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This should have been brought up at a design meeting or at a design center if you are building a tract home. If you are having a builder build you a home then this should have taken place when you told the builder what you are going to buy. You could have had everything on paper before you signed you life away. It almost sounds as though you are doing this after the fact.
Give the OP a break. Most buyers do this once - maybe twice ever - and builders sell many homes, hundreds or thousands and take advantage of the buyers limited knowledge. Buyers, unfortunately, don't know all the questions to ask and are pressured to sign things to stay on track (then builders delay anyway).
You should negotiate what you can, being reasonable (they can upcharge some, but not gouge), and if not then your recourse is asking for other things (painting, other upgrades, landscaping, etc) or complaining about the builder to help others avoid the same problem with this builder.
Give the OP a break. Most buyers do this once - maybe twice ever - and builders sell many homes, hundreds or thousands and take advantage of the buyers limited knowledge. Buyers, unfortunately, don't know all the questions to ask and are pressured to sign things to stay on track (then builders delay anyway).
Which is exactly why a buyer should have their own realtor! Even with new construction.
My builder is making huge profits on upgrades in my kitchen, instead of charging us the cost difference. The cabinet shop actually told the cost was not that much higher than what he was putting in as standard. He has no upgrade pricing list and is actually charging double what the upgrade is. What can we do? New York.
Were you happy before you checked into the pricing? If so, be happy. If not, back out.
Which is exactly why a buyer should have their own realtor! Even with new construction.
....and have a contract which addresses everything from permits to portable toilets to type/grade of molding to sub floor fasteners. If it goes into the building process, it needs to be in the contract. If it is not, you are subject to the will of the builder.
Yep you have to watch contractor like a hawk and ideally don't hire them at all if you can help it. If you absolutely have to make sure you build out a spread sheet and get quotes for each and every line item and micro manage it.
If the local contractors are too spoiled to take the work under those conditions then you may look at flying someone in to your site from an area that is not slathered in gravy.
Dealing with gravy soaked contractors is a nightmare and it is likely worth the plane tickets to get someone that's not going to walk away as soon as you start holding them accountable to costs.
Give the OP a break. Most buyers do this once - maybe twice ever - and builders sell many homes, hundreds or thousands and take advantage of the buyers limited knowledge. Buyers, unfortunately, don't know all the questions to ask and are pressured to sign things to stay on track (then builders delay anyway).
You should negotiate what you can, being reasonable (they can upcharge some, but not gouge), and if not then your recourse is asking for other things (painting, other upgrades, landscaping, etc) or complaining about the builder to help others avoid the same problem with this builder.
Buyers not doing their homework also screws the buyers who do because if enough buyers are not paying attention the contractor is not going to deal with a buyer who is squeezing them on costs.
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