Secondly, you may wish to put in a larger deck or patio than the builder offers. Required fields are marked *. Uhhhhhhh! I notice you have one set of shutters what color is that? If you loved the post above, please pin it to your boards. I highly recommend it. We also added a walk in shower to our master bathroom. With our builder, it was well worth it to upgrade the cabinets and countertops to the ones we wanted because the price made so much sense. If your builder offers an outdoor upgrade, like a deck or patio, you should hold off for a couple of reasons. Best quality appliances ( think about the configuration of the kitchen if you plan on upgrading later, slide in range, wall oven and vent hood for a professional looking kitchen), Extra sinks and water sources ( prep sink, pot-filler, etc), Beverage or Wine fridges or prewires for the future, Corner cabinet lazy susan ( I totally forgot about this! Sometimes they have a great price and sometimes they do not. If any of these are a must have for you, then I highly recommend getting this. When you have this installed by the builder, they will install extra studs in the ceiling where the fan will be mounted, and mount a ceiling fan box to that. Wood upgrades are usually either oak or maple, which have very different looks. Common kitchen upgrades include stainless steel appliances and stone countertops. You can read all about that process on the blog with my first New Home Building post. It’s so nice to have music playing around the entire home when you are entertaining! 3. Our. I’m thinking it’s just gonna be a would’ve couldv’e should’ve idea! A lot. We close on our home Friday (woo hoo), so I anticipate this upgrade becoming an “I can’t live without” item. If you want an upgrade such as soaker tubs, jets or multiple shower heads, plan for it now. In the future I plan to add a window and open shelves to this space! But many potential upgrades will have to fall off the priority list as your budget reaches its limit. If you’re looking for a killer rate on your new home mortgage and you are in the PHOENIX area, contact my hubby, Reggie! Lastly, if you are considering getting an electric car such as a Tesla at some point, then you will want to install a 240V outlet in your garage to be able to charge quickly. Paint is something that can get watered down in a builder house and that would benefit from an upgrade. Of course I wanted to be on the golf course but Reggie didn’t feel it necessary and felt uncomfortable with golf balls flying into the yard. But lucky for us we landed a great location AND a great house, something that our builder prides themselves on! Upgrade the Builder Hall to unlock advanced buildings and troops!" You can save anywhere from around $100 to several thousand (depending on the material costs) by completing simple upgrades, such as: I’m currently looking at new construction homes in the Phoenix area. Your email address will not be published. My painter opened it up and there were no solids in it, it was mostly all water! In general, buying a home is one of the biggest – if not the biggest – investments you’ll ever make, and when you have the option to build a home with every aspect customized to your liking, things add up fast. Below you will find some options that I think new home builders like yourself need to think about as they are building. So you can see many of the DIY projects that are possible after your home has been built. Your post was so informative thank you so much! Other builder upgrades you should have the builder install are things that aren’t necessarily structural, but would be a pain to install yourself. Also added 42″ kitchen cabinets, crown molding, extra outlets, and wainscoting in hallways…. First, the house will settle, which is why builders typically suggest waiting at least a year before putting in a deck or patio. The cost of labor and materials generally won’t change much, but if you build on a less expensive lot, you should be able to convince the builder to roll that savings into some upgrades for you. We are launching a newsletter called a Date with Destiny! Many of those options are fairly expensive when done by the builder (in fact this is where most of their profit margins come in). Globus Builder Save Photo. When building a new home, there are many builder upgrades available. Guess who’s in charge of waking the kids up in the morning? I wish we would’ve added a fireplace too!!!! haha! Tub and Shower Two of the first elements to be installed in your home after framing are the bathtubs and showers. Lowering the price affects the value of the next home he builds. That said, asking for $10-15k off on $25k in options is a good starting point, IF the builder needs to sell the home. This was NUMBER ONE for us even more than the house. So we built our house right across the street on the best lot for us! However, upgrades like light fixtures, window treatments, and even appliances are all easy to make after the home is completed. Some new builds comes with a