, had a conduit installed of about $275 and will use it if I need to. It would probably be cheaper to go with a wireless network with proper security installed. I have done this and works great, I can go to any room or backyard and connect to either the Internet or a shared printer without any sacrifice in connection speed.
I will use the conduit only if all I am out of options. Sometimes the super in charge will turn the other way and let you do some Cat 5 installation as long as you do it after the electrical has been inspected by the city. I did it in my previous Mattamy home, however this super was not easy to deal with so the conduit was good insurance! Hope this helps. Joseph |
| Joseph |
| #48 | Apr 28 2004, 10:45 am |
|
They told me I can not gain access to the house early to run my own network cable. They wanted to charge me $2000 for structured wireing to only 3 rooms. That is telephone, tv cable, and Cat5 networking cable. Insane. I opted for them to just put a 2inch conduit pipe from the basement to the attic so I can run all the networking myself in the exposed basement to the first floor and drop cables from the attic to the second floor rooms. Will be way cheaper. They did charge me $200 or $300 for the conduit to the attic. Over priced but will make running the cable myself way easier. I'm also getting a conduit from the canteleavered fireplace media neice into the basement thinking that will make it easier for me to run networking/telephone cables to the av equipment with out messing up the living room too much.
As for other upgrade cost some one was asking about open stairs to the basement. I was told on my model it was something between $15,000 to $20,000. not a cheap upgrade. I passed. I figure I want to be able to close off the basement for better control of heating/cooling zones in the house, and when teenagers are down there it is nice to close the door and not have to hear them. |
| David | [email] |
| #47 | Apr 27 2004, 03:45 pm |
|
Has anyone here purchased a Mattamy home and installed network cables through the house ? I heard that some builders do not allow the buyer to run cables during construction, as they want you to pay them for that, and off course it's overpriced as usual.
Anyone had sucess in this matter ??? Thanks all. Andre. |
| Andre | [email] [homepage] |
| #46 | Apr 23 2004, 02:54 pm |
|
Hi Derek
My husband and I have also decided to buy a Tothburg II model and were juggling the sell vs resell option. We went thru a couple of the current Tothberg models that are up for sale - they listed at about $460, 000 and I gather the last few sales were around $450,000. One had few upgrades but was on a larger lot with a 'ravine' view and didn't have the open room ( playroom) on the upper floor which is a priority for us- there is a bit of difference in the Tothburg plans we are dixcovering. There is little difference in price between new and resale, but thouse of us getting in at the beginning of the next release will probably have to live without sod, and endure a long period of mud and construction but have our choice of design, etc.I was told you get about 50 cents on the $ for upgrades when you sell . The Tothburgs take quite a while to sell, the small detached homes sell in about 2 weeks. Potlights are I gather $249 each (ouch) - we went to the home show and found a fellow who installs moulding for about $4.50/foot - their carpenter is also an electricial and installs potlights for $149 each ( can hide the wiring beneath the mouldings) However my stepdaughter is having a home built and chose to have the potlights as she had discovered in their current home what a pain they are to install after the fact so I'm getting mixed messages. I' m not very knowledgable about the cost of upgrades still but I gather the 9' ceiling on most homes runs about $6000. Hardwood floors are $11-13/sq ft. We priced that at the home show as well and they came in just a couple of $$ cheaper/sq' so think we'll have that done. I gather they are awaiting city approvals before they can release the land and don't know themselves when that will happen - we've been told 3-4 weeks a couple of times - the lot setup won't be set till that happens.as it is still undergoing changes. My concern is the completion time of the homes - eg will they do the 56' lots first, last or as purchased?? Hope this info has been of some help and interest to you Nancy |
| Nancy | [email] |
| #45 | Apr 21 2004, 12:17 pm |
|
Great site, keep it up.
