Pennwest Homes

Seems like a consistent theme in all the problems with homes. I am a licensed contractor and am engaged to the buyer of this home. She bought this as a single working mother and to me it seems Pennwest and Valley homes sold her a bill of goods.The list of issues is long on a house that is 3 years old Floor was bad tried to fix, but ending up pulling up the majority of it and replacing.Garden Tub in bathroom leaked under tub causing mold and counter damage, finally repaired. Which they are proud of saying "we fixed it though" .Much of the molding was not attached or installed correctly and I have since fixed these issues Heat does not work properly and is poorly set up one rooms hot and other rooms are cold.Came and put in "crossovers" but did not eliminate problem. Home was to have solid doors as per contract and all are cheap hollow doors. Windows were to be tilt in top and bottom, but only bottom window tilts Original door replaced due to defective sidelghts holding vapor was replaced with same defective door that now has same problem as well as leaded glass insert leaks and has a gap. Multiple calls made and was told that Philips door the made the door went out of business, o there is nothing we can do. Talked to service manger Rick and told him if he replaced door I would install at no charge, seemed reasonable to me but to no avail. Replacing with the same door that is a poor quality door and expecting different results seems like a poor solution. As the saying goes Let the buyer beware. Structural warranty does not cover window or doors.If you are willing to buy poor quality and workmanship this is the place.Read the other low rating reviews and see what the theme in service is. The above guarantee lists 10 years on major structural components, as a builder I find doors floors and windows, etc to be MAJOR STRUCTURAL COMPONENTS.I have nothing against modular homes and there are some distinct advantages to stick built , but my advice is look out of the 14 reviews including this one 6 give them 1-2 stars 8 give them 3 or better in my book that's a 57% success rate and that;'s a failing grade

Lawsuit is pending.ZERO QUALITY CONTROL so far and the project has just begun.Updates to follow.

My husband and i love our pennwesyt home our builder was interstate homes in harpersville ny our salesmen was neil and i have to say he was very helpful and always returned our calls. His drywaller was the best and i dont think dollar for dallor no way can you beat it. try to build a 2 story cape for 130 thousand. we love our home and all i can say is make sure you choose a quality builder

We purchased the Pennwest, Lexington II and have been very happy with the appearance, livability, and quality of the home. Recently, our area experience some extremely adverse winter weather and today makes the sixth day my family has been without power. Due to the quality workmanship and overall quality of the design and materials put into our home by Pennwest my family has remained both SAFE and comfortable. Even with the temperatures dropping into the single digits and low teens we have been able to heat the entire house with only one (small) propane heater. In fact, we have been able to keep the downstairs at a constant 63F and the upstairs as high as 67F. Not one single water line has frozen and nowhere in the home have we experienced any sweating or cold related damages. People talk bad about modular homes but we have standing proof that if you purchase from the right builder such as Pennwest you will have a home of substantial quality. In fact, I challenge any stick built home owner to turn their power off completely in the dead of winter and see if they can maintain that home with a single propane heater. A big thanks to the folks at Pennwest Homes, because of your dedication to provide an above quality home my family has been safe and sound in the worst of conditions.
Thank you,
Greg

Poor quality, poor workmanship. The painter we hired said it was one of the worst drywall jobs he had ever seen. The flooring was put down wrong so it has to be replaced, as mentioned by a previous buyer there are some outlets that don't work and switches that are wired wrong. We upgraded our cabinets and I'm telling you I would hate to see the "standard". The drawer slides are the old fashioned metal and roller ones that were in my 34 year old home that I sold to buy this expensive, poorly built house. I wish it was like buying from Walmart (if it doesn't meet your expectations return it), but alas this is not the case. Buyers of Penn West Moduler homes beware.

Response from Todd Griffith at Pennwest Homes
Pennwest uses KCMA cabinet construction, which means they meet the certification requirements from the Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers Association as well as the ANSI (American National Standards Institute).

My wife and I searched for homes for over two years before we decided which one to buy. Penn West had awesome kitchens and bathrooms. The home we chose has more cabinets and countertop space than the stick house my brother had built. We were unsure as to who to buy from so we talked to our salesperson if we could visit their factory. We visited two factories and were very impressed with the Penn West factory. They took us onto the production line to see for our selves how they are built. Then we saw two model homes that were set up there. They explained how service on the home would be handled between the dealer we were buying from and Penn West would be handled.