small to medium-sized patio. Get all the builder upgrades that are worth getting BUT also be realistic with your budget, your time and skill! Outdoor Packages– If you can get your backyard done do it! The lower the builder’s costs, the more room there is to negotiate upgrades on your new construction. Thank you so much for this post. Extended Patio. This allowed my to install my own Antenna in the attic, and then feed the coax cable to my equipment in the basement, allowing me to watch TV for free. Although it is something I want to have, it was an area we decided to not get done by the builder, mainly because its something that is relatively easy to do later, and a price not too much higher than what they were offering us. One mistake many new home owners make is they get pulled in to all the flash in the model homes presented to them. All though I do wish we had the option to fill in the space above the cabinet with more cabinets I’m ok with this. What you see above are finished side panels, trash bins, and apron front sink. To start, when you purchase a new home you always start with base price which comes with all the bones to have a great house. you have thousands of options at a very affordable price. Is there a park close by? While you may want to have a professional builder complete all of the upgrades to your home, you can save money if you are willing to undertake some smaller, more cosmetic tasks yourself. People will tell you it’s easier just to rollllllll it in your mortgage, which is true, but you need to stick to your budget because things add up! Well, that was my top 10 builder upgrades you must do, but really who can stop at 10. Thank you so much for bookmarking it! The Twin upgrade adds a second cannon right next to the first, but decreases Bullet Penetration and reduces damage. Underground conduits (pipes buried under your footpaths and driveways) are easiest when buried before the concrete is poured. Unless you plan to spend a lot of time outdoors and use the deck, it is probably one of those major items you can push to later when your budget better allows for it. We had the choice to add an extra garage to our floor plan which would’ve given our home a 4th garage. It's cheaper for the builder to go up. Finish upgrades include things like upgraded lighting fixtures or floors. We personally aren’t interested in having a MEGA mortgage but for others that’s not a concern. Central Vacuum– We were so close to installing this, but backed out last minute. Our long term plan is to cover our existing deck, and then extend the deck some more, but we want to wait and incorporate the design with our whole outdoor living concept. haha!). We all know the kitchen is the heart of the home, so we decided to spend most of our budget in this area. For starters, you are reading my Home Decor DIY blog. Master closet and laundry room connect!! I honestly think EVERY family has different needs, different resources and skills. Builders may have options that they prefer to include and those upgrades may be more reasonably priced than less popular custom touches. Thanks for keeping a bookmark on this post friend! So here I am today giving you a little guidance! My favorite part was adding the pre-wired sconces on the walls next to the sliding doors. If the base is laminate, then upgrading to granite or quartz will add significant value to your home. Upgrades that reduce maintenance hassles. In my home, I installed a conduit between the TV location and a side wall. We upgrade our already standard granite to a easy to clean marble look quartz called New Carra which is now discontinued. What Upgrades are Best to Make with a Builder? UPDATE: We are really impressed with all the RING products! And I recommend you purchase the fixtures yourself from other retailers. They probably will not discount you anything, but at least you don’t need to upgrade to something you still don’t really like. Likewise, your home may or may not have Crown Moldings to transition from the wall to the ceiling. Carpet Padding is what makes your carpet feel soft when walking on it. Depending on where you plan to keep your cable TV boxes, BluRay players, etc, this is also a good time to ask the builder to install a conduit to below the TV or even to a side room. Especially having a little girl. That exclamation is typically followed by a sad-face realization that, A) The place settings are not for sale, and; B) All those fancy upgrades are going to cost you. If you want to install a DIY drawer outlet in your bathroom drawer, then a good idea is to have the builder install an outlet behind where the cabinets are going. Examples of recommended structural upgrades are the following: Builders will often give an option for an extra room - whether its a bonus room, a loft, extra garage, or a sunroom. You want to choose the upgrades that will save you hassle and money by doing them upfront. What the Flat Panel TV Mount gives you is extra studs in the wall where your TV will be mounted so that the TV