I waited to write this review until I actually got into my new Clayton home and lived here for a month, as I noticed a lot of reviews only detailed the shopping process but not the building process or how things are handled after moving in.
I never considered purchasing a manufactured home before, however, when an opportunity came up to build on some vacant land next to a friend's house, this was the only way we could afford to take the leap. I was skeptical at first, but after going and looking around some of the show houses, I felt much better about moving forward. They have something there in every price range - the cheaper ones are not as nice, but they do offer some high-end homes that look and feel very luxurious inside - the stigma of a "mobile home" definitely doesn't stick here.
Lane and Jennika were amazing help in guiding us through the process. We probably had a million questions about models, finishes, colors, options, everything, and they happily and quickly answered every question. Trust me when I say we didn't make it easy, as we had to find the perfect home with a good layout and enough square footage to accommodate our family of 6. Eventually we found a model on the Clayton website that, while initially wasn't available through the Glendale office, we were able to special order from Athens, TX with Lane's help (the Farm Flex 4 Elite). When the appraisal for the new land came in low, Lane was incredible with working with us on the price so that we could meet our lender's qualifications and keep moving forward with the process.
Next up was House Smart construction, Clayton's contractor who preps the land and gets everything done at the building site. Zach, Josh, and their father Roger took point on drawing up the plans, pulling permits, and getting everything ready. They also graciously answered my millions of questions, and worked with me on the budget so we were able to get some concrete work done for a back patio. They coordinated hooking up septic, water, and power like pros. I am very happy with their services.
The home was estimated to take 6-9 months to be built, delivered, and move-in ready. We started the process in February 2025, and the home was delivered to the site only 3 months later in May. It took some time to get the home together with all of the hookups and utilities, but by August 1st we got the keys and moved in on Saturday, August 2nd. Clayton's ownership of the process from start to finish (dealer, factory, and contractor) made it seamless. If I could give the home model itself a rating, it would be a 4.5/5. The reason for dropping it by .5 is that there are just some little things in the home where cheaper materials were used, like the trim and the flooring (you can see nail holes throughout the home in all the trim, and we were told that's just how it is as it cannot be covered up).
Since moving in, there have been a few minor cosmetic issues and door alignment issues that have come up. I created a service request on Clayton's website and a few days later their crew came out and worked on everything that came up. They have a 4 month cosmetic warranty and a 1 year warranty on everything else, so I plan to keep track and tackle everything ahead of the deadline.
All in all, the process was smooth from start to finish and I am very happy that I chose Clayton Homes. Thank you Lane and team for helping make my dream a reality!