Colorado B.S. Thread

We have a new neighborhood being developed right now just down the street from mine that is supposed to all be solar powered.

https://www.meritagehomes.com/why-meritage

 

You're not still up here, are you?

 

Would be interesting to see how much that (and their other efficiency construction) adds to the cost compared to other, similar new construction in the same area. I see prices from 375 to north of 750, but then 375 even sounds reasonable or cheap for a 30 year old house at this point depending on where you are.

 

Funny that you linked that. I’m about to start a home build with them near Erie this week. I don’t think solar is included though.

 

Be sure to continuously check your build frequently with Meritage to help minimize shortcuts they might take and call them out on anything you see that looks wrong. We were unfortunately still in California while our home was being built, but they did resolve most issues without too much resistance. It just would have been easier to point them out before the home was complete like most of my neighbors were able to do, and less mess.
Also very important to watch how they do the foundation. When Meritage was building homes in Leyden Rock they would excavate the full area including the garage, pour the foundation, then backfill the garage back in before pouring the slab BUT not properly compact the garage soil. They would just run a tractor back and forth a bit and call it good. Almost every single home ended up getting parts or all of the garage floors replaced within a year. The corners would sink and cause the garage floors to heave in the middle. They were refusing to fix them for most people until I started educating my neighbors on how to tell the builder what is wrong and for them to tell the builder to bring in the concrete guy so he can force the repair.

 

Good to know. I have a good friend who lives within walking distance in Vista Ridge so we will probably be there at least once a week checking on it once construction is underway.

 

Good to hear. Just keep them honest and they are a good builder.
If you see anything weird on the concrete side take pics and send me a PM. I come from 3 generations of concrete and aggregate, fortunately I went the tech direction
Dad was a mix design developer / quality engineer and owned his own ready-mix company in Vegas in the latter part of his career. So I've been around it enough and can hit him up if there's something I'm not sure of.

 

Thanks, man. This is my first new build and the process is just beginning so I’m trying to watch out for all the gotchas. It helps that my in-laws are realtors and also ran a property management business for a while so hopefully it’s mostly smooth sailing once it gets going.

 

My wife and I have been thru 4 new build and I would like to offer a piece of advice.

Take pictures of everything, take it slow and snap away!

It pays off huge dividends once drywall goes up. Even with great custom builders, things can and do happen.

The nice thing about the pictures is that when you might want to add or modify certain things, you can go back and see the “bones” of the house.

Two other suggestions:

You can never have too many outlets!

You can never have too many spigots!


If you think you need either...just go ahead and have them put in.

 

You’re building in Vista Ridge? I suggest you take EXTRA pictures of anything related to the foundation...

 

Vista Highlands on the NE side of Sheridan and Highway 7. Are there settling issues with the foundations? I remember when they were building up Rock Creek in superior that there were a lot of issues there

 

That may be ok on that side of the road. If it was actual Vista Ridge I’d be worried, considering it was built on a former dump and Mike High Shooting Park.

 

Na it was just a quick turn and burn to pick up the lcas

 

Finally got my solar hooked up. Wound up just saying ef it and drilled into the cap. Much lower profile that way.

Of course, it’s cloudy as holy crap when I get it done so I have to wait until tomorrow to drink my Busch Light and stare at the charging numbers.

 

Unless it gets hailed on before tomorrow...

 

I hate you.

 

@johntoyota I need a chain saw...

 

It’s in my truck

 

And where are you and why am I not there??

 

But did you pull that tree down with your winch?