anytime you can skip the upgrade to do it on your own, do it. builders make tons of money from the mark-ups on this. The upgrade for your granite is a joke. even their level 2 granite is usually bottom of the barrel. builders often get seconds or surplus from stone yards. Have you actually visited a stoneyard yourself and asked about price (always haggle and always offer cash for better deals) and ask about fabrication. Paying an additional 1500 for ogee edge, on top of the already inflated upgrade price is just ridiculous.

I would never do the upgrade w/the builder. I would have them charge me for the cheapest option (unless you can get nothing and have the price deducted from the total) for something like laminate and pick out my own granite afterward.

I would especially do this in the bathrooms. You could get pre-fab vanity countertop for 350-500 bucks and it's 9' long. you could realistically do two bathrooms.

Just for example, these are pre-fab: marble and granite. 8' long, finished edge,,,about $575. I guarantee your builder won't have anything close to this on an upgrade. and this is pre-fab!

Moen soap dispenser, $250??? uh, no. this you can buy and put in yourself for 1/3rd.

13K to upgrade all the tile. from what to what?? how many square feet?

chrome tub enclose,,,u mean frameless shower doors or sliding doors? I would hold off on that and have a shower company come out (after all the tiling is done) and give you an estimate for all of the shower/tubs. 950 seems high. and if he's doing multiples, you can get better deals.

the under mount sinks,,the K2319 kohler is 186 bucks at HD. They're charging you 500. Is that upgrade from drop-in to under mount? either way a hole has to be cut. a fabricator can finish the inside edges for you if doing under mount.

Attic fans...what kind? they run anywhere from $60-$600.

as for the flooring upgrade,,,if you are having someone else put in the floor, can't you upgrade the wood yourself and have it done after?

and that price of $17 a sq ft for 5" oak is wayyyy out there. a good flooring could cost from $7-12 a sq ft.. Is the $17 just for the cost of the flooring itself? (That's an extremely high price for extremely high end wood flooring. I'll bet my life you aren't getting that quality that goes w/that price) They're already putting down wood flooring. They shouldn't increase their installation charge. doing larger planks will actually go faster for them.

I could go on,,,any other specific questions?

All of the pricing is with installation. The hardwood pricing is beyond ridiculous. I was leaning towards taking the standard granite and putting in quartz later and I might do just that. The undermount sinks are an upgrade. The only things that we might end up doing are the tile and other things that we can't do without demoing. We also have about 20k in option money that we have to spend.

Two things I forgot to add:

Gas line for grill in the backyard: $1250

Extra hose bib: $800

And the hardwood they are using is Bruce, not exactly some hifi brand.

I assume this is in a development and being done by a tract builder?

My concern would be that you're not upgrading past what the rest of the neighborhood is doing. You never want to be the most expensive house in the neighborhood. Most of what you are talking about will NOT get you anymore money than the other houses when you sell, even if you have the upgrades and they don't.

The only place you should upgrade is for those things that you can't do later. Things like extra insulation, or better quality windows, or more lighting.

We finally got our interior option pricing from our builder and meet them later this week. We were wondering if the following were worth it. The things that we are definitely going to do:

Cast iron tub in the jack and jill bathroom ( Kohler Villager K715 for $950)

Online this tub is $341. It certainly doesn't cost more to put this one in than any other one.

Kohler Round Watertile K8014 (4 of them) 1,700

$1700 for four of them? MSRP is $198! And that's the manufacturer's price!

You'd be better off taking whatever the builder gives you and upgrading yourself afterwards.

Kohler Rain shower panel K98740 $1400

Again on the Kohler site, this is $856. It's cheaper from a builder's source.

Cabinet upgrades ~7k

What brand are the cabinets that are standard and what is the upgraded cabinet brand?

Chrome Tub Enclosure (clear/obscure, which one would you guys recommend) $950

What is standard? And what exactly are they upgrading you to?

Attic Fan $600

Why would you need an attic fan if you have good insulation in the attic? My attic has closed cell insulation so no attic fan is wanted or needed.

