https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Wed, 13 May 2026 14:32:29 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/upgrades-in-new-construction-home#post-2765745 Mon, 07 Aug 2017 18:14:18 +0000 pinkcupcake 2765745@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We just moved into our new construction home. We spent less than 5% of our purchase price on upgrades, but that's because our builder included some really nice touches and everything that was standard was way above builder grade. </p> <p>What was standard - soft close cabinets, 9' doors, hardwood downstairs, quartz countertops, landscaping, fencing, etc</p> <p>What we upgraded - full tile backsplash in kitchen (half was standard), tile master shower, standalone master tub (this was more for aesthetic than functional reasons but I'm so happy I did because I loooove our bathroom), larger windows throughout the house (we love natural light). </p> <p>What we chose not to upgrade after contemplation - double oven, quartz in the upstairs bathrooms. That would have added quite a bit and this isn't our forever house. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/upgrades-in-new-construction-home#post-2765739 Mon, 07 Aug 2017 17:32:26 +0000 gingerbebe 2765739@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think what's important is to think about the things you absolutely have to have to be happy and build those into the contract, and then after that divide the remaining wish list between "its going to be a pain the rear to get this done after we move in" vs. "we'll need to wait a few years to save and get it done later."</p> <p>Things that I would build into the contract are longterm flooring solutions, kitchen functionality (I'm a huge fan of soft-close cabinets and pull outs in the cabinets and large sinks), any built-ins you might want like media or mudroom or laundry room, and lighting (like a foyer pendant for a 2-story entry way that will be a huge pain to change later). If its not included, I'd make sure drainage and grading is done in the backyard and a concrete pad or decking big enough to do something with if you decide not to do a covered patio or something. Getting concrete in later is a pain. Generally, I prefer to have anything plumbing related done while the house is being built. If you like carpeting in living spaces/stairs (I am a huge fan of carpet in bedrooms and stairs for noise and kid safety), I would upgrade to the best/durable carpeting you can afford, even if you have to compromise a little bit on hard flooring. The cheapest builder carpet stretches and you get warping and buckling after a few years. Anything that has to do with bathrooms is ludicriously expensive later on, so I would pick whatever makes you happy now and avoid remodeling or upgrading later. </p> <p>Things I'm happy to defer until later are moldings or trim, window coverings, covered patios, serious landscaping, paint, finishing a basement (I would want framing, plumbing, and some basic electrical done) and fancier appliances. </p> <p>Also, I'm generally more in favor of more bedrooms than optional spaces. I'd prefer to get rid of walls and doors than add them later on!</p> <p>Oh, and don't add any trees close to your roofline in landscaping - especially fruit - it attracts varmints! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/upgrades-in-new-construction-home#post-2765715 Mon, 07 Aug 2017 16:19:55 +0000 Jennibenni 2765715@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>It's going to depend a lot on how specific your taste is. For example "granite countertops" is such a general category with a huge range of costs. Granite comes in grades and if your allowance covers a lower grade but you have your heart set on a color that's considered top of the line, you will have to pay a lot extra for that. But if you're not picky on colors then no problem! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/upgrades-in-new-construction-home#post-2765707 Mon, 07 Aug 2017 16:04:46 +0000 Shantuck 2765707@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@skinnycow: That's great. It might be nice to start perusing sites like Houzz so you have a sense of what you want to ask for. For example, I knew I wanted quartz countertops in kitchen so it was helpful to build that in when we were negotiating. The more specific you are at the contract stage, the better. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/upgrades-in-new-construction-home#post-2765706 Mon, 07 Aug 2017 16:03:57 +0000 MrsLonghorn 2765706@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We just finished a 100% custom build, so it was a totally different process.. But there are huge ranges in things like granite, wood floors, etc... so, while including them as standard is definitely a step in the right direction, you should still be prepared to upgrade them a bit.<br /> I say this because our builder gave allowances, and sent us to the flooring store. I was surprised by the HUGE range in prices on different wood floors! (thankfully, he knows his typical-client well, and his allowance amount was pretty spot on.) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/upgrades-in-new-construction-home#post-2765688 Mon, 07 Aug 2017 15:43:52 +0000 skinnycow 2765688@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@LuLu Mom: @Shantuck: Thanks for the advice! The builders we’re considering seem to include a lot of high-end standard features like granite, wood floors, crown molding, etc. I was kind of surprised by this but I’m hoping it will help keep upgrades to a minimum. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/upgrades-in-new-construction-home#post-2765680 Mon, 07 Aug 2017 15:26:21 +0000 Shantuck 2765680@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We built our home in 2015 and I think it entirely depends on how generous the allowances are and how high-end your taste is. Everything is negotiable and we did ask around for feedback when we were negotiating the purchase contract to get a sense for whether our allowances were adequate or not. We were able to negotiate some higher allowances in some categories (tile, carpet, etc.) but we also were able to tour another home that our builder was working on that used items within the allowance so we also had a decent sense of what no upgrades would get us. Like @Lulu Mom mentioned, make sure if you come under in one category that you can reallocate the extra to another category. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/upgrades-in-new-construction-home#post-2765677 Mon, 07 Aug 2017 15:19:24 +0000 LuLu Mom 2765677@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We are just about finished up with our new build, moving in hopefully next month -- we are about 5% in upgrades since our contract was signed, however we did write in a BUNCH of the ones we knew we would be doing into our contract, these are after the fact when picking out in the process. We tried to write as much in because we wanted to be as close to our amount as possible, we are pretty proud of how well we did compared to those we've talked too who added 20%+ to their initial price. </p> <p>Base price for us wasn't even close to what we wanted, everything was as basic/builder grade as it could get so we pretty much upgraded everything in our contract. However, we also cutback on other items to balance it out (we are not finishing our basement right away just framing it to help cut down on costs.) </p> <p>Edit: I just looked at our paperwork and the "base" price on our house we are over 30% over if we would have done it according to their specs. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/upgrades-in-new-construction-home#post-2765674 Mon, 07 Aug 2017 15:06:39 +0000 skinnycow 2765674@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>DH and I are planning to build a home in the next few months and I’m curious how much we should expect to spend on upgrades. Everything I’ve read says to expect 10-15% of the base price. I know this can vary based on the builder and personal preference/needs but wanted to see what others have experienced! The builders we’re considering are Highland, David Weekley, American Legend (I think this one is regional), and Beazer. </p>