Highland Homes Reviews

Highland Homes has a great sales team. We never had any questions unanswered. Though we liked our building manager, highland homes outsources all the work and lacks a quality team and building manager hardly does quality check, We ended up following on many things after closing ( from a minor thing such as front door weather strip to a leaked window replacement ) which is frustrating at times.

just be detailed on a particular home you want. The design, check every angle of your rooms, finishes, up & down, etc.

Take lots of pictures and document everything during pre-construction and construction, and especially during blue tape. monitor utility meters as soon as possible, just so your not blindsided 2 months later of a water leak that was never discovered. just goes to show, anything can happen. Started out as a second home made it harder to keep up with everything. Over all above average.

This was not our first new home, though it was the first time we had built from ground zero. We downsized from a (2) story highland home (new model) of which we loved, to a (1) story highland home new build. Unfortunately, the quality of the material and workmanship of our first home surpassed that of the home recently purchased. The sales team and site manager have helped us process through the building experience but the covid pandemic caused quite a few issues including having to move out the closing date twice.

We closed on our home in October 2020. We love the design of our home and the location. Highland has great floor plans to choose from. We have had numerous issues during the construction phase and after we moved in. Specifically, we have had several plumbing related issues. Mustang Plumbing is the subcontractor for Highland Homes and almost everything Mustang Plumbing has touched has been done incorrectly. The largest and most egregious issue was that Mustang Plumbing did not connect our grinder pump to the city sewer line in front of the house. On the day we moved into our new home we had sewage running all over our front yard and driveway. The next day Mustang did connect the grinder pump to the city sewer line; however, they failed to connect the grinder pump back up to the electrical system. A few days later we had sewer gas in our new home. Another Mustang plumber came out and resolved the issue. Another Mustang issue is that they incorrectly installed our disposal in the kitchen sink. A few days after moving in to our new home we had lots of water leaking under our sink. Yet another Mustang plumber had to come out and correct the issue. We have also had issues with our "Smart Home Package" offered by Highland Homes. Essentially, during the construction phase of the house, IES (another subcontractor) neglected to install several access ports needed for the Eero wifi extenders. IES offered to retrofit the extenders but doing so would have required rather extensive drywall work. We declined because we do not want patwork drywall in our new home. Another IES issue focused on our video doorbell. In order to install our video doorbell IES had to remove several bricks from the front of the house and then a brick mason had to come out and patch up the front of the house. It looks fine, but why not install the video doorbell from the very beginning. All of the IES issues stem from poor planning. Advice to future buyers - insist that your wifi extenders and video doorbell be installed before you move in. It is a huge inconvenience having people in and out of your house installing items that can easily be installed before you move in. I write this review on January 6, 2021. Since we moved in we have had to submit at least 6-7 warranty issues to Highland Homes. All but one have been addressed. But I find it sad that we have had to submit so many warranty requests on a brand new home. Our project manager, Matt, has been very responsive to each of the issues we have faced. I do not blame Matt for anything. However, I strongly encourage Highland Homes to source better plumbing and low voltage subcontractors. If you are looking to buy a Highland Home, you will love your design choices and the floor plan options. Highland Homes look great. However, be very thorough in your inspections because I do have my doubts about the quality of the workmanship (especially the areas that are hidden behind walls such as plumbing. Ask questions. Visit the home site frequently during the construction phase. Take pictures to document the building process. ... More

overall good quality of house, but expensive than other competitor builder (M.I home and some other builders. not clear why it should be expensive than competitor. I see lots of little minor thing not done properly. a little poor in finishing work.

Make sure one ask questions about how do you (owner) make decisions on what customers want when it comes to master bath having a towel and linen rack when second bath has one, providing more room for master toilet, internet service, cable or direct TV. Making decision as to being upfront on informing us customers on all things important to us. Showing customer prices of incentives and allowing customers to be able to order all necessary. Walls are too thin no privacy. Providing pest control so they don't move in to ants, spiders because it seems as though you don't care. Be more concerned in customers to get higher ratings. This is for owner not construction manager because manage do what owner/builder wants done. ... More

I was rushed to close as I was told the house would be ready when I moved in. Since I have moved in the issues I have pointed out have been slow to be addressed and I’m still dealing with a lot of the same issues. Once they are addressed they seem to be handled. Just shouldn’t be so hard to have things handled when I did my part.