Moen soap dispenser $225

The most expensive Moen soap dispenser is something like $78. Which one are you looking at that is worth triple the price?

Looks like the builder offers a ton of tile upgrade and this is something we dont want to skimp out on. Would cost around 13k to upgrade all tile in the house to the highest level that they offer. Will see the colors/choices on Thursday.

What brand of tiles are standard? What are the upgraded brands?

Tustin, Lido and Lisbnon Lever door handles (interior of standard home + entry smart key) $1,950

How many door levers are we talking about because online, these are about $12 each without locks and they go up to $35 each with locks. So at an average of $23.50 each, you would need 82 levers to reach that price.

Even at the $35 price, you'd still need 55 levers to break even. Do you have that many in your house?

Belleview Handleset $350 Tavaris Handleset $450 Chelsea Handleset $400

The Bellevue Handleset online is at the high price is $76.

The Tavaris Handleset online is at the high price is $129.

The Chelsea Handleset online is at the high price is $135.

Save your money. Get whatever is standard and replace it after you move in.

Undermount sink(are these worth it, its per sink): Kohler Verticyl K2882 $350 Kohler Bancroft K2319 $500

The Kohler Verticyl online is $134.

The Kohler Bancroft is $194.

Interior door ( Carrara ) $1k, will do if it is solid core.

What interior door is $1000?

Granite upgrade 1 granite standard edge $2,450

Granite upgrade 2 granite standard edge $3,990

Granite ogee edge $1,590

What is standard? As Beth said above, this is no bargain. Save your money and upgrade after you move in.

Upgrade the hardwood floor in kitchen and foyer to 5" plank (standard is 2.25) this is 5k. Will have someone else put in wood everywhere else (i will get the brand he is using and buy that to match).

My engineered 5" wide x 79" white oak planks are $5.78 a square foot. How many square feet is the upgrade that is costing you $5k? For $5k, you must have at least 850 square feet that needs to be covered based on my price. (Oh and mine is a nice quality product by Kahrs.)

Insulation(need to find out more details about the type, etc):

Sound walls for Master Suite $690

Sound Ceilings for 1st floor ceilings $2,175

Bathroom & Laundry room walls $1,250

2 Car garage insulation $1,695

I had my master bath, my guest bath, my mechanical room and my laundry closet sound insulated just the other day. The total for all those rooms was $378.

My first floor ceilings were part of the build package and were not an upgrade.

Frameless Master Bath (48"X48") 3400

Shower looks like this: http://imgur.com/a/OaXJN

Should I take the standard shower and get it done later? For 3400 can't we get something that has the showerguard coating built in?

What exactly are you getting for $3400? Frankly, I'd be more concerned that they waterproof correctly.

Laundry Sink $1100 Unless made of a rare earth metal, am going to decline this.

A laundry sink is a couple of hundred dollars.

Hardwood $17 per sq ft for 5" oak and $29 per sq ft for 5" maple

$17 a square foot for 5" oak better be the best brand available. That is at least double what you can get quality hardwood for and probably triple.

Bruce? oh hell no. 17 for that is robbery. that same flooring prob costs them 2 bucks.

hose bibb, 800? good lord.

you have to spend 20K? I mean, HAVE to?

then spend it on things like built ins, or extra framing or something. I would not use it on the granite and tile/flooring, because they don't give you decent choices.

All of the pricing is with installation. The hardwood pricing is beyond ridiculous. I was leaning towards taking the standard granite and putting in quartz later and I might do just that. The undermount sinks are an upgrade. The only things that we might end up doing are the tile and other things that we can't do without demoing. We also have about 20k in option money that we have to spend.

Who is the builder?

And the pricing is with installation? Does that mean that if you don't take the upgrade they won't install the standard? You're already paying for installation!

Two things I forgot to add:

Gas line for grill in the backyard: $1250

That's about double what I'm paying.

