We've had a lot of conversations surrounding if we would recommend. In the end we would recommend, but not without hesitation. Our hesitation comes from the lack of ownership and accountability from Scott regarding the permit. The delay was significant, and we had to make big changes and decisions for what to do in between houses. We were told the permit delay was going to be about a week. In reality our house sat with no movement for a month. The quality of the build is great, but the process leading up to it, (with the exception of our design appointment, which was great) was the worst.

mcneil burbank did an excellent job. always kept me in the loop. if any issues ever arose, they fixed the problems immediately. and they were consistently ahead of schedule. highly recommend.

Really love the house and the overall experience, so I'd be happy to recommend them to a friend.

We had some polar experiences with McNeill Burbank - some parts of the experience were great (they were flexible, had areas of high quality, and fixtures/appliances were great). Communication was not as good as expected, and some areas of the build were poor quality for the price point of the home. Overall, there are many other builders who focus on their customer and value quality higher than McNeil Burbank.

We so wanted to love McNeill Burbank. We wanted this to be an excellent review. Sadly it’s not. We received zero customer service and worse yet, a far from adequate product. Our experience was very similar to the other negative reviews left here. We’ll highlight some of the issues we had in the following paragraph, but for those who want an honest review in a nutshell, here it is: we were taken advantage of, lied to about construction mistakes, and sold an inferior product even in comparison to the less expensive builders in the area. And although we’re disappointed in this outcome, it’s even more unfortunate for McNeill Burbank since we have strongly advised everyone we know (a large buying pool of family, friends, and neighbors who are looking to relocate to NC) against purchasing from them. Do yourself a favor and go with a better builder, maybe Dickerson.

We first tried to buy our house from McNeill Burbank (then under Saussy Burbank) at full asking price when it was listed on Zillow. However, after taking a week to mull it over, they finally told us that they decided not to sell it. Instead, they pulled it off the market and would sell it later as a spec house (they could see the market was turning into a seller’s market). So, we waited patiently for it to be relisted and bought it for 80 thousand more than the original asking price. We were willing to do this because we thought we knew what we were getting since we had the spec sheets for the build. Boy were we wrong. Unfortunately, we had no way of knowing this until it was too late. They refused to let us or our real estate agent see the project as it was being built, claiming it would be a liability because of the on-going construction. We thought this was odd since we were permitted to see several of their other projects while they were under construction. Anyway, when the time came for our walkthrough this is what we found: unfinished kitchen tile backsplash that they hilariously tried to pass off as a new design style, bathtubs that drained slowly, doors installed the wrong way (according to their own blueprints), a broken window, dead grass, no porch railing (although it was in code violation they claimed it met code by pushing some dirt up against it), graffiti on the garage walls and in the crawl space, and MANY, MANY missing upgrade items that were on the spec sheet including shower nooks. In addition to all this, moldings throughout the house were either missing, installed unevenly, or cut too short (which they remedied by filling with inch-thick caulk). Oh yes, must also mention the added surprise of the shutters and vent pipe falling off the outside of the house within the first few months (no inclement weather, just poorly installed). When all was said and done, we were so tired of the excuses and intentional deceptions that we decided to fix the biggest problems ourselves. Honestly, we did a better job anyway.

We wish McNeill Burbank had been willing to give a little (something like putting in the porch railing), just to show good faith or some kind of customer service. They’re not an honest or high-end builder.

there is no way that I would every recommend. In fact you should be embarrassed to have your name on on house and the poor quality of work and the outstanding issues that still need to be addressed. It seems like you have disappeared off the earth and left us on a deserted island

The quality of construction is not up to par.

Never!

My experience with the home purchase was ok. We bought a spec home but couldn’t negotiate anything with the buyer agent or we were told we’d lose the home. It wasn’t a great experience.

I think McNeil Burbank offers an aesthetic that few other builders in the area can match, but I also think that this is dulled a bit by some issues with the quality of construction that come out over time (i.e. excessive settling cracks, nail pops, etc that we don't see as much with other builders (we have multiple family members and close friends who have built in the area in recent years for comparison)

Please see below under general comments.

