We have made new friends in our new neighborhood and have made our recommendations to friends, family, and visiting onlookers. Kent Homes has made a positive impact and our recommendation!
Lead Source - I heard about Kent Homes through our realtor.
Favorite Design Feature (At Contract) - I am excited about the loggia.
Customer Suggestion - I really enjoy working with Kent Homes and appreciate all the information they gave me and the fact that I am able to look at the details in advance. I think they have a well-done program. They have a structure build from the beginning stages to where we are now. I don't have any suggestions. I think they have it nailed.
Recognized Excellence - I would like Carol Hobbs. She is really outstanding. She is a big reason why we chose Kent Homes. We spoke with a few others, but Carol's professionalism was outstanding, and she is very personable.
Additional Comments - We are looking forward to completing the process with Kent Homes.
Design Consultant Knowledge - The Design Consultant (DC) communicated well; however, not all options (minor) were presented or (perhaps) not known at time of selection.
Favorite Design Feature (Selections) - House plan layout.
Recognized Excellence - Carol Hobbs and Ella Richardson
Customer Suggestion - Keep the great work!
Areas Of Satisfaction - The professionalism, knowledge, and presentation.
Construction Quality - The choice of materials is wide and available, providing the homeowner with many options. Kent Homes workmanship combined with the PM's oversight, is excellent.
Communication - Kent Home's Project Manager is excellent, i.e. providing professional, attention to details, and with clear communication during the construction process.
PM Expertise - Excellent construction background with many years of experience.
Employees & Trade Contractors - Kent Homes' Project Manager is well respected by their subcontractors; this is an excellent indicator to workmanship and build quality. Excellent leadership!
Overall Experience - We wouldn't have it any other way; from the selections process to/during construction, Kent Homes has provided excellent service.
Areas Of Satisfaction - Having owned and worked with previous new homes, Kent Homes has exceeded our expectations. A professional, efficient, and well-organized company.
Recognized Excellence - Carol Autry, Kenny Jones, Ella Stikeleather, and their subcontractors; courteous and a very professional, remarkable team. Exceptional!
Areas For Improvement - Sometimes the home buyer may miss some aspects to the new home buying experience; getting to know the home buyer's strengths and weaknesses (without intrusion), may make the process smoother. Communicating processes from selection to delivery are keys to success.
Additional Comments - Kent Homes is providing a remarkable build process; working with their team is a rewarding and positive learning experience, thank you!
Value - Cost of house increased due to present economic conditions
Lead Source - From my real estate broker
Favorite Design Feature (Selections) - The pantry that opens to conditioned storage--that literally sold us on the house. And the built-ins in the dining room, great room and study.
Recognized Excellence - Working with Kayla and Amy has been great. We feel well taken care of. A couple of small glitches but very quickly resolved. So far so good!
Customer Suggestion - Why is it so hard to get a wood burning fireplace on a screen porch? Ever since I started looking at the Wilmington area 15 years ago, I've had my heart set on one. Other builders do them all the time. Hagood quoted $10k. You guys said at least $25k. In a community that runs on propane, gas fireplaces just aren't practical. So, for now I have to make do with a Solo Stove. I also wish we could have eggshell paint. Flat paint is impossible to clean and looks dull so quickly. At the end of the day, we are really excited about our new home and are very happy with the decisions we made in selections.
Areas Of Satisfaction - We were very happy and surprised with the cabinet and counter choices at selections, and the flooring. I would have liked more tile options but in the end, I'm very happy with what we chose. The quality of the materials was great and we actually only upgraded our countertops. The flooring and cabinets that were standard were perfect for us.
Areas For Improvement - The selections documents are confusing. I understand they are organized by category, but it would be great if they could be cross-referenced to room. We spent a lot of hours prior to and after selections making sure we didn't miss anything. Also--NO PAGE NUMBERS!! Yikes! I spent 30 minutes laying the pages out on our island trying to figure out the correct order.
Trust - AJ is a great guy. He's a straight-shooter and we know when he tells us something, it's accurate.
Clean & Safe - Our neighbors have commented on how clean the job site is compared to other builders on our street.
Areas Of Satisfaction - Three things: flexibility in design; proactive communication; and value for our dollar. We are getting a gorgeous home for a fair price.
Areas For Improvement - I wish there were more flooring and tile options to choose from during selections. We like what we chose but wish there were more. Same with appliances.
Areas For Improvement - Right now the only thing that has us going , "hmmmmm" is the cooktop. We upgraded to the 36 inch but when we actually saw it in person a few weeks ago, we were shocked at the depth. I've never seen a 36" cooktop that small. Had we known it wasn't a true 36" normal depth cook top, we would have looked at a custom option. At some point we will need to replace it because I don't think it's going to be very functional.
