Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
While I know most builders will let you upgrade kitchen cabinets and counters what about other things-
Can you chose paint colors?
Can you pick carpet colors, style (plush vs. berber) and upgrade padding and quality?
Appliances - if I want a sub zero instead of whirpool or GE is that an option? My frig now I had custom doors made (they are inserts) that match the cabinets, can you do that?
Fixtures - faucets, etc, can you upgrade these beyond their std delta faucet? get brass instead of chrome-
Bath - can you pick colors too? or do they only offer white?
Thanks for any insight in this area - i know these things are for an added cost but I want to see if they limit any of these things and lets' say I don't like the oven, can I opt to buy my own and the cost comes off (probably not the real cost) -
While I know most builders will let you upgrade kitchen cabinets and counters what about other things-
Can you chose paint colors?
Can you pick carpet colors, style (plush vs. berber) and upgrade padding and quality?
Appliances - if I want a sub zero instead of whirpool or GE is that an option? My frig now I had custom doors made (they are inserts) that match the cabinets, can you do that?
Fixtures - faucets, etc, can you upgrade these beyond their std delta faucet? get brass instead of chrome-
Bath - can you pick colors too? or do they only offer white?
Thanks for any insight in this area - i know these things are for an added cost but I want to see if they limit any of these things and lets' say I don't like the oven, can I opt to buy my own and the cost comes off (probably not the real cost) -
Most builders have nix the colors on the wall but you may still find some that do that.
Yes you can pick your grade of carpet berber, pile etc. You can pick your fixtures, I chose oil rubbed bronze instead of chrome and you can mix and match style. You can have Victorian in one bath and a different style or finish in another. I upgraded to a black faucet because I'm doing a black sink.
You can get sub zero appliances and the build in refigerators to match cabinet type.
Most builders will not give you credit and let you buy your own stuff. Maybe some smaller local builders, I have heard that before.
Location: Charlotte,NC, US, North America, Earth, Alpha Quadrant,Milky Way Galaxy
3,770 posts, read 7,546,456 times
Reputation: 2118
I know Shea Homes will let you pick colors in some of there sub divisions. There usually is a choice in appliances, but, it's the builders choice (i.e a gas cook top or electric cook top stove). Same with the carpet, they usually have different quality levels you can choose (good, very good, excellent) which may reflect the different type of carpet. Few, particularly the national builders let you find your own stuff and then they work with it.
It all depends on the type of neighborhood you are living in.......custom homes, pick what you want, they will it in. They will usually say, the carpet allowance is: let's say 17/square foot and you can stay in that range or you can go over and usually pay the difference.
With semi custom or production builders, they usually have their upgrades available to choose from. They don't want your house to be vastly different than the other in the neighborhood when you close (what you do after you close is up to you) on the house. So, they do have nice upgrades usually, but they are trying to keep at a place where you don't overprice yourself for the neighborhood.
as far as fridges go, they are considered personal property, so you can put in whatever you want (they do not convey with houses down here when sold). Sellers can choose to let the fridge convey to the next homeowner, some do, some do not.
Do you think it's cheaper to build as is and then after closing hire contractors to put in upgrades you really want? For instance if I wanted all wood flooring I would let the builder put in since I dont want to have to worry about leaving my home for days while floors are set and dry. But if it were lets say...countertops, cabinets, jacuzzi tub are these items cheaper to install on your own?
Quote:
Originally Posted by leighbhe
It all depends on the type of neighborhood you are living in.......custom homes, pick what you want, they will it in. They will usually say, the carpet allowance is: let's say 17/square foot and you can stay in that range or you can go over and usually pay the difference.
With semi custom or production builders, they usually have their upgrades available to choose from. They don't want your house to be vastly different than the other in the neighborhood when you close (what you do after you close is up to you) on the house. So, they do have nice upgrades usually, but they are trying to keep at a place where you don't overprice yourself for the neighborhood.
as far as fridges go, they are considered personal property, so you can put in whatever you want (they do not convey with houses down here when sold). Sellers can choose to let the fridge convey to the next homeowner, some do, some do not.
Well, your builder is the person who can help with that because.......if it is a custom home, then the builder will either let you pay outside of closing and he can usually get appliances, countertops, etc cheaper and he knows the guys he uses to install things regularly, so he gets a deal there. Now, sometimes builders will say, yes you can do those things, but then they charge you a fee (often times 20 percent) to cover their expenses and time doing the changes.
So, again, if you are with a custom builder they are usually very good about working with people regarding changing the upgrades. Production builders may not even let you make the changes you want. Honestly, I would have to know more about your situation, the type of neighborhood (custom or not) to really be able to answer the question fully. It seems silly to have the builder install cabinets and a countertop for you to close on the house, then you redo them. I definitely think that is the thing to when when it is an older home, but with new construction, I would try talking with the builder or your agent (hopefully you are not using the on site agent as your agent because they really represent the builder!!!!!) and I would figure out a way to determine the cost of getting what you want. It seems like it would be a lot more trouble to close on the property then change things out, because you are also having to find people to install the new items (unless you can do that yourself).
