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I’m sure you’ve seen some of our advertising and homeowner photos with our logo that asks the question, Do You Love Where You live? This question ties into a large part of what separates Napolitano Homes from many other new home builders. Our level of customer service and warranty care, that continues long after you close on one of our homes. Many builders rely on outside companies to send their buyers to for warranty issues, but we pride ourselves in having a full in-house Customer Service & Warranty Department. The sole purpose of this department is to help resolve any issues you may have with your home, arrange scheduled home review appointments after you close, and answer any questions that may arise.  This policy is pretty simple: We want you to know that we are here for you long after you close on your new home, because each one of our customers deserves complete satisfaction in his or her home.

Really, it all just comes down to taking a personal interest and investment in YOU as our home buyer and listening to your needs. The decision to purchase a new home is a big one that can change your life! Why shouldn’t your builder care just as much about about your satisfaction? Sometimes, listening and understanding is all that is really needed. Do you ever have an issue or problem with a product or service you have purchased, and all you want to do is be able to get an actual person on the phone to discuss the issue with? But four automated phone option lists later and 15 minutes on hold you might (I’m using might very loosely), might be able to get an actual human on the other end of the line. Yeah, we have all been there. But that’s not what service is and that’s not how Napolitano Homes provides the best possible new home-buying experience.

So if you need us, we’re here for you and your home.

• Send in a Warranty Request
• Questions? Email our Warranty / Customer Service Department
• Or give or Customer Service Department a call: 757.474.0888 ex. 22

So, you have finally decided on the perfect new home for you and your family. Custom Selections have been decided on, you chose the perfect color cabinets to go with your granite choice.  Now what? Well, now the fun begins. Now we get to actually start building your new home. Every new home builder has a process they follow with their buyers as their home is being constructed and every builder does this a little differently. But the ultimate goal is to make sure the buyer is informed and knows what to expect through the construction process of their new home and also make sure the builder can address any issues or questions that may arise in a timely manor. In the above photograph John, Fred & Vince Napolitano inspect a newly framed home in our Sajo Farm community.

Napolitano Homes considers our customer service to be one of the things that sets us apart from other builders, along with our attention to quality. We have built our construction process around those ideals and recently we have streamlined this process to make it easier for you, our home buyers.  You can read an in-depth explanation of our process under the Napolitano Construction Process page of our new website. But for now here is a brief overview.

Napolitano Homes Construction Process

• Buyer Involvement – We encourage and want our buyers to give us their opinion and feedback throughout the construction process of their new home.
• Framing Tour – A personal walk through session with your community builder to go over your home during the framing stage before the walls start to go up.
• Customer Wants to Know – A chance for you as the home buyer to submit your questions or concerns directly to us as your builder for timely answers.
• Quality Control Inspection (QCI) – This is an extra inspection preformed by a Napolitano Homes employee that is in addition to the already required inspections that your home will undergo.
• Orientation Meeting – Will take place the day before you close on your new home with your community builder.
• 11 Month List – a reminder your 1 year warranties will soon be up and a chance to alert us of any other issue you may need addressed in your home.

Green home building is a topic everyone is talking about these days. Along with helping the environment it is a great way a new home buyer can bring down the general cost of living in their home. With everything a home builder can do to be more green when it comes to choosing their building materials and insulation process, there are also every day choices we can make as homeowners that help our environment! And with one of my favorite holidays just around the corner, Halloween of course, what better way to be green than with how you decorate your home for this fun fall festivity!

Use Nature: The best green decorating resource around. There are so many natural items you can get right from the outdoors to make your home beautiful for fall and Halloween, like in this image to the left. Using pumpkins both for carving and porch adornments is always fun and adds a pop of color. Use dried corn husks and mums, hay bales are also a nice touch. Many of these items can be purchased at your local farmer’s market for a great price (supporting your local growers and farms is also important). Don’t forget fall leaves that you may be able to find in your yard, or gourds. Gourds are unique little decoration items and can look beautiful in a large bowl as a table center piece or used in a Halloween craft.Get Creative: There are many Halloween decorations you can purchase or make yourself (which is always more fun), that are made from materials that are more earth friendly. This Boo Banner below is great to hang up in your home and made from burlap. You can easily make this fun item yourself. Burlap can be purchased at almost any fabric store and written on very easily with a black marker. You can also make your own costumes, use organic candies…the list goes on and on. So have fun decorating your home this Halloween and while also doing a little something for our planet!

I don’t know about you but I love Autumn. It’s so nice to wake up in the morning and not have to walk out into a humid bath of moisture, and waiting for the leaves to change their color is always fun. Along with looking forward to the cooler weather and beautiful colors there are some things you will probably want to think about doing to get your home ready for the winter months. Below are a few tips to help you get started.

Unwanted Guests

Just like you and your family others are getting ready for the winter months. Our outside friends like birds, chipmunks, squirrels, bats, mice and insects may decide to make your attic or basement their warm weather vacation destination of choice. To prevent this try and locate any holes that could be used as an entrance into your home and seal them up. It may also require a visit from your local pest control company.

Stripping and Caulking

To keep the bad weather and drafty air out during the colder months and the warmth in, weather-stripping and caulking are two maintenance projects that are worth their weight in gold because they stretch the amount of energy needed to heat your new home. After all, you don’t want your dollars escaping out the gaps and cracks. All weather-stripping that appears worn or torn should be replaced. Caulking also helps prevent the loss of warmth. Old caulking should be removed before adding any new material in order for it to be effective. These products are relatively cheap and can be picked up at your local hardware store. They also don’t require extensive home repair knowledge in order to do. Which is good if you’re like me and handy man is not on your list of talents.

Watch Those Pipes

In many parts of the country, frozen pipes can become a real problem in the winter months so it is important to take preventative measures before the cold really sets in. Here’s what you can do:

• Insulate pipes in your home’s crawl spaces and attic. Now, you don’t be stingy with the insulation. The more insulation you use, the better chance you will have to not be hit with bursting pipes.
• Wrap pipes with heat tape or thermostatically-controlled heat cables. It is important to read all manufacturer installation and operation directions before you use these products.
• Identify any possible leaks and then seal these with caulk or insulation.

Napolitano Homes has other care tips for your new home under our Home Maintenance tab on our website.