My wife and I are currently wrestling with the new versus resale dilemma as well. Considering that Mattamy is taking so long to release the next phase, and every week I am being told "within a month". The Sales Office personnel, although quite nice and patient, do not seem to be willing to provide any information on release dates. Does anyone know what the holdup is, the Sales staff keep hinting at a legal issue ? The model we are interested in is the Tothburg II. Does anyone have an upgrade price list/options that they can e-mail to me ? We are interested in specifically the following: - 9FT ceilings 2nd Floor - Open staircase to the basement - Finished staircase with wrought-iron pickets - Door from laundry room to backyard - 3 piece rough-in in the basement - Cold Cellar Everything else I consider nice to haves and non-structural, things that I can do myself (such as hardwood floors, granite counters etc). But, I would still like an idea of prices, if available. Thanks Derek |
| Derek | [email] |
| #44 | Apr 17 2004, 12:00 am |
| Andre, no, you will not get a penny back from Mattamy on anything. In fact they'll probably charge you more to NOT have the carpet installed. Might just be easier to have it installed and just rip it out. |
| Tim | [email] [homepage] |
| #43 | Apr 16 2004, 04:07 pm |
|
Tim, did you manage to get some credit for the carpet or even have it NOT installed ?? I also plan on installing my own laminated floor, but they told me during the first appointment that Mattay does NOT deliver the house without the carpet, and off course, no credit. A friend recently bought a house from Sundial and could get some 150.00 credit if no carpet was installed on living and dinning rooms.
To add a door from the garage to the living room, it would cost CD$ 1,500.00 !!! Also, upgrade the stairs (from carpet to laminated) is QUITE expensive....in my model (Canyon Oak - Upper Glen Abbey - Oakville) it's CD$ 3,011.00.....and the bad news is that everyone is telling me that it's a hell lot of work if you plan to do this yourself afterwards...can anyone share his/her experiences ??? Thanks. |
| Andre | [email] |
| #42 | Apr 12 2004, 06:24 pm |
|
Great site for someone who is thinking of buying a Hawthorne Village home. We're wrestling with the pros and cons of new and resale so I'm very interested in all your comments. Might be easier to buy resale and change what one doesn't like.
Have any of you investigated the other builders in the Milton area and why did you choose Mattamy? Nancy |
| Nancy | [email] |
| #41 | Apr 07 2004, 02:19 pm |
|
Hello everybody.
I would like to share with you our bad experiences with Mattamy and its contractors, and also to make you aware in regards to parquet flooring, probably other wood flooring also, and with the kitchen cabinets provided by Canac!! We just moved in our house we bought in Milton - Hawthorne Village Phase 9 A, and after just one week in the house, we were stunded to discover that the parquet floor that was instaled in our living room, was eaten by bugs!!! The entire parquet had holes and bug's tunnels inside!!! We requested immediately to have this removed from the house together with the plywood!! Right now they are trying to remove everything, and install new parquet but we don't know if this is going to happen again with the new one. We also brought into the house a pesticide company to investigate this and they told us that the parquet has already been infested before, and the wood has already had the eggs inside. Most likely from the deposit were the wood was kept and the eggs have developed when we moved in and the heat was turned on!! So, it means that not only our parquet is infested but all the other wood flooring could be also affected!! Check this in your house and notice immediately the builder!! Please be aware of this problem, if you installed in your house wood floors, which by the way it comes from the same company that Mattamy works with, you could experience the same problem!!! Another big problem is with the kitchen cabinets. People from the Design Center forgot to order for us 3 cabinets!! Finally they accepted as their fault and agreed to order three (3) more cabinets for us. After almost 12 weeks of waiting, when they brought the cabinets in there were only two (2) cabinets!!! So, as you see and as I was reading all the problems that all of us have experienced with Mattamy, I was thinking that we can’t accept this kind of treatment from Mattamy especially when we paid for our houses and upgrades! |
| Adrian | [email] |
| #40 | Apr 06 2004, 12:25 pm |
| I think too many people think installing pot lights is a difficult thing to do afte the fact and get conned into over paying for them through the building. you can get potlights install after the fact by a licence electrion for a fraction of the price the builder charges even with them haveing to fish wires through the wall. |
| David | [email] |
| #39 | Apr 02 2004, 06:10 pm |
|
Joseph,
