T.D. Kelly Co Inc

I will start by saying that i don’t believe the process of building a home is an easy one. I understand that builders can’t be responsible for every little thing that comes up as they are usually managing many projects at once. So I will just tell of my experience for those who may have interest in building. First off make sure everything is in writing and you attach photos to every email or written communication. There will be numerous situations like I experienced where things aren’t as they should be. You will be told you are wrong until you produce the pictures and emails. Even then it won’t be easy. Don’t expect great communication. I had to ask for a sit down after not hearing from my builder for weeks. We agreed the communication would be increased. That was the last communication i received from the builder over the last several months until completion. Next, make sure you understand the home warranty. It’s one year and limited. Don’t let the builder tell you that they will take care of you for years and reference that they are still coming back to your neighbors houses 7 years after they built, this is BS. Maybe they will comeback if it’s something they can take care of with a caulking gun. For bigger issues they won’t come back. They may answer a call at best or respond to some emails with answers like it’s a “maintenance issue, I’ve seen it before”. That will be their comment without even seeing the issue firsthand. Then they will patch it. Well they won’t but they will send out 84 Lumber who had nothing to do with the brick work to slap some mortar on it. Then won’t respond to emails about if they will fix the interior damage. Well at least that was my experience. Sorry as you can tell this one hit a nerve as I’m still dealing with it. Fresh wound I’ve included some photos of things I dealt with throughout my process and some i’m still dealing with. All were said to be my issues. These are just a small sliver. Perhaps I’m wrong, but when you spend the type of money you will spend building with a private builder you have to expect things will be addressed better than they would be with a Ryan or even Maronda home. That was not my experience. Overall I’m happy with my home, just not the process getting there. On the positive side I think when you build custom you do get to choose every item you want. I wasn’t rushed through the decision making process. You will have to do it on your own though which can be very time intensive, don’t expect much direction. I was fine with that so it worked out okay. Also, you will feel you have something that is exclusively yours. You won’t see another home down the street or a few streets over that looks like yours. Make sure to have every item addressed in the 1st year. They will respond better during that period and did take care of most of those issues. Also schedule your 1 yr walk through before the first year is up. I never got a walkthrough despite multiple request. Overall I would give the experience a C grade. Just be prepared for nothing to go as smoothly as you would hope. But, in the end you will have a beautiful home that is exclusively yours. Again I won’t blame anything 100% on anyone or any process. It was my first time building a custom home of this scale. Perhaps my expectations were off. My advice to any new home builder would be to take a step back, do your research