Warranty Information
ABOUT OUR WARRANTY: There are many ingredients in the house you just bought, supplied by many people, manufacturers, suppliers and installers. Anywhere in this process something can go wrong that will slip by the most rigorous inspection procedures. We want you to understand that we strive to eliminate any errors and will do what we can, within reason, to solve the problems that might develop in your first year of residency. Please note that we do not adjust factory settings on hot water heaters.
MANUFACTURERS WARRANTY: There are several products that are supplied with a manufacturers warranty within your new home. These include the appliances, water heater, ceiling fans, just to name a few. We place your warranty cards and instruction manuals in a kitchen drawer. It is your responsibility to fill out these cards and send them in. The manufacturer will respond to any problems that develop with these items just as if you had purchased them directly.
PRE-SALE INSPECTION: Before you finalized your contract you had the opportunity to see the house and make any corrections that you might find part of the contract. These usually deal with changes to the house such as different light fixtures, cabinet styles, paint color, etc. After the contract is written except for those cited items "changed" we will no longer provide changes nor add features to the house without incurring additional costs.
FINAL WALK-THROUGH: Before you came to closing, you had the opportunity to conduct a final walk-through inspection with your agent. This is probably the greatest service that your real estate agent performs for you; their experience in spotting the small items of touch-up and showing you the operation of the appliances is an invaluable service. Once you have conducted your inspection, you have accepted the house "as it is", in a satisfaction of the sales contract, except for the conditions listed in the Final Walk-through inspection. From that point on, we will adopt a position that nicks, scratches, dents, tears, and the homeowner caused any other damages to the house. It is also the responsibility of the buyer/agent to check the appliances to insure that they are in good working order prior to acceptance.
HOOK-UPS: Unless stated as terms of the contract it will be your responsibility to provide for the hook-ups of service for your telephones, cablevision, icemaker, washer/dryer, etc. We will be glad to provide these services but there will be at an additional cost. In most instances as a courtesy to our buyers we will have the utilities turned-on at walk-thru. This enables you to check the plumbing, electric lights, heating, cooling, and all the appliances prior to move-in. We ask that on the day of closing you have made your utility deposits and have instructed the utility company to take a meter reading and transfer the utilities to your name. This practice permits continuous service while you are moving in. However, unless other arrangements are made, we will turn off all utilities in our name on the day of closing.
CUT-OFFS: Before you move in, make certain that you know where the water cut-offs are located both in the house and out at the street. If you are unfamiliar with electrical panels we will be glad to show you the mechanics of the circuit breakers. The heat pump utilizes both switches and fuses, if you are unfamiliar with these we will be glad to show them to you and describe how they work and how to replace them. In the event of an emergency it will be your responsibility to shut off the utilities or appliances when the fault is discovered. For instance, if a pipe breaks we will fix the pipe if it is a manufacture defect or improperly installed; however, any damage to your personal items will be a matter for your insurance company. So too would an act of god, tree limb falling on your air conditioner, be a responsibility of the insurance company. If you have an underground sprinkler system or pump for pool or septic, you are responsible for periodic maintenance and winterizing.
1ST TWO WEEKS: For the first 14 days after closing we will be "on-call" to solve any immediate problems that you may experience. You may discover a light switch that doesn't work, or a water tap that is hard to operate, etc. If you uncover something that was incorrectly installed, that you might have missed during the Final Walk-through now is the time to let us know. Usually during moving in there are minor nicks and scratches that can be touched-up with the same paint used in painting your home. You have been provided a sheet listing the paint colors that were used to paint your home. We do not “touch-up” a house after move in. After the first two weeks, your responsibilities as a homeowner for routine small repairs increase proportionate with the period of ownership.