Mount has support where it will be bolted to the wall. Let the builder install their standard fixtures. Let the builder start the unfinished room above the garage or the extra bath upstairs. Now for the things I chose to DIY and not pay the builder to do. Shop Around for Financing Morning. This is often the first place homeowners will go to upgrade. Thank you for sharing. Upgrade options range from adding a crown where they don’t exist, to increasing the size of the base and crown moldings. For whatever reason the floors were marked up so much that it was easier for us to install them after we closed on the house! The price our builder gave us was comparable to any quotes we got so we decided to go with them! To answer the original question simply, it's not unusual for builders to charge 2-3x their cost for options and upgrades (been there, worked for them). Love the style of this home, I will def keep them in mine when I build in the future. Even with those features, we decided to personalize our house even more with some upgrades! Some say spend the money on the BEST lot you can and get a smaller house. 7. Ask yourself the hard questions. Thanks for the information on upgrading and budget control. If your builder provides it ask about it. I had my mother-in-law’s house repainted before she sold it and they found an old can of original paint from 20 years ago when the house was built.. They are also super easy to install. These get super dirty with use, but are really cheap to replace (<$1 each). To get the incentives offered, buyers usually must work with the lender recommended by the builder as well as the title company chosen by the builder. Location. haha! Ask questions. However, a ceiling fan mount in each room is critical to get from the builder. Update: We should have got that extra garage! I hope it goes great and you find some great options as you are building your dream home!! It was still liquid! However, if you want Can Lights in certain areas of your home, those are worth having the builder install as it can get difficult to DIY can lights later. Be the first to get it! It not only increases the square footage of your house, meaning it’s valuable when you sell in the future, it’s easier and cheaper to do it from the start. Oh I like that idea! The options at the design center were endless which I really appreciated because I have very specific taste. We wanted to be in a certain neighborhood and in a great school district and that’s what we sought after first! No more searching for a charging box thingy! Trim and Molding- our home comes with 5 1/4 in baseboards….it’s so dreamy!!! They may or may not be cheaper to do later, and they may take some time to … With that there are SO many decisions to be made! 1. Add extra outlets, usb outlets, prewired scones and recessed lights too! Most people don’t think about lighting when they’re building a home but I would challenge you to really dive in and think about how you want your home to feel! Tell me more about the outside of the house. There’s a rule of thumb if you think that it’s not because every profession has its own methodology. Changing out the lighting is a relatively easy fix! Now that your family has lived in the home awhile, do you have any thoughts or advice at the process? Upgrade Priority. In our case, I wanted completely flat doors, in white. Both Granite and Quartz are great options - Granite being a natural porous stone, while Quartz is manmade. Extra space upstairs. Shop Around for Financing. We just built a home last year here in Michigan and 2 things that were a must were a fireplace and a nice sized tub in the master bathroom. Then once your home is built, you can drill your own hole into the back of the cabinets to expose the outlet and plug your hairdryer/straighteners into while keeping them in the drawer. Some cost more than others and your budget will likely require to choose. If you would like to add to the conversation I would love that! Hi. Outlets in every closet ( Its crazy how much they come in handy). The extra garage also cut into our backyard space and to be honest and extra garage means extra stuff! These woods also differ on price, with maple being the more expensive. What you should do as a owner, is take note of all the cool stuff you like, and then prioritize what needs to be done by the builder for Day 1, and what are things you can do yourself later. It will just take a bunch of time if you have over 100 switches like we do in our house. If your house is 10-15 years old, any big-ticket items that buyers might have to repair or replace in the next few years could be off-putting. At the end of the day have your builder do as MUCH as possible! On the other hand, there are many things that would just be too expensive or destructive to do later on, once you home is built. As you know we are building a new home! Depending on your city’s bylaws regarding the percentage of glass you can have in correlation with the distance to the property line, your builder may be