Extra hose bib: $800

Each extra hose bib in my build is something like $100 if that expensive?

I assume this is in a development and being done by a tract builder?

My concern would be that you're not upgrading past what the rest of the neighborhood is doing. You never want to be the most expensive house in the neighborhood. Most of what you are talking about will NOT get you anymore money than the other houses when you sell, even if you have the upgrades and they don't.

The only place you should upgrade is for those things that you can't do later. Things like extra insulation, or better quality windows, or more lighting.

We know about 6 others in our development (17 total) and we would be somewhere in the middle price wise, so definitely not the most expensive.

Cast iron tub in the jack and jill bathroom ( Kohler Villager K715 for $950)

Online this tub is $341. It certainly doesn't cost more to put this one in than any other one.

Agree but what would the cost of tearing out the builder grade tub(not cast iron) and putting in this cost? I think this is something that is worth the installation hassle.

Kohler Round Watertile K8014 (4 of them) 1,700

$1700 for four of them? MSRP is $198! And that's the manufacturer's price!

You'd be better off taking whatever the builder gives you and upgrading yourself afterwards.

Kohler Rain shower panel K98740 $1400

Again on the Kohler site, this is $856. It's cheaper from a builder's source.

I agree that there is a markup but the standard is just a shower head. The cost of demo + running any additional lines I think outweighs the builder price

Cabinet upgrades ~7k

What brand are the cabinets that are standard and what is the upgraded cabinet brand?

The upgrade was basically to get plywood construction. I forget the cabinet brand now.

Chrome Tub Enclosure (clear/obscure, which one would you guys recommend) $950

What is standard? And what exactly are they upgrading you to?

Standard is a curtain rod for the tub.

Attic Fan $600

Why would you need an attic fan if you have good insulation in the attic? My attic has closed cell insulation so no attic fan is wanted or needed.

Will need to ask about blow in insulation in the attic.

Moen soap dispenser $225

The most expensive Moen soap dispenser is something like $78. Which one are you looking at that is worth triple the price?

Same one, this can be omitted.

Looks like the builder offers a ton of tile upgrade and this is something we dont want to skimp out on. Would cost around 13k to upgrade all tile in the house to the highest level that they offer. Will see the colors/choices on Thursday.

What brand of tiles are standard? What are the upgraded brands?

The sheet included the following (no manufacturers, just the lines, will get those details at the meeting)

Upgrade 1-Reflex/New Reeds/SerpentineBrick/Weave

Upgrade 2
-Carrara/Chess

Upgrade 2
-Palma (12 x 24)

Upgrade 3
-Nepal

Upgrade 3-Timber, Woodessence, New Legno (wood look laid straight)

Upgrade 3-Timeless Series (matte or polished 12x24)

Upgrade 4-Carrara X – 12 x 24 (matte or polished)

Upgrade 4-Stilo Bianco 10 x 30 wall

Upgrade 4-Tech Marble (matte or polished 12x24)

Tustin, Lido and Lisbnon Lever door handles (interior of standard home + entry smart key) $1,950

How many door levers are we talking about because online, these are about $12 each without locks and they go up to $35 each with locks. So at an average of $23.50 each, you would need 82 levers to reach that price.

Even at the $35 price, you'd still need 55 levers to break even. Do you have that many in your house?

Belleview Handleset $350 Tavaris Handleset $450 Chelsea Handleset $400

The Bellevue Handleset online is at the high price is $76.

The Tavaris Handleset online is at the high price is $129.

The Chelsea Handleset online is at the high price is $135.

Save your money. Get whatever is standard and replace it after you move in.

Undermount sink(are these worth it, its per sink): Kohler Verticyl K2882 $350 Kohler Bancroft K2319 $500

The Kohler Verticyl online is $134.

The Kohler Bancroft is $194.

Interior door ( Carrara ) $1k, will do if it is solid core.

What interior door is $1000?