1ST 90 DAYS: After the first two weeks we will require that any additional work you want performed on the house be in writing. You must mail warranty requests by US Postal Service. If you e-mail to warranty@showcasenc.com you must also send via USPS. Obviously it costs us money each time we have to send a repairman to your home; you must be there when you have an appointment for a ‘repair’. Failure to do so will result in a service charge by that vendor. As you live in the house, and it begins to "settle," door latches will have to be adjusted, some caulking may crack or a shelf is discovered to lack sufficient bracing. We want to insure during this period that all the defects in the house are uncovered and corrected. When you give us a "punch list" of these items, we will make an appointment with you and attempt to correct all those items that we are responsible for. Please remember that paint fades in sunlight; do not wait a year to tell us that a warped piece of siding must be replaced and repainted. We will only do spot or touch up painting involved in repairs and will not re-paint your house to match a newly caulked joint or spot repair. Missed appointments may result in a service charge by the Tradesman paid prior to a return visit; if you expect the work to be done, you must be there for the appointment.
WASTER SYSTEMS: We do not design, install or warranty the septic system beyond the functions over which we have control. If you experience problems usually it is caused by the insertion of some insoluble object that is blocking the lines. The installer and the respective Health Department should be the one that is called and will respond to your individual situation. If you have sewer: problems beyond the cleanout stack in your yard it is the responsibility of the utility provider. During your final inspection insure that you are satisfied your waste lines are functional; after closing we will not be responsible for blocked lines.
CABLE HOOKUP: We provide Cat5 and RG6 cable for the telephone and cable/computer hookups. These are terminated at an external point with one line for each outlet. We do not warrant the function of any supplied cable; if you have any questions regarding the cable or the service which you must subscribe to for delivery you must contact that organization.
DIRECT CONTACT: If something goes wrong with the plumbing, electrical service, heating and cooling, before you call anyone make certain that the circuit breaker has not been tripped in the electrical box, that the water has not been cut off or the re-set button on your garbage disposal has been pushed. If you call the serviceman on the attached list, he is most familiar with your house since he installed the cited items. If you attempt to call us for a problem we will then have to call the serviceman. If it is an emergency direct calls to the servicemen listed will save your time. Our warranty work is performed by our personnel and associates only. It will be strictly at your expense, if you decide to bring in another vendor to do any service work on your house.
NO WARRANTY: If you add or modify in any manner, any portion or component of your home you will terminate the warranty that we provide for that portion so affected. If you modify or perform any services on any of the appliances, except by an authorized factory approved representative, you will have modified a piece of equipment we have provided and that will void our warranty on that piece of equipment. We do not warrant cracked tubs/showers after the final walk thru. We do not warrant the grass, bushes, any vegetation, any glass, caulk separation, or concrete. We do not warrant drainage, erosion, rain accumulation or acts of nature. We do not warrant wood or wood product flooring installed nearby water sources (baths/washer-dryer rooms). We do not warrant collateral damage caused by accidents, incidents or acts of God that should be covered by insurance. We do not warrant pressure treated deck nor porch material from warping, twisting or shrinking. We do not perform routine maintenance expected of the homeowner, tightening screws, caulking, etc. If your property is located in Carolina Lakes, Woodlake or any subdivision that is located near a water source, we do not warrant the occurrence of under ground springs that may appear after closing. We do not warrant underground sprinklers or pumps that have not been winterized by the Owner. We do not warrant any work or items that were directly purchased by, scheduled by or subcontracted by the Owner/Buyer, and the Owner/Buyer is to be responsible for these items.
FULL YEAR WARRANTY: Beyond the first 90 days we will continue to warrant our materials and workmanship for up to one year from the date of closing or occupancy, whichever occurs first. If a defect occurs that is the result of a supplier or manufactures responsibility the decision to repair or replace will be left up to them. Most disputes occur when on the 11th month and 29th day the homeowner decides that the seam crack in the vinyl is defective and the entire kitchen floor must be replaced. Most suppliers have been doing business with us for a long time and will strive to satisfy a buyer and stand behind their product. However, if a supplier or subcontractor decides to repair rather than replace, we will not supersede their decision. Beyond the 1st ninety days we are really looking at structural defects in the construction, defective materials that have failed or undetected code violations. Fair wear and tear are the responsibilities of the home owner; please don't expect us to do a 12 month service call on your home and restore it to move-in condition. We are seeking to be fair, if you can respect the principle of fairness we are certain that our follow-up work will be to your satisfaction.