Hello, new and potential new homeowners! I am excited to share my home buying journey. I have been reminiscing about my entire process, thinking did I make the right decision, could I have done anything better and most of all, future upgrades.
The area where I wanted to be located pretty much only had new construction homes or homes built within the last ten years. In the very beginning, I was ok with purchasing a pre-existing build because it meant I wouldn’t have to wait on the 6-7 month building process, but that route seemed like more of a headache that I just didn’t want to embark on so I opted to go new. Some of the pros for me when deciding on buying new construction included less worry about the structural integrity of my house. I would be the first to live in the home; if you ever have seen me clean you would understand why this means a lot to me, I get to select some of the finishes, less water & electrical issues, and lastly, it’s turn-key ready. Some of the cons are the house lacks character; there are limited options with customizations, and your neighbor might have your same plan.
Once the building process was underway, i.e. framing, stairs, drywall, I was taken back that I got an appraisal with absolutely no finishes installed. This told me one thing, the builder didn’t have to be a concern with luxury upgrades and/or finishes which is probably why the options are so limited in design. Often times the builder’s spec home gets the bulk of the upgrades so the buyer (you and me) can get excited about the possibility of our home looking just like the spec. With that being said, keep a level head when it comes to upgrades. Here are some of the best and worst decisions I feel I made when selecting finishes/upgrades for my house.
Best:
- Neutral finishes. I choose a neutral palette throughout the house because it would give me some time to upgrade, if that was something I was interested in doing in the future. When choosing new finishes, it would also give me some wiggle room to get creative. Everything from tile to paint was neutral.
- Lighting – or lack thereof.Whether I chose lighting or not with my builder there wouldn’t be a credit given, so I selected the basic-free lighting package. The builder prewired lighting in some areas and I just chose not to select any lighting in those areas.
- My necessary upgrades. I could say I kept upgrades simple but that would be a lie (lol). Builders tend to mark up everything, and I do mean everything, such as tile, flooring, lighting, built-ins, (insert Shirley Caesar you name it). I tried my best to only upgrade things that would be significantly more work for me after closing. Some of those upgrades included a gourmet kitchen which meant the removal of the microwave above the stove and replacing it with a range hood over a cooktop with double ovens. This was a $5,000 upgrade which was lower than the market value. Upgraded cabinets were $2,000, island $1,500 (two-toned kitchen another $200), built-in/fireplace, master bathroom, tile, and lastly a cabinet in the laundry room. The cabinet in the laundry wasn’t a necessary upgrade but I needed the extra storage.
Worst:
Worst comes down to personal preference. I don’t have a worst, but I’ll include some of the upgrades I feel that are not necessary. Keep in mind this is just my opinion.
- The paint colors. More often than not I notice people pay extra for accent walls or a paint color outside the available options and I find this to be a problem for two reasons. The first one is the furniture you move in with may not be what you keep, so the color may no longer work. The second reason, and this comes down to preference, is the builder’s paint has a flat finish and in most households, esp. households with children, I recommend a paint with some sort of shine. The shine is going to offer easy cleanup for spills and/or everyday living incidentals.
- Hardwood floors. In my experience, both mine and my clients, the builder at times aggressively upcharges on this upgrade. The issue for me isn’t the flooring but more so paying for something that you have no say in how it’s going to be laid. I knew in my house that I wanted to add some character and creating some sort of design element in the flooring would accomplish that but that wasn’t an option with my builder, so the upcharge just didn’t make sense to me. I simply kept the free 4mm glue down luxury vinyl.
- Pre-installed blinds. The builder tends to have about three options to choose from which is limited from what other retailers offer. When it comes to window coverings, you can go with remote operated, wood blinds, shutters, roman shades, and the list goes on. If you wait, you can be a lot more selective in what you want to put on your windows.
I hope you guys find some of these tips helpful. I’m all about learning from my mistakes and experiences and if my wrongs can be right for you than I’ve done my job. Please come again. I’ll be discussing ways to upgrade you builder-grade home, Thank you until next time.
Great read Nadia! Keep going! This looks great and I’m bookmarking it to my
Homepage!
Thank you for you awesome insight this was right on time. I love, love love Your website!! May God continue to bless you inspire.. Thank you 🙏🏾 so much for what you do.
I’m so happy to be a part of your journey!
I am so proud of all your accomplishments. “Stepping out in faith”. Your doing a great job!
❤
Hello well well you are such a woman of inspiration and from Heaven you are amazing in God sight!!! I’m sure there is a place for you in Heaven since it already is designed in such a beauty! I’m sure you will fit right in!!!! I’m so excited for you and I will continue to watch and follow you along the way!!! Be Blessed and continue to be the best that you can be!!! Your sister from Sampson County!!!! I love you and trust that you will continue to be a sister to so many!!! Mrs. RoHonda Cason
Thank you so much ❤
Congratulations Nadia on all the God has for you… This is a gorgeous website… Loving how you incorporated useful information and tools on some of your segments.. I’m so elated for your endeavors that you are about to embark on.. Keep giving clients your very best and watch what God is getting ready to do in your life…
It’s been a long time coming! So proud of your growth and the challenges you continue to take on to advance your talent! A woman of purpose. Thank you for always sharing and being an inspiration ❤️
Loving your website. Visually appealing and informative!
Congratulations Nadia I love the website. You are a true inspiration to me about how I want my future new home to be. I have been on taking my notes and buying my high and low pieces. I hope one day to hire you as my interior designer saving my coins so I can be styled by Casanova. God bless you and all that you do.
Great Read! Congratulations, again!
Congratulations to the launch of your site . Super proud of your growth!!
Nadia, super excited for you and the journey you are on. So excited to tag along with you…so take us to infinity and beyond! God Bless your endeavors!
Nadia, you’re a ray of sunshine! Always having a smiling face even when embracing the unknown. Wishing you all the best. Keep the videos coming. I’m hoping you will have an area covering what you do in the videos, but with a detailed playlist, such as cleaning (with cleaning brands), holiday decor, etc. Enjoy your new home and the joy of decorating it.
OMG! Girl This is so inspiring and exciting!!! I didn’t know you had a website. You are an inspiration to so many of us. I’m so proud of you and all you’ve accomplished. You’re the only person I know who can fall down and build a house to get up!!! You certainly know how to level up!!! 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾💖😊
I am so grateful to go on this journey with you Little Mama 🤩Beautiful Slmply Beautiful
To watch the journey is so much fun! From then to now and to watch your progress is priceless!