Areas Of Satisfaction - Design flexibility. We added a niche in the dining room that resulted in moving the entrance to the master and pushing the exterior wall out 18" and the result is FABULOUS!!! We really love the way it turned out. Thank you Kayla for your creativity!!!
Lead Source - I learned about Kent Homes from our real estate agent.
Favorite Design Feature (At Contract) - The bonus room and low shelves are my favorite features of my home.
Recognized Excellence - Carol and Ella are excellent.
Areas For Improvement - The appliance selections and the modeling software fell short of my expectations.
Areas Of Satisfaction - Everywhere else met and exceeded my expectations.
Options - Generally an excellent selection of options. The pricing of some design options were somewhat excessive. Also alternatives are needed to Samsung appliances as they are one of the worst initial quality/repair manufacturers according to Consumer Reports, and it would have been helpful to have an option w/ LG or GE included in our home pricing. Smart Home offering should be optional as we are not interested in a monthly subscription model to activate those features.
Understanding Of Cost - Ella did a great job working with us.
Favorite Design Feature (Selections) - Loggia
Recognized Excellence - Ela & Carol have been excellent so far
Customer Suggestion - Improve estimates of site preparation and driveway costs during initial sale to avoid controversy later. Offer alternative to Samsung.
Areas Of Satisfaction - All areas were excellent and exceeded expectation with exceptions noted above/below.
Areas For Improvement - Suggest some form of 3D modeling would be very helpful in the selections process. We also feel the workload some of the employees have is too high to provide excellent customer service - resources such as draftsmen are too scarce.
Additional Comments - Several issues so far with our home build. The Kent subcontractor that cleared our lot removed 6 significant-sized oak trees from our front yard that will have a negative effect on the overall appearance of our home. We purchased a wooded lot on purpose and now have a large front yard with practically no trees. This will result in a significant additional landscaping expense in an attempt to remediate. We also had issues with the septic installation at our home, decisions were made without our input (until after it was completed) and we incurred unexpected expense such as additional dirt and a pump that wound up being required. Had we known of these issues in advance we likely would have this installed in the back yard instead of the front - once again, additional landscaping expense will be required in order to “disguise” this addition. Another issue for us is the location of the gas stub out on our floor plan will require us to incur thousands of dollars in additional expense to run a line to the area where a generator is to be installed. I do not understand the logic of why the stub out is located on the far side of the house. We don’t feel any of these issues are necessarily the fault of our PM thus we have tried not to have this impact his rating. Our PM tells us the folks that cleared our lot had very specific instructions from him but did not follow them. We are sure our lot selection makes our build more complicated than a “cookie cutter” type install like a Brunswick Forest, but we did not expect so many surprises that were not anticipated.
Lead Source - We bought a lot in St. James Plantation about two years ago. The realtor gave us a list of preferred builders and we started looking at model homes.
Favorite Design Feature (At Contract) - I am most excited about the messy kitchen and the covered balcony. Also, the garage is very nice. Honestly, the overall design of that particular model, Lumina Island, we like.
Customer Suggestion - They covered everything. I really can't think of anything to add.
Recognized Excellence - I want to recognize Carol, and Alina Aviles, for the selection process to select the cabinets, paint, doors, electrical, etc. Also, Tim, VP of Operations, introduced himself to let us know if we have any issues with anything, we could contact him.
Areas For Improvement - They are really good. I can't think of anything they fell short of.
Areas Of Satisfaction - They are very detailed and transparent. They are very detailed and tell you about the home they are going to build for you inside and out. If we want to change anything or the design, they don't say no. They will try to entertain the list and add it to their design. Although we didn't make many changes, they were able to accommodate the small changes we did make.
Additional Comments - It's a great experience.
Favorite Design Feature (Selections) - The messy kitchen, the garage and the balcony
Recognized Excellence - Carol Autry and Alina Aviles
Customer Suggestion - More front door choices
Areas Of Satisfaction - The whole house layout
Areas For Improvement - Can't think of one
Quality Of Materials - The only quality issue is the laminate flooring used in the kitchen/family room. It seems cheap (echoes) compared to the rest of the home. Would have preferred wood, even for more $$'s.
Orientation Punch List - A few of the items are still to be completed but that was expected.
Areas Of Satisfaction - Communication was excellent. Overall quality seems very good.
Areas For Improvement - Flooring quality and the concrete/brick landing outside the loggia door. It seems unsafe to be so small without a railing or simply to be larger would have worked. It is a poor design as it exists.
Recognized Excellence - Both Amy and Landon were exceptional in communication.
Additional Comments - We are happy overall with our Kent home.
