Essex Homes Southeast, Inc. strives to be a leader in providing all levels of new homes in the South Carolina Midlands area with all aspects: value, design, quality, and after sales service. Essex Homes Southeast, Inc. is committed to providing you with a quality built home, in warm and inviting communities so that you have: Read more
THE KEY TO BETTER LIVING!
With Warmest Regards, KARL HASLINGER Chairman & CEO , Essex Homes
Guildmaster Award Winner
2010 Guildmaster With Distinction
Affiliations GuildQuality
To anyone listening to me or reading this write up, I would recommend Essex homes. I have bought many homes prior to this one and they have options that other companies do not offer. The options were greater than with brand new homes.
While working with Essex Homes the sales and building process went smoothly. I think that the warranty issues and repairs have not been addressed appropriately or in a timely manner. However, Essex Homes does offer a good value and product.
I have nothing negative to say about Essex Homes. It is a great home. I would recommend them to anyone shopping around for houses. It is built to my satisfaction and it will have a long life.
We were very disappointed in the amount of problems that were discovered during a pre-settlement inspection and walkthrough of the home 30 days prior to closing. I created a âpunch listâ of items requiring attention after the building inspection was performed which was provided to Essex Homes. It was our understanding that this list of issues would be addressed prior to our final walkthrough. It was very apparent during the walk through that Essex did not address any of the issues.Our pre-settlement inspection was a very disparaging experience due to all of the problems. It was evident that shortcuts were taken to expedite the finishing of the home and a final and/or thorough inspection of the home was not completed by Essex Homes. Either way, it should be good business practice to ensure that these types of items and issues are found and fixed prior to a pre-settlement inspection, especially when it is performed days before the scheduled closing.Some of the notable issues we had with Essex Homes are as follows: 1) The home was not painted very well and the walls throughout the home did not appear to have been sanded good enough prior to applying the second coat of paint. There are several areas of the home which have rough paint and/or missing paint (i.e. every closet, ceilings, several bedrooms, and hallways); 2) The trim work throughout the home needed much attention. Most of the trim was installed without applying putty and painting the nail holes. The general condition of the homes trim was not good and had multiple nicks, gouges, scratches, etc... and were not painted very well;3) The fireplace mantel needed repair, including sanding, painting, and trim work as previously mentioned. In addition, the fireplace (gas log) was not operational and needed replacement;4) The garage entry door was installed improperly. During the original building inspection, it was noted that the door and frame were in need of repair. Not only did Essex Homes not fix the door and frame, but they tried to simply knock it in place and fill 1 inch gaps with caulk. The frame didnât line up, you could see daylight through the corner, feel a draft, and it was just plain ugly;5) The front door and weather stripping was not installed properly. Daylight could be seen around 75% of the door. Daylight can still be seen at the bottom right corner of the door;6) The bath mirrors were glued to the walls and were in need of repair due to chipping. Essex had to replace the mirrors during closing.Essex did not provide us with good customer service and we did not feel that Essex Homes cared about us or the home. It is difficult to trust a builder and believe you are being taken care of when you perform a walk through and find so many issues that were previously identified and stand out like a sore thumb. Essex Homes may need to improve on its internal inspection policies to ensure that homes are more presentable and provide a better assurance of quality construction and care.Essex Homes presented us with an explanantion that homes are built by humans who make mistakes and that a home can't be 100% perfect. We agree, however, the issues were simply not fixed after the walkthrough of the home and some were ignored. When it appears that a builder almost goes out of its way to ensure that the problems are not promptly or properly fixed, it makes me wonder what other issues I will have with the home that I can't see! I have my fingers crossed regarding the roof, foundation, plumbing, etc......................
Cynthia Robbins is a great person to work with. She spares no expense in getting you what you want. She really does her best to get you in the house in a timely manner, and she worked with our mortgage company. Even when the mortgage company wasn't doing right, she was on them and took the reigns. I thought that was pretty good. I've purchased a house before, and in the past the agent didn't do anything close to what she did.
Essex Homes worked very closely with us when we were designing our home.The process was handled in a timely manner. The designers walked us through each step. Any time we had a problem, someone got back to us in a timely manner. The staff was very patient and courteous. We had some changes and they accommodated us. The overall experience was excellent. I would recommend them to anyone.
The quality of Essex Homes is far superior to others. They will work with you before and after construction to ensure that the vision of your dream home is complete.
I would recommend other clients and friends to buy from Essex Homes because you can depend on them to have everything squared away in order for you to get a home. Everyone was knowledgeable about our home, even the design center.
Overall the quality of my home is good. I love the setup of the house and the square footage. The standard upgrades in the house are nice, but my upgraded hardwood floors are a cheap quality. This was very disappointing to me considering I had the whole downstairs upgraded to hardwoods.