Granite upgrade 1 granite standard edge $2,450

Granite upgrade 2 granite standard edge $3,990

Granite ogee edge $1,590

What is standard? As Beth said above, this is no bargain. Save your money and upgrade after you move in.

Upgrade the hardwood floor in kitchen and foyer to 5" plank (standard is 2.25) this is 5k. Will have someone else put in wood everywhere else (i will get the brand he is using and buy that to match).

My engineered 5" wide x 79" white oak planks are $5.78 a square foot. How many square feet is the upgrade that is costing you $5k? For $5k, you must have at least 850 square feet that needs to be covered based on my price. (Oh and mine is a nice quality product by Kahrs.)

The 5k will cover about 400 sq ft. I am taking base carpet everywhere and was concerned about the flooring under the kitchen cabinets. If this isn't an issue then I will just take the standard.

Hardwood $17 per sq ft for 5" oak and $29 per sq ft for 5" maple

$17 a square foot for 5" oak better be the best brand available. That is at least double what you can get quality hardwood for and probably triple.

Bruce :(

We have a 20k allowance for the upgrades and are trying to get the best bang for our buck in doing things that are harder to do later.

do you see how all of this adds up? and the fact that you'll be paying on it for the life of the mortgage is even worse. You're paying for the convenience while the upgrades are barely at standard level. Rather than pay the builder and loan company, if you have the avail cash, buy what you want after you close.

This is a medium sized builder in NJ. I have the option price list from a khov and toll development and they are in line or quite a bit more for some of these same choices.

then use the 20k on things that you will get the most from. not the countertops, not the flooring, not the tile. if you know you want something and don't want to deal w/a tear out, then tell them not to put it in. (like the tub) Or if they say "we have to install it" then be there when the installers are there and tell them to drop it in but that's it. and don't tile around it.

Can you get any special built in's or cove ceiling or extra super kitchen cabs w/glass doors or something? better appliances? How about landscaping? can you put the 20K towards that?

cracks me up they're offering you a 20K upgrade bonus, but then raping you for standard items and triple charging you in the process. yeah, some bonus.

Unfortunately they will tile around the tub/shower. The tile through them is appealing in order to avoid tear down/demo work later on.

I will definitely avoid spending anything on sinks/countertops and use someone else for the work. One of the things that is available is a brick upgrade that is 9k (not sure if this is worth it paying 9k for brick color). Sounded so insane, I didn't even include it.

We are going to upgrade our cooktop to a wolf 36" and upgrade the hood to a 1k+ cfm model. That should chew up a bunch of the budget.

then just do the tub if you like the tile. you can't tear out a tub without possibly ruining the tile/waterproofing around it. wouldn't be worth saving the few hundred.

landscaping?? is that on the table?

There are too many quality landscapers around here to bother with them.

We are going to upgrade our cooktop to a wolf 36" and upgrade the hood to a 1k+ cfm model. That should chew up a bunch of the budget.

And how much are they charging you for the privilege of upgrading to a Wolf and 1000 CFM hood? Let me guess. It's double what it would cost you to go out and buy the same unit.

those cooktops range from 900 or so up to 3-4K?? from what I see, the average is the mid 2000. If they're charging you 5 or 6K for one, I'd find something else to spend the money.

What are your other options?

Ditto what Beth said. That GC is trying to rip you off BIG time!!! Most people have no idea what these things cost and they take advantage of that!

None of these upgrades are worth the price, but what is more concerning they are all HomeDepot consumer upgrades.

>Moen soap dispenser $225

This stuff is crap. Pain to fill in, will discolor (with white soap scum around it) and it will leak when you clean with the sprayer and you will regret having it installed.

Kohler Rain shower panel K98740 $1400

Because you need to install the diverter $600 + $300 - may be not ok.

• Granite upgrade 2 granite standard edge $3,990
• Granite ogee edge $1,590

You are paying the entire cost of the new countertop.

==

• Sound walls for Master Suite $690

What is involved, if just adding sound reducing insulation - NO. Will not reduce the sound transfer.

