It's almost always better to pay for all the upgrades with the new home. You are financing them into the price of your house rather than paying in cash. Also, it is better to pay slightly more for an upgraded item than paying less for something initially, having to tear it out, and then paying full price to someone else. So upgrade all the things you can afford to with the builder. The only thing you may want to wait on is the paint, if they are charging you extra for painting different colors in rooms. It's best to move into the home with your furnishings, live in it a bit, and then you can paint yourselves or hire someone when you know exactly what colors you want. But it's nice to start with one neutral base color throughout.

All of them...but you'll also get plenty of headaches with each one: finding qualified contractors; vetting them; bidding apples to apples; negotiating contracts; decisions, decisions, decisions; purchase orders for the work; being there to answer questions and direct the work; did they protect the work of others?; change orders; cleaning up after them; punch lists; phone calls, emails, and texts; matching invoices to PO's; did you forget their certificates of insurance? did you check them?; exchange payment for waiver. Whew! Are you up for it?

Take the builder grade options and then put your own upgrades in after. In my neighborhood, I have learned what some of my neighbors paid for builder upgrades and it makes me very glad I waited and did my own thing. One neighbor plaid $8,000 for wood floors in the living area through the builder. We paid just over $2,400 for wood n the same area. Thirteen years later he's still paying interest on that material, while we just wrote a check for ours and we were done with it!

If doing it over I would have done when built. Too much hassle to work with reliable suppliers who specialize in one thing like granite but not cabinets or whatever.

When I built my house I upgraded items I would not want to upgrade later. So I opted for granite in kitchen... Who wants to not be able to cook during a future Reno/ upgrade? I put in Toto toilets and sinks.... Anything that would be messy, inconvenient down the road- I went with an upgrade.

Upgrade anything disruptive and permanent. Flooring is the most important, cabinetry, tile, especially in a shower where you might otherwise be getting a lowly fiberglass pan. Moldings/ trim upgrades to beefier selections is VERY important as well, along with adequate lighting. Builders are notorious for skimping recessed/ambient but decorative surface mount lights are something you can do later and better..

Backsplashes can be done any time, as can paint upgrades . Builder quality often implies builder "application" which is usually much less than perfect.

We built our home w/o a kitchen, as we were in swing space and it was not a rush. We did this because we did not like the stain on the builders selection of cabinets, and when they showed us the upgrades we still were not happy. While the house was being built, we were on the hunt for cabinets and appliances and within a few weeks of the house being finished, we got to work on the kitchen. This is one of the best choices we made, because we even hated the design of the kitchen that the builders team was suggesting.

Within two years, we took out the builders bathroom mirrors, vanities, sinks and flooring for 3 baths - we decided not to upgrade and wanted to shop around.

You mentioned painting, does this mean they'd charge for 2 coats. I'd just let them put on a shell, that you can use as a primer. You will want to paint anyway.

If you are putting in a gas fireplace, I'd upgrade this. I'd upgrade carpeting in the upstairs, soundproof your downstairs bathrooms, upgrade to solid doors versus hollow doors where necessary, upgrade appliances and cabinets. By all means, do not let them put that mirror in your bathrooms that goes across the entire vanity - not unless you like it, the same holds true for that standard builders lighting strip - not unless you like it.

Do you like all of the upgrades that they are suggesting. You can also ask if you can purchase a few things on your own and just let them install them now. They will charge a fee for it, but at least it will be what you truly want.

Best of Luck!

When we had our house done we went with the basics. We didn't like any of the upgrades the builder had and also, the builder's costs were way more expensive. The flooring cost was one of them. Any business who sells and installs wood floors gives you a discount if the surface to be covered is large,,like the entire house. The builder does not. He would have charged us retail price, at the highest possible price found out there. We had the floor installed months later at half the cost.

Bottom line, you will spend a lot more money for upgrades that you get from your builder. Think about all the interest you will pay over all the years you live in that house. Plus they charge more for upgrades....they just do.

It may be more convenient to have the builder add the upgrades, but it has been my experience that what they offer isn't usually the best quality. (I did have them upgrade my cabinets and they are ok. Also went with solid core doors.)

But if you are concerned with the financial end of things, as most are, you might have to put up with a measure of inconvenience after you move in while you change things. I've never been sorry I did that.