All good points. I have to comment on number (3) however. There is no way Mattamy is going to give you a penny back on anything you ask them NOT to do especially a kitchen. In fact they'll likely charge you more. For example, I asked for carpet not to be installed in certain rooms since we thought we'd do hardwood ourselves. I believe there was their standard BS $100 charge for them to do paperwork. Also they wouldn't deliver the carpet uninstalled (since you've paid for it). You have to go pick it up somewhere. As for the kitchen I would have loved for Mattamy not to install their absolutely horrible Canac kitchen so that I could get one of a number of friends in the business to put in a decent kitchen. But the cost of that without gettting a cent back from Mattamy was just too much. Tim |
| Tim | [email] [homepage] |
| #38 | Apr 02 2004, 05:09 pm |
|
Here are a few tips from my recent move to a Mattamy home:
1) Focus on Structural upgrades - The rest is cheaper to do later. 2) If you take flat ceilings on the main floor, you can have pot lights installed latter at a fraction of the Mattamy cost. 3) If you are going to upgrade/modify your kitchen - shop around and see if Mattamy will give you credit for not taking their kitchen. 4) Counter tops -Corian are much cheaper if you shop around compared to the Mattamy price (I got them for about half the Mattamy price) 5) Cornice moulding is easy to get for less than half the Mattamy price. 6) Get everything in writing from the Design Centre and Head office when ever you ask for details, Mattamy will only honour any thing in writing. 7) Your stress level at when you move in will be directly proportional to the amount of upgrades you take if you are particular about quality and finishes. All the best Joseph |
| Joseph |
| #37 | Apr 02 2004, 10:52 am |
|
If anyone has Design Center feature/upgrade prices for the Tothburg II model in Hawthorne Village, Milton (even last year or the year before prices) please email me as I'd be interested in a copy. If anyone has purchased a Tothburg II model house in Hawthorne village I'd also be interested to email/chat (or if you could post some comments here) with you about your experiences.
Best regards!! |
| Rick Di Lorenzo | [email] [homepage] |
| #36 | Apr 02 2004, 01:36 am |
|
Rick,
Yes, you will find a lot of upgrades expensive. What you might want to do for a price list is ask here for a price list for such and such a model. I'd be glad to send whatever I have but I don't think they make my model anymore. Andre has also offered to send his list. Perhaps we should just start a webpage with all these price lists available. Then Mattamy will just have to make them available to anyone who asks. I see no reason for them not to give out this information out other than to avoid having people run the other way and not buy from them. Although, you'll probably get the same thing from all builders so its not like they are unique here. The Agreement for Purchase is completely in Mattamy's favour. Before you walk away with it the sales people will tell you NOT to bother trying to ask for any changes because they won't make any. Actually they do suggest 1 or 2 very minor things that they say you should/can change but nothing else. Other requested changes will be completely rejected, you'll be tossed aside and they'll take the next person dying to buy the house. I guess they do the 1 or 2 changes just to make you feel like your getting something but its complete BS. I don't think this is something unique with Mattamy although I have to figure some builders are a little more flexible. When I asked my lawyer he said I wouldn't want to waste the dollars for him to submit any changes as they would be rejected. I pretty sure he said this before I actually explained that they told me they wouldn't accept any. So this seemed to be pretty common among builders (at least in the GTA). To this day this issue has bothered me. I see it as a real flaw in the industry that nobody seems to want to do anything about. The buyer just takes whatever the builder wants to include in the contract and there is nothing you can do about it other than not buy the house. Yes, unfortunately its easier to have Mattamy do the upgrades and also you'll have them when you move in but getting your own contractor is definitely the way to go. With only a minimal amount of due diligence you should be able to find twice the workmanship/quality for half the cost at least. Tim |
| Tim | [email] [homepage] |
| #35 | Apr 01 2004, 08:46 pm |
|
As far as I know, anyone can go to the Designer Centre on the weekends...during weekdays, you MUST have an appointment, but on weekends the doors are open..I've been there before signing the dotted line.
Regarding some upgrades, they gave me a huge list (and later on sent me another list by mail) with lots of upgrade choices..some of them are specific related to the house/model/elevation that you're buying but I guess it can be a reasonable reference. If anyone wants a copy of it, please email me. Cheers. |
| Andre | [email] |
| #34 | Mar 31 2004, 10:29 pm |
|
Wow..Sounds like some of the feature/upgrades are expensive.
