I learned the hard way that Harding is not a builder for smaller budgeted homes (1200sqft)
Before paying the $1,000 consultation fee, I provided my blueprints and project details. I was happy to pay the consult fee to meet with John Harding- and work with a builder that has such a strong reputation.
After being rescheduled once, I arrived for the meeting only to learn that John would not be attending. I was not notified beforehand, and the expectations for my project were not clearly communicated to John after the consult- resulting in a quote that was more than $100,000 over my budget. (I had 4 quotes and Harding was the highest by over 130k *with* removing the upgrades I had!!)
What was most disappointing was the lack of communication afterward. I increased my loan to cover the 100k overage within a few days in order to move forward (again- I thought a reputable builder is typically worth the investment). I called three times to let them know it was approved- & left messages with the person who answered the phone. I never received a callback. (Erin's reply to this was that they never received a call from me even after checking their call logs...which I would genuinely hope she wouldn't blatantly lie and it was an oversight on their end considering I spoke to somebody who took my number down each time...)
When I finally realized I was not a good fit for them/no communication, I reached out by email to express my disappointment and request a partial reimbursement of the consultation fee.
If my project was not a good fit (small project/smaller profit), I would have appreciated that being communicated upfront rather than paying $1,000 for a consultation with the builder that didn't even show up. Very disappointing experience.
Hopefully this review saves another little guy who doesn't have a Harding Budget from throwing $1,000 away. read more