After our home was set up we were disappointed because it didn't look like the model homes we had toured at the dealership and Penn West. It seemed to lack the quality we remembered about Penn West. We called our salesperson to complain and go over the list of crappy workmanship. He explained that it was normal and that we should make a list and send it in so that their servicemen could "fine tune" the home. After a couple trips by them and one by Penn West almost all the items were taken care of.

We went with modular because we saw what my brother went through building his home. This was not an easy process at all but looking back on it we are happy with our home.

My advice if you are considering a modular home - visit the plant it is built out of.

My wife and I looked for a home for two years. We wanted somthing we would be proud of and happy with. I looked at a lot of homes and talked to a lot of people. when we found our dream home I looked to the internet sites to view the comments others have posted about there experience with Pennwest homes. Thankfully we chose to buy a pennwest home. We experienced some hurdles along the way but in the end we love our home the service department at pennwest is very helpfull and friendly Steve Anderson and Rick Beichner are quick to respond when we had an issue the contractor was very professional

Well where should i start?hmmmmm....... first off i would like to tell everyone that is thinking about buying a pennwest home check with the BBB BEFORE COMMITTING YOURSELF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!the service department are all a bunch of morons!!!!! the fact of the matter is that they dont care after the dealer you buy from pays them.we have had numerous problems hvac/flooring/stairs/carpet/mb shower and now the newest is the floor joists!!!!!i have contracted outside engineers and builders and my own building inspector to come in and evaluate my my flooring issues and they all agree the floor joists are crowned wrong!!!! so the solution is to replace them and the factory is denying to reimburse me the 23,0000 dollars its going to cost me.well sadly but true they will pay one way or another.we have even gone as far as contacting the owner of the commodore corp. and we get nowhere.they have paid me off on the heating system cause of the proof they gave me as to how its suppose to perform and my engineer test reports show it will never perform to what its suppose to be!!!!!!so here again im out 20,000 to fix the problem.this will be the 5th time my kitchen and nook are being ripped up.we have been complaining about this since the day we moved in in nov.07.so we will see where this goes.if i dont get results from them we will have to go further!!!!!!!

Response from Todd Griffith at Pennwest Homes
Pennwest has work orders signed by the customer from 12/2007 through 03/2009 that says repairs have been made to their satisfaction. Home built August 2007

When we first realized that we had a problem I was very concerned that I would have to fight or have legal issues getting this taken care of. We made 1 phone call to Penn West and within 2 weeks a contractor had contacted us and explained what they were going to do to fix the problem. When the same issue came about again then I was really concerned that it was going to be addressed, once again we made 1 phone call and within approx the same time frame the contractor contacted us and at this point taking care of the issue. I am very pleased to say that this company in my mind is the best to do business with and have stood behind everything they said they would. The contractors are very neat, very pleasant and very quick. I looked at alot of homes before buying this one and I am greatful that I chose Penn West.

My wife and I purchased a Penn West home through Patriot Home Sales in PA. WE have been living in the house now for four months, with few issues that have been taken care of by Penn West or Patriot Home in a timely matter. The house is everything we expected. Penn West had great flexibility with the floor plan and options for a great price. Penn West Homes had some of the best standard features then what we found from many other modular home companies. One thing I do recommend which we did do was purchase the heating and air conditioning through a separate contractor, due to the heating and air conditioning supplied through Penn West is insufficient. My wife and I can not be any more pleased with our home so far and I would recommend a Penn West Home to any one looking to buy a modular home.

