Ken Homes' tag line is "We Build Trust", and they do. We bought a house that Ken built on spec and had been on the market for a while. During the process Ken built trust with us through various promises and time spent at the home describing certain aspects and offering to sell us additional upgrades (steam shower, AC, etc.)
During this period Ken built trust.
Once we closed on the transaction we discovered that trust was misplaced. Perhaps not the worst builder in Calgary, certainly as good as many, but definitely far below what was expected.
Nearly a year after possession and we have:
-failing electrical in the main en suite bathroom;
-a non-compliant Real Property Report;
-a title with unpaid sub-contractor liens;
-been sued by Ken's sub-trades;
-outstanding repairs that Ken had promised to complete prior to possession;
-to remove the builder's lockbox to ensure our privacy and security;
-had to re-build our back stairway;
-buy screws for most hinges and hardware that were never installed by the contractors; and
-a New Home Warranty claim
Sure, Ken continues to say it's not him, its the contractors, it's the lawyers, its the survey company who are all falling short, but the common denominator is that these are all people that Ken Homes hired. Somewhere the little things have to add up and someone needs to be accountable.
For accountability, Ken isn't your guy. He builds trust quickly, but that trust and good will dissipates faster than the moving boxes.
Generally we're happy with the house, but that's more about the location and our ability to move beyond the annoyance of the various problems, including having successfully defended the litigation owed by Ken Homes.
With some luck the house that Ken built will last longer than the trust.
- Approximate cost of services:
- $10,000,000,000.00