Building a New Home? Consider These Upgrades Before It’s Too Late!


--------------- KIMBERLY VAN HAL | Good to Know® ---------------

Building a new home is a pleasure not everyone gets to experience. You get to construct your home to your taste with the components and finishes you want and can afford. You’ll also be deciding what’s worth the money to do now and what you’d prefer to save as a project to do later. When making those decisions, there are a number of factors to consider... How long do you plan to live in the home? Will you be able to finance upgrades directly into your mortgage? Or will you be paying for them out of pocket? What upgrades are valuable for resale?
Making the upgrades yourself can be a good plan as it allows you to avoid paying the builder’s premium. But sometimes waiting will not save you money. It may even cost you more in the end or create a headache when its finally addressed. So, here’s a now-or-never list of upgrades that’ll be difficult, costly, or nearly impossible to do later. You’d be wise to check these off the list now.

The Stairs

One big element to address now is a staircase. The typical builder’s-grade staircase is carpet over plywood. Unless you’re prepared to rip out the entire staircase later (which is no small feat) now is the time to request solid wood. Wood upgrades are usually either oak or maple, which have very different looks; be sure to ask your builder what he intends to supply. Oak has a heavier grain, while maple is smoother and more subtle in texture. These woods also differ on price, with maple being the more expensive.
The other thing to consider is the flooring that abuts the staircase. The stairs are stained on site and, if you select a prefinished flooring, it’s important to ensure that the stain used on the staircase is the best possible match. Bear in mind that an exact match is unlikely, but you’ll usually be able to get pretty close. Ask questions and be involved in the stain selection process, or at least make sure the painter custom-mixes a stain to work with your flooring.

Recessed Lighting

While can lights are generally inexpensive to buy at any big-box store, installing them is another matter. Avoid the hassle of an electrician cutting into your brand-new drywall to install the lights and switches. If your builder has an upgrade, just go for it now.

Niches and Half Walls

Structural upgrades in the bathroom that would require a full remodel to do later are wise to tackle now. These include tiled niches (perfect for soap and shampoo bottles) as well as half walls for glass shower walls and doors.

Tub and Shower

Two of the first elements to be installed in your home after framing are the bathtubs and showers. If you want an upgrade such as soaker tubs, jets, or multiple shower heads, plan for them now. Once tubs and showers are installed and tiled, they require a sledgehammer to change out later.

Radiant Floor Heating

Radiant floor heating is nice to have, especially in the bathroom to warm your tootsies on what would otherwise be cold tile. But this is one of those items that needs to be done before the tile is installed, so keep this in mind if it’s on your wish list. Installing it later is a big job that requires busting up the tile first and having a clean subfloor on which to install the product before tiling again.

Basement Bathroom

One pretty valuable upgrade, in terms of function and resale value, is the basement bathroom. Roughing it in now, for finishing it later, is wise. This means the ABS pipes and drains are in place and ready to go. Doing it later will be costly and disruptive.

Anything to Do With Windows

Have a close look at your plan and find out whether it’s possible to upgrade the windows or add more. Your builder may be able to add a couple more windows to your plan or enlarge the ones that are already there.

Gas Fireplace

To decide whether to tackle this project now or later, consider these facts about gas fireplace installation. For starters, you obviously need to run a gas line to the fireplace location. If you want your fireplace to be flush with the wall, you’ll usually need a foundational bump-out to support the weight of the unit, and that must be on the plans early. Installing a flush fireplace wall could become a pretty major structural renovation, so best to do it now.
Now is also a good time to have an electrical outlet for your TV installed above the fireplace, if you desire. Also, if you require a gas line for your kitchen range, it’s best to do it now.

Insulation

Looking to have a future music or theater room? Ask about your soundproofing options now, as this affects both the type of insulation and drywall used.

Tech Stuff

Anything that’s wired in your walls is best done, along with your electrical work, when the house is being built. Think speakers, outlet placement, conduits for equipment wires, data ports, alarm systems, or smart-home technologies. Again, punching holes in drywall all over your house to accommodate these items is more than an inconvenience; it’s an expense you’ll want to dodge.
If you're considering the purchase of a newly constructed home, click here to find out why you should contact Kimberly Van Hal first.

--------------- KIMBERLY VAN HAL | Good to Know® ---------------

Kimberly is a residential agent with Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Premier Properties.

Since 1987, she's helped home buyers and sellers in the Fargo-Moorhead metro area achieve their real estate goals.

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