We chose Highland Homes based on their reputation for quality, communication, and strong warranty service. Our construction experience reflected that—everything went smoothly, and Danny, our construction manager, was outstanding. He communicated clearly, stayed on top of the timeline, and made the entire build process seamless. Danny deserves a full 5 stars. Unfortunately, our experience with the warranty side has been the complete opposite. A month after moving in, our backyard tree died, despite plenty of rain and proper yard maintenance. Additionally, a gate hinge had come loose—likely due to wind sometime between our final walkthrough and closing. While I fully understand that no one is perfect and there are rules and disclosures in place to prevent misuse of warranty services, the issue wasn’t the problems themselves—it was how they were handled. Nate, our assigned warranty manager, came across as dismissive from the start. He offered excuses for every concern, spoke to my wife in a condescending tone, and seemed more focused on defending himself and Highland than listening and empathizing. During my own conversation with Nate, I found myself frustrated—not because I didn’t get my way, but because of the complete lack of empathy or ownership. He made sure to mention his accolades with the company, which seemed more like a justification for not helping than a way to reassure us. I did apologize to him for getting frustrated, but throughout the entire interaction, he never once said something as simple as, “I’m sorry you’re dealing with this.” A little empathy and common sense would’ve gone a long way. In the end, I reached back out to Danny, who kindly helped us address a few lingering issues. I truly appreciate that, and again, Danny is a major asset to Highland Homes. But unfortunately, Nate's approach to customer service left a bad taste in what was otherwise a positive experience. It’s disappointing because it wasn’t about getting everything covered—it was about being heard and treated with respect. Customer service and communication should never be afterthoughts, especially when building someone’s dream home. ... More

Reliable, trustworthy and responsive !! On down side - all my glass windows cracks, Stair case is terrible, landscaping and Insulation are not worth for the money spent.

Zero complaints about the customer service. Everyone we interacted with during purchase and the build process was phenomenal. Our grievances are tied to the quality of materials, workmanship and the lack of QC. Our expectations were high after seeing HH’s model homes across several different communities. The house they built us definitely did not measure up to those expectations.

The purchasing process and initial negotiations were fantastic. As newcomers to the US, we received substantial support and guidance on how to navigate the home-buying process, which differs significantly from what we’re accustomed to in our home country. Once the terms were agreed upon, things proceeded relatively smoothly. However, as the closing date approached, our experience took a turn for the worse. The initially agreed-upon numbers suddenly increased significantly, with a considerable hike in the total house value causing a major dispute among all parties involved. Despite the challenges, we persisted, and at the last minute, the numbers came down closer to the original agreement—though not quite the same. The Construction Manager has been excellent, addressing our concerns and providing support when needed. Overall, Highland Homes is a reputable company with an impressive sales process and diligent construction follow-up, albeit with some room for improvement in materials and a less-than-ideal lender company. ... More

Jon, the salesman, was shady and would tell us whatever he thought would get us to sign. Fortunately for us, we always recorded and/or had a witness present to validate our statements. We had to deal directly with the regional lead to finally come to a resolution, including intentionally misleading us regarding the 20k incentive. He was just as deceptive regarding what changes we could make (we wanted a circular tub). After our earnest deposit cleared, it came to light that we couldn’t do that. He also misled us by 2 weeks regarding closing (the date changed within a week after we went under contract and the construction manager had no idea why the salesman had fabricated the completion date). After we moved inC we had continuous issues with the air conditioners and plumbing (hot water would either take more than 6 minutes to actually get hot, or we would lose the hot water mid-shower). It took at least 3 attempts per issue to make progress. We will see if the latest bandaids work or not. Of note, the construction managers (David and Caleb) have been amazing through it all and are the only reason we haven’t already filed suit against highland. ... More

I’ll start by saying that HH was by no means terrible and in the end we are very happy with our home and it’s beautiful and the finishes HH offers are all very nice. That being said, my biggest gripe with HH is likely that I came in with higher expectations having built homes in the past with other builders in different states where the process was exceptional. I came in expecting the same and HH fell short. Everything eventually got done and taken care of but it involved a lot more leg work and follow up on my end to ensure things were getting done and were correct ( there were several errors.) In the end the attention to detail and lack of communication at all levels Sales, construction manager and HH loans was disappointing, but to their credit they have for the most part been responsive and taken care of everything once I followed up. I can’t imagine how this would go for a first time home building customer not knowing what to look for and/or what to ask. ... More

Negative: Extreme disparity between standard and upgrade expectations. Very confusing! Extremely low quality workmanship! Continuous need for repairs before closing. Disrespect for owner’s investment. Dents and gouges in upgraded cupboards. Positives: Great interaction with sales staff and design center during building process. Quality fixtures, appliances, flooring, etc. Construction manager’s attention to concerns. Quick follow up to issues after closing.

