I purchased a Highland Homes new build, completed in 2023. Within under 2 years, the front door…read morebegan to crack, split, and leak a thick, sticky, sap-like material on the exterior side -- clearly not normal for a new home.
I had multiple professional door contractors inspect it, and they all confirmed the same thing: the door was not properly sealed or finished at the factory, and was deteriorating due to a manufacturer defect, not homeowner neglect. The home had only been lived in for about 16 months, and there is no scenario where a properly constructed and sealed exterior door fails like this so quickly.
So I submitted a warranty request to Highland Homes. Their first response was to deny responsibility, claiming "no routine door maintenance" had been performed -- which is both inaccurate and irrelevant when the failure is due to poor manufacturing. Most exterior doors don't require routine maintenance this early, especially when factory-finished.
I then requested a second opinion and took more time off work for an in-person inspection with Highland's warranty rep, Brad. When he arrived, he didn't even inspect the door -- instead, he told me they couldn't help because the home's warranty had not been transferred to me when I bought the house as a second owner.
Frustrated but willing to work with them, I asked: "If I go through the process of getting the warranty transferred properly, can you then help?" Brad clearly said yes, and that as long as the warranty was transferred before the August 30, 2025 expiration, I'd be covered.
So I jumped through every hoop -- contacting the seller, the real estate agent, and the warranty company to get the transfer completed. I wasted significant time and energy, only to be told after the fact that Brad had changed his story and now claims this is a "homeowner-resolved issue only." So which is it?
What's worse is that this entire conversation -- where Brad confirmed help would be available after a successful transfer -- was recorded on my Ring doorbell camera. It proves everything I've stated here.
At this point, I feel misled and completely disrespected. This experience was not only unprofessional, it was deceptive, and shows how Highland Homes shifts responsibility and makes empty promises to avoid honoring legitimate claims.
I'm sharing this experience so others know what to expect when something goes wrong in a Highland home. If Highland would like to make this right, I'm more than willing to discuss it. But until then, I'll continue sharing this honest experience -- supported by video evidence -- on every relevant platform to help others avoid the same mistake.
