We had many problems with SmithFamilyHomes (and its Warranty Department). We also tried many times to avoid having to publish this article, and put up a Web site outlining our complaints with SmithFamilyHomes... We communicated our complaint various times in good faith, and gave SmithFamilyHomes many chances to make us happy customers like the ones it claims on its corporate Web site. That's when a SmithFamilyHomes Warranty Department executive responded to us with:
"This is the home you purchased, and this is the way we build it."
Upon being informed we'd be putting up a consumers voice Web site (www.SloppyBuilder. Blogspot.com), we were notified by the same SmithFamilyHomes Warranty Department executive:
"I'm sure this attempt in futility will only help our sales efforts. Thank you!" And then, "Please be informed that you will be receiving a letter from our legal counsel."
(First, is this the kind of treatment you want from your next home builder? Second, since when is it breaking laws to inform other consumers of bad experiences with companies? We'll keep you apprised of all communications received from SmithFamilyHomes legal counsel for us sharing this information with you.)
Our Bad Experience with SmithFamilyHomes.
Here's just a sampling of the bad experiences we encountered with SmithFamilyHomes. This is why we have complaints about Smith Family Homes
Bad SFH Experience...
UNSIGHTLY DOOR OVERHANG. This bad Smith Family Homes experience most represents our overall problems with SmithFamilyHomes. Our master bedroom door overhangs the doorway into the bathroom by 9 inches. We asked that a senior SmithFamilyHomes representative come out to the house and look at it. The SmithFamilyHomes Warranty Department executive refused our request, and responded to us with:
" (The door) does not violate any building codes."... And, "Your request to have the doorway moved is denied."
Our questions to SmithFamilyHomes owners are: Maybe it doesn't violate building codes (that was never the question). The question isdo bathroom doorways at your SFH homes look like that? If not, then your customers" homes shouldn't, either.
Bad SFH Experience...
EXTERIOR ROOF. Because the facing of the roof on the lanai was left uncovered during construction for a very long period of time, rain was constantly getting into the house. We'd requested action on this issue, but response was slow. Now, it appears we may have water damage on the underside of the lanai ceiling. We plan to have this inspected soon.
Bad SFH Experience...
BONUS ROOM. Because our many SmithFamilyHomes Construction Supervisors didn't effectively coordinate the painters and dry-wallers, the paint and texture went on while there was still a large hole in the wall. After the wall was finally repaired, the second texturing didn't match the first texturing. It still doesn't match today.
Bad SFH Experience...
FLOOR TILES. It took a year to have several broken tiles replaced. About 3 or 4 times the SmithFamilyHomes flooring contractor would set a date to come out (so we'd take off work to be at the house), but no Smith Family Homes flooring contractor would show up. At one point a SmithFamilyHomes Warranty Department even spoke disrespectfully to us after we voiced frustration and displeasure. Also, SmithFamilyHomes didn't leave us with enough replacement tiles, which added to these problems.
Bad SFH Experience...
BATHROOM TILES. Three years later, we still have bathroom tile repair work that needs to be done, but because of the bad experience with the SmithFamilyHomes Warranty Department over the floor tiles, we just gave up and are doing it ourselves.
Bad SFH Experience...
MUD PUDDLE LAKE. We paid SmithFamilyHomes an extra $25,000 for a "conservation" lot, which was mainly a lake behind our house. The lake has turned out to be no more than a large, unsightly hole on the ground. We were never informed by anyoneSmithFamilyHomes or the developerthat the lake water would drain out to lowly "eyesore" levels. Whose culpable for this, we're not sure yet. All we know is, we now need to spend thousands of dollars to conceal what was supposed to be a $25,000 special feature (lake). Some in the neighborhood are currently exploring legal options. SFH owners, does your SmithFamilyHomes house look like that?
Bad SFH Experience...
LANAI CONCRETE STAINS. We have many concrete stains all over our lanai due to wet concrete being layered over top dried concrete. The SmithFamilyHomes Warrantee Department informed us we they wouldnt repair it. SFH owners, does your SmithFamilyHomes house look like this?
Bad SFH Experience...
SUPERVISOR DIJOUR. We lived in the same neighborhood where our SmithFamilyHomes home was being built. During the ten-month construction we went through approximately 5 SmithFamilyHomes Construction Supervisors.in those 10 months we never once saw a SmithFamilyHomes Construction Supervisor at our house.
Bad SFH Experience...
WALK THROUGH DAY. On our Walk-Through day, among many other issues, the house still had not been carpeted... There were still tiles missing... The kitchen counter had been destroyed due to contractor abuse... And the house still had not been cleaned. Basically, the house looked like a war zone, but SmithFamilyHomes intended to go through with the Walk-Through anyway. When we called our SmithFamilyHomes Construction Supervisor to raise issues, we were cussed-out by that SmithFamilyHomes Construction Supervisor. We then immediately requested that SmithFamilyHomes Construction Supervisor be removed from our project. The Construction Supervisor was never removed by the company.
We're not telling anyone to purchase (or not to purchase) a SmithFamilyHomes home. We're not saying don't buy a SmithFamilyHomes home. We're merely informing others of our complaints with SmithFamilyHomes, and the many problems with SmithFamilyHomes we encountered.
Tim
Wesley Chapel, Florida
U.S.A.
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