When looking at other builders, we were absolutely sure that we were going to go with an Essex Home. We were very happy witht he quality of the design and build of Essex' homes.
Overall we are very satisfied with our home. Its a beautiful home. Its very spacious, and the floor plan seems to be well thought out. There is just plenty of room. All through the home you can see the quality of materials and workmanship. I would definitely recommend Essex Homes to a friend.
I have had a wonderful experience with Essex in the building of my home. The process was easier than I expected. The design of my house met my expectations. The rooms in my house are large and roomy. I just have been very pleased with the house.
My construction and move in process went smoothly, and I was satisfied. If I had to do this all again, I would choose Essex Homes. They met all of my expectations, and I'm satisfied
Essex was instrumental in turning our dreams into reality. Essex went outside of their norm to build our home in a custom neighborhood (and met the standards for the neighborhood). Essex wasn't as flexible as I would have liked, but we got great value and an awesome product. We love our home!
Initially, when deciding to purchase our home, we looked at Essex Homes first and were impressed with their neighborhoods, floor plans, quality, ammenities, and workmanship. However, we were under the impression that their homes were probably out of our price-point, but after comparing Essex to numerous other builders, we realized that Essex homes definitely gave us more "bang for our bucks" and moreover, they were affordable. Sure, we could have purchased a cheaper home, but we were more concerned with a QUALITY built home in a well-planned neighborhood with all the ammenities to suit OUR lifestyle. We definitely made the RIGHT decision and would recommend Essex to others in the home-buying market, thanks Essex Homes.
I feel that the house was misrepresented. I was told that the house would be very energy-efficient, but it is not. Our utility bills are outrageous. What was represented to me as a cost-efficient house is not cost-efficient at all. The AC contractor is not an easy person to deal with. They should be a little more particular with who they contract with. I would not buy another home from Essex, nor would I recommend them.
It has been a great experience working with Essex Homes. The house is lovely. They've been great. They were able to fix all my needs to my satisfation in a timely matnner
I think Essex Homes provides a quality home at a good price. They stand behind the quality of their work. They also work with you to keep you informed and resolves any issues that may come up.
I am very satisfied with the service we received. I am very satisfied with the quality of the home itself. I would definitely recommend Essex Homes to anyone looking because they go above and beyond with their quality to make sure their customers are always satisfied with their work.
Essex Homes does quality work. They are very well staffed. They are so courteous and user friendly. I just love my home. It was a house when they built it but now it is a home.
Before we purchased, there was tremendous research devoted to finding the perfect home. Knowing how particular we were, the decision was made to spend extra by purchasing new and ensuring quality throughout the process. The most important items that helped us to originally consider Essex was the excellent plans and the great lots that were available. When Essex was then compared to other builders, we decided to place considerable weight on the quality standards and practices as evidenced by several inspections on properties being built. With this knowledge in our pocket, we were able to begin working with Essex to build our dream home. Jeremy Gould is the sales agent at Colony Ridge and he was praised for his ability to work with demanding people in a previous email; I thought it worthwhile to bring up again here. He is very passionate about Essex and is a great salesman. Contract negotiations were mostly complete with the exception of the design studio addendums. We were sent over to the design studio to decide on specific selections. This was a terrible experience. We were originally motivated about this step as it should be the most exciting part of the new home purchase process. The design studio was not exciting and almost torpedoed the purchase a few times. The first problem that we were flabbergasted on was that a designer did not understand that ivory cabinets are not actually white, they are off-white. From our perspective there is also apparently not way on earth for Essex to purchase white cabinets. We even tried to see if we could get Essexâs cabinet or paint subcontractor to paint the cabinets for us (as an upgrade) but were told that it would void the warranty and mess up the finish. We were also told that unfinished cabinets cannot be purchased from the manufacturer, but a call to the manufacturer revealed otherwise. When presented with this, the answer was simply no (We were also told by the designer that nobody buys white cabinets except us). We then could go with the color that wasnât wanted for $3000 or another color that wasnât wanted and considered standard. We had within two weeks of the selections seen white cabinets at Lowes, Home Depot, many places online, the âThis Old Houseâ magazine, and watched at least half a dozen HGTV shows where white cabinets were highlighted. There were also several discrepancies in the forms/databases that were used. I expected that there would be closer attention to details on many items. When reviewing cabinet accessories, the mounding was listed as Oak trim. Since we chose the Birch cabinets, we didnât want to pay for the Oak trim as it is more expensive and it wouldnât be the same wood type as the cabinets. A call to Marsh cabinet distributers showed that Birch trim was available for our particular cabinets and was less expensive. When requested, the answer was that they charge the same for the trim regardless of Birch or Oak and that the trim would match the cabinets. If that was the case, it could have saved time and aggravation if noted properly on the options list. A glance at our contract addendum will reveal many hand written corrections that had to be