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Ashton Woods Homes

Ashton Woods Homes review: built poorly 63

J
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9:51 am EDT
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Ashton Woods Homes has misrepresented their product to us and other homeowners in the Thornhill subdivision in Orlando Florida since its inception one year ago. The company advertised the neighborhood as a high-end community featuring homes with a very high level of finish. After we bought our home we were informed that the home prices were going to be lowered and the finish level in all homes going forward would not be as nice as our home. The developer would not let us cancel our contract although they decided to change the look and feel of the entire community.

Our home took much longer to finish than we were told because the Ashton Woods design center kept dragging their feet when it came to picking out our options and getting us pricing. In fact, after we locked in our option pricing and signed off on it, they tried to raise the prices of some of our options because they made an error.

Once we moved in, our home had 50 punch list items. The builder has taken forever to get them fixed and has refused to fix the most important problem; our wood floors. The floors were installed as floating floors when we specifically requested the floors be glued down. Now that we are in the house, the floors move all over and have too much give to them. Ashton Woods says that they will not address this issue.

If anyone is thinking of working with Ashton Woods Homes I would strongly suggest they think twice. Ashton Woods Homes misrepresents their product from the beginning, they try to switch pricing on you after your contract has been signed and their construction quality is sub par at best.

Resolved

The complaint has been investigated and resolved to the customer’s satisfaction.

63 comments
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First Time Buyer 2
Arlington, US
Jan 07, 2013 11:36 pm EST
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I am considering buying an awh in Arlington, tx. Any info about local group?

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Cathy K
, US
Dec 11, 2018 6:08 pm EST

I purchased from Ashton Woods in Fort Worth, TX in 2012. Lots of small issues in the first couple of years in the house. Less than seven years in the house, major plumbing issue in the kitchen cabinet caused by a leaking drainpipe concealed in the wall behind the sink. The cabinet has to be rebuilt, lots of black mold has to be remediated, and the plumbing has to be fixed. Why? Ashton Woods used MDF in the kitchen cabinets and didn't prime it, which only made the problem worse. A seven-year old house shouldn't have plumbing issues to this extent, and the cabinets certainly should have been primed. Lots of shortcuts. My neighbors have also had plumbing issues and they closed a few weeks ahead of me. Who would have thought my blender would have a longer warranty than my Ashton Woods home?

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Bad Ashton Woods
, US
Jan 03, 2013 9:48 pm EST
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I am in the middle of being screwed by Ashton Woods / Orlando . The Fountain Parke community in Lake Mary . The sales consultant gave me misleading info concerning the street the town home I chose to be built on . " Low traffic access street " is what I was told . Turns out that the street is actually the one way main exit road from the community. All they say is that they are confident I will enjoy it . Bull. They could care less . I also at the last minute to closing am told the appraisal came back at 40, 000 less than the sales price which changed the amount of cash I needed to close . I do not have the extra and they are just going to send me away keeping the 40, 000 I already put down . Being that their fiance arm is connected to Wells Fargo Bank, together with they being the initiator of the appraisal, I have requested an investigation by the Florida DBPR. Beware !

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Nick JL
Alpharetta, US
Dec 06, 2012 11:59 pm EST

I am planning to buy an ashton wood home in milton preserve S/D. if any one is already living there please comment to the quality of construction. Reading through the reviews here make me think twice. I agree to the fact about the subcontractors doing the good or bad job, but when it turns out to be bad it is the responsibility of the builder to make it right. I hope Ashton woods team step up and fulfil the promises they make while selling the home.

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AHouseHunter
, US
Oct 31, 2012 11:25 am EDT
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I am thinking of buying a AW home in RidgeView, Austin. After reading these reviews I am not sure what to say. I agree with one of the reviewer saying the price increase. So far that is true and they increased 10K in last 2 months. Pricing is also not flexible. I asked for 40K in total upgrades for a 480K house and they are telling me they can't give more than 20k (10K they give standard in Upgrades and 10K they increased already) . Not sure if this is the route I want to take.

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Betteanne Camagna
, US
Dec 29, 2020 9:21 am EST

1 word! DON'T ... YOU will regret it! ok more than 1 word, but seriously the worst builder ever!

