Irvine Pacific build quality and Design Center Pricing

[jpatki]

First post. Currently in process of relocating from SF to OC, and targeting Irvine, specifically Orchard Hills Strada. TI has been ... enlightening and often frightening.

Can anyone here comment on the build quality of the IP homes, particularly in OH? My impression from exploring a dozen different homes at OH, SG, and PP -- is that it's certainly average (though the vinyl windows are a disgrace and a worrisome "red flag" to me that this is more about appearances than quality).

I noticed a thread from a few years ago where some posters had issues with poor customer service from the Design Center. Is this still an issue? Also, I am "impressed" with how the Sales Consultants have "no information" about the pricing of upgrades. Basically, you need to get pre-qualified, then drop 30k ("non-refundable" per one Consultant) and then once offered a chance to pick a home, you can go to the Design Center and -- even then -- nothing is clearly priced.

Is this all true? Can anyone who recently went through the process offer some insight?

I will happily read any threads that address these questions, BTW.

Thanks!

- Joe

 

[8porkchop]

I just moved into the Strada community and i have to say I love the community. As for build quality, I think it's the best I have had so far out of my 3 homes. But I must admit that I am just a layman when it comes to these things. As for the design center, all you need to know is that everything is marked up 50-60% more than what you could get outside. The only thing that came close to retail price was a counter depth fridge. As for costs of upgrades, of course they want to keep you in the dark as much as they can. Their goal is to get you to think that they can do things in proper steps and as conveniently as possible. There are some upgrades you should absolutely do through the  builder but that is another blog.

 

[Paris167]

Welcome to TI! although mostly entertaining, TI has been very useful in regards to all things Irvine - esp with vendor recommendations etc. Esp once you move into your new home you will find this site very helpful.
We just moved to OH but our builder is Taylor Morrison. Once we pre-qualified the sales team got me a copy of a 25 page thick design center options package with everything (including prices) offered at the design center. Not sure why Irvine Pacific cannot provide that - I know they can get it so be persistent.
As for the options through the design center there were some that we thought were very reasonable prices. The built in refrigerator was actually cheaper than what I could find on the market. And also things like tile design for the bathrooms, it would be cheaper to get done through DC than to get the basic, rip apart and re-install after sale of the home. Definitely flooring we did after COE because DC was charging some crazy amount. We mainly chose the counters, back splashes, bathroom flooring and of course extra recessed lights, Jboxes. Anything that needs prewiring, extra insulation is worth it etc. There are many threads on this.
Also keep in mind that anytime you do remodifications to your home after close of escrow and you go with an independent contractor to do those modifications, if you have problems with the home int he future they can void certain warranties or blame your independent contractors as culprit for the problem. That was mainly why all modifications to the kitchen and bathrooms we did through DC, we didn't want to void for ex our plumbing warranties in these areas.

As for build quality we've lived in older homes and certainly feel like the older homes are heartier and more sturdy. However these new homes are energy efficient and more practical, certainly more functional for us anyway. But at the ned of the day it is a tract house and not a custom build. I think our next home, we will definitely be doing more of a custom home but for now this will do  ;D

 

[lnc]

Overall the build quality of IP home are pretty good.  I don't have first hand experience with other builders but from what I've heard from others, I would consider IP's overall quality to be  better than average.  IP's build are not perfect but they have excellent after close customer service to take care of any defects and my experience with IP is very positive.

Regarding to pricing on upgrades, the sale office will only have the price info for the structure upgrade stuff like conservatory, bedroom to den option, shower instead of tub etc.  You will select rest of the home option from the design center and that's where you will get a lengthy option list with the price on them. But they will not give you the option list until you purchase a home.  Try ask on TI if you want to know the price of some option if you have not make a purchase yet.

The experience of design center depends on which consultant you are getting, your expectation, and your experience on home renovations.  After reading some of bad experience posted here on TI, it really prepare me for the design center process and I actually have a very good design center experience.  Read my tip here.http://www.talkirvine.com/index.php/topic,11163.msg248600.html#msg248600

 

[SunnyG]

We closed escrow in OH, corte bella earlier this month. Overall the experience has been positive. Felt like the sales process involved some creation of demand, but once we got over that and off the waitlist, it was fairly smooth sailing. After turning in our initial deposit, we got access to a website that showcased some of the available options along with costs. It was nice to see some of the things available before setting foot in the design center, but it was fairly basic and some upgrade costs were not possible to calculate on our own (such as flooring). Despite the known markups that the design center charges, we really appreciated the access to the various selections of materials under one roof. Our designer was quite good and we had a good vibe with him from the onset which set the tone for the remainder of the process. The home was finished a month ahead of schedule, so it all went by fairly quick. We did a few things after close of escrow, such as garage flooring, closets, cabinet rollouts, and fortunately it all went well, but it did involve some time and coordination to make it happen. The build quality appears fine, but I think time well tell. I've actually been surprised with how responsive the post purchase support has been.