scoured for correctness so that there wasnât misunderstandings later. Once all these aggravations were worked out, another appointment was set up to finalize choices including exterior color. A greenish color was chosen as well as other final selections. While the actual color name was not discussed, the color was vetted in many different lights to ensure the green color. A leap of faith was taken that the color chosen was the color that appeared on the design studio addendum since we were given no color swatches with names to compare. (For that matter, we were not provided any color swatches for flooring, paint, counter selections, or cabinets either, so we had to trust that Gwen would input the information correctly.) That Essex/Design Studio mistake cost us an extra $1500 in order for Essex to repaint the house the correct color when the color ended up a brown and not a green (We were given a discounted price since it was inputted into the system incorrectly by Essex).We may not have caught Essex's mistake, but we shouldn't have to double check your company's work either. My expectation was that it was done right the first time- Perhaps my expectations were set too high, or perhaps those are the expectations to work by. I would hate to find out that because I didn't scour the building plans that I signed off on means that walls will begin to collapse. Another issue that we ended up dropping because the effects were seen after install was our inquiry on wiring. We wanted 12 gauge wire (w/ 20-Amp breakers) exclusively through the house. Since the sales team and the designers didnât present it as an option, I asked if it was the same as the model and staff was unaware of any differences in wire. A check of the model revealed that it was wired in all 12 gauge wire (w/ 20-Amp breakers). The list (of model upgrades) during contract signing also did not list wiring as upgraded in the model so 12 gauge wire was supposed to be installed. The wiring in my new house is about half 14 gauge and half 12 gauge wire. In general, we kept asking about whether a certain upgrade was offered or not, and if it was unknown we would have trouble getting an answer. (i.e. We asked about whether the electrical panel was a 40/40 and didnât get an answer so we looked at what the model offered - In that case it worked out.) Finally after being frustrated, we asked for a list of all the upgrades offered on our plan so that we could chose. This actually revealed a couple more options that we didnât think of. The tankless water heater size upgrade was not originally considered/presented before looking at the list. Perhaps this would be useful up front so that clients are aware of what is offered if the design studio forgets. There was also some disjointed record keeping evident to the customer on at least one occasion. After not hearing anything about the options we chose for several days (the usual turn-around time for option list updates or questions through the design studio did not meet our expectations), we asked for the updated option list to include some other changes we made. The structured wiring selections were personally sent to the design studio (as it was worked out in conjunction with the subcontractor). The designer emailed us two days later to tell us that the original request for an updated option list would be fulfilled when the structured wiring paperwork came through. We were disappointed that over a quarter million dollars wasnât enough money to ensure care in reviewing our file. Several other homeowners have expressed dismay and disappointment with their design studio experience as well. The positive on this part of the process is that if you take thorough copious written notes and keep all documentation, Mr. Haney will work to honor promises and agreements made. There was another instance where we were told at another Essex site that a see-thru fireplace would be standard if we purchase the sunroom upgrade. This was revealed as not true, but Essex did stand behind the statement and offset the fireplace upgrade cost. Another problem that Essex corrected satisfactorily was during the selection of a fridge. We decided on getting a fridge after the initial appointment and asked for what options Essex offers, we were told there were options from 18-28cuft, that some have freezers on the bottom, and that they were Frigidaire. We were told to figure out which Frigidaire we wanted and email her back- so we went to the local appliance store and to Lowes looking for Frigidaire refrigerators (We were not given a list to chose from). We simply matched the stove and the dishwasher series to the 28cuft French door style model of the same series as would be in the Kitchen. This was apparently not an Essex option, but after some discussions, Essex was willing to sell it to us as a custom option. I appreciated them working with us to get the fridge that matched the other appliances and that we spent the afternoon trying to find. To close on an extraordinary highlight- The building process was phenomenal (with the exception of the latent design studio problems), Josh Miller and Charlie Barber were fantastic (Josh took over for Charlie after rough in stage). We happen to be very detail oriented clients and know exactly what we want. Your contractors were available to us and helpful at every turn. I cannot speak highly enough about their professionalism, knowledge, and personable nature. The house they built is beautiful and care was taken to ensure that they turned over a quality product. It is obvious that Essex attracts the best contractors and that they worked hard to please their clients. If there was a 5-star award or gold medal in the contractor industry, these two should be awarded. Please let me know if there is such a recognition in your industry for excellence that I can recommend them for. I will not hesitate to do so. Quality was not only demanded by your superintendants, but timeliness as well. They were able to finish our home ahead of schedule! Each of the subcontractors I met appeared very knowledgeable, personable, and hard working. They all appeared to take pride in their work and from what I could tell, care was taken to select each of them. From the clients perspective- they help promote the name of Essex in their quality workmanship.
