General FAQ

1. Do I need a real estate agent to buy a Keystone home?
You may purchase your Keystone home directly through a Keystone Homes representative.

2. Can I bring in my own plan?
Keystone has developed a wide variety of successful plans sure to fit your needs as a homebuyer. Being that Keystone is a production builder it is not cost effective for a homebuyer to have a custom plan built by our company.

3. How long does it take to build a home if I start from scratch?
Typical build time for a Keystone Home is 150 days. Factors such as weather and site conditions may extend this time period.

4. What kind of warranty comes with my home?
Keystone Homes provides a StrucSure warranty with every home. This includes a 10 year structural warranty, a 1 year workmanship and materials warranty, and a 2 year delivery portion of systems warranty. Visit our Quality Assurance page for more information on this topic.

5. Can we make any plan changes such as moving a wall or adding a window?
Plan changes are not encouraged due to the extensive costs attached to such a change. However homebuyers may personalize their homes by adding optional luxury features through our design studio.

6. Is the fencing included, and if so what type of fencing is used?
Keystone includes some fencing in our town home neighborhoods. You may add a fence to the price of your home. All fencing must be approved by the homeowners association. Please contact the association for types of fencing used in your neighborhood.

7. How much will my property taxes be?
Property taxes vary by the municipality in which your home is located. Contact your neighborhood's Keystone Homes Representative, or visit your municipality's web site for more information.

8. Are there covenants, conditions and restrictions in my neighborhood?
Each neighborhood (except for Walton Hills) has community guidelines created by the developer in order to better protect your investment. You may obtain a copy through our main office or your neighborhood sales center.

9. Can I make designer selections, i.e. paint colors, carpet type on a home under construction?
Depending on what stage of construction your home is in you may be able to make some designer selections. Please consult your Keystone Homes Representative to explore these options.

10. Why are some home sites priced differently than others?
Every Keystone home site is unique. They vary in size, location, and topography, all of which impact the price of the site.

11. Why do prices differ between neighborhoods with the same floor plans?
Land costs, trade partner rates, and municipality fees vary across the CSRA, therefore making some areas more expensive to build in than others.

12. Can I buy a home site now and wait to build on it?
Keystone does not reserve home sites in a current neighborhood.

13. Can I choose the location of my cable/phone or electrical outlets?
Electrical outlets are placed throughout the home per code. Phone and cable outlets are placed per plan. You many add outlets as needed during your visit to the Design Studio.

14. After my home site is cleared can I have remaining trees removed?
Keystone clears up to 30-40 feet of backyard where possible. Depending on the accessibility of the yard, additional trees may be removed at the buyer's expense. Please contact the Design Studio to obtain a change order.

15. Can I move in early?
Keystone does not allow occupation of the home until all closing papers have been signed.

16. How do I submit warrantable items for correction?
Two weeks before closing one of our Quality Assurance Representatives will walk you through the home where you can submit any items at that time to be addressed before closing. After closing homebuyers are able to submit two lists of warrantable items during the first year of home ownership. Click here to visit Quality Assurance

17. Who do I call for an emergency repair?
Emergencies are defined as items that will cause structural damage to your home if not repaired in a timely manner. For example, a plumbing leak or roof leak is considered an emergency and should be reported to Marti Nevils during regular business hours. If an issue should arise after hours, please contact the appropriate contractor listed on the Emergency Contacts page of your orientation notebook provided to you at your orientation or visit the Contact Us page of the web site.

18. What items are excluded in my one year limited warranty?
Your StrucSure Warranty assures your home be free of defects in materials or workmanship as defined in the Performance Standards, except as they apply to defects in appliances, fixtures, and equipment which are not covered by this warranty. In the sales agreement there is a section designated to items excluded from warranty coverage. Such excluded items are sidewalks, driveways, porches, screen enclosures, fences, any changes or alterations made to the home, normal wear and tear, soil erosion, and all landscaping (including sodding, seeding, shrubs and trees) and landscaping irrigation.

19. Why does my driveway have cracks?
Cracks are to be expected in new concrete such as driveways or sidewalks. As the concrete dries and hardens it begins to shrink which causes the tension that leads to cracks. All concrete undergoes a volume change after it is poured. This is primarily due to moisture loss. Keystone uses contraction joints that create pre-weakened areas that encourage the cracks to occur in a more orderly fashion.

It is possible to repair cracks in your driveway if you wish to do so. Visit the web sites below or your local hardware store for more information.

Driveway Repair
Concrete Information

20. Why does Keystone use paint with a flat finish?
Flat paint is non-reflective which creates a smooth, uniform appearance on your interior walls. Flat paint is the best at concealing any imperfections in the home and is easy to touch up. Flat paint also provides excellent coverage of your home.

21. Can I add optional luxury features to my home if it is already under construction?
It depends on what phase of construction your home is in. In order for each home to be constructed in a timely and efficient manner, Keystone Homes employs a scheduling system that determines when materials are ordered and when labor is needed. Materials such as appliances, lighting fixtures, cabinets, etc. may already be ordered for your home even though they are not yet installed. It is imperative that you speak with your Keystone representative or Design Consultant as quickly as possible at the options available for your home. The schedule for your home updates on a daily basis so be sure to check with your Design Consultant to see what options are still available. What is available one day may not be the next.

22. My kitchen countertop has a seam. Does it require additional maintenance?
If you spill liquids on your countertop be sure to wipe it up in a timely fashion so it will not erode away the area surrounding the seam.

23. Why doesn't Keystone allow any changes to be made to the home within 45 days of closing?
The last 45 days of the construction process are scheduled very carefully since many tasks are completed either concurrently or in rapid succession of each other. Any alterations to this schedule could prevent your home from closing on time. Your closing date may already be confirmed by both your lender and closing attorney. Altering the schedule within 45 days of closing creates too great a potential risk of error for Keystone to allow its customers to make changes at that time.