The Ultimate Guide to Pre-Construction Upgrades: What to Choose During the Offer and Selection Process

Hey everyone, The Property Girls back at it again, and today we're talking about upgrades to consider for your pre-construction house! These are decisions you'll want to make during two key times:

• During the offer process, before the builder goes in for permit
• During your selection process, which typically happens after you have an offer accepted

Let's jump into some of the key upgrades to consider adding during the offer process:

• Garage size: Think about how much space you'll really need in the garage. Can you squeeze by with the builder's standard size, or would you be better off increasing it by one or two feet? Keep in mind that this is one change you can't make later on, because it's part of the foundation.
• Walk-up entrance:  Adding a side entrance or rear entrance will require modifications to the drawings and is difficult to do later on.
• Nine or ten foot ceilings:  This will make a big difference in the feel of the house, but it's not something you can change after the house is built.
• Cold cellar:  This is a room built under the porch to store food. It's a great way to keep your food fresh, but it can't be added after the house is built.
• Covered back porches:  Adding a covered back porch is much easier to do during the initial construction than later.
• Fireplace bump out:  If you want a fireplace, consider adding a bump out during the offer process. This will make the room larger and is difficult to add later.
• Colored windows:  Most builders offer white windows by default. If you want a different color, you will need to specify this during the offer process.
• Exterior choices:  This includes stucco, stone, or brick. These choices will affect the square footage of the rooms, so they need to be made early on.
• Man door in the garage:  This is a door that leads directly from the garage into the house. Some builders include this, and some don't.  Adding it later would require cutting through the brick exterior.
• Extra windows or changing window sizes: You can add windows or change the size of windows during the offer process, but you will need to make sure it fits within the window allowance and the overall design of the house.
• Eight foot doors:  If you want eight foot doors, you should specify this during the offer process so it can be noted in the drawings.
• Pocket doors:  These space-saving doors slide into the wall. You will need to specify that you want pocket doors during the offer process so they can be included in the drawings.

Don't forget that there are also upgrades you can consider adding during your selection process:

• Pot lights:  These are recessed lights that can be added throughout the house.  While you can technically add them later, it's much easier to do so before the drywall goes in.
• Oak staircase with iron spindles:  This is a more upscale look than a standard staircase. It would be difficult to replace a standard staircase with an oak staircase later on.
• Kitchen cabinet heights and layout:  You can choose the height of your cabinets and the layout of the kitchen during your selection process. It would be difficult to move the plumbing around after the house is built.
• Quartz or granite countertops:  These countertops are more durable and stylish than laminate countertops. You can choose them during your selection process.
• Glass tiled showers and freestanding tubs:  These are luxury bathroom features that can be chosen during your selection process.
• Carpet to hardwood flooring: While you can install hardwood flooring after you move in, it is much easier to have the builder do it during the construction process.
• Fireplace (if the bump out was added during the offer process):  You can add a fireplace if the bump out was included in the original plans.
• Basement finishing:  The builder can finish your basement during the construction process. This is a good way to avoid dust and ensure that everything is covered under warranty.
• Rough-ins for central vacuum:  A central vacuum system is a network of tubes that allows you to vacuum from anywhere in the house. You can have the builder rough in the plumbing for the central vacuum during the construction process.
• Water lines to fridge and gas lines to stove:  These are important plumbing features that you should have the builder install during construction. It would be difficult to add them later.

We hope this gives you a good starting point for thinking about the upgrades you want to make to your pre-construction house!

‍