I agree with Candace regarding the interest you may on these upgrades. The only upgrades we paid for were the higher ceilings in our first floor and basement and the addition of the fireplace. We kept all of the builder grade items and remodeled throughout the years as DYI projects or professional remodels. After living with our kitchen for eight years, we remodeled and moved our existing cabinets and counter tops to the laundry room and husband's workshop.

In my experience it's a combination of both -- now and later. If the builder options are decent, I suggest upgrading things like flooring before moving in. Tearing out and reinstalling flooring is incredibly disruptive, could involve moving out of the house for several days. You also have to write a big check. I'd probably bite the bullet and pay for the paint I want, too. Light fixtures, faucets, backsplashes, cabinet hardware, fireplace tile, etc. can be upgraded without tearing the house apart as time and budget allows.

Another thought -- it's not uncommon to find yourself with a long, expensive to-do list after moving into a new house -- window coverings, landscaping, garage storage, etc. New furniture pieces are often on the list as well. In several homes I've owned I've found myself living with "temporary" decor for WAY longer than I planned -- often the offending decor never did get upgraded. Will you have the time, money and energy for big, disruptive projects after you've moved in? Will your partner share your enthusiasm for ongoing decorating and remodeling? Make sure you've considered all of the trade-offs before making your decision. And enjoy your new home.

I just finished building a semi custom and as someone who loves projects I'm glad I left some things to the builder and left some things to myself. Big stuff like cabinets I would let the builder handle but if backspash is something you can do, you should do it yourself and save some money! :-)

Depends on a few things...do you like the upgrades being offered, have you been given quotes by them and done any comparison (add an hourly wage to this) and looking at the same quality. Wondering if the builder's cost is higher all the time on all items, would think they sometimes get larger purchase discounts. Are you willing to shop around/hire contractors/be disrupted after you move in - what are the things you could do yourself or willing to do down the road. If you like the options, I agree with going with some of the upgrades that make sense. Can you also look at paying up front vs putting onto your mortgage?

For door glass inserts, we find the builder usually charges much more than we do for the exact same item. Also they usually charge the upper end design prices for the entry level designs. For this reason, most homeowners that purchase glass doors, end up with the same few designs that all the neighbors have. This doesn't usually appeal to most homebuyers. Our service cuts the door on site after the closing. We have the glass already purchased and waiting for the client to call after their closing. Also, You are not paying interest on a 15-30 year mortgage for upgrades you prefer anyway. It's all about getting that home paid for fast!

Upgrade the windows and doors, and the bones of the house. Builders are notorious for crap windows and doors. Tract home or developers will screw you on most upgrades, you will pay top dollar with minimal credits in return. Anything you can easily change out later is what you want to do at a later date.

Old thread so maybe no one is still around. Apparel Question.... Example House is 185k base most put in 45k of upgrades (aka house is now 225k) If I do the work on some upgrades it only costs 215k.... does this effect my appraisal? *aka we are planning on putting 10-15% down and in a few years plan on getting to 20% to remove PMI. (long story short we had a Shortsell 3 years ago and have to wait a year for conventional and we really need to move this year)

I've kind of been researching this while simultaneously searching for homes and the things you should pay to upgrade at least on fixer uppers that i have found are going to be the things that are extensive to upgrade/replace and will be difficult to work on while living in the house. Things like HVAC ducting, electrical upgrades, waste/water system, kitchen renovations, etc. Everything else you can pretty much live through without turning off water/eletrical or opening up the wall for long periods of time, or can be sealed off from the houses day to day functions to impact you less.

Is it better to let builder do backyard ie put in sprinkler system and grass for the price of five thousand or do after I close. price for this has to be paid upfront. Thanks

Sooooo.....what would be the cost after you close?

How large is the backyard? Do you need a sprinkler system that is only in the backyard? What's going on with the front yard?

Front yard is done. That’s what I’m wondering is it cheaper to hire someon myself to do back. Back is wired for sprinklers. Front yard has drip system water conservation

I think you really need to get an estimate from someone who can come and walk the property then make your decision.

There's so many things to take into account: what does the 5k consist of? Bringing in dirt? Grading? Tapping into wired sprinklers? Sod? Seed? Size of yard?