• Sound Ceilings for 1st floor ceilings $2,175

Huh?

• Bathroom & Laundry room walls $1,250

Huh? No walls in the bathroom

• 2 Car garage insulation $1,695

Builder is required to insulate the walls adjacent to the interior of the house, most likely 2 out of 3 walls ( excluding the wall with the garage doors). So the cost there most likely - $200 total.

It SOUNDS like there is an allowance of $20K in the "standard" price that has to be used?

If so - you are smart to focus on things that are a PITA later. I'd do the cast iron tub for heat retention and longevity if nothing else. And do the glass enclosure - it's nice not to have a shower curtain.

Do the cabinet upgrade. Don't do any granite or kitchen sink upgrades - do that after with one of the many installers. That pricing is insane unless you have 300 sq feet of counter ;-)

Kitchens and baths sell homes. If the normal tile is basic / neutral / attractive then maybe skip it. The "bling" you upgrade later will make things sparkle - better fixtures (change out in an afternoon) and lighting, accessories, towels, etc.

Do all the insulations / sound deadening - that brings an air of "quality" and will be nice to live in a quieter / muffled house.

Then - upgrade fixtures and handles and other "fluff" things as you go and live in the house and personalize it. Most of those choices are both too expensive and too limited - a bad combo.

I'd also do the HW floors.

Do only the things you can not do on your own later. For example you can not bump out a room or raise the ceiling after a home is built. It is a major pain to add hvac zones after the build is done. Spend you money on those things and go totally standard on the others. Upgrade as you live there just know that when you move it your home is not exactly as you want it. ie- Take their standard countertop and pay nothing then upgrade after you are there. This is a bit more leg work for you but the savings is huge. You can get an extra hose bib in my area on Angies list for 150 max. I'm in the process of pricing a gas grill line and I'm in the 500-600 range. These are not items they will even have to disrupt your living space when they do it. Keep a pot of money set aside for this in your budgeting and it will go three times as far as if you hand it to the builder.

Usually the funds can be used for closing costs and/or upgrades. Depends on the builder. I agree with the points above about the builder "giving" you upgrades for free for $X and charging you an outrageous price to eat up the allowance without actually giving you anything. This is pretty standard for builders IME. It is one huge profit center for the builder.

As mentioned, do the things that you can't do otherwise afterward without great expense - especially if you can add square footage or interior wiring or upgrading energy efficiency. If you have a choice to use the money toward closing costs, that is what I would do because you are getting the benefit dollar for dollar that way. If not, put the money on structural items rather than cosmetic items. Remember, the builder built that $X into your pricing anyway even if they say it's free - spend the funds wisely. It doesn't go nearly as far with the builder as it does in the real world.

I'm going to disagree with Janni on a few of the items.

And do the glass enclosure - it's nice not to have a shower curtain.

This is an upgrade you can do later for less money.

Do the cabinet upgrade.

It all depends on the upgrade and brand and what is standard. Cheap plywood is worse than quality MDF. If both are crap, you'd be better off just taking the standard.

Kitchens and baths sell homes.

Agree but they won't get you more money. They'll just help you sell your home more quickly. And this also depends on how long you intend to stay in your house. If it's 10 years or more, the tile you pick today will most likely be dated in 10 years.

Do all the insulations / sound deadening - that brings an air of "quality" and will be nice to live in a quieter / muffled house.

Agreed.

I'd also do the HW floors.

I wouldn't upgrade to 5" wide. Most floors up until about 10 years ago were the narrower boards and worked fine. In reality they have less problems over time with warping or cupping too. And upgrading with Bruce is not an upgrade. Bruce is not considered a quality floor.

Do only the things you can not do on your own later. For example you can not bump out a room or raise the ceiling after a home is built. It is a major pain to add hvac zones after the build is done. Spend you money on those things and go totally standard on the others.

I agree with AJ and Denita 100%. If they offer more than single zone or variable speed do it. It will make the house a lot more comfortable.