Did anyone buy the Tothburg II at Hawthorne Village? Maybe remember some of the upgrade/feature prices?? Or even have an old price list?? Also the Agreement for Purchase and Sale/Offer from Mattamy....Has anyone had a lawyer look at it? Is it a standard builder purchase agreement or were there any gotchas? My assumption is Mattamy being such a large builder, it would almost be a waste of time to pay the extra $$ to have a lawyer look at it since Mattamy probably wouldn't change it anyways?? True/false? We wanted to have a lot of cornice molding/base board done but now it sounds like it may be bette for me to hire a contractor and have them do it. But then I have to (A) look for a good contractor (B) Schedule/time his work soon after we take possession of the new house. It would have been easier to have Mattamy do all the work we want but it sounds like the design centre feature/upgrades aren't that competitive :-( We still really love the houses/community. P.s. I've started a weblog at rick.dilorenzo.com Of our experiences up to date with Mattamy/Milton. Thank you Suzanne, Tim and David for your helpful advice! Thanks Tim also for keeping this discussion thread up. |
| Rick | [email] [homepage] |
| #33 | Mar 30 2004, 01:50 pm |
| For the Milton area, we were told that pot lights were $250 but if you bought 3 or more for one switch, it would be $230 each. Also, we were told that this amount included the switch. But I think they may be changing some prices since last summer. I have heard that other builders also charge a separate amount for the switch. We added another light in the kitchen and move an existing one, and there was only a small charge to do this, and the switch was included. There may be different pricing with each community |
| Suzanne |
| #32 | Mar 30 2004, 10:58 am |
|
I asked the sales office about the crown molding in one of the 50foot lot models in cambridge they told me that the model house had $30,000 in crown moldings. That was every room in the house. Looks nice but you can get it done way cheaper after the fact. I'm going to do my own.
our stairs are 2700 for the wood treads and risers. extra 100 to do square spindles, extra 900 to have it stained. We are having our pot lights installed after moving in. It is an easy item for an electrition to do, and way cheaper. The builder charges you 250 per pot light then don't forget an extra 116 for each wall switch you want them controlled by. We are having mattamy do the hardwood, upgraded underpad, cabinate upgrades and add some windows. But we are going to do our own crown moldings, baseboards, paint, french doors, pot lights, and light fixtures. |
| David | [email] |
| #31 | Mar 29 2004, 11:32 am |
|
Just to add a comment on the crown moulding - I think it's very overpriced at the builder level and you can get it done much cheaper after you move in. Just like Tim says, get everything you can't change later, and then make further changes once you move in.
By the way, the Tothburg home is just beautiful - what a great choice. Have you checked out www.mls.ca for the home listings in the Milton area? There's a few Tothburgs on the market, but of course they're not as pretty as the model home!!! |
| Suzanne |
| #30 | Mar 29 2004, 11:29 am |
|
Rick, my maple stairs with the matching maple bannister was $3900, but this included the few stairs down to the powder room, ceramic tile in the area before the powder room (instead of carpet), hardwood in the computer loft area. My upper hallway was $1400 for maple hardwood. They use Bruce flooring, which you can get at Home Depot, but after installation prices, you might just be paying the same amount. We're doing our living/dining room in hardwood at a later date.
I thought the cabinet upgrades in the kitchen were very reasonable compared to some other builders. My friend has bought a National Home in Oakville and he's being "killed" by the prices of the upgrades. I don't know what the metal railings for Mattamy's stairs are, but National's are $5100 !!! We upgraded our kitchen cabinets and also deleted a pantry which meant we had to pay for the additional cabinets and counter in that space. The total for all of these changes and upgrades did not exceed $5,000. Our 9 ft ceilings on the main floor were $10,000. I find the quality of the upgrades we purchased are superb and those workers who installed everything did a wonderful job. Our maple stairs and hardwood hallyway upstairs do not squeak. I have not found any squeaking in the house, but I'm giving it time to settle - they're probably going to start in a few months. But apparently they come back for the year-end inspection to deal with these squeaks (so they tell me) |
| Suzanne |
| #29 | Mar 28 2004, 09:39 pm |
|
Rick,
Prices you posted look like they are in the ballpark from what I remember a few years ago. Perhaps just slightly on the low side so expect them to be a bit more. What I would do (and did) was beg, borrow, lie and steal to get a price sheet. Upgrades are definitely a huge profit generator for Mattamy. If there is anything you can do afterwards I suggest doing that. Of course some things you just can't do afterwards like 9' ceilings etc. I specifically recall checking some pricing on hardwood floors and could have had much better quality floors put in for much less. Expect Mattamy to have a huge markup on anything you upgrade. |
| Tim | [homepage] |
| #28 | Mar 28 2004, 04:58 am |
|
I just posted #68 below, but couldn't fit it all into one comment.
