3 Ways Homebuilders Can Increase Buyer Satisfaction After Move-In

5.9 min readPublished On: November 3, 2022

As a homebuilder, when you think about the homebuyer journey, where does your mind go? 

From research at Avid Ratings, we understand there to be a few distinct phases:

While the last item — the warranty and relationship phase — is critical to a builder’s success, it’s too often neglected. And when builders fail to consider how they can make a positive impact on their buyers’ post-move-in experience, they leave future business and money on the table. 

Let’s briefly review common challenges homebuilders and buyers encounter during the warranty and relationship phase before diving into the ways that HomeKeep can alleviate these issues, benefiting both parties.  

The Warranty & Relationship Phase: Why It Can Be Challenging

Picture this: you, the homebuilder, build your buyer’s dream home. It perfectly matches their vision — you’ve executed on what they requested down to the minute detail. You know you’ve hit it out of the park . . . What could go wrong?

Unfortunately, it’s all too easy to fall out of your buyers’ good graces if you fail to meet their expectations post-move-in. 

When Small Issues Become Larger Problems

You might consider your job done when you hand over the keys, but — in a buyer’s mind — you’re on the hook for anything that might go wrong after move-in. 

Small issues aren’t uncommon, but these can quickly snowball into bigger problems, especially for new homeowners inexperienced with home maintenance. Homebuyer satisfaction — which typically peaks when homebuyers close on a home — can quickly turn sour.

Combating These Issues with Home Help

So — what’s a homebuilder to do? Whether or not complaints geared toward you are warranted, homebuyer perception of you and your organization is vital to future business. If a buyer isn’t happy, they might not refer you to friends and family. In fact — the opposite can happen. 

Fortunately, there are now tools that can help you prevent or minimize negative experiences, improving, simplifying home maintenance and management and making the process of homeownership much more enjoyable. 

3 Ways that HomeKeep Improves HomeBuyer Satisfaction Post-Move-In

One of these tools? HomeKeep. We  partner with homebuilders to offer homebuyers our full service or DIY option home maintenance options, improving homebuyer satisfaction. 

So . . . How does HomeKeep improve buyer satisfaction and how does this benefit builders? We’re glad you asked. Read on to find out. 

#1: A Digitized Inventory of Appliances & Systems Means More Convenience for Builders and Buyers

Full-Service Offering vs. DIY Offering

As part of our full-service offering (involves services conducted by a professional), the maintenance professional will load the home’s appliances and systems into the HomeKeep app during their first of two in-home “checkups.”

As part of our DIY offering, the homeowner will add their home’s appliances and systems themselves through a guided, in-app experience.  

Whether it’s the maintenance professional or the homeowner adding appliances and systems, the process is simple. The HomeKeep app prompts the user to log items by taking pictures, for example, of an appliance’s serial number. Then, HomeKeep “finds” the appliance and populates the app with information the homeowner needs to properly maintain said appliance. 

Benefit to Builders

For homebuilders, the benefit of a digitized inventory of home appliances and systems is two-fold:

  • First, this negates the need for a homebuilder to create binders full of appliance information to pass along to the homebuyer. (Consider the time, effort, and money saved as a result!)
  • Second, by having home maintenance information more readily available, a homeowner is more likely to properly take care of their home, resulting in fewer break-downs, complaints, and warranty claims directed at the builder.

Benefit to Buyers

Benefits to buyers mirror the above. With HomeKeep, the homeowner won’t have to find space in their new home to store excessive paperwork, reducing clutter and the headache that inevitably ensues. 

They will, instead, have access to home appliance and system information in the palm of their hand, which will lead to better home maintenance and its myriad benefits (money saved, risks reduced, home value increased, and more).     

#2: Digitized Storage of Other Important, Home-Related Documents Means More Convenience, Too 

Full-Service Offering vs. DIY Offering

As part of both our full-service and DIY offering, you — the homebuilder — will be able to preload things like contracts and contacts into the HomeKeep app. This creates a complete, easy-to-navigate, digitized record of the home for a homeowner before they even move in. Additional contact-related information, such as subcontractors and other service professionals, can also be added.

Benefit to Builders & Buyers

Knowing exactly where to find important information within the HomeKeep app improves the experience of homeownership for your buyers. They’ll find this feature incredibly convenient, improving their perception of the experience with you, the builder. 

You’ll also field fewer phone calls, and can do away with excessive binders, thumb drives, and drawers full of paper documents. (Now that’s what we call a win-win!)

#3. Custom Maintenance Plans Help Homebuyers Stay on Track While Reducing Warranty Claims for Builders 

Full-Service Offering vs. DIY Offering

As part of our HomeKeep’s full service plan, the HomeKeep app will prompt the homeowner to schedule two annual, in-home maintenance appointments, during which a professional will perform ten key maintenance services. In addition, the app will send homeowners helpful reminders in the form of push notifications as the service date approaches. 

Under the DIY plan, the HomeKeep app will auto-generate a customized maintenance plan after homeowners catalog their home’s appliances and systems. The app will then prompt the homeowner to complete certain tasks at certain times, and lead them through each task step by step.

Benefit to Builders & Buyers

The benefits of regular home maintenance are undisputed: homeowners that take care of their home will save money, reduce risks, increase the value of their home, and more. At the same time, homebuilders will benefit from fewer customer service calls, reduced warranty claims, and increased buyer satisfaction. 

Another benefit to builders? By having more insight into what constitutes typical home maintenance, a homeowner will be able to better differentiate between regular, preventative maintenance and a warranty issue. A homeowner’s ability to properly identify something as home maintenance and not a warranty issue means fewer disgruntled calls to you, the builder.

All That Being Said . . . 

HomeKeep is designed specifically to improve the stage of the homebuyer journey where homebuilders typically fall short in customer satisfaction. It improves the way homebuilders manage the post-move-in experience, and helps them turn new homebuyers into happy and informed long-term homeowners.  

Check out our home builder page today to learn more about the different ways HomeKeep can help you provide a best-in-class, post-occupancy experience for your buyers. 

Recent Posts