Any Changes? - The back stairs from the Loggia to the back yard were dangerously narrow where we had added width through a brick contractor. I would suggest especially with older home buyers to consider the width to be made larger.
Favorite Home Feature - We love the tankless water heater and the electronic security system including the remote front door lock.
Areas Of Satisfaction - The quality of the build.
Options - Easy to choose options but not the greatest selections.
Lead Source - Tour of Brunswick Forest homes with sales agent. We liked Kent Homes the best.
Additional Comments - So far, so good
PM Professionalism - Chad understands the regulations/building codes and can answer any questions we have. He stays on top of the process and scheduling contractors so that they are keeping on target. When we noticed a couple items that were not quite right he assured us they would be addressed.
Customer Suggestion - We would have liked more choices in selections across the board. ( having built a house just prior to this one, we felt there were not as many choices for finishes with Kent). Some items on display in the showroom were no longer available.
Areas Of Satisfaction - Build time was pretty much on track from the start. Painters did a great job - especially on trim.
Areas For Improvement - Most of these issues were due to contractors not getting things on time, or doing them wrong: wrong counters installed, not prepared properly, or simply forgotten; mirrors measured wrong, or forgotten; internet wiring damaged after installation (due to drywallers?). After four weeks we are still missing one shower door; ambient lighting for fireplace (was never ordered) and surround is not finished. Still waiting for our oven/micro. In addition, after mirrors and bathroom lights were installed, after move-in, they were not cleaned, nor was the mess this created. We were not happy with the state of the attic storage, with several open bags of grout powder placed haphazzardly on top of extra tile so that loose powder was all over.
Recognized Excellence - Chad Lee was great - glad our house was one of his last projects :) Kayla Paladino
Understand Building Process - Being an Civil Engineer and construction general superintendent for 42 years, I understand the process.
Communication - Field communication is fine from Superintendent, office not so good.
PM Professionalism - Very professional, reacts timely with phone calls, texts and emails.
Customer Suggestion - Total completion schedule should be given to clients so they could follow progress from the main office. Two week look a head is bare minimum.
Areas Of Satisfaction - Meet our expectations
Recognized Excellence - Archie Medina
Lead Source - Through Sunset Reach, Matt.
Salesperson Accessibility - Carol was very accommodating.
Sales Knowledge - Carol made numerous suggestions that improved my home beyond the original model plans.
Favorite Design Feature (At Contract) - The additional windows will allow for more water views.
Areas Of Satisfaction - They made my dream house come true. ❤
Design Consultant Communication - She was awesome!
Options - I would have liked to have more design choices.
Value - There were some things that were overpriced.
Favorite Design Feature (Selections) - I am excited about the whole build, but mostly about the great room, kitchen, and sun room.
Recognized Excellence - Elena was great. She was knowledgeable, had good taste, and was very supportive of my design ideas. I am an artist and I can be out there on my ideas, but she gave good feedback and I enjoyed working with her.
Customer Suggestion - I wish they would install light fixtures that I bought elsewhere. I understand the liability reasons, but in my dream home, it would have been nice for them to install custom lighting fixtures. I am very pleased with them though and everyone who works there from the receptionist to the vice president of the company has been very friendly, supportive, and responsive. They bent over backwards to help me get this home, so I have truly no criticism and I would recommend them to anyone.
Areas Of Satisfaction - They have exceeded my expectations! For example, the house I want is surrounded by water on 2 sides and Carol, in the sales department, suggested putting in extra windows instead of built ins, so I can have a nice view of the water. They had good suggestions on how to make the house exactly how I wanted it.
Areas Of Satisfaction - Kent went out of their way to make sure we got everything we wanted in our dream house. They truly care about us and made our lives easier by saving us money and adjusting timelines whenever they could. We feel extremely fortunate that Kent built our home.
Recognized Excellence - Kenny Jones is the absolute best PM, Carol and Alina also are awesome
Areas For Improvement - I wish I did not have to pay thousands for drainage out of my landscaping amount, since did not leave anything extra for a patio or fence. But drainage is essential!
Quality Of Workmanship - Very high standards.
PM Expertise - Absolutely genius. Plus a great guy.
Areas Of Satisfaction - Exceeded all expectations!
Areas For Improvement - I was not happy with Edge Landscaping.
Recognized Excellence - Carol, Alina, and especially Kenny.
Additional Comments - Love you all!
Lead Source - Trough Brunswick Forest Rep.
Favorite Design Feature (At Contract) - Open concept living and openness to the loggia..
Recognized Excellence - So far I have only dealt with Kayla
Areas For Improvement - I did feel a little rushed toward the end. I have a death in the family which caused my attention to be diverted for a couple months. In the end all worked out.
