New Construction - Advice on Upgrades from Buyer (Sayreville: new home, tile)
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I have bought a new home from a builder and am in the process of selecting my upgrades and I see that the prices for most of the upgrades are skyrocketing. I have been looking online for advice from people who have been through this process.
What I would like to know is for the list of mandatory upgrades that I should go with the builder which I cannot do later. Also the list of upgrades which I can do later with an independent contractor.
Below are few which I have already agreed upon to be done with the builder.
Stone front - 7k
Additional stone by the garade - 4k
Increase basement height from 8 to 9feet - 7k
Rough plumbing for future bath in the basement - 3k
Oak tread Pine Risers (stairs ) - $2,100
2 Zone heat & A/c - $4,425.
I have an appointment scheduled to select my interiors and the rest of the home. Am in a confused situation whether to go for all the standard which the builder provides for now and later hire a contractor to redo the job for a much lower price. If I opt for this choice, what are the mandatory things that I should go with the builder.
Below are list of upgrades with pricing provided by the builder which I have selected for the kitchen randomly for comparison purpose and the below list is not yet finalized.
cabinets - $5500
crown moulding - $965
rope - $800
rollout shelf - $100
lazy susan - $325
wine rack - $425
clear glass door - $435
4 drawer base - $370
trash pull out - $315
dishwasher front pnl - $315
false door - $2000
kitchen full bksplash - $2000
countertop granite - $5000
dishwasher ug 7 - $880
microwave - $500
range - $1185
soap dispenser - $90
kitchen faucet - $500
sink deep 9" double undermount - $1205
kitchen tile - $2500
tile diagnol - $600
Please advice me.
the cosmetic things are easy upgrade later. I would get the stuff done that is very hard to add later. For example, recessed lighting. You want that everywhere and a recirculating hot water line so you never have to wait for hot water. Crown molding can be installed later. Recessed lighting is PIA to add after the fact.
Bellhead,
Am thinking handscrapped walnut Java or African Mahogany when I checked out at HD. Ill surely take a look at lumber liquidators. 22k for the flooring is quite pricey
Miamilife,
Thats exactly what am trying to do here. Get a list of the cosmetic stuff that can be done later. And a list of need to do items.
Thanks for the list.
Take NJ_Dude's advice on recessed lighting....4 lights per room, every 6 feet in hallways. I had 44 recessed lights installed in my current home. Get all you can on dimmers too. Also have all rooms prewired for ceiling fans. I live in the south now and they are almost mandatory due to the heat. But I can set the AC at 80 and it feels like 77, definitely keeps the room cooler.
Also for floors, don't get engineered, make sure it's 3/4 inch nail down, like in the old days. There's a reason it lasts.
multimedia tap - 250
phone tap - 150
data tap - 100
component a/v cable - 475
home theatre - 1750
I'd skip this..
home theatre prewire - 450
Ask about this cause once the drywall is up it's up.
4 room speaker - 3000
Way too expensive..
4 room speaker prewire - 1250
Way too expensive..
Home mngmnt lighting control pkg - 3430
He's nuts right?
exterior lights - 650
How many???Ask how much to add electrical outside for lighting..
Hifi system w4 zones 4 sources - 2470
hifi system w8 zones 6 sources - 4550
invisible audio transducers - 2470
Can't justify this..You'll never get your money back...
I looked up the development. Houses look nice. Congrats.
Is $550,000 considered $$$ in that area? $550,000 doesn't get you too much in my area, Livingston. The reason why I am asking is to see if granite, tile, hardwood, etc. would be expected for that price point. $550,000 in Livingston will get you a decent condo or a 60's split level in a good school district that needs lots of work.
Can you post a link to the houses and your model...
Also one of my perks/detriments when I started working for a telco was I have been in several thousand houses, from the projects to a couple 10 million $ houses, both new construction, and one an absolute gem, a 19th century 3 story, 1 limestone mansion in the old jewish quarter in Cincinnati, house was over 10k sq ft, and inside it was stunning. A gay couple was restoring it, I spent 2 days there working on wiring in cat 5 and installing a partner pbx system.
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