Hopefully I haven't confused you with my rambling!!!!
Okay, by onsite agent I mean the agent who sits in the model home (or trailer!) in the neighborhood. That agent represents the builder, and they "can" represent you, but it is called dual agency, meaning they are equally trying to represent your best interests and the builders best interests and that cannot happen. You should have your own buyer's agent, a person who will represent you exclusively, and that person can and will deal with the on site agent, etc and make sure what you want to happen with the house is, and just make sure that you are being represented fully. If you have already signed your contract, then it is too late, the on site agent is representing you and the builder (and getting all of the commission for it as well!). I have clients that are not in NC but are building here, and as their buyer's agent, I continually check on the property, make sure they are following the guidelines set by the buyer, etc. I check on the property, take pictures and email the pictures to the buyer. It is hard to build a house and not have the ability to drive by and look at it all of the time.
So, beyond that with production builders, let's say Pulte (i have a client building a pulte home now), they signed their contract saying, this is the house, this is lot, this is the facade we want, and we want the basement finished), then pulte gave them a price. 2 months later we met with the onsite agent and their design person and picked out all of the fixtures, tiles, etc. During that meeting, they were able to pick their upgrades based on what was available through pulte for that neighborhood. Let me say it was a lot, so I cannot imagine wanting something else, but I am sure people do! Pulte will also charge you for each different room you want painted (beyond the standard builder paint). Let's say you want a kids room painted, usually it is around 250 bucks a room.
hopefully this helps a little! Feel free to PM me if you have more questions, or send me an email to my personal account, either one.
I know Shea Homes will let you pick colors in some of there sub divisions. There usually is a choice in appliances, but, it's the builders choice (i.e a gas cook top or electric cook top stove). Same with the carpet, they usually have different quality levels you can choose (good, very good, excellent) which may reflect the different type of carpet. Few, particularly the national builders let you find your own stuff and then they work with it.
If you are looking to upgrade your appliances with a Shea home I would suggest buying them on your own and have them subtract the cost of the basic model from your final home price. They overcharge for most upgrades and the trades people they use are not great.
They have wonderful painters (from Porters)...however the hardwood floors (BRUCE) are poor, poor quaility, and thier appliances (GE) are way overpriced compared to what you get on your own. And Shea does not warranty thier appliances once the house is closed, you have to go through GE for an issues anyway.
Okay, by onsite agent I mean the agent who sits in the model home (or trailer!) in the neighborhood. That agent represents the builder, and they "can" represent you, but it is called dual agency, meaning they are equally trying to represent your best interests and the builders best interests and that cannot happen. You should have your own buyer's agent, a person who will represent you exclusively, and that person can and will deal with the on site agent, etc and make sure what you want to happen with the house is, and just make sure that you are being represented fully. If you have already signed your contract, then it is too late, the on site agent is representing you and the builder (and getting all of the commission for it as well!). I have clients that are not in NC but are building here, and as their buyer's agent, I continually check on the property, make sure they are following the guidelines set by the buyer, etc. I check on the property, take pictures and email the pictures to the buyer. It is hard to build a house and not have the ability to drive by and look at it all of the time.
So, beyond that with production builders, let's say Pulte (i have a client building a pulte home now), they signed their contract saying, this is the house, this is lot, this is the facade we want, and we want the basement finished), then pulte gave them a price. 2 months later we met with the onsite agent and their design person and picked out all of the fixtures, tiles, etc. During that meeting, they were able to pick their upgrades based on what was available through pulte for that neighborhood. Let me say it was a lot, so I cannot imagine wanting something else, but I am sure people do! Pulte will also charge you for each different room you want painted (beyond the standard builder paint). Let's say you want a kids room painted, usually it is around 250 bucks a room.
hopefully this helps a little! Feel free to PM me if you have more questions, or send me an email to my personal account, either one.
Leigh
Leigh just an innocent question - what exactly do you do when you drive by the house that helps (new construction) - I am not being sarcastic but short of someone being a home inspector how can you tell just by driving by and taking pictures that the builder is not doing shoddy work? I keep seeing this as a reason to hire a buyers agent (for new housing) when I curious how much value add driving by and taking pictures every 2 weeks is going to do. I could hire someone local off craigslist to do that for $20 every 2 weeks. This is not an attack, I am just seriously wondering how this helps the buyer over and above seeing that the house is "going up". It seems more effective to pay a home inspector to come by every 2-3 weeks and really make sure things are being done well since that is their "speciality" ?
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Shea is overpriced