Areas Of Satisfaction - Kaylas's availability was always a big help.
Favorite Design Feature (Selections) - Pocket office being made into a wine room.
Recognized Excellence - Alina Aviles was who I worked with for my selections. She was very helpful, knowledgeable, and easy to work with. Now I'm working with my project manager, Kenny Jones who does a wonderful job keeping me informed and up to date on the status of my home.
Construction Quality - A little early to comment on this. I haven't visited the house for a while. Will be going soon and have a better idea of the quality of what I see.
Communication - Kenny is great. Communicates regularly and is very helpful with info and recommendations.
Employees & Trade Contractors - I've only had interaction with the landscaper and the pool company recommendation.
Areas Of Satisfaction - Great communication. I know someone who is building in the same neighborhood, using a different builder. They complain about lack of communication all the time. I have experienced the opposite of that. Kenny is great at communication on status reports as well as my periodic questions and comments.
Recognized Excellence - Kenny Jones
Areas Of Satisfaction - Great communicator. Kept me abreast of all stages of the build which was important to me since I was not local.
Areas For Improvement - I would have liked more info and explanation of the wiring in the home CAT6 versus coaxial cable. I believe this was a feature at the time of selections, which I was not aware.
Recognized Excellence - Kenny Jones - great PM
Lead Source - We stopped in the Pierre model and were impressed with the model as well as Kate DaSilva
Quality Of Workmanship - The workmanship is quality, but generally some of their subcontractors are not up to par. Some of the paint and edging isn't done right, and not for the lack of project managers trying, it's the subcontractors. I get it, but I'm frustrated. I don't tolerate poor quality.
PM Professional & Organized - Chad lee was top-notch, and he is the main reason why I'm not as negative on the other aspects. He's the highest quality gem, he's platinum, a 20-karat diamond.
PM Expertise - My only comment on expertise would be to have a discussion with the internet people before you start putting cable in the house.
Trust - What I liked about chad is he never complained about the subcontractors. They were making his job harder, but he never threw the subcontractors under the bus.
Areas Of Satisfaction - I would say Kent Homes met our expectations because we're comparing to other builders in the area. They met expectations, but I don't think it was exceeded by any stretch of the imagination. In the paint job, they put a coat of paint on cabinets that needs another coat of paint. Some of this should have been done before we came in.
Recognized Excellence - I would recognize Chad, Kate, Alina for their exceptional service. The salesperson, designer, and project manager are all high quality. I would recognize Kenny as well. They hire excellent project managers during a tough time for builders.
Additional Comments - I think Kent Homes with follow-up does a quality job, and I think Ashley Kent should get kudos for that. She's running a very good company there, Lisa Sue is great as well.
Warranty Manager Explanation - Randy very professional and knowledgeable
Communication - Both Andrew and now Jim have been effective at communicating. Vanessa in selections was not.
Design Center & Selections - This relates to an issue we are still working on and Vanessa not doing her job effectively. We understand she is no longer employed with Kent.
Sales Attentiveness - Carol is a huge asset to Kent. She is professional and knows her product. Plus she is a pleasure to work with!
Lead Source - A friend from high school lives in Wilmington. Her husband is a local architect and knew Mr. Kent personally. He highly recommended Kent homes.
Clean & Safe - It has been when we have been there.
Employees Professionalism - Some have been great! Others not so much. We have already spoken to Kate, who was.
Professional & Organized - We feel if they were more organized our completion date wouldn’t keep getting pushed. We have gone from May to August while we watch the interest rates rise.
PM Professionalism - Jim has been excellent to work with. We feel we are in good hands with him.
Customer Suggestion - I would make a deal with a local extended stay hotel to offer a competitive long term rate to your customers who find themselves homeless for weeks or more due to building delays. Air BNBs are usually near the beach and are expensive. At the rate things are going they could have a steady supply of room nights and you would be offering a little goodwill that would go a long way.
PM Professionalism - Jim is incredible to work with. He is extremely dedicated.
Trust - It’s so comforting knowing We don’t have to worry about things being completed. Jim is a man of integrity and will get every last thing done and will not cut corners.
Schedule - The delays were costly to us. We spent several thousand dollars on hotels and pet boarding and furniture storage. As I mentioned before, Kent should contract with a local hotel for a relocation rate for it’s “homeless” customers. It would offer goodwill to the customer and several room nights to the hotel year round.
Orientation Punch List - Our punch list was surprisingly small and Jim is staying on top of it.
Areas Of Satisfaction - Carol and Jim are outstanding employees who exceeded our expectations and made our experience better. Carol offered suggestions that have made our home look so much nicer and we can’t say enough good things about Jim and his work. He deserves an award!