@Sophie Wheeler

The house is about 840k which includes a 20k allowance for upgrades. We do enjoy cooking, which is why we were looking at the Wolf or a Bluestar platinum rangetop.

@Brian Thompson

Will find out about what is included in the insulation packages.

Our closing costs are basically 0 because of a huge mistake the bank made with our data (they have agreed to cover about 10k worth of closing expenses).

Jay Walsh: "Our closing costs are basically 0 because of a huge mistake the bank made with our data (they have agreed to cover about 10k worth of closing expenses)."

^This is a good thing. Watch that the bank doesn't try to recoup their mistake by bumping up your interest rate above market. They will try. Shop your mortgage so you know your actual market rates. Builders lenders lean toward the high side of the market anyway.

For goodness sakes- you have "builder" who is little more than a sales person. I'd

'buy" the upgrades, un-contested, right after bats flew out of my eyes.

And- Really- SHOWER curtains, when enclosing in glass costs very little? Maybe you love mold and mildew- guaranteed on a curtain- I don't.

In this, and even a real custom build, everybody calculates your equity. Accepting a net loss, on your side, within the build/remodel.

Take a step back. You're getting sold, not service.

And seriously- you really think that at some point, your bank won't realize their "mistake"? C'mon, you're a grown up right? Understand that you very well may be, at some point, charged for that. Ready with cash?

@902 Juanita

What are you talking about? Bank won't realize their mistake? Their mistake was they sent our financial documents to another client and sent theirs to ours. Social security, income everything was exposed to each other. In return they agreed to fund all of our closing costs. The only thing we have out of pocket is 1200 for an attorney.

I have that Kohler Villager tub. It's perfectly adequate, but I can't imagine it being an upgrade from anything - it's pretty shallow. I guess it would hold heat better than an acrylic tub, but nothing about it says upgrade.

I would look into the upgrades for HVAC. I imagine standard is what will meet minimum code here - that's a 14 SEER single-stage AC and I think 80% AFUE furnace. While he will charge you an arm and a leg to go up to a 16 SEER 2 stage and a 92% of more AFUE furnace, you'll at least get some of that back through 1) Utility rebates and 2) lower energy costs. In NJ those can be quite high - I don't know your area or the size of your home, but I'd guess that the heating/cooling portion of your utility bill will be in the area of $3k per year, so a 10% savings would net you $300 per year - and I'm guessing maybe even more based on my experience here in North-Central NJ.

Also on the HVAC side, as Sophie said, you'd need makeup air for a 1k+ CFM hood. Even at reasonable cost that would likely run $2-3k. I'm guessing your builder would charge upwards of $5k.

I disagree with others on the tile - if you like the nicer tile, even the high upgrade charges would make sense rather than ripping & replacing which will cost a ton. If you have the $20k to spend, I think that's a reasonable place to do it. $7k for the upgrade to plywood cabinets I'd skip - you'll never see a return on that, and you won't notice. An in-between would be to ask for a plywood sink cabinet only if he'll it - that's the one area it would matter should you have a leak.

Jay Walsh- I completely misread your posts. My mistake. Bank, then, actually did realize it's own mistake and has given you concessions? That's nice.

Jay Walsh, do you have a spec sheet with what is actually included in the house? Meaning the insulation, Heating and cooling, window brand and types, and anything else to do with the structure of the house? If so want to post it and then post possible upgrades available for the more structural items?

Here is the list of standard features that are included. http://imgur.com/a/1i4ZG Pretty much builder grade stuff. I have to find the list of structural options but we added things like windows, bigger kitchen, full bath on first floor, extra windows in walk out basement, rough in plumbing in basement. We weren't really interested in anything else. Maybe the breakfast nook (8k but no basement under it made us not get it).

That's a lot of money for builder grade stuff.

Yup and it is nuts how much other builders in the area are charging for things that are standard in this development. Ceilings (all 3 floors) are 9ft by standard. Toll wants ~12k for the basement and another builder (literally 200ft away) wants 20k for basement and 2nd floor to 9 feet.