I think their price per square foot cannot be beat. The quality and design of their homes is great. I think that a lot of the standard features in the style of house I got would have been upgrades from another builder. With Essex, quality comes standard.
I have been in the construction business for 10 years and have remodeled numerous houses. Essex Homes is the best build home I have ever seen, let alone lived in. All the employees are willing to do whatever it takes to make sure the customer is happy and satisfied. I will definitely recommend a Essex home to anyone.
Essex Homes is one of the finest builders and the best people to work with. They made the process quick, simple, and enjoyable. There was absolutely no stress at all working with Essex Homes.
I felt that they were very responsive to our needs. The price itself was very reasonable for the home and lot. There might be some issues with the materials but overall it has been a positive experiacne.
Get anything that anyone tells you in writing!!!! Somehow, certain Essex employees seem to forget what they tell you quite easily! If possible, get the person to sign a statement to have proof of what is said, especially regarding repairs.
I'm pleased with Essex Homes. I like the home and everything is going pretty well. Just minor things need to be fixed. When I built the home, I was under the impression that the rooms would be the same size, but I lost some space when I added the 5th bedroom. I'm overall satisfied and would recommend them to a friend or a relative. I love my home.
Out of my three home purchases in the last 5 years, this one was definitely the easiest and most cost efficient. They facilitated the easiest transition for my family and I.
My Essex Home is one of the rare finds that was able to satisfy all my needs. Essex Homes has exceeded my expectations. We went around to a lot of homes and fell in love with this one. Our kids love it too. I am very satisfied with my Essex Home.
These are high quality houses in a great community. Still, they shouldn't skimp on the paint, floors, wood, and deck. The dimensions in some rooms should have more room (for example the showers are very little, and the bathrooms are huge). Some architectural features should be more up to date.
As a GuildQuality Guildmember, Essex Homes relies on our customer surveying to help them deliver an exceptional customer experience.
We have surveyed customers on behalf of Essex Homes in Columbia, SC; Lexington, SC; Blythewood, SC; Elgin, SC; Irmo, SC; Waxhaw, NC; Camden, SC; Charlotte, NC; Fort Mill, SC; Rock Hill, SC; and 23 other cities in South Carolina and North Carolina.
In this report, Essex Homes has published a summary of the customer feedback they've received since they joined GuildQuality in April 2008. In that time, 1495 out of 2209 customers (68%) responded to a GuildQuality satisfaction survey, with the most recent response in January 2012.
Essex Homes is a candidate for a 2012 Guildmaster Award.
The Guildmaster Awards recognize exemplary service among home builders, remodelers,
developers, and home services contractors.
Click here
to review this year's qualifications.
To be eligible for consideration, Essex Homes must survey all
of their customers.
If you are a recent customer of Essex Homes and have not yet
received a customer satisfaction survey, please let us know.
We need your feedback in order to conduct a thorough review of Essex Homes's application.
Homebuilders, remodelers, real estate developers and home services companies pay GuildQuality for customer surveying and performance reporting. We refer to these companies as GuildQuality Members, Guildmembers, or members.
Our service helps Guildmembers monitor customer satisfaction and -- if they choose to publish survey feedback on our public website at guildquality.com -- articulate the quality of their service for prospective customers.
All of the Guildmember information we publish at guildquality.com has been provided to us either by the member (such as pictures of work and biographical information) or by their customers via one of our surveys (customer comments, performance summaries, and reviews).
All of the customer feedback that we publish is derived from the customers we survey. Our Guildmembers provide us with their customers' contact information, we conduct the surveys, they receive the feedback, and -- if they have chosen to make their feedback public -- the member's performance report is automatically updated to reflect the response. Members may choose to publish a summary of either all of their feedback or their most recent twelve months of feedback.
In addition to average performance ratings and survey statistics, GuildQuality also publishes two types of customer commentary: Comments and Reviews.
A comment has been provided by a survey respondent in response to any one of the survey questions we ask, and a member may or may not choose to publish it. Often customers provide unsolicited testimonials or compliments, and members can choose to share these comments in their published performance report.
Many Guildmembers choose to participate in our formal review process. These members have added an additional question on their survey: "If you'd like to provide a public review of your experience working with the Guildmember, please share it here." In contrast to comments, which a member selects to have published, we publish all reviews, provided they are at least 30 words long. With each review, we include a one to five star rating provided by the survey respondent.
It is important to note that GuildQuality does not endorse the qualifications of any company. We make no predictions, warranties or guarantees, expressed or implied, about the quality of any work a company on this website may provide. GuildQuality does not accept any liability whatsoever for any harm that might result from any statements presented on this website.
Prospective customers should weigh a multitude of factors when choosing the right building company, and never depend on a single source when making their decision to purchase a home or hire a contractor.