Additional Comments - Overall, ups and downs, we are happy with our Kent home and would build with them again. Of course Jim is a big part of that experience. Give the man a bonus!
Kent is known as a premier builder in our community! I am 100% likely to recommend Kent with confidence.
Lead Source - Real estate agent
Favorite Design Feature (At Contract) - Enclosed loggia
Recognized Excellence - Amy Barns was exceptional
Communication - Landon is a quality guy, unassuming but yet very effective
Areas Of Satisfaction - Landon is very responsive and made sure we were informed and provided solutions throughout this process thus far.
Recognized Excellence - Both Landon and Amy Barnes were instrumental in our build from the beginning till now and we can’t wait to see the finished product. Our new HOME
Areas Of Satisfaction - In most areas Kent was outstanding!
Areas For Improvement - Some minor recommendations for improvement: at Selections (not is an issue with design) but all faucets spout is too close edge of sink causing bigger than normal splashing at every sink. I would have liked more guidance to limit my color choice and stay away from dark colors. We also would have liked advice that adding a few more electric outlets in primary bathroom would have been helpful. Overall, the shower water pressure is disappointing. We ordered large shower heads under the impression it would increase water pressure. When installing Spectrum fiber, the house was not set up for fiber and we were not able to put the router in the intended closet for electronics.
Recognized Excellence - Landen Chopin was outstanding and responsive, Amy Barnes was amazing, Ella was great in helping narrow down choices, Brandi Brass was great about communicating and helping us to get our CO.
Additional Comments - Overall, we were extremely impressed with Kent throughout all phases in the building process. Our home was finished within 8 months, which was way ahead of schedule. Every day there was full crew working on our home, and Landen was there at a moment’s notice. We also called him frequently and he was available, accessible, and very patient! Toward the end at least three times there was a team of Kent supervisors reviewing punch lists, adding blue tape to any spot big or small that needed repair, and speaking with us to get our feedback as they went! Oversights were corrected almost within 24 hours. Kent supervisors were responsive immediately to any concerns. It was an incredible experience!
Favorite Design Feature (Selections) - I am excited about the whole process.
Recognized Excellence - I would like to recognize Carol Autry and Kenny Jones for their exceptional service.
Areas Of Satisfaction - Regarding if they met or exceeded my expectations, they were very responsive and very engaged to any inquiries that I presented.
Areas For Improvement - They have not fallen short in any area yet. It is still quite early. The home is not built. As of now, they haven't fallen short. We are in the early stages of the project.
Salesperson Accessibility - Carol Autry is our salesperson
Favorite Design Feature (At Contract) - More privacy
Recognized Excellence - Carol Aurtry and Alina at the Design Center
Areas Of Satisfaction - Met expectations
Favorite Design Feature (Selections) - Selection variety
Recognized Excellence - Alina Aviles and Carol Autry
Favorite Design Feature (Selections) - The extended loggia with fireplace. We decided on a beautiful tile floor to complement the fireplace and we love it!
Recognized Excellence - Alina is so knowledgeable and efficient with the selections process I expected to be overwhelmed but the process was very smooth and we feel really good about our choices.
Customer Suggestion - More lighting selections. We ended up opting out of some lighting and we will bring our own.
Communication - Our PM Dade communicates with us regularly. He provides pictures every step of the way. When building a house from a far it is so great to see the progress and receive regular updates.
PM Expertise - Dade has been doing this for a while and it shows! He is very knowledgeable about the build process and is a wealth of information for us!
Trust - 100% trust in Dade!
Recognized Excellence - Dade Dutton is a fantastic PM - great communicator, very experienced, able to predict our needs, and it’s obvious he takes pride in his work.
Lead Source - Onsite in community
Favorite Design Feature (At Contract) - The Loggia
Customer Suggestion - Include the powder room in the Shelter Bay
Recognized Excellence - Ella in the selection center was awesome.
Areas For Improvement - none
Areas Of Satisfaction - Kent Homes has been great across the board.
Design Consultant Communication - She was fantastic!!
Design Solutions - Gave very helpful and appropriate guidance
Favorite Design Feature (Selections) - The loggia
Recognized Excellence - Ella
Areas Of Satisfaction - Communication is very thorough
Lead Source - Brunswick Forest Realty
Favorite Design Feature (At Contract) - Enclosed loggia
Customer Suggestion - None at this time
Recognized Excellence - Kayla has been a pleasure to work with.
Areas For Improvement - None
Areas Of Satisfaction - Our experience with the consultation and understanding structural options was wonderful. Kayla was knowledgeable, clear and patient.
Areas For Improvement - None at this time
Areas Of Satisfaction - Kenny Jones has been outstanding with his professionalism, insight and communication. I would highly recommend working with him.