The interior craft for such as trim and painting were not good quality.

I really do like my house. And I chose this house because it has a floor plan as close to the one I wanted. But, there are design flaws that are so poorly thought out, they create logistical and maintenance problems. The house was well into construction when I purchased it, so I wasn't able to select upgrades. But even for contractor grade, the quality of the fixtures and lighting is astonishingly poor. I paid a premium price for the fence and a screened in porch. The fence is well on its way to falling apart and the porch has started to do the same- and the builder says they will only replace part of the fence even though it gets worse and worse each month. I haven't heard anything at all about their plans to repair the porch. At the time of the 11-month inspection in November 2021, I was told by the man who helped with my other issues that someone would be contacting me about repairing the fence and the porch - and I have yet to hear from anyone. When I moved in, among other things, stops were missing from 3 windows; the powder bathroom had no hardware (toilet paper holder, towel rack) at all; the towel rack in the 2nd master was installed at a 10-15 degree angle; at least half the trim in the house wasn't flush; the walls are not even in some of the rooms. The builder didn't finish the hardwood floors in the stain I chose and paid extra for. As a result of having to redo it out of sequence, the edge where the stain meets the baseboards is uneven throughout the house. The people I have dealt with have been very easy to work with and as helpful as they can be. But if you asked me if I would recommend this builder, I would be somewhat hesitant to do so.

This would've been a 5-star review, however there were corners cut with the construction & attention to detail. Our Saussy-Burbank home in Charleston, SC was of better build quality & finish.

We signed a contract only five weeks before closing, and some of our reviews have to be considered with this in mind.

The way they build things is well done.

Areas Of Satisfaction

Areas Of Satisfaction - The professionalism and quick responses from all Saussy Burbank employees and subcontractors has been fantastic. Mike Burns in particular has been incredible, even answering questions we had after our closing when he is also handling the details of several other construction projects in our neighborhood. While we love the house and everything it offers, the people are what make Saussy Burbank stand out. Kudos to the team for a great experience overall.

Certain things were great - Nolan did an excellent job keeping things on track and us up to date. But in a neighborhood with two builders, it’s plain to see where you cut corners. We also bought two houses from you here. The drainage is always inadequate or non-existent, the unfinished garage is way less finished than the ones from Dickerson. And are death defying front stairway that cuts more than half way into our porch width - it’s a miracle it made it past inspection. It’s too dangerous for our 8 year old to come in and out that way

McNeill Burbank is cutting corners on certain materials. Some of the trades they use are just okay. There is room for improvement.

Areas Of Satisfaction

Areas Of Satisfaction - I was very satisfied with every part of my experience with Saussy. Chris Stallings was incredibly friendly and supportive at my introduction to the process. Michele was very very efficient as a I made selections (I have a busy work schedule so we had to go through the process quickly). I cannot say enough about Lee. He was always responsive to my questions. He gave me helpful advice about every part of my house. He was flexible in timing for meetings. He even came back to check in and help me after I closed. He is a true asset to your company.

I would likely recommend Carolina Cottage Homes given the Saussy home design. The quality is great and the finishes are exceptional.

Saussy Burbank offers a well thought out floor plan and beautifully designed exterior. The construction quality is, for the most part, good. Material specified and the construction details of the house goes up are also above average for production builder. The construction process, even in this hot real estate market, however has come with some “fits and starts”, causing some concern about quality and delivery. As an architect and real estate broker, I chose this project for several reasons, and hope to recommend my experience to others in the future.

Additional Comments

Additional Comments - Building this house with Saussy was a really great experience. We were very happy with the process and we are really happy with the result. There are a lot of small things that we didn't decide on (light switch placement, outlets, built-in shelves, etc.) that are exactly where we need them to be. It's clear that the individuals who built this house have a lot of experience building houses and have a good understanding of how people will live in them.

I’m embarrassed that I gave so much money to a company that has been so disorganized, careless, and at times outright dishonest. I feel taken advantage of.

I am a real estate agent and I purchased a home, and I also sold as a buyer's agent, so I have recommended them!