Toll wants 12k to upgrade to the Silverline windows that are standard, god knows what they are using as the base. There are other things that would be significant money that are standard here (2 car garage is much smaller with other builders), etc.

I dont know where in NJ you are but I would not be comfortable with 2x4 exterior walls. They allow for minimal insulation. I would feel better if the builder was a stickler for air sealing but tract builders never are. I have lived in two homes that were underinsulated and being uncomfortable in your own new home is no fun. As for the cost of the various upgrades ... it sounds like that's what builders are charging in your area to do most of these things. So you are stuck. Good luck.

Another BIG reason to stay AWAY from track builders!!! ALL they do is try to RIPOFF buyers......99.5% of buyers have NO idea what it cost to build a house!!! I know a local GC that started building in 01, in less than 3 yrs he was a multi millionaire!!...and he wasn't even a track builder! Building houses is a gold mine for builders!

Robin0919 - not sure i agree. There are good and bad in every profession. They are entitled to charge whatever the market will bear. That's the American way. Its up to the consumer to know some things about what they are getting. Which the OP is obviously working to do. In my area and for the neighborhoods we want to live in, a tract builder is the only option. I'm on my 4th tract home. One was built very well and at a very fair price. One was terrible and the other two somewhere in between. The difference between them was my level of knowledge and oversight of the construction process.

$1200 for gasline to the grill could be fair or not, depending. Can you clarify what they're offering? Usually when a builder provides a gas hookup for a grill, they are literally just giving you a 1/2" stubout with a valve on it, sticking out of the back of the house in the place you're least likely to put a grill. That's certainly not worth the money they're asking.

By way of comparison, on a recent project, for $2200 our gas guy pulled permits, tied into the gas meter, grounded the gasline to the electrical panel, ran a total of 120 lin ft of gasline underground in conduit, gave us two stubouts, and hooked up the new gas firepit I designed.

Upgrades are where many tract builders build in their profit. The basic cost of the house is usually a wash. And they make some profit on the land too. But the upgrades that everyone convinces themselves that they MUST have, is where the real profit comes from. You don't want to not be competitive with your neighbors who are all putting in ''upgraded'' tile and granite, right???

Except. What drives appraisals are location, square footage, and comps. Finish ''levels'' are very distant in determining what a home will sell for. Tile is tile. Granite is granite. 50K worth of 10K upgrades won't ever be seen in any sales figures other than the original purchase where you pay that fee. What your neighbor's houses sell for will be far more determinant as to what price your house could bring. Thus the popularity of curb appeal items, or the flashier, less infrastructure related, interior options. Those do make economic sense to ''invest'' that 20K into.

The infrastructure is far more important long term, but no one lives in a house long enough anymore to build for the 30 year payback options. So you have scads of minimally built McMansions that last maybe 10-12 years before needing cheap vinyl windows to be replaced and a new roof, and new HVAC. And then the bad fake stone (just on the front) has now faded to an ugly pink from UV exposure and the next owner is wanting to paint all of those ''upgrades'' green, or whatever the next fad color after gray might be. And meanwhile, the 110 year old house down the street with the original wood windows and slate roof is ''updated'' by some clueless yarbro who destroys what could have lasted another 100 years if properly maintained.

And meanwhile, the 110 year old house down the street with the original wood windows and slate roof is ''updated'' by some clueless yarbro who destroys what could have lasted another 100 years if properly maintained.

Sigh. We looked here in Fl for 2 years for one of those 90+ year old houses and 98% had been "updated" by some clueless yarbro. The rest would have never worked as we aged in place.

Personally, the bling can be added. I still say put the money into the infrastructure.

@Sophie Wheeler

I agree with everything you say. The only thing we really skimped on was the morning room that would add about 55 sq ft for 8k. We would have done this had it added sq ft in the basement but unfortunately it did not.

