Shopping for a home is not like buying a car, yet many people approach it that way.  When purchasing a car, you know that it was manufactured at the same place.  Consistency is a given, so it's a simple matter of finding the best price from the dealer of your choice.

    The building business is not nearly as straight forward.  No two builders use the same specifications or build their homes exactly alike.  Therefore, all the differences in materials and construction technique must be identified and a value assigned.  (We are more than happy to help you with this process.)

    In addition to looking at the basic specifications it is important to know what is not in the specs.  For instance, some builders do not use gable overhangs, they put crawl spaces under certain sections of their homes.  Unless you are an expert at reading blue prints and looking for these items, they could be easily missed.  During construction and after the money has been borrowed is not when you want to find out you are not getting something you assumed you were.

    Just the fact that a home is very complex with lots of individual components makes it difficult for many people to know exactly what they bought.  For instance, some of our customers are pleasantly surprised to find that all our attached garages come insulated, drywalled and painted with a bearing wall beneath the concrete for extra support.  None of our volumn competitors include these items in their price.  Our goal is to build your home to the type of upgraded specs that most people would expect from a custom builder without cutting everything back to the bare bones in order to advertise a cheap price.  That's where some builders get you.  The add ons have high mark ups.

    The word quality is probably the most ubiquitous word you will see in every builder’s literature.  You see it so much that you take it for granted and you shouldn't.  What does it really mean?

    The finest materials don't mean a thing if they're not put together properly by knowledgeable people.  Quality sub-contractors are more difficult to find every year.  Some of our subs have been with us for 20 years and most at least 5 years.

    Some builders sell as many homes as possible and recruit new subs off the street.  Some try to hire the least expensive subs (usually not the best).

    At Trademark we realize that true quality comes at a price.  We value and promote our sub-contractor relationships and we don’t compromise.  The proof is in the final product.

    Ask your prospective builders to see a home near completion, look around and “kick the tires".  Ask for references.

    Service after the sale, during construction and after completion are also important aspects of quality that people don’t always think about. 

    Of course price is always important, we all like to get a good deal, but a savy consumer also needs to look at value, reputation, and yes, quality when choosing a builder.