My wife and I purchased our new house from Penn West in 2008. We had researched homes for 3 years before making our choice and we thought we made the best choice. At first, we were impressed. It took 5 days to build a 2,000 square foot house! Amazing! However, after living in the house since August, 2008, I wish they would have taken longer to build the house and put more time into doing it right. The first issue found was when we didn't have power to 7 outlets. Turns out, Penn West employees put a staple through a wire. Did they fix it? Oh, no. They just cut the wire and left it hanging! Did they think my wife and I wouldn't notice 7 outlets not working? When we moved in (and did the initial walk-through, we had a list of things to fix. It took Penn-West FOUR MONTHS to fix the issues! From warped doors, to mis-wired rooms to poor and shoddy drywall and tile work. They have replaced our front door and our french door because they were warped. The latest issue is that when we fill the tub up and lay back, it sounds like cracking ice. Penn West and Clarion Tubs are trying to get out of replacing the tub by telling me this is normal. As far as service, it is VERY poor. Not only has it been frustrating for us, it has been frustrating for our Dealer (Owl Homes). This guy at Penn West will tell her that he tried calling me and I'm not returning calls. When I ask him when he called, I find out he DIDN'T call. He promises the world and then nothing happens. During the last service visit, they broke our light in the breakfast nook. It's been OVER a month and we FINALLY got our light. BUT, he sent the wrong light. So, we are still waiting for our replacement light. Penn West may build some houses well, but I would recommend taking caution when dealing with them.

Response from Todd Griffith at Pennwest Homes
Pennwest Homes service department has been contacted twice in the last twelve months requesting parts. Both requests were handled and completed in less than a week. Mr. Gregory and the Pennwest Service Department have a good working relationship. Home built June 2008

We purchased what we thought was our dream home. Boy, I was born and raised in Chicago and all I ever heard as a young person was "DO NOT EVER BUY A HOME THAT COMES IN ON WHEELS". This home has been a total nightmare. From the first day and it is not even a year old. When calling Pennwest regarding a problem, their policy must be to ignore the calls. When they have sent servicemen in to fix the problems, the servicemen have no respect for others belongings and to top it off, they damage more then they repair. Our floors were recalled, and of course, Pennwest sent their service people. We walked on OSB for over 2 weeks and still they could not get the floors right. They had to come back, and when they did they actually broke my kitchen island - drawers and side panel. They took the drywall off of the walls and just left without saying a word. When they had to replace the carpetting - the carpet professional actually kicked the fibers out and left knowing that the backing was all that was left in spots. Now we are fighting to have the front entrance door replaced. The door has been warped since delivery of the home and leaking air. The furnace is insufficient - does not heat the house well. To be honest with you, I do not even think my outside walls are insulated. We purchased the drapery package and each pair I take down have paint on them (from the factory). All my switch plates are uneven along with the ceiling light fixtures in the bathrooms. Still no sort of apology or any type of compensation. PLEASE DO NOT BUY A PENN WEST. IT WILL BE YOUR NIGHTMARE.

Response from Todd Griffith at Pennwest Homes
Pennwest has work orders signed by the customer from 03/2008 through 07/2009 that says repairs have been made to their satisfaction. Home built December 2007

We have lived in our home for three months now. No MAJOR problems so far but numerous disappointments in the quality of the home. Alot of the work done from drywall to tile floors looks very poor. In all honesty it does not look like it was done by a professional at all! There is a big problem with quality control. Alot of the work looks sloppy. Dripping paint marks, patchy drywall, missing trim around cabinets, crooked vents, light switches and sockets, sloppy grout work. I could go on and on. We will see how it gets resolved with service coming back again. Pennwest has sent one service man out and he was not impressive at all. He tried to remove glue they got on the carpet by spraying WD40 and cutting it out. He wanted me to accept that. They really wanted to get out of replacing the carpet that was stained with glue before we even moved in. I don't think so. So needless to say, we are less than impressed at this point. Manufactured housing does not have to be cheap and sloppy! I do however remain optomistic that we will get our issues resolved.

Our dream was to build the perfect home. What we received from Penn West was nothing shy of a nightmare. Since the day this house was set on our foundation we have had nothing but problems from inadequate heating and air conditioning to all our subflooring being recalled. Every spot in this house that you walk on either creaks, moans, or bows. All these problems are nothing compared to the customer service we have received from their service department. No calls, no emails, no follow-up...We are being totally ignored by them and have been for a year now. Purchasing this home from them was a big and costly mistake. Please do yourself a favor and look at other manufactures before choosing Penn West.

Response from Todd Griffith at Pennwest Homes
Pennwest has work orders signed by the customer from 12/2007 through 03/2009 that says repairs have been made to their satisfaction. Home built August 2007

We couldn't be happier with our new home. Our builder gave us the flexibility to modify the plan to meet the needs of our family. The standard features of the Pennwest surpassed any other home we researched in the market. How can they put that much in the home for the price? Who cares? We got what we wanted, and we love it.