Home Maintenance Company Sees Business Take Off in Florida Housing Market
We’ve also discussed ways in which owners can boost the value of their property and attract those seeking a Florida home loan.
But as price reductions and perks such as design center upgrades, free flat-screen televisions, and even free car leases become common in all price ranges of newly constructed homes, new services are required: post-construction home maintenance.
For example, Home Owner Services Team (Host) enables builders to offer a new perk for the “do it for me” set that not only helps to increase sales - but also protects builders’ return on their investment by ensuring a smooth transition of new homes to their owners.
Popularity in the Florida housing market
Across the state, home builders are now offering their customers Host’s comprehensive Maintenance Value Program, an annual service that employs licensed, bonded and insured technicians who follow a 21-point checklist to service homes on a defined schedule, including everything from checking smoke detectors to caulking showers. The program provides a unique opportunity for a trained professional to provide an ample home inspection a new house for needed repairs and maintenance that might otherwise be overlooked.
Since launching these programs, unprecedented demand has prompted Host to expand into several Florida markets in its first year of business, including: Naples, Fort Myers, Sarasota, Tampa, Spring Hill and Orlando. In one recent week, five Florida home builders signed up for Host’s services, adding thousands of home owners to the company’s client roster.
“We understand the delicate relationship between builders and home owners as they complete the construction process, conduct their final walk-through and sit down at the closing table,” said Katherine Bordelon, vice president of corporate communications and new market development for Host. “The average new home has more than 60,000 potential points of failure, and we work with our home builder partners to achieve higher customer satisfaction ratings by quickly identifying potential warranty-related issues and managing the repair process quickly and efficiently.”
The idea is to catch small problems before they become bigger ones, thereby reducing aggravation and expenses for both the Florida home loan buyer and the builder. Despite the popularity of “freebie” electronics and granite countertops as the housing market has become more competitive, warranty and customer service is still the factor rated No. 1 in new home builders’ customer satisfaction ratings, according to J.D. Power and Associates.
As confidence in the future of Florida home loans increases, the need for this kind of service will only rise. How come? Because more people will want to be assured the property they’re purchasing is in ideal shape.