able to add a couple more windows to your plan or enlarge the ones that are already there. Ask about your soundproofing options now, as … Most builder-grade windows are dark inside, sometimes even black. My thought was to make my workspace flow. When you reach level 15, you can upgrade your tank to become a Twin, Sniper, Machine Gun or Flank Guard. Video Surveillance/ Security System– Also another luxury item. It sounded great, but we just didn’t see us needing it. Crowns are usually optional, and often the second floor won’t have them. I am neat freak and constantly cleaning so finding this out now just changed my life lol. Plus they had my favorite color, accessible beige so I was already won over! Neither one was included in the base price. It never hurts to ask. Your base model will come with a standard height. We also added bathrooms. Even though I agree, in our case all the lots were pretty amazing. Your insight and information has been a blessing Genius! If your budget allows, just get your floors done. Making those repairs now helps you get your best asking price: 11. I know this post is pretty old, so you may have already solved this, but if you’re still wishing for a home intercom, Amazon Alexa things can function that way and they are not expensive! On the other side, you’re limited to 3 victories per day that will give you Gold and Elixir that you can use to upgrade. The total cost was actually on par with what an upgraded backsplash would have cost, so definitely do your research on this. Think about the location of power outlets, and look at adding a few special ones. We plan on doing this in a few stages but it never hurts to ask what your builder charges for backyard packages. But it should be easy to install. We also added power outlets on the floor in the living room where we will eventually place a table with lamps that can be powered from the floor outlet - hence making sure wires do not stretch across the floor. If you are enjoying this article, stay in the loop and follow us on Pinterest! He’s absolutely amazing at finding you the BEST rate and he is super friendly. Ask all the question  you every wanted to know! UPDATE: We now have the Echo system and it works AMAZING! Depending on your budget, add these and go with the larger sizes available. Moulding and trim. Reggie brought up that central vacuum too! Where is the grocery store? Think about the neighborhood you’re building in and also the lot you are getting. If higher-grade appliances are important to you, skip this upgrade. New buyers tend to look more at the carpet and end up upgrading that. Builders will usually use batt insulation at the minimum code requirement, but often you’re able to upgrade to a higher value batt, or a more expensive spray foam. Each room has one and we can talk to each other just like an intercom system. It never hurts to ask. What color did you choose to paint it? Surround Sound– LOVE this. We opted to upgrade all of our kitchen appliances, as the builder’s models all lacked in one way or another. What’s one personal builder upgrade you don’t think you could live without? I can see her being very frustrated sharing a bathroom with her two older brothers! All things we knew we wouldn’t do later! I built a home a year ago, and I added a door from the laundry room into the master closet. This was something that I had always dreamed of having so I’m happy that our builder had the choice from 3 kitchen packages, Whirlpool , Kitchenaid and Jenn-Air. Quartz is usually more expensive than granite, but since it is not porous, quartz will last longer than granite. “Buyers are a little overwhelmed when they sign the contract because of all the legal documents,” says Sue Goodrich, vice president of sales and marketing for Cachet Homes in Scottsdale, Ariz. “The only thing we talk about then is structural options.” Buyers who want to add rooms or garages, move doors or add a fireplace or recessed li… Destiny, Builders often resist or refuse to lower the price of a new home for a variety of reasons. Your house has a great flow, how many rooms? Making those repairs now helps you get your best asking price: 11. It was literally only 2 or 3 hundred dollars for each the cabinets and countertops in the secondary bathrooms. Remember that some upgrades can be messy and invasive of your space, so always weigh that into your decision! Major Builder Upgrades. Here are seven that you can feel comfortable skipping. Buy a Finished Home That Hasn’t Been Sold Yet. 3. Now I am super excited. I’ve always wanted that baseboard kicker! If you have the budget, this is one of the best areas to upgrade. Paint– If you have high ceilings or a two story foyer like me, have the builder paint your home! Such a great detailed post that will be easy to reference later on. This is where you spend most of the time during the day and is alongside the living room in many open home plans. Here's 5 upgrades to negotiate when the builder won't move on price. Every. Love Love Love your detailed post and questions to consider. They look a lot better than the standard flip switches, but builders will often charge significantly more per switch for this upgrade. Builder Base – General Mindset Versus Battles don’t cost you any resources, neither in training troops nor by losing any loot that your opponent can take away from you. Replacing a roof recovers 107% of its cost at resale, according to NAR. