Splurge on energy saving things. Extra insulation(like insulated steel siding), high efficiency furnace/AC, heavy duty guttering/w gutter guards, in floor heating/cooling, and even solar assist.

Something as simple as solar assisted heating of the water lines into the water heater lowers the fuel usage for heating water.

As far as finishing, trends come and go. Spending for high end fixtures that may be changed in 5 years does not make much sense to me. Get good dependable lighting/bath/kitchen fixtures. Get the countertop material that suits your lifestyle. Nothing like paying for a marble countertop that gets heat damaged or stained.

Invest in an architect to design a home to meet your needs and fit your site.

If you are looking to save money by looking at upgrades and finishes, you are looking in entirely the wrong direction, at the wrong time.

You major expenses will be on the size, configuration and complexity of your design. The time to save significant money would have been when you were in the design stage of your project.

At the construction stage, your major risks for unforeseen and unexpected expenses will depend on how broad and unrealistic any allowances may be which you may have allowed in your construction contract, followed by change orders during construction due to errors, omissions, your change of mind, and the inadequacy of allowances.

Upgrades and finishes will be a pittance of your total extra cost. Sorry to have to break the news.

Good luck on your project.

I would splurge on things that are not easily switched out, like windows, HVAC, sealed and conditioned crawl (if you have a crawl), doors, cabinets, flooring. For the most part, lighting, plumbing, and backsplashes eventually need updated anyway.

Is it a tract/production home or a custom home? My answer depends on what kind of house you're building. :-) (And, if tract, exactly what your choices are; sometimes you can't change things like windows even if you're willing to fork over triple the $$$ for them....)

What Jennifer said and what ODD asked.

Be VERY careful that you do not over-build this house or the neighborhood. You'll never get your money back for all those upgrades (which are always WAY over priced) if your neighbors went with basic.

Oops, perhaps the OP thought she was on Houzz, not GardenWeb Building a Home forum, home of Jolt of Reality.

Alison, Houzz took on Garden Web last year. Yes, it's a feisty bunch, but knowledgable and experienced, and one won't get better real-world advice anywhere else, including telling one to talk to a lawyer, architect, engineer, counselor.

So were the answers, given that the OP didn't specify what stage they are at.

Do the options that can't be done later - this would be structural things like bath configurations (if there are options) and HVAC, plumbing and electrical upgrades, ceiling heights and that sort of option.

The options that the builders charge an arm and a leg for that are cosmetic in nature can be done by you after you close. Those options usually are flooring and countertops and other cosmetic items. If you can wait, don't have the builder install a backsplash at all, that way you can choose one that works with your colors and kitchen. The kitchen is one area where the builders typically deliver the least and if you upgrade, you are spending a great deal of money for an upgrade that isn't worth what you are paying IMO. This is an area of the build where you have to weigh the options carefully.

Edit: I am assuming this is a production type builder where the options are limited to specific choices and not a custom home builder.

As for money-saving suggestions for moving: declutter as much as you can. Every item that you move, you pay for! And when you find out it doesn't work in the new house, you pay all over again in time and effort and maybe $ trying to get rid of it. Figure out if something large you own--artwork, furniture--will work in your new home. If not, or if you really don't love it, sell it before you move. Even little tschotschkes. Use the money to buy things that DO work and that will make you happy. Has it been a while since you bought your mattress? Don't move it, buy a new one and have it delivered to the new house.

Do you have a local Fb or NextDoor group? Ask there for boxes and paper. You say it's a new neighborhood, so keep an eye out for other people moving in, introduce yourself, and trade a banana bread or cookies for their now-empty boxes and paper...maybe they just want you to take it off their hands!

And my cardinal rule for packing: There is no such thing as a box labeled "Miscellaneous"!

To go along with bpathome's excellent moving advice, be careful who you use to move. The moving industry has many rouge moving brokers that quote you a price over the phone or net and the price is frequently doubled at the time of the move while they hold your furniture hostage. Get your quotes in writing with the actual mover (not moving broker) and have him come to your home to estimate based on the items you are actually moving. It is easier to get the moving quotes over the internet - but also the way to get scammed big time. I'm talking thousands of dollars. There is a website you can visit called movingscam.com that will give you details on what to watch out for when getting your quotes.

If you are moving within the same city or close by, check local first or use someone personally referred and get the price in writing along with the date and time. No one I know uses the big name companies, we all use local hometown companies.

As far as your upgrades I agree with upgrading the structure first, if it can be. For all things cosmetic, make a list of wants and narrow it down with pricing included. There are certain items I put in the category of can be done later but would be a HUGE pain. We have wood running in all areas except the bedrooms and bath, that would be a huge pain to put down after close. Counters are pretty easy to replace, lighting fixtures are too. Are you picking from a certain set of base vs upgraded items? If so, are the higher cost items something you would pick on your own. If the answer is no, put it in after close.