I wanted to continue with some answers I have that may or may not help others (got these by asking sales reps at Mattamy, the all gave caveats that this is just their estimate and we really have to wait until AFTER we purchase the house to find upgrade prices. (1). Pot Lights as an upgrade are approx $230 per light (2). Cold cellar is approx $1500 to $2000 (3). 8 foot high coventry interior doors approx $120 per door (4). 9 foot ceiling on the second floor for the Tothburg II model (milton) is approx $6000 (5). Opening up the stairs to the basement would cost minimum around $10,000. Having it similar to the Tothburg II upgrade (i.e. foyer in basement with curved stairs) is more like $20,000 I noticed other upgrade feature options like paint, carpet, etc. Any people who visited the design center and compared the standard paint/carpet to upgrades, did you stick with the standard or go with upgraded? All the models have "upgraded" carpet/paint. Is the standard carpets cheap in comparison to the design center upgraded carpet selections? Another general question is if the Design Center at Mattamy is a "profit generator" for the company or not? Meaning are the prices reasonable to what someone could get if they hired a contractor to do some of the renovations themselves? Many prices should be lower considering these features are being done as they build the house while in a typical reno upgrade the contractor has to tear out the old work/stuff before he can replace it with new. But is Mattamy marking up the cost on feature/upgrades? Or do the prices serve to just carry their costs (including design center infrastructure/staff). This is similar to buying a new car, car dealerships use the post-sale features like rust-protection, fabric protection, extended warranties to really make extra margin/profit and these features are usually way over priced by the dealership. Or on the other flip of the coin is Mattamy making their money mainly on the selling of the house, and is the design center features priced reasonable to make it worth having them do the upgrades rather than having a third-party contractor do it months after the move-in. Right now we're looking at houses at Hawthorne Village/Milton (Mattamy) but would also like to hear from people who recently purchased Mattamy homes in other areas! |
| Rick | [email] |
| #27 | Mar 28 2004, 04:56 am |
|
Design Center questions.
We're looking at some Mattamy homes in Milton, but we have some questions about Design Center upgrades/features. Mattamy doesn't seem to want to answer these type of questions unless we have already bought a house/signed-the-dotted line? You can't even visit the design center unless you've already made a purchase. I have some questions I'm hoping some people in this forum who have already bought a mattamy house and have gone through the design center can answer. 1. Oak hardwood floors. Any ideas on the price range the design center costs for this? Some of the model homes we saw in Milton (example being the Tothburg II) had Oak hardwood floors as an upgrade. Is there a per sqf price? 2. Maple stairs with carpet runners. Upgraded maple handrails with steel pickets on stairs. Stained staircase and handrails. Again I realize there is no exact price. It depends on the house, type of handrails, etc. But anyone gone through the design center and know a good range to budget for this? 3. Upgraded kitchen cabinets. We really want to pick cabinets that we really like, so are not planning on skimping. But I can't think of a good budget for this item. Anyone buy a tothburg II? And know what they paid for kitchen cabinets/drawer upgrades? 4. Granite countertops. This is got to me the most expensive upgrade in the kitchen. So we may skip on the granite and go with something cheaper. But as a starting point, what's the range on granite countertops? Realizing that it depends on the countertop size (i.e. some models have small countertop real-estate while others have huge ones). 5. Cornice molding throughout. The model homes have molding almost in everyroom. We like it and will probably want this in most of the rooms as well. Is this expensive? cheap? Any guess-timates or people who have paid for this on any mattamy model home types? 6. Same question as #5 but for upgraded floor & wall tiles (Slate, or ceramic, etc..) |
| #26 | Mar 26 2004, 09:31 am |
|
wondering what people think of their hardwood floors installed by mattamy? Are they squeaky? I've heard about other builders floors being squeaky but haven't heard any Mattamy experiences. I found one floor board in the model home that squeaked.
|
| David | [email] |
| #25 | Mar 15 2004, 03:29 pm |
| I'll repeat something Suzanne said. Check everything. This applies to both during the design process and while the house is going up. Visit as often as you can and make sure you report when things are not as they should be. Do it in writing and certainly don't bother with the workers onsite. There are a few decent ones but the majority couln't care and will ignore anything you have to say to them anyway. |
| Tim | [email] [homepage] |
| #24 | Mar 15 2004, 01:35 pm |
|
I am really shocked by their decision. We ordered all our upgrades last August for our Milton home and we just had our PDI where drawers were in each bathroom. I had heard last summer that some builders don't offer drawers, but I never asked our design rep. I was not expecting the drawers but was pleasantly suprised they were there (2 in each bathroom).