The other options that were available included an in law suite and a conservatory but only 2 lots(30k prem) in the development are large enough for the town to grant approval (ours is .5 the two large lots are .7)

yarbro? Even the google failed me.

janni- nitwit,,,more or less.

When I speak to him would it be worth asking him for a credit to get cheap vinyl in areas where he is going to include hardwood?

I will also ask for formica/cheapest counters and a credit instead of the included granite.

How does Shaw hardwood compare to Bruce?

When I speak to him would it be worth asking him for a credit to get cheap vinyl in areas where he is going to include hardwood?

Probably not because while he may charge you triple for an upgrade, he'll give you a credit that is only worth 1/3-1/4 what it costs him. So if the hardwood costs him $3 a square foot, he'll charge you $9-$12 a square foot for an "upgrade", but if you're lucky you'll get only $.75-$1 a square foot credit.

I will also ask for formica/cheapest counters and a credit instead of the included granite.

Again, take what's included because he gets it in bulk and your credit will be practically nothing. Then when you're in the house, you can look into replacing it.

How does Shaw hardwood compare to Bruce?

Depends on the line but usually is considered better.

Get the basics and only the basics. Make it work. As CP said, credits don't get you jack, and upgrades are a ton extra. Basics are the "sweet spot" for the homeowner in a strict "value" statement. You also may find that you can creatively upgrade SMALLER things after you move in and that the base granite is just fine or that you get a VERY PLAIN granite for the perimeter and then plan to upgrade the island with a feature stone later, etc. Or, that painting the island would be stunning with that granite, etc.

Also - even if you rip up the entry hardwoods at least you know the underlayment is appropriate for HW and that with vinyl you might have to scrape off a ton of glue, etc.

@jannicone good point about the glue. He might use extra out of spite (sort of joiking but who knows) We are going to have hardwood installed all over prior to moving in (wife has allergies triggered by some carpets).

And you are right about the basics. That is why I made this post. To find out where it is not worth it to take the basics.

I went to the builders design center and saw the options in person. These are the base cabinet doors/colors(not a fan of any of these, will use them for the vanities instead of upgrading).

http://i.imgur.com/ZoNe4ud.jpg

This is the white cabinet that I liked (3300):

http://i.imgur.com/dYwxEGF.jpg

These are the rest of the cabinet styles available (anything but the left 3 is an upgrade of some level):

http://i.imgur.com/wMrUNak.jpg

Base cabinets(are any of these better than the white):

http://i.imgur.com/44dsNvY.jpg

This is the tile that we like for our MBR:

http://i.imgur.com/q4ex42Y.jpg

The glossy for shower wall (I hate small tile on the walls, pain to clean), the small tile for shower floor and non glossy for bathrooom floor)

The shower will also have a row (I believe 4 inches) for something from here(leaning towards gray)

http://i.imgur.com/VXtBXty.jpg

Jack and jill will have this: http://i.imgur.com/X7bfd9n.jpg (is it bad to have too much white/marble looking tile for bathrooms)?

Have not narrowed down choices for the other 2 baths. Here are the rest of the tile choices (which ones do you guys think look nice for the remaining baths)

My favorite is from the techmarble series (priciest)

http://imgur.com/a/HVcfT

http://imgur.com/a/VVKzk

I like this wood look like for the laundry/mudroom area(http://imgur.com/a/sNRjV): http://i.imgur.com/baZPRsI.jpg Do you think that will work or should be go with something else? Rest of the house will be hardwood in time.

These are the stanard brick, I am torn with which one to chose: http://i.imgur.com/i7Ddanu.jpg

Standard siding,again torn: http://i.imgur.com/netMQG5.jpg

Almost all of our upgrades will be in the kitchen/bath and perhaps some recessed lighting.

I would take the standard cabinets because the upgrade is just a door style and is not a true upgrade in quality. Live with it for a few years and then upgrade on your own.

Again the only upgrades you should be doing are those that will make your house more comfortable to live in. Better insulation (yours is the minimum for your area), better roof, better windows. Forget the rest.