If you are working with a home builder to build your dream home, you'll likely be presented with a variety of upgrade options. While you want your home to be perfect, you want to stay within your budget. When considering upgrades, you should think about if it is something that you can do later on your own, or if it will be much cheaper and practical to do during construction. Here are some upgrades that you should consider making.
Higher Ceilings
One thing that you simply cannot add later on to your home is higher ceilings. One of the recent trends in new construction is to make ceilings that are 9 feet high, especially on the first floor. However, this obviously will increase the cost by adding more construction material. It can be one upgrade that will make your home stand out in a good way, and you could never change after the home is finished.
Larger Garage
A one-car garage is going to be the standard when you are having a garage built as part of your home construction. That said, it is very likely that you have more than one car in your household. Upgrading your garage so that it's big enough to hold two or three vehicles can be a huge benefit that you'll continue to enjoy. Especially when the winter comes and you are not scraping ice off the windshields.
Pop Outs
Sometimes people like the overall layout of a home, but wish that a bedroom or living room was just a tad bigger. It is possible to add pop outs to many rooms where they go beyond the original home perimeter to add some additional square footage. Having a few more feet in a dining room can help you do things like comfortably fit a big china cabinet in the space, and can be worth it.
Extra Windows
Windows are not a structural item, but they are still difficult to install later. If you have some rooms that are lacking windows, see where it is possible to add more to the space. Consider your east and west exposure so that you can plan for rooms to have sunlight in the morning and at night, and make your home feel brighter on the inside.
Electrical and Plumbing Modifications
It is very easy to modify the electrical and plumbing systems while the home is being constructed. Want an extra faucet outside your home, or extra outlets in certain rooms of the house? Adding these should have minimal costs involved since the walls are opened up and it is easier to run a few more feet of wire or pipe to get the job done.
it is interesting that, as a society, we have decided to lump so many different jobs and trades under the umbrella term of "contracting." One person could use the work contractor to refer to someone who is framing a new building. Another person could use the word "contractor" to refer to someone who was painting walls. Don't even get us started on the term "construction worker." That one's pretty vast, too!
Since we realized we cannot possible say everything we want to say about construction and contractors in a few paragraphs, we decided to write a blog. And if you are reading this right now, you've found it. Please stick around and read a bit!