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); When choosing which builder upgrades you should apply when building your dream home, the most important thing to consider is your budget. These become useful later when you want to install DIY landscape lighting or transition sprinkler lines across these paths. Upgrade your Wix website to a premium plan and get a custom domain name, extra storage, traffic analytics and more. Intercom System– Something else I wish I got. We had the choice to add an extra garage to our floor plan which would’ve given our home a 4th garage. Oak has a heavier grain, while maple is smoother and more subtle in texture. Four side brick is highly attractive, but at the end of the day it doesn’t really add much value to your house. Love that Tiffany! Through this Home Decor Blog, I share many of the DIY decor projects I have completed in my home. Usually the builders will have a lot of options for cabinets, flooring and countertops, since they’re the most expensive things to upgrade. One thing I wish we would’ve added was an ice maker. New Build Upgrades: Which are Worth the Investment? Builder Upgrade Incentives Regardless of the type of market, whether it's a seller's market or a buyer's market, new home builders often offer upgrade incentives. Structural upgrades are the most costly to do after the fact, but are usually the cheapest to get via your builder - since its less work generally while the house is building. If you are mildly capable, it’s not that hard to install rocker switches yourself. It that not the neatest thing ever? I think we got the biggest we could, but I’m such a bath girl I wouldn’t mind something even bigger! Great ideas for upgrades. Love it. Can we please have a moment of silence for the central vacuum…. Plus with all the apps these days you can control just about everything from your phone! If you do plan on adding things after you close, make sure you take pictures of the walls without drywall so you can take note of any pipes and wires! It will significantly elevate the look of your home, giving it that extra richness. Is there a lot of traffic on your street? Our builder had a great basic package that includes 42in upper cabinets, undermount sink, Delta faucets and more. Each wall in your home will be surrounded by Base Moldings to help transition from the flooring to the wall. Closet shelving packages. Save your money on more impactful upgrades. Extra large or additional cabinets: Give yourself some … Once you know what your total budget is (price for base model of home, plus upgrades = your total budget), the next step is to list out all the things you want. Location! We have Echos in multiple rooms and use them this way! The Sniper upgrade increases Bullet Damage and Bullet Speed, as well as increases the FoV (Field of View) slightly, but greatly reduces y… Check out my easy DIY Outdoor Landscape Lighting guide on how you can do your own outdoor lighting easily and inexpensively. Grass and cement maybe all you need or want! Home Building Checklist - Choosing a Location, How to Cut the Cord - Stop paying for your landline. Our next priority (and really our number one priority) was to upgrade the kitchen. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. They are still very standard, and you can get much cheaper lighting yourself from one of the many lighting or home decor stores. You could never get the “included” ones and then replace them later for anywhere near that. However, this wasn’t an option and so I went with my next best option, which were very dark doors in … Since the most expensive part of the home is complete - the roof and foundation, the builder's cost to add framing upstairs are relatively cheap. You can then feed those cables through the conduit, and keep those devices hidden from view. It’s easy to get distracted with all the excitement. Below are my recommendations on builder upgrades that are available when building your dream home, and how they should be prioritized. This allows me to keep my Apple TV box hidden from view. We included under cabinet lighting, crown on the top and bottom of cabinets and glass inserts to some of the cabinets. When you’re trying to negotiate a deal with a builder, the best place to negotiate is on finish upgrades and change order items. All upgrades! Redo the roof. I also had a conduit installed that goes from the attic down to the basement. Our home builder offered a ton of choices. And while it will certainly look extremely appealing when you see it in the design center, crown molding is for aesthetics only and won’t increase value in other ways.