Floor & Cosmetic Issues on New MH Home

[Brian1981]

We are in the process of finalizing our loan on a new 2012 Champion Manufactured Home. The house is finished (concrete runners with concrete exterior perimeter). We did a walk through today with the dealership just to see how it looked now that they have repaired the inside after there were several cracks in the tape&texture. As we were walking through the home, I could hear a sound coming from under the floor when I walked through the dining room. Sounded like the floor was hitting against the steel beam under the home. My wife said she thought there was a spot in the dinning room that felt a little weak (floor). Of course she didn't tell me this until after we had returned home. My question is, how will they handle this. Cause I have a feeling they are gonna say; “Once you get furniture moved in, it shouldn’t make that noise anymore.

Also, the dealership had a private carpenter come in and fix all the cracks in the wall and all the trim. I noticed there are several cosmetic issues such as a gap between the exterior wall and the tile in the kitchen counter where water could get in if they don't seal it. Couple of the cabinets are not flush on top where they are suppose to join. Our bathtub in the master bath has a rock finish to the skirting. There concrete along where it meets the wall is all cracked and falling apart.

My main concern is that there are a lot of areas that are going to need to be fixed. The dealership said, “This is a extremely heavy house (2300 sq/ft) and things like this happen and they will get fixed.” Also the door in our masterbath leading to the closet does not latch, it shuts but the door wont latch. How do I make sure they are held up to their word and everything is fixed to my satisfaction if they want me to close the loan prior to fixing all these issues. They said they would like me to live in the home for approx. 30 days prior to making a list to send to the manufacture.

Thanks,
Brian

[David Oxhandler]

Construction defect will be the responsibility of the builder. Items that have to do with installing the home (cracks in the walls... etc) will need to be corrected by the dealer or installer.

Champion has been around for quiet a while and has been reasonable with the warranty work. Make a full list. Review it with the dealer so you understand which will be covered by the factory and which items will be the dealers responsibility. Send your list to the dealer and to the factory service manager (See your new home owners manual).

Ask for the current list of items to be corrected prior to the dealer getting the final payment. Most dealers are very good to their customers, but once the final payment is made your leverage will be decreased.