As far as my PDI went, we found minor problems inside, and some painting and our porch unfinished outside. We were really pleased, but I'll keep you posted if I find any problems once we move in. For the Design Centre, our Rep was nice enough. The only comment I would make is CHECK EVERYTHING!! We told her our choices, then we made some changes, which I e-mailed to her. She responded to the e-mails, but when we went to sign the papers, the changes weren't made. Because a lot of the tiles are by codes, it wasn't easy to see that the changes weren't made. It was a really good thing that we checked each item on our list (better safe than sorry). Also, we told her about 5 times that we wanted pull outs in the island, but it slipped past us, and at our PDI, we realized that they weren't there and we didn't pay for them! Just a minor thing, but we should have paid more attention that she was actually inputting the stuff onto the computer and not just talking. But all in all, this was very pleasant experience, and we would buy another Mattamy again. (Although it seems like we might have to pay for bathroom drawers the next time !!!) |
| Suzanne |
| #23 | Mar 15 2004, 12:32 pm |
|
Wow, seems like they are really cheaping out. Imagine buying a house for a couple hundred thousand dollars and then finding out that you don't get some basic items and then have to pay for them as upgrades.
It is like buying a car and finding out that you need to pay extra after the fact for a steering wheel. Great move Mattamy. Does anyone know if other builders are doing this? I still find this really hard to believe. |
| Tim | [email] [homepage] |
| #22 | Mar 15 2004, 10:16 am |
| I just checked with the sales office as well and they confirmed that a single bank of drawers are standard in the kitchen but there are no drawers included as standard in the bathrooms. This is for the Mattamy Upper Country club development in Cambridge. on there largest lot they are offering. Interesting to note that they included bathroom drawers in other developments. |
| David | [email] |
| #21 | Mar 13 2004, 06:09 pm |
|
Dave,
Unless something has changed drastically from when we purchased, drawers are definitely included everywhere. You usually have a pick of the standard grade styles. Depends however on the model of the house as well if I recall. Some things that were standard in our model were not in others. But drawers I figure have to be standard. If you're dealing with the same person at the design center as we were and you are not getting clear answers on these kinds of things I suggest you ask to deal with someone else. There are definitely some that don't have a clue what they are doing there. Also, don't trust that if they go through a huge checklist of stuff that they have covered everything. Ask as many questions no matter how stupid you think they are. They left out a number of things we would have liked to know and only found out about after it was too late. It is also a good idea to talk to other buyers in the design center that might be further along in the process as yourself. |
| Tim | [email] [homepage] |
| #20 | Mar 13 2004, 03:27 pm |
|
I was told drawers in the bathroom was an upgrade. Hmm I have some more questions to ask of the design center on my next meeting.
Then again they also gave us the impressiong kitchen drawers were all upgrades till we further pressed the issue and got it clarified that a single set of drawers was included. |
| David | [email] |
| #19 | Mar 11 2004, 01:28 pm |
| You also get drawers in each bathroom with a vanity |
| Suzanne |
| #18 | Mar 10 2004, 11:07 am |
| single set of drawers are included standard with the kitchen. |
| David | [email] |
| #17 | Mar 09 2004, 12:40 pm |
| Design center: anyone been told that their kitchen has no drawers as standard equipment? |
| David | [email] |
| #16 | Feb 23 2004, 09:43 am |
| I bought a townhouse in the Scarborough Rouge River. So far, my completion date has been moved to October, 2004 from August, 2004. I will make comment as I fo forward. |
| Ying | [email] |
| #15 | Feb 19 2004, 09:33 pm |
|
Andre, it all depends. From what I hear other builders aren't much better and you can definitely end up with worse as well. The industry is really just pathetic.