Areas For Improvement - There have been items that were not communicated during the plan review and selections that have come up during construction. Spending more time in the plan review and selections process would have been helpful. Looking at the drawings/plan during the site construction and noticing a need for a CWA has had moments of frustration when items could have been decided earlier in the process.
Recognized Excellence - Kayla, Alina and Kenny have all provided exceptional service.
Areas Of Satisfaction - Responsiveness to questions and concerns has been outstanding.
Areas Of Satisfaction - professionalism, timeliness and quality
Areas For Improvement - none
Recognized Excellence - Kenny Jones, Kayla Paladino and Alina Aviles were outstanding to work with
Additional Comments - Highly recommended for design and quality.
Recognized Excellence - Every person that we have worked with has been helpful, professional and courteous.
Any Changes? - Add another air vent into the main bedroom, this is the hottest room in the house
Favorite Home Feature - main bathroom shower
Areas Of Satisfaction - Our project manager, Kenny, was always accessible to answer questions or make changes quickly
Areas For Improvement - the selections process to compare costs with build plans. I think I would have considered changing my home from a Shelter Bay to a Jonesport if I was able to understand the cost comparison better after making my selections. In the current process, once selections are made the home has already started the build and it is too late to make structural changes.
Additional Comments - Kent staff are always a pleasure to work with.
We had a fantastic experience with the entire team at Kent Homes. We felt like they were very much on top of the building process.
Lead Source - Internet
Salesperson Accessibility - Kate was extremely responsive and even continued to reach out when we were considering another builder. She’s the reason we returned to Kent.
Understanding Of Cost - It’s all very clear now but initially I didn’t understand the way Kent does their appliances when you don’t want a Samsung.
Favorite Design Feature (At Contract) - The kitchen
Customer Suggestion - It would be nice when a homeowner has a selection that isn’t part of your catalog that they would be able to purchase it themselves, bring it to you, have a credit for that particular thing and then install the homeowner purchased one. I wanted a garbage disposal that your appliance store couldn’t provide but I wasn’t allowed to purchase it until after closing.
Recognized Excellence - Alina was extremely helpful during our selection process. She was very patient and offered some great opinions.
Areas For Improvement - None
Favorite Design Feature (Selections) - The kitchen
Recognized Excellence - Alina was amazing during our selections process. She was always available and very punctual in answering any and all of our questions. She was very professional and helped us work through a couple of last minute challenges which we really appreciated.
Customer Suggestion - I think it would be helpful if something that the customer wants and isn’t available through Kent homes, for example a certain garbage disposal, that the customer be allowed to purchase it and it be installed by the builder.
Areas Of Satisfaction - It was a last minute decision for us to build with Kent. We were on a deadline so that we wouldn’t lose our mortgage rate lock. Kate was fantastic with how quickly she was able to get us under contract, get us into selections etc.
Communication - Kenny is a fantastic project manager. We couldn’t have asked for anyone better.
Areas Of Satisfaction - Everyone at Kent has been great. The level of professionalism and expertise from everyone has been over the top. Any time we had a question or concern we were able to reach out and have it addressed very quickly.
Areas For Improvement - We had a bit of a problem with the plumber, not wanting to put the water pipes where we wanted them in the garage and then also not wanting to center the faucet handles in the master shower. Kenny was able to work with him though and get everything taken care of, but not before we had to do a CWA for the pipes to be moved in the garage.
Recognized Excellence - Kenny has been fantastic. He is always available to answer any and all questions and above all wants us to have a great experience and be completely happy.
Areas For Improvement - I wouldn’t say that this is something that Kent fell short on, but it might’ve been nice if during selections, we were told that we could or should do certain things. For example, in the screened in loggia Kenny suggested that it might be a good idea, to insulate the ceiling and the privacy wall. We thought it was a great idea, but not something that we would have thought of. We did do that, but we had to do a CWA for it.
Areas Of Satisfaction - All of our expectations have been met.
Areas Of Satisfaction - It was very easy to communicate with everyone at Kent Homes. Our project manager was easily available to answer any and all questions.
Areas For Improvement - This could just be the nature of the building business at this time, but I felt like there were times when we had to wait a long time for certain inspections.
Recognized Excellence - Everyone we worked with at Kent was fantastic. From our first communication with Kate to selections with Alena and definitely to Kenny our project manager.
Warranty Manager Explanation - Our warranty manager, Randy, was very responsive and professional. He made sure everything was taken care of at the 60 day as well as at the one year.
Warranty Manager Professionalism - Randy was very responsive and professional. He ensured things were completed in a timely manner.
Warranty Communication - Randy and Nancy were always very responsive when I had a question.
Warranty Problem Resolution - Any and all problems were solved in a timely manner.