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larryfamily
, US
Jun 11, 2012 8:55 am EDT
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Very poor construction, skipped over some legally required portions of the inspection process by having an unseen sign-off on a block of homes in order to process faster and get them in under the bubble. Refused to work with pricing, misleading customers, did not perform correction of punch list items with exception of anything that could be fixed with caulk, which was about 6 items and poorly at that. I paid quite a bit extra for a flooring upgrade for approx 1000sq ft, I got flawed tiles which were probably in the cast-off bin for a reduced price, obvious manufacturing flaw repeated in each tile. Ductwork had to be redone after the fact by my own hire as well as insulation. Builder refused to address. Also found some evidence of using refurbished plumbing fixures such as the toilets and tub, not cheap to replace those. Drywall patched together instead of using a full sheet, you get the picture. As many things on a new home are simply fixed, I only wrote up the expensive, complex or structural things and still had two pages. Got caulk. Was threatened with legal action if I refused to close or went public. Wish I had. Maybe someone will read this now and know the underbelly of their beautiful model homes - you won't get that product.

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FSU#!
, US
Apr 15, 2012 6:21 am EDT

"Here in Chandler the price increased more than 3 times in last 6 months by $5000 each time leading to a net price hike of $30K."

This is called a "free market economy". Do you want the government to step in and change supply & demand pricing? Other comments here might be valid...but I don't remotely understand this one.

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AAz
, US
Mar 29, 2012 2:33 pm EDT

I think Ashton woods definitely needs to work on their offerings and attitudes from sales to design. Once they are confident they will sell out in a particular community the arrogance & attitude starts surfacing in every single way, to begin w/ frequent price increases, availability of sales or office staff and their approach, seeking a design center preview appointment & making a pre-approval mandatory from their preferred lender only. Here in Chandler the price increased more than 3 times in last 6 months by $5000 each time leading to a net price hike of $30K. On top of that, posting the current advertisement & promotional emails is just a joke, they do not apply to their selling communities. Already they were priced at the higher end anyways and now there's this additional burden plus lot premium and their options pricing is also too high compared to other builders in the area. I am actually scared whether I should go for them for the desired location or find elsewhere. Has anyone recently bought an Ashton woods home in the phoenix area to be specific in Chandler. Plz share your experience so we get some insight. Thanks

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ATL_Forsyth
cumm, US
Oct 23, 2011 12:36 pm EDT
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One of the homes in the S/D got totally burnt down just before closing. That speaks volume to their building standards.
It's been more than two years they have not sold out this S/D. Their reputation has been damaged. Please be WARY!

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Happy in The valley of the Sun
Gilbert, US
Oct 19, 2011 6:59 am EDT
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We are in the process of having a home built in the Laurel Ridge Sub-division of Morrison Ranch in Gilbert Arizona. Let's be honest here folks, in this day and age it is not Ashton Woods that is building the home, it is a bunch of sub contractors working for AW. With that said things happen. The AW team (here in AZ) has an amazing team that makes sure that everything is done the eay it should. I drop by my house daily yo check on the status and i point things out to the Super, and they get handled.We have had an amazing experience, from Melissa our AW rep to Gina our design consultant to Greg our Super, everyone has been awesome. Yes
sometimes things get missed that is why it is up to you as the consumer to be vigilant. Because of the amazing experience that I have had, I have already recommended two other families we know to also purchase an AW home. Thanks to all the crew here in Gilbert, here is to many years of happy home ownership.

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ATL_Forsyth
cumm, US
Sep 16, 2011 1:13 am EDT
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Ashtonwoods proved to be a rogue builder -our worst nightmare you can imagine. From the sales agent, to the design consultant,
to the building manager, to the customer svc rep, they were very unprofessional, unethical and dishonest in all their dealings.
My honest advice to anyone thinking of buying with them is STAY AWAY. Real Nutshack of a builder you would come across.
Bought in the Brentwood Estates Subdivision in Forsyth County, ATL, GA. There are lot of homeowners in this S/D who are gravely dissatisfied with this ROGUE.

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Betteanne Camagna
, US
Dec 29, 2020 9:18 am EST

I agree 100%, we put a LOT of our retirement savings in a VERY bad build in Naples Florida! $813, 000.00 cash at the settlement table. IThe retirement dream home was turned into a HUGE nightmare like you said start to finish! They nailed the AC unit which leaked for who knows how long, flooded house, under all tile floors (NO carpet)so we did not know it went up into all the walls crumbling them molding and the 10 inch moulding on walls just fell off... the pool of water everntually gathered in garage on shiny epoxy i did not see and fell and hurt my neck and back, We were in and out in 5 months getting the house fixed up enough to sell the piece of garbage they created, They must of went to scratch and dent store for all our appliances! they velcroed in our Microwave! WORST builder ever! This was our 12th home, not our 1st rodeo, They did outrageous things! The new buyer only offered us 670, 000.00 I said to my husband if you LOVE me take ir and get me out of here! It was a disaster! Buyer beware and NEVER build with Ashton Woods! It took 3 months to rebuild the house but still so much not done when we left ... cabinets different shades of white, splintered inside gaping cracks inside not meeting square. THE WORST!