If your sales person is Haeli then be specific to the details. She doesn’t provide you with any details as she thinks it doesn’t matter to us. But end of the day we are paying money so ask every detail of lot inside and outside of perimeter. These people just work for the money and don’t value you after signing the sales agreement. I realized cheap products being used in some places of the construction. Highland homes loan officer Lindsay, not provided any steps details. Loan process was not transparent. She never told until I ask for. Over all rating okay to buy from highland homes but there bunch of other builders too. Try to consider other builder if you have options. ... More

Some cracks on the wall and protrusions that occurred throughout the building after a month residing the home. Indicates issue with structure. Wall holding garage door frame on the side cracked. Sloppy paint in areas where there is visible sheen/general unevenness. Even with fixing minor issues and given a period a to review them and have builder go over them it was impossible to catch everything before signing. It's annoying some of the media/home consoles like doorbell and thermometer are service locked and was a pain to configure and gain access to and wifi extender.

Every door knob has fallen off, the hardware is so cheap. 4 toilets and every handle is missing pieces in the back. Washers missing. It’s embarrassing to bring people in to my home. The toilets and tubs backed up in 1st week. The stench of sewage was something we had to live with for a month, with a one year old and three year old. The worst thing is I have kids and the rails have fallen through upstairs. Allowing the ability for one of my kids to fall through the railing. Can provide time stamped pics for everything. The water heaters were not working for the 1st month of ownership. They were replaced. My kids had to bathe at a family members home for weeks. The lack of insulation is insane. Not only for sound but the cold. I have a thermal camera for hunting and looked at the wall and laughed. ... More

Day 1, sewer backed up and circuit breaker for refrigerator had to be replaced. A few days later no hot water, all flow orifices had to be removed to get sufficient flow for water heaters. This is due to the way the water heaters were installed. Wrong size circuit breaker installed for double oven. White spray paint on exterior of sliding doors and Highland will not address. Breakfast area window needed to be replaced, damaged during installation but no one told anyone. No soft close hinges on cabinet doors (HH saved $200 on that one). Black marks on white door trim from door hardware, told this was normal. I replaced all strike plates and now fixed, HH saved $40 on that. Laundry room cabinets installed so high as to not be useable, I lowered them. No cabinet pulls in Study, Laundry Room or other bathrooms. Water heaters installed as far away from kitchen and Master Bath as could be. Will need hot water recirculation. I am still crawling on the floor with a wet toothbrush getting white paint out of woodgrain. Reset exterior door strikes so door came into contact with weatherstripping. Trim carpenters don't deserve to be called carpenters. Nicks on door trim behind hinges throughout that were not filled, just painted over. Electrolux appliances not worth whatever you paid for them. Patio exterior outlet in a location that makes it unusable. Master Bath makeup vanity wall outlet installed INSIDE a cabinet. Had to shim the rear wheel of refrigerator due to floor being out of level so much. We apparently expected too much. ... More

After we closed we were treated like enemies. Once in our new home we find the quality of workmanship very poor, having to touch up most of the staircase and wood work.

I was not as happy with the quality of my Highland home as I was my last one. The mason work was sloppy and the cabinet work was also not the best. My sales person was non-existent, only talked to him 3 times during the process. Didn’t help advise and wanted upgrades but were not aware. Our contractor Alex was amazing. The closing was painless. Overall I would say average to moderate experience.

Love the house. A lot of small things needed to be fixed.

Although I love the house and the location , the overall moving process lacked in several areas. The exterior of the house is different than the one we thought it would be. We only found out about that later in the process. When we received our closing date, we thought everything would be ready for the move in date but it wasn’t. We did the final walkthrough one day before closing and noticed that there were items missing, like Mirrors, Shower Window, Door bell and Oven vents. Our builder did tell us that we had the option of postponing the move in date or have these things added before we moved. At that point everything was already scheduled to move in so that wasn’t an option for us. The day of our move in, the house was nasty dirty. Like dust on the bathroom drawers , counters, etc. it looks like their cleaning crew came to clean the floors only. Our builder did stay on top of things after we moved and got everything that was missing and communication was great! We know the market has been crazy of late and labor is scarce so we totally understand why those things happened but definitely wished we were told of it before that that was a possibility . Besides that, I would buy it from them again, but would definitely be more active through the process in asking updates. ... More

Overall my home is good, but the paint job is just very poor. I did use the entire roll of blue tape at the walk thru. Touch ups were done incorrectly and my experience with the painters did ruin my excitement for my new home.

The actual buying process was ridiculous. The sales agent was not informed, and what’s worse didn’t appear to care if she didn’t have correct, timely or complete information. The home design is lovely. The light, the layout and the function is beautiful. If there was less upper loft area, which could be dedicated to larger second bedrooms, the plan would be fantastic. The workmanship behind the walls seems to be competent. The finish work is bad, among the worst I’ve seen. Looking at the details of finish, you would think the subcontractors do not care about their work. Additionally, they do little to protect their, or others, work, so many parts need to be replaced or redone. Having said that, the responsiveness of the warranty team has been terrific, thus far. We may not always agree about things that need to be addressed, but they are always courteous and show care. Hopefully that will continue as we move forward. They have turned a rather sour process into a positive relationship. ... More