As for Mattamy or any other home builder when resolving issues after the fact, never ever sign anything until everything is the way you want it. You'll also have to make up your mind whether you want to chase things up and spend what amounts to almost a full-time job chasing them down to fix things. Perhaps the best thing to do is from the very start is to fax them your issues and when they don't respond in a timely manner, fax them again, copy the head office, copy the president and copy Ontario New Home Warranty and let them know you are doing this. When they say they will be out to do something and don't, fax them again and copy everyone again. Don't let up, don't take no for an answer and don't put up with any of their crap. |
| Tim | [email] [homepage] |
| #14 | Feb 19 2004, 10:44 am |
|
I just bought a townhome in the UGA West (Oakville) to be delivered in January 2005.
I'm glad I found this website, but kind of scared to death as I see so many complains about work NOT being done even after months (years in some cases)...I have a couple friends who owned Mattamy homes in Mississauga and were so happy ! Well....I still have 7 days to change my mind.....should I ???? |
| Andre | [email] |
| #13 | Feb 13 2004, 07:03 pm |
| Sue, no I do not but as Suzanne pointed out in comment #53 checkout comment #29 |
| Tim | [email] [homepage] |
| #12 | Feb 13 2004, 05:22 pm |
|
Any additional comments on the Mattamy homes up in Brampton. I've already purchased the Austin (A elevation) and would like to know if anyone has encountered any problems up there. Also, please shoot out any advice you can offer a first time home buyer.
Thanks in advance! |
| Matt |
| #11 | Feb 13 2004, 10:23 am |
| Sue, see response #29 from Frank Michlick. He has a website (www.i.m.fm.com) and he talks specifically about the Wildberry model and the kitchen design. It sounds like you have to pay for the kitchen design redo and he's trying to remedy this. Good luck. |
| Suzanne |
| #10 | Feb 12 2004, 04:57 pm |
|
Hi Tim,
Yes, apparently, their are design issues with respect to the kitchen in the Wildberry Corner model. Do you currently reside in this model? |
| Sue |
| #9 | Feb 11 2004, 05:00 pm |
|
We were very excited when purchasing our first home......we thought it would be a great experience! We were surely mistaken the moment we walked into the design center. We were told by the experienced sales people that tiles were standard in our home as well as other items.
Then we moved into our new home and we were very shocked at the behaviour of the construction workers outside, who were and are extremely rude and love to get in your way on purpose!! We won't go through the details of everything we have gone through and are still going through today even after 10 months. Our overall experience of Mattamy Homes are extremely terrible. Unfortunetly for them we will not be recomending Mattamy to anyone we know! Chloe & Jacob |
| Chloe & Jacob |
| #8 | Feb 11 2004, 12:32 pm |
| I had a kitchen layout problem also. They had a pantry that wasn't very well thought out and wasnt very functional. I had them delete it. They didn't charge me for the change, only for the extra cabinets and counter. |
| Suzanne |
| #7 | Feb 11 2004, 01:26 am |
|
Sue,
Is it issues/concerns with that specific model of house? |
| Tim | [email] [homepage] |
| #6 | Feb 10 2004, 10:07 pm |
| I have recently purchased a Mattamy Townhouse, the Wildberry Corner model and am interested in any comments with respect to it's kitchen layout/design. I have read that there are issues/concerns and would like to hear your comments/suggestions. |
| Sue |
| #5 | Feb 06 2004, 08:49 pm |
| is there something we need to be apprehensive about? we bought a house in hawthorne village and we'll be closing by november of this year. we really don't know what to expect with a combination of positive and negative feedback from mattamy buyers. but it sure would be nice to hear from someone who has worked with the builder. |
| hehi |
| #4 | Feb 06 2004, 08:41 pm |
| think i'd like to hear what you wanna say rob. why not let it out in the open on this |
| hehi |
| #3 | Feb 06 2004, 02:23 pm |
|
anyone interested in talking with an ex employee of mattamy milton ?
email doddrj@aol.ca |
| rob | [email] |
| #2 | Jan 11 2004, 01:26 pm |
| Man, if you guys think that those girls at the Hawthorne Village sales office were good looking, then you have really low standards. |
| Demitri | [email] |
| #1 | Dec 17 2003, 07:50 pm |
| I agree with you there, Mattamy have the good lookers! |
| Dmitri |