7 Fantastic Upgrades for a New Construction Home Build
Building your dream home is an exciting experience. From creating your own floor plan to choosing your desired features, the entire process can be fun and rewarding. However, while you want to build your ideal home, there are some new construction upgrades to avoid.
In this post, we’ll discuss a few unnecessary builder upgrades to steer away from, including 7 amazing upgrades that can look perfect in your new residence!
New Construction Upgrades to Avoid
If you’re building your dream home, you have a world of possibilities in front of you. However, with so many options to choose from, it is possible to pick some features that you’ll later regret. That said, it’s important to plan ahead, do your research, and choose upgrades you’ll love for many years to come.
Check out the following new construction upgrades to avoid:
Kitchen Backsplash
Did you know a home builder makes a good amount of money on home upgrades? That’s right—the more upgrades they sell, the more money in their pocket. Also, most upgrades are often marked up in price. This list includes a kitchen backsplash.
While the kitchen backsplash probably looked great in the demo home, this is one upgrade you may want to pass on. Installing the tile can be a long process, which adds hefty labor costs. Additionally, the price of tile can also add up quickly. If you’re interested in adding this feature later on, we recommend doing it yourself or hiring a professional after closing. This tip can save you hundreds!
Home Appliances
While many new home builds come with brand new appliances, don’t stress if that’s not the case in your home. In fact, it can actually be a blessing in disguise—you could save a lot of money. After closing, you can simply head to your local appliance store to pick up some high-quality appliances. Not only will you save some cash, but you can also choose from a wide variety of options. This typically makes it easier to find appliances to best suit your needs. Before hitting the stores, make sure you understand the proper sizing. Take some measurements beforehand to ensure you find appliances that fit their desired locations.
Plumbing Fixtures and Faucets
Plumbing fixtures and faucets are vital in any home. However, while a home builder will offer some beautiful shower heads and elegant faucets, these are some builder upgrades to avoid. As fixtures and faucets are simple to install and replace, you can easily handle this project on your own—especially since the builder can charge a hefty fee for these upgrades. That said, we suggest choosing the basic options with your home builder. You can easily upgrade these features down the road. Home Depot, Lowes, and other home improvement stores carry a wide variety of these products. Also, these stores probably offer a much wider selection compared to your builder. This decision could also save you hundreds, if not thousands!
Landscaping
Let’s face it—your builder specializes in building homes, not landscaping. That said, we recommend opting out of their landscaping upgrades. Additionally, many builders usually don’t have many landscaping options available. Not only is there a small selection, but landscaping upgrades can also be pricey. This is another process that you can deal with after closing. While you won’t have that dazzling yard when you move in, you could create your dream landscaping setup in just days. You can complete these tasks yourself or find a professional at an affordable price.
Mirrors
Everyone loves a great mirror. However, your home builder may try to sell you on some elaborate mirrors you don’t really need. You can easily find these on your own at a fraction of the cost. If you’re looking for a DIY project, the process for installing mirrors is relatively simple. We recommend choosing your own mirrors for the entryways, foyer, and bathrooms. Head over to a local glass shop and check out their selection.
Quality is another factor to think about. While your builder may have several mirror options that look incredible, their quality can be a different story. They may have low-end mirrors at high-end prices. That said, this is an upgrade you should skip.
Upgrades to Consider
After discussing the new construction upgrades to avoid, we’ll now talk about which upgrades could be the right decision. Not only do the following features add value to your home, but they’re also a good bang for your buck.
Tall Kitchen Cabinets
The kitchen is one area where you always want some extra space. However, finding enough room can often be challenging. Consider looking up! By utilizing the space below your ceiling, you can add tons of room to your kitchen. The best way to achieve this is with extra tall cabinets. While you may need a stool to reach items on the top shelf, it’s definitely worth the hassle. The upper shelves are a great place to store items you only use on occasion. They’re also a good area for bulky items.
If you get standard cabinets from your builder, these are probably 30 inches tall. We recommend asking for cabinets about 36 or even 42 inches in height. This is an upgrade that’s undoubtedly worth the money. Not only will you have all that extra space, but tall cabinets also look more visually appealing. Try to find cabinets that extend as high as possible. The closer they are to the ceiling, the better!
Energy-Efficient Features
Saving energy is vital. Not only is this practice good for the planet, but it also saves you money. That being said, consider adding some energy-efficient elements in your new home build. First things first, look at your design. Try to install windows that face north and south instead of east and west. This helps to avoid the sun shining directly into your home. Not only is this direct sunlight extremely annoying, but it can also add more unwanted heat during the summer.
You should also think about trees and landscaping in terms of energy efficiency. To save even more on cooling costs, consider adding trees to the east and west of your home. These provide natural shade from the powerful sun. A few more tips include installing energy-efficient appliances, having good insulation, and buying high-quality windows.
Smart Technology
Home technology has advanced quite a bit over the years. Today, your home can make your life a lot easier. This is why we recommend investing in smart technology home upgrades with your new build. These allow you to sync up your mobile devices with many functions of your residence, including controlling your HVAC unit, locking/unlocking doors, playing music, and much more.
While all of these capabilities add convenience to your busy life, one of the biggest benefits of smart technology involves security. If you forget to lock the door when you leave in the morning, smart technology allows you to fix the problem from your smartphone. Also, if you have a security system installed, you can use your phone to view your security cameras.
Deep Kitchen Drawers
As we head back into the kitchen, your drawers are another area to consider. These are places where you can store many bulky items, such as pots and pans. That said, ask the builder about installing deep drawers to hold these larger items. Storing pots and pans can be a serious hassle, so throwing them in the drawer can be an easy solution. These deep drawers are also excellent for keeping small appliances like blenders and toasters.
Tilework
A beautiful home with the right tilework looks fantastic. However, installing tile is a tedious job, which can drive up the installation price. While you can add tile later on after closing, it can be a huge hassle—especially if you pursue a DIY project. To save the headache, and if you can afford it, we suggest getting upgraded tilework from your builder. If you’re short on cash and can’t put tile everywhere you want to, the master bathroom is a good place to start. You’ll spend a lot of time in this area, so having a comfortable room with gorgeous tile may be worth the money.
Skylights
Skylights can add exceptional beauty to your home. While they provide a solution for bringing in natural light, they’re also great for stargazing. This is the perfect way to fall asleep at night! Many homeowners choose to install skylights over their bed, in hallways, and in living rooms. These add a nice touch to any home. Be sure to ask your builder about their selection of skylights.
Radiant Floor Heating
Radiant home flooring is gaining in popularity. While these systems aren’t cheap, this upgrade is worth it. Radiant floor heating involves a set of heated tubes or wires that sit underneath your floor. They work with either hot water or electricity. While you can have radiant floor heating throughout your home, they work best on floors that are cool to the touch. This includes natural stone and tile. A radiant floor heating system is a reliable comfort solution that you’ll love for years! They’re also essentially invisible, providing more space for your belongings.
Green Wave Distribution
Green Wave Distribution is happy to be a leading provider of top-of-the-line radiant floor heating systems! Our products are made with advanced technology and high-quality materials, leading to exceptional performance and durability. No matter your type of flooring, our STEP® HEAT technology offers a trusted heating solution when you need it most. Also, our heating elements are made of carbon polymer from recycled, non-hazardous materials, which helps out the planet!
Call Green Wave Distribution today to learn more about our radiant floor heating systems or browse our other radiant heating systems below:
