When you’re planning to build a custom home, you have to make hundreds if not thousands of decisions. You must think about all these decisions in the context of your maximum price, any HOA regulations, and even your future needs. In addition, a custom home requires extra thought when compared to a traditional newly built home.
With all that thought, though, comes a home that you can live in for decades. It will be built just for you and those around you. As such, it will be more than worth all the extra time in the decision making the process. One set of choices that could use the most thought? When to upgrade and when to stay “stock.”
What are Upgrades for a Custom Home?
Whether you are building a house from design to final touches or taking a custom plan and adding your flair, your custom home will often start with builder-grade products. Unless your contractor or designer says otherwise, basic products like the doorknobs, lighting fixtures, and sinks will be akin to the stock option of a car.
That’s where upgrading comes in. When upgrading, you have the opportunity to get the items that matter most to you improved. These decisions can be made for aesthetic, environmental, or practical reasons. It’s important to think about what is most important and what you can “live” with.
What Upgrades are “Worth it?”
Each person will have their own needs and tastes, but we’ve found that these two spaces often make the top of the wish list for our custom home clients.
Kitchen Options
As the center of many homes, the kitchen is one of the best places to upgrade. Also, if you try and sell this will be the first place that many potential buyers will come to look. On the flip side, this is also one of the most expensive places to upgrade when building a custom home. Remember, you can always improve some of these features later as a remodel or addition!
- Taller cabinets
- High-quality countertops
- Under-cabinet lighting
- Stainless steel appliances
Energy Savings
As one of the more efficient upgrades, this could end up saving you more than it costs you. If you are looking for the biggest bang for your buck, aesthetics might wow your friends, but upgrading these will wow your wallet.
- Energy-efficient windows
- Space heating and cooling devices
- Low flow faucets and toilets
- Smart home systems
Custom home building, as implied in the name, is all about your custom needs. If you are looking for a bigger garage or taller basement, then don’t worry about the kitchen. Keep in mind what can be added later and what you need to do while your custom home is still being built.