Warranty Satisfaction - Everything that needed to be addressed was and was and was taken care of.
Warranty Work - Everything was completed to our satisfaction.
Warranty Work Done Right - We didn’t have any problems at all with the warranty work.
Warranty Trust - Yes, definitely.
Employees & Subcontractors - We didn’t have any problems at all, except for the plumber in the very beginning.
Recognized Excellence - Kenny was a fantastic project manager. We changed builders at the last minute, and Kate DaSilva was instrumental in getting everything in order so that we were still in line with our dates at the bank. I’m not sure another company would have been as efficient. Also, Alina was extremely helpful during our selections process. She made great recommendations and helped us through our uncertainty which we had a lot of.
Any Changes? - I would’ve canted the garage and made it 4 feet wider. I didn’t realize that making the garage wider was an option.
Favorite Home Feature - The open loggia.
Areas Of Satisfaction - We love everything about our home so absolutely all of our expectations were met. Kenny went above and beyond in helping us enlarge our attic. That’s my husband‘s favorite feature.
Areas For Improvement - We would have liked to have had a little more help in choosing a landscaper. Our build was the very last one that was supposed to be done with Grass With Class. They went under and we had to just blindly choose someone. We chose Thorpe and initially thought we were happy with them, but after everything dying, twice, in the back and changing landscapers, we have come to realize that Bloomin’ Crazy is much more knowledgeable.
Additional Comments - No everything was great.
Kent folks simplify a complex process
Lead Source - We saw their information while driving through development.
Favorite Design Feature (At Contract) - I am most excited about the floor plan and the second floor bonus room.
Customer Suggestion - Keep doing what you are doing.
Recognized Excellence - Carol is fantastic!
Areas Of Satisfaction - The whole process has met or exceeded our expectations.
Additional Comments - So far, we have been very pleased working with Kent Homes.
Recognized Excellence - Carol Autry, Alina Aviles
Customer Suggestion - Consider doing a full site inspection before the customer signs the contract. I believe most customers would be willing to pay for the site inspection up front to minimize surprise costs later. Remember, the customer is not an expert at evaluating potential costs when looking at lots.
Lead Source - As a preferred builder in my new neighbrhood, I was able to review a number of their models.
Clean & Safe - I was truly impressed with the way the lot has been kept clean throughout the process. Even my future neighbor has commented on the way the site is kept - especially in comparison to other sites in the neighborhood.
Areas Of Satisfaction - They exceeded my expectations in terms of fit and finish and attention to detail. The communication was great. I have absolutely no problems with anything they do. Everybody that has visited my home has commented about the detailed work.
Recognized Excellence - Chris Moore is the best.
Additional Comments - I am very satisfied and very happy with the work that was done.
Recognized Excellence - I will always answer this question with "Chris Moore" - he's the best. In addition, Mike Burch and Nancy Kustyn have been super helpful.
Any Changes? - I would pay better attention to the placement of switches - there is no light switch in the garage, the switch for the loggia fan is in the dining area and the light switch for one of the sinks in the master bath is behind you on the wall while the other sink has the switch right beside you.
Favorite Home Feature - The fireplace.... Chris Moore went out of his way to recreate the fireplace that my wife had envisioned.
Areas Of Satisfaction - All areas of our home build exceeded our expectiations.
Unlike many other builders, Kent has a solid process with a rigid timeline for completion of project milestone completion. They have strong relationships with their subs which supports both the quality and the timeliness of the build. Our project manager is exceptional and we trust him implicitly. He is responsive to our requests, addresses our concerns openly, and most importantly advises us of any problems or issues promptly and then works closely with us to resolve them.
Lead Source - I heard about Kent Homes through the community in which we are building. They are one of the approved builders in The Bluffs Community.
Favorite Design Feature (At Contract) - I am most excited about one-floor living.
Recognized Excellence - Kate, the first person I met, was extremely knowledgeable. She really listened to what we wanted in our home. I felt more comfortable working with Kate than Amy. While I would have preferred to work with Kate, she went on maternity leave. She has still been involved with my project and has been exceptional.
Areas For Improvement - At this early stage, there is nothing I can identify that has fallen short of my expectations.
Areas Of Satisfaction - Every other area, from consultation to guidance, has certainly met my expectations.
Favorite Design Feature (Selections) - I am most excited about the open concept living area.
Areas For Improvement - They fell short of my expectations with the design options and pricing.
Construction Quality - Overall we are very pleased with the quality of the construction. We are a little concerned with the quality of some of our custom built-ins (quality of the hardware on drawers as an example), but we have confidence that our concerns will be addressed and rectified before completion.
PM Expertise - We feel lucky to have Chris as our project manager.
