Will Monarch quality survive a buyout by Mattamy – doubt it.

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Back in April, 2009, there was the following comment made in a forum:

“Friends of mine bought from Monarch in Caledon a few months ago on opening day. They and all the the other buyers were just informed at a seminar this past week that due to the economy Monarch was now offering what amounts to rebates. They all had the choice of taking $15,000 of their purchase price or getting $18,000 in upgrades. My friends took the upgrades as they had already gotten that amount in upgrades added to their purchase price. So they now get to knock $18,000 off their purchase price and have all the upgrades still they had previously chosen.

I thought this was pretty good as the builder was under no obligation to do this for any of these buyers who had already bought firm. “

A number of responses but, they tended to revolve around the following: “I doubt you’d ever see a gesture like that from Mattamy lol.” and, “Thanks to God if Mattamy would like to pay a little more attention to their workmanship.”

If you are aware of the issues with Mattamy, the above statements are hardly new and, it is a shame that Mattamy is trying to buy Monarch.  I doubt if you will see the same level of quality and customer service that Monarch took for granted.  If the sale does go through, I can see a lot of Monarch executives leaving as they would not be able to work under the Mattamy formula.

At the moment, I am helping to tear out a Mattamy built shower stall.  I understand that originally there was a leak (showed through kitchen ceiling) and Mattamy did quickly attend and fix the problem.  They should have dug deeper as the issue was more than just a leaking tile shower floor.  Over time, the small leak under the glass door has rotted the support 2X4’s to the point where they were close to collapse due to dry rot.  So, if you have your Mattamy shower fixed for a leak, have someone knowledgeable take a closer look to see if there is more of a problem.  Otherwise, it will be off warranty and your problem.

I’d hate to be buying a Monarch home right now, knowing that Mattamy might take over.  I’d be tempted to write it into the contract that if it happens, you have the option of bailing out.  Of course, maybe Mattamy will just change their name to Monarch and thus solve their quality issues.

Cheaper than actually doing it right in the first place.

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Mattamy – can a cheaper house have the same quality?

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A recent thread on the Hawthorne Villager Blog was brought to my attention and it focuses on cracking tiles.  Points were brought up about the floor joists being too far apart in Mattamy Homes (using structured I beams and placed at minimum code separations) and, being the cause of tiles in the kitchen cracking due to flexing.  Further investigation by the homeowner showed that the tiles were only held down by the grout and not by the glue/concrete under them.  It was pointed out that the installer was probably using the cheap glue/concrete and thus the tiles did not adhere properly to the sub-strate.

I won’t go into what I think of Mattamy quality here, as you’ve probably read it enough already in my other postings but would like to point out something that would be relevant no matter who the builder was.

In some of the forums I have read people state that they have liked other homes better but picked Mattamy as they were cheaper. 

It’s the old adage – you get what you pay for. 

I think we have pointed out enough things to show why Mattamy might be cheaper – cutting corners, etc.  Paying a premium price does not guarantee quality but buying at the low end, well you’ve already set yourself up for shortcuts, etc that a builder will use to save money and thus be able to offer a cheaper house.  A sub-contractor who is paid less (and thus the builder can charge you less) still has their costs and might save money by using cheaper material and sticking to code, even though the code may cause problems such as bouncy floors.

We’ve shown what Mattamy quality is like.  Do other builder’s use the same tactics to save money?  I don’t know as I have really not read anything about them.

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Can your comments affect your Mattamy Home?

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Not all are unhappy with Mattamy Homes and some have seemed to get a better house than Peter Gilgan’s father did, in reference to my last post.

Some quickly fill out the JD Power survey and give it high marks, some of whom have regretted doing so.

Some will comment on blogs such as mine or other sites allowing you to speak the truth, about the quality of the product they got stuck with.

At the Complaints Board website one unhappy Mattamy owner has even included pictures.  They show that the tile was probably laid after the cement/glue had hardened and the installer relied on the grout to hold the tile down.  They may have to replace their entire floor. 

In some Mattamy houses I’ve seen where the tile makes a dip in the floor, had imperfections on every tile, which had to be hand scrubbed and the grout discoloured by the red clay allowed onto the floor.  Oh yes, Mattamy doesn’t always lay your floor right.

Now, at this other blog we hear a totally different story.  The writer is very upbeat and positive about her Mattamy experiences.  Called “Honeygate Happiness”, Shannon is chronicling her Mattamy house experience as it is built.  I hope she gets a better build than some of us.

I do ask the question.  Are your chances better of getting a more professionally constructed Mattamy Home if you chronicle your build and put in positive feedback as it is contructed or, do you take the same chances the rest of us had in getting a “lousy job” as Peter Gilgan’s father described his house?  Is this like putting in a pre-JD Power survey?

Just food for thought.

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