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Mamooshka
Peoria, US
Sep 11, 2011 5:39 pm EDT

I bought an Ashton Woods home in the Phoenix neighborhood of Vistancia in the fall of 2010. I have lived in lots of homes, and this one is by far my favorite. The model is called "The Villa" and visitors frequently tell me that it is one of the most quaint homes in Arizona. They say everything is in the details and it shows.

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Jazzie Gilliard
, GE
Aug 31, 2011 6:02 pm EDT
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I brought an Asthon Woods home in September of 2010, my first home. It is sad to say that I have had lots of problem with my home. For example, most of my dry walls have bumps and is unprofessioanl completed, the 1st month in the home my hard woods floors lifted, and now appears to be lumps in areas of the floor. In addition, some of the appliances in the home appeals to be damaged scathes, The most important problem, I have is the bricks on my home is chipping away, infact it looks like my home is 20 years old, this is because the mason job was poorly completed. I have been trying to resovle this problem, since I moved into the home. However, Ashton Woods is trying to avoid the fact that the bricks on my home may have some defects problem. Moreover, their customer service is unprofessional and insensitive to peoples concerns. If I can sell this house today I would and start over again. Overall, the quality of workmabship is poor... Please if anyone is thinking about buying a Ashton Woods home, make sure you have a professional inspection assistance, do not let the builder peform an inspection without hiring your own. Lastly, please consider this note as a respoinsible concern consumer that repsects humanity lifestyle.

Best Wishes!

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remaxrealtor
stafford, US
Jan 23, 2011 3:25 am EST
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As a Realtor I am currently assisting one of my clients with the building process of an Ashton Woods home in Pearland, Texas. It is frustrating and time consuming to say the least. The quality of workmanship is below what most other builders deliver, the communication is poorly! Sadly, this is not the only builder I will not recomend to buyers again. I just wonder how Ashton Woods got the reward for highest customer satisfaction from J. D. Powers. Unfortunately this and the sparkling advertisement about this award lead my client to the wrong belief that he had made a good choice.
On the other side, I had built with AWH before in a different subdivision, which was a very good experience for my client. Still, after this process I will not recommend them!

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Cookies in the Freezer
Houston, US
Nov 21, 2010 6:15 pm EST

I have owned 2 Ashton Woods Homes in different cities and have been happy. I would buy from them again.

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Connie H
Atlanta, US
Aug 10, 2010 12:15 pm EDT
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I purchased a new home from Ashton Woods July, 2009 in Atlanta, Georgia, the Madison Falls subdivision. I would not recommend anyone ever buying a home from Ashton Woods. My overall experience with them has been awful. I am now having plumbing drainage issues in my master bath. I have been told by 2 outside plumbers that it is not uncommon for new homes under construction to have items or debris falling into the plumbing pipes which later cause drainage backups. Ashton Woods is refusing to work with me to have the issue addressed. My home is just over 1 year old and I am being told by Ashton Woods that the plumbing is warranted for only 1 year. The master bath tub has grayish stains on the surrounding surface and again I have been told by Ashton Woods that they will not warrant a surface problem. But, on the other hand, my neighbors who overpaid for their home have been given a whole new lawn treatment - burmuda grass shaved down, rolled on and professionally redone at a cost of $1300, paid for by Ashton Woods Homes, because the owners said their lawn was bumpy. I have drainage problems, not due to anything I have done, and I am being told they will not cover the cost to even investigate the problem, which would probably run $200.00, and I have been told to take care of the master tub surface stains the costs would be around $50.00. What is wrong with this picture? Run the other way, if you enter an new Aston Woods community.

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Dixie10
, US
Feb 06, 2019 4:37 pm EST
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Replying to comment of Connie H

Having the same issues at my house in Lake Nona, Florida. Its now 2 years old and we have had multiple issues with the plumbing. AW also had to replace the Gas Range due to a leak which thank god no one was hurt and also replace both Air Conditioners. Would never purchase a home from AW again.

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Anne, Oviedo FL
, US
Jul 19, 2019 10:24 am EDT
Replying to comment of Connie H

Awful Company. I have had issues for 2 1/2 years now. And they won't "cover" anything even thought it is an instillation issue.

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