PM Professionalism - Chis is down to earth, honest, and straightforward. We appreciate him very much!
Areas Of Satisfaction - Timeliness of the build. We are ahead of schedule.
Recognized Excellence - Chris Moore and Kate DaSilva. Absolutely exceptional representatives of Kent Homes. I feel like they treat us more like friends then they do as customers. We have the highest level of confidence in them supporting us with the most important (and expensive) purchases of our lives.
Areas For Improvement - We were slightly disappointed in the limits of some of our options during the selection phase of the process. In fact, we are choosing to install our own kitchen cabinet hardware because Kent selections were inadequate and they also refuse to install hardware purchased by us
We would recommend Kent Homes to anyone looking to build a quality custom home.
Lead Source - Looked at one of there model homes.
Favorite Design Feature (At Contract) - Covered Balcony, coffered ceilings, messy kitchen
Recognized Excellence - Ella did a tremendous job helping us in the design center!
Professional & Organized - Ella always got back to us in a timely manner when we had any questions.
Favorite Design Feature (Selections) - The shiplap accent wall in the master bedroom and extending the patio and upgrading to colored stamped concrete.
Recognized Excellence - Ella Stikeleather was a delight. Her expertise and patience helped guide us through the entire design process. She offered unique suggestions and options that helped us customize our home. Thanks to her, we know we have designed the house of our dreams. She is truly an asset to Kent Homes.
Areas Of Satisfaction - Responsiveness and the design center
Areas For Improvement - None
Favorite Design Feature (Selections) - Lanai and angled garage
Recognized Excellence - Cameron and Alina
Areas Of Satisfaction - The design center was extensive and the process was a lot easier then I would have thought.
Use Comments - We are very excited to get into our new home
PM Problem Resolution - Fast and decisive
PM Professional & Organized - Very professional, flexible, and willing to go an extra mile to please his client
Areas Of Satisfaction - Honesty and genuine care of client
Recognized Excellence - AJ and Kate DaSilva
Areas For Improvement - Design selection options were not as I would have hoped for and could definitely be expanded and improved in terms of choice and quality
PM Professional & Organized - Without a doubt the most pro-active, qualified, intuitive, and professional PM I've ever had the pleasure to deal with...AJ was a 10 Star!
Schedule - We were stressed being in the rental for months, and AJ ensured we occupied our new home ahead of schedule....what a relief and pleasure to experience such change in previous experiences.
Condition of Home - Spotless and detailed as anyone might hope for yet sometimes never realize
Areas Of Satisfaction - Delivery time exceeded, PM communication and expertise, accommodating on a few critical changes (within guidelines)
Areas For Improvement - 1. Production selection of kitchen wall and flooring could be should more robust 2. Design centre time should be expanded an additional 4-6 hours for consultation...in an effort to help avoid small missteps. 3. As Kent is a "semi-custom builder", we feel more time and consulting could/may have been done relative to exterior design. 4. Product selection for lighting and fixtures could use some expansion as well 5. The understanding of what a $15k landscaping allowance was misleading....we spent an additional $10k to meet just a 'basic design' for grass, mulch, drainage, and irrigation. This element we feel felt well short of our expectation and is truly the only critique of consequence that stood out the most. None of the landscapers we spoke to could come anywhere near that budget allowance number. The Kent was only capable to provide the absolute minimum of grass, mulch, drainage, and irrigation (totalling $16k) leaving no budget for any soil treatment or removal/replacement of undesirable soil post construction, nor any inclusion budget for any plantings....the contract verbiage left some ambiguity for interpretation on this we felt.
Recognized Excellence - 1. At the outset in the sales cycle we dealt with Kayla Paladino who was very efficient and very helpful for custom redesign of the model we ultimately chose. 2. Once Kayla left on maternity shortly after decision and design time, Kate daSilva took over discussions to bring the actual contract and pricing to a final conclusion.....to be honest both Susan and I felt our interests were definitely in the right hands. Kate could not be more patient, nor accommodating in helping us to meet our needs and expectations ! I couldn't count the times Kate asked us if we were pleased with our choices as well as state "we want you to be perfectly happy with your decision". 3. AJ....We couldn't say enough....the right guy at the right time with the right result...He couldn't have orchestrated it any better if he tried.
Use Comments - Our experience with the Kent team was truthfully our best ever. If Kent Home can continue to deliver affordable homes, in the manner in which we experienced, they will reign number one for some time to come. The expression 'You get what you pay for' is known only too well. What many people don't realize is, most judge that expression to reference the materials included in a build, and not necessarily the people that helped deliver that build. And in our opinion, that was the value proposition Kent Homes put forward.....The people ! Special mention of course.....AJ & Kate,.....Thank you