another pic of the texture done today:

and what I thought it would look like, as our house currently is:

also like this, very fine texture, no huge clumps:

I would not be happy. The first picture is not orange peel. It looks more like a Monterrey to me. I am no expert but here is a good collection of pictures.

http://www.sccidrywall.com/galleries/texture-finishes/

How blown up are those first two photos?

I prefer the texture in your new home more than your present home and the first pictures of texture are used much more often in my area...it will look different when painted.

MFatt, my husband took the pictures, I haven't actually seen it yet in person. He said he was very close the first pic, a few feet away in the second. I am going to see it tomorrow, and I'll take more pictures holding a quarter or something for perspective.
We would call the monterray a knockdown texture around here--larger spray that's flattened. It seems like we just have the large spray without the flattened (sorry not technical term) aspect.

LOTO, I sure do hope it'll look different. It's funny, here in Florida the higher end houses seem to mostly have the very fine orange peel, while lower end is more noticeable, larger spray and/or knockdown texture. Interesting how different areas prefer different aspects.

The first textures are what is most common in my area too (not fine orange peel though, if that is what you were expecting)...

Ask your builder if he thinks they are the same as the model homes.

Prime and paint an area. I think it will look different with paint.

Looks like there's a lot of different texture patterns called 'orange peel' per Google image search. It will definitely look better when it's painted.

Here is a link that might be useful: Orange peel images

I'd find someone who knows how to do a smooth paster skim coat! Never understood the charm of these applied textures outside of a 17th century cottage in Tuscany or the south of France that was plastered by the farmer.

Interesting post. I had no idea textured drywall was the norm down south. Why is that? Is there a functional/practical reason or just local customs?

What I've heard from several different people in the construction industry is that drywallers in Florida are generally not very good, and texture covers up a multitude of sins. It is much less expensive to not have to go to the top finish level to get the quality you need for the flat, non-textured walls. Since everyone does it here, even really nice houses, you just get used to it, unless it's a really messy/splattered/strong texture.
Or maybe it just goes with our stucco'd exteriors. ;-)

Yeah it is funny. Drywall texture preferences on a map would be really interesting.

CA, AZ, FL, TX all like textures. In TX I saw more knockdown than anything else.

WA, OR, and SC, no texture. Walls are flat.

I'm in the deep south and have drywall as smooth as a babys bottom in my new build. Don't think its a southern thing.

We had to pay extra to make sure our ceilings were not textured. Textured ceilings drive me cray cray. I would go bonkers if the walls were textured too.

It was 1.00/sq foot for smooth ceilings. We forgot to specify the garage. I can live with that- i guess.

I don't think it is the whole south, but more state specific, like shicksal said. Fl, TX, and CA are the big ones that I know of. We rented a house once with heavier, splatter-like texture; I didn't like that at all. But the orange peel isn't bad, when it's done in a fine texture and with a few coats of paint.

Here's the Decorative Stucco I have in my living room. I m happy with. It's beautiful, colorful, washable (slightly) and it as it also has soundproof characteristics. And one more very important advantage I have - this decorative stucco cover and hide all wall defects, which would be really visible issue on painted drywall.

Interesting post. I had no idea textured drywall was the norm down south. Why is that? Is there a functional/practical reason or just local customs?

I had asked my contractor that exact question when I remodeled my current condo in FL five years ago. I'm a New York girl and in NY our walls are smooth as a baby's butt.

His comment was the same as what shicksal was told. the drywallers just don't know how to do a good job in FL so they cover everything. I dislike the heavy textured walls and "settled" on orange peel. the problem with even the orange peel is if you decide to wallpaper later on, you need to redo your walls just so you can wallpaper.

When I lived in AZ most houses had orange peel or similar texture and I would absolutely not accept that as orange peel! To be honest it looks like crap IMHO. I did a better job using stuff out of a can from Lowes when I had to do a drywall patch job.