‘How Did This Happen?’: Illinois Couple Tours Model Home, Picks Brand-New Design On Lot. Then Horton Builds Them The Wrong House

Buying a new home has a few obvious benefits. To start, everything in the house is new—which means you should, theoretically, know what you’re getting.

However, one woman says her recent experience with D.R. Horton is throwing that idea into question. According to TikTok user Sarah Carter (@sarahstein1989), she purchased a new home after seeing a model that she liked. Now, she says the company is building her a home that looks completely different—and she might be stuck with it.

But how can this even happen?

How Did This Buyer End Up With The Wrong Home?

In a video with over 9,000 views, Carter explains that she and her husband found a home that they liked on Zillow. From there, the couple decided to tour model homes, looking at several lots featuring different versions of the same basic house.

Eventually, they settled on one option that they liked.

“The house that we went with was like a light blue-gray with darker accents, darker door, white trim,” Carter recalls.

Still, they wanted a little time to think it over. But soon after they saw the house, Carter says the salesperson began to apply pressure, telling them that another couple had shown interest in the same lot and said they may return to buy that same day. Consequently, Carter said she and her husband decided to sign on and buy the home.

Then Issues Emerge

After they signed, it became clear they were lacking information about the house. Carter says they were supposed to receive weekly updates about their property; no such updates were received. Carter also said they were told to wait to schedule a pre-drywall inspection. They were only told that the company did not actually do this until after the drywall was put up.

However, the biggest issue regarded the look of the house. While the house they toured was a light blue-gray, they discovered after visiting the property that their new house was going to be “dark brown with yellowy beige accents and white trim.”

“And I hate it,” Carter states.

Not only that, but the arrangement of the house is different from what they thought. This was particularly upsetting to Carter, as she had been given a gift by her husband of a painting of what they believed their new house would look like.

“Our salesperson never disclosed to us that this picture that we came in with was not the color of the actual house that we were buying,” she says. She further states that she and her husband specifically remarked upon the color of the home and were not told their property would look significantly different. Not only that, but she says they were not shown color swatches.

D.R. Horton Says It’s Not Their Fault

Concerned, she raised her issues with the company. While a worker was reportedly surprised that they were not shown swatches, Carter says the company’s position appeared to be that it wasn’t their problem.

“You signed off on ‘Canyon,’” she recalls an employee saying, referring to the color of the house.

“I don’t know what ‘Canyon’ is! I don’t work here!” she responded. “That’s why you need to show me the swatch, so I can understand what ‘Canyon’ is. I thought I was getting this. No one told me otherwise.”

Now, Carter believes there’s nothing she can do about the house until it’s been completed. Not only that, but she says that changing the house color later would require approval from the homeowners association.

“There’s nothing I can do now,” she says. “I’m stuck with this house. I’m stuck with this ugly brown house.”

Is She Really Stuck With The House?

Not necessarily.

First, while it’s certainly inconvenient, there’s always a chance that the HOA will sign off on a repainting of the house.

Second, if she hasn’t closed on the house yet, there are still some steps she could take to prevent herself from being left with a house she does not like.

The next steps can begin with her preserving all of the documents that show why she believed the house would have a different layout and color. This could include the Zillow listing, the rendering, videos, emails, text messages, or any other information that mentions or concerns the house’s color and layout.

After that, she should make a detailed complaint in writing to D.R. Horton management. She can include the aforementioned documents and mention the parts of the contract that were unfulfilled, such as the pre-drywall inspection, while also noting her issues with the property.

Possible demands in such a letter might include changing the exterior, transferring the purchase to another suitable home, providing a credit to cover a later exterior change, or allowing them to cancel and recover their money.

Before all of this happens, however, she should have a real estate agent look over all of the documentation. From there, they can lay out a plan to ensure Carter gets the house she really wants.

Did D.R. Horton Respond?

In an email, a D.R. Horton spokesperson provided the following statement: “This buyer’s purchase agreement was completed remotely, and they signed a selection sheet outlining the exterior color package for their home. Our Assistant Sales Manager met with the buyers this week to walk them through their home. They asked that we change the accent color, and we’re doing that for them.”

They continued, “We’re also covering all closing costs and adding a smart lighting package to the home, neither of which the buyers requested. We take feedback like this seriously and wanted to turn a frustrating experience into a positive one. The buyers have told us they’re happy with the outcome.”

Viewers Have Warnings

In the comments section, users offered advice about the best path forward.

“This is why you should always have your own agent represent you. Don’t rely on their salespeople. And make sure it’s an agent that knows new construction,” a user wrote. “I am sorry that happened. Try calling the corporate office.”

“Maybe you should contact an attorney. It may not be too late to back out. Losing a few thousand dollars is better than hundreds of thousands,” suggested another.

“Runnn far away! I own a dr Horton home and have a few major issues,” noted a third. “Currently fighting with them at who’s responsible and how they are going to fix it.”

BroBible reached out to Carter via TikTok direct message and comment.