This is a tract home? Not custom?

Do as much as you can later, your property taxes & mortgage are based on the price of the house. So, not only will you likely pay less for upgrades, you won’t be financing or paying extra tax on them.

Correct, it is a tract home and not custom

Thanks Laura, I didn’t even think about that!

Then standard all the way

As someone who has been there. I will tell you, go as stripped back as possible from the builder. They mark up everything while giving you the bare minimum in quality. We went so far as to omit flooring and paint. They will use commercial grade carpet and flat builder's grade paint. Get someone else to do the finish work. You'll save money and have a far better finished product in the end.

Thanks Bobbi! I am for sure doing standard carpet throughout and ripping it all out before I move in. Such a waste :( I wish they could just leave it bare for me but I get it.

The bones of the house would be the only thing worth upgrading if you feel it necessary. Anything easy to change can be done later.

Upgrade everything that would be harder to upgrade/change later, items where a replacement will require invasive methods.i,e if you know you will be adding a bathroom in the basement, have them run a vent pipe and stub it out in the basement, or tile and fixture upgrades so you don't have to rip anything out and start remodeling all over again, etc.

In addition, everything you want to upgrade makes sure you upgrade to items you select not what the builder offers you, or tries to sell you.

As the flooring goes, many builders including me will give a buyer credit for flooring if they chose to install their own after the closing.

Most jurisdictions here will issue a certificate of occupancy or a temporary one without the flooring if they have a letter from the homeowner that they OK with builder leaving the flooring out and they will install flooring after the closing DIY or using their own installers... this way you don't have to tear out and dispose new carpet.

Yep, put it all in the landfill. Just what our planet needs.

Great advice! I will ask my builder to see if they can leave the floors out. Thank you!

I'd ask to leave the tub out. And have the rough plumbing installed based on the specs of your replacement vanity. Carefully look at the installation specs for everything you plan on doing. Work with the builder to get your house as ready as possible to make the changes. But work with the builder up front.

No landfills for “tear outs.” An arrangement with your local Habitat for Humanity and a tax write off, for sure!

All helpful tips! Thank you so much!!

In a large neighborhood of tract homes you will never get your money back for the improvements you are looking to make, specially if most of your neighbors have chosen not to do many of the upgrades.

Do you know what is involved in adding a freestanding tub? Are you also going to need a freestanding tub faucet? If the house is on a slab then it won't be that easy.

I hope you aren't a part-time blogger for home improvement topics, because you have a lot to learn in that area!

@chispa - I googled the OP’s name and the blog came up. Here it is: https://trishale.com/index.php/2020/06/09/life-update-im-building-a-house/

@Trisha Le - if your parents are in real estate and flip houses, why don’t you ask them your questions? Just curious.

I think it’s great to get information from many sources not just parents lol 😜

Just make sure there is a level of honesty on the blog about it being a tract home.

In my opinion, it depends somewhat on the price of the home and other homes in the neighborhood, but almost certainly I would recommend ALL STANDARD with no upgrades.

Hi guys! Thanks so much for the feedback. To clarify, I am not a home blogger so my knowledge in that department is limited 😂 my parents flipped older homes but the end result wasn’t luxury by any means — they never installed freestanding tubs or anything like that.

Also, I chose to build to get what I want, but I’m definitely a penny pincher and would like to save as much as I can when it comes to upgrades. The upgrades I mentioned are going to happen regardless; I really just wanted advice on whether to go through my builder and pay the premium, or tackle it on with my own contractor.

Also, I had to google what a tract home was so I’m already learning so much from this website 😂

@Trisha Le, that makes no financial sense. It's the infamous dollar-for-dollar issue with any home upgrades. Builder upgrades on tract homes are notorious offenders.

@chispa, I still got to choose my floor plan, choose an exterior design, and choose all my finishes with this build. The only thing that was going to need actual renovation was the master bath for the tub, which they agreed to leave out :) I also think it's unfair to say I would never make my money back on the home with these upgrades. Most people don't want carpet in homes and they prefer a freestanding tub - I'm not doing anything drastic.

And when it comes to the neighborhood, most homes are way better than mine - we have some that are more than double the cost of what I am paying. I'm not too worried on ROI.

Your first post had lots more items than just a tub.

We are just trying to make sure that you have all the information to make the right choices 🙂. Good luck with the new house!

"Most people don't want carpet in homes and they prefer a freestanding tub..."

Many people want carpet in the bedrooms because it's cozier and warmer. Many people don't want tubs at all because they think they are just dust catchers that take up space. Many people who do want tubs don't want a freestanding tub because they can be a pain to clean around.

Since this is a new build, put in what makes you happy, but bear in mind that not all choices will have great market appeal when it comes time to sell.

Thanks for your feedback, @Lindsey_CA! Yeah I am definitely keeping carpet in some of the bedrooms. Definitely trying to keep the future buyer in mind when it comes to what I pick out!

Thanks @chispa! Pretty much all those items are comped due to the blog but it was great to learn about the difference in plumbing (i.e., harder stuff to change later on). Anyway, I appreciate all of your advice and I'm extremely grateful for you guys! Definitely have learned a lot

Just looked on your IG & saw you’re in the DFW area! You‘ll def get a good ROI on anything you do in this market. We’re looking to build in Burleson & curious how much things like upgraded doors, cabinets, quartz counters etc cost if you don’t mind sharing

“Most people want a free standing tub.” No they don’t. If I had a free standing tub I’d remove it, and I don’t know anyone who has one. (My current house came with a jacuzzi tub and a large separate shower; if it didn’t cost so much I’d have the tub completely removed and build a new linen closet in that spot.). Neither hubby nor I have taken a bath in years.

@shannon feel free to email me at hello@trishale.com and I’m happy to share the costs!