What options are a MUST in a new build Irvine home?

F

FranchisePlr

New member
What do you guys feel is mandatory to get in a new SFR? $850k to $1 million range

Here is my list:
* Upgraded counter tops (kitchen)  (I was thinking White Carrera Caesarstone or Pebble Caesarstone on White Shaker cabinets)  (Upgrading to Maple Wood Cabinets were $7,000)
* Upgraded backsplash
* Wood flooring (done outside builder), is wood flooring in bedrooms worth the cost?  I like the look but I'm ok with carpet.
* Upgraded floor tiling in bathroom
* Slightly upgraded bathroom counter tops (from that horrible matte marble like material)
* 6 inch upgraded backsplash in bathrooms
* All recessed lighting in all rooms
* J-boxes for ceiling fans in necessary areas

Questions:
* Is getting an upgraded stove/refrigerator a must?  (e.g.  If someone buys a home that is this much, would they need an upgraded stove (Wolf, Viking or GE Monogram etc?) Or would the standard work?  Does that make a difference in resale?  I believe upgraded range is $5,000.
* Would you guys spend $6,500 on upgraded staircase for iron balusters and wood?  Or should I keep standard white picket fence look?  (Trying to go modern).  $11,000 for full iron.
* How much would doing the backyard cost with a retaining wall and standard plants/brushes in back?
* Should I upgrade the bathroom showers from the white 6 inch tile and put strips of decor small tile or retile the whole thing with bigger modern tile?

Thanks for the input guys!


 
If you upgrade to a built in fridge just be careful some people might think it's personal property and not part of the home.
 
At the minimum upgrade the master bathroom shower tiles. I ended up getting matching countertops and floor tile in the secondary bathroom after much deliberation. Did not upgrade the bath tub shower tile in the secondary though.

I would keep the staircase standard as white will match your cabinets and it looks more contemporary and clean.

I did not upgrade the appliances because I figured when I get around to doing that something better will be available and you can probably get it for cheaper if there is a big sale.

I am doing wood flooring outside the builder and am contemplating doing wood in all bedrooms but will probably go with carpet there. Do upstairs hallway in wood.

You should upgrade the countertops. The standard tiling and countertops I was offered were pretty horrendous looking. They do that on purpose I am sure so you are forced to upgrade.

Definitely do the recessed lighting and the electric wiring for ceiling fans for future resale value or to save on AC bill.

Backyard landscaping can vary but you get what you pay for is what I have seen. I would ask around for referrals and get quotes.

I would get the insulation and solid core doors.

Do not get window treatments, garage epoxy, or any custom shelf work. Do those outside of the design center.

Hope that helps.
 
If you're spending $1m on a new home in Irvine, all your upgrade options *should* be standard.

But, alas, this is Irvine, upgrade capital of Orange County and certain foreign countries.

One thing about wood flooring, it's not everyone's desire. It looks good, but depending on what kind you get and where you put it, maintenance is a pain.
 
FranchisePlr said:
Questions:
* Is getting an upgraded stove/refrigerator a must?  (e.g.  If someone buys a home that is this much, would they need an upgraded stove (Wolf, Viking or GE Monogram etc?) Or would the standard work?  Does that make a difference in resale?  I believe upgraded range is $5,000.
Click to expand...
Seems like the standard in the higher priced homes are good enough. Unless you are trying out for Chopped.
* Would you guys spend $6,500 on upgraded staircase for iron balusters and wood?  Or should I keep standard white picket fence look?  (Trying to go modern).  $11,000 for full iron.
Click to expand...
Nope... and I believe you can paint or replace for cheaper afterwards.
* How much would doing the backyard cost with a retaining wall and standard plants/brushes in back?
Click to expand...
Sounds like you have a slope. This is hard to determine not knowing size, dimensions, shape. However, it it's TIC, it can't be that big. :) Does the design studio do backyard landscaping? I can't imagine basic landscaping costing more than $10-20k.
* Should I upgrade the bathroom showers from the white 6 inch tile and put strips of decor small tile or retile the whole thing with bigger modern tile?
Click to expand...
Like bones said, if you're doing the master, yes. For the secondary, not so much -- but it depends on price.

Back in the day when we were looking at new homes, I recall that doing subway tiles was a minimal cost upgrade and that's something you might want to do in non-master bathrooms. As for counters in the bathroom, the E-stone they are using is good enough (at least in my opinion).

And just remember, nowadays, I believe the cost of upgrades gets added to the sales price so you will be paying property tax on it every year.
 
To me,  E-stone is better than cultured marble... but they are similar. E-stone, or engineered stone, is supposed to be more like stone as it uses powdered quartz as its main filler whereas cultured marble is supposed to resemble a more uniform look like marble.

The best comparison if you go to a Home Depot or Lowes, is a Corian countertop (otherwise known as solid surface) vs. a Silestone/Quartzite counterop.

This article goes into the science of it:
http://www.splitlevel.net/corian-silestone.html

While E-stone looks more "natural", the benefits of cultured marble is variety of colors and durability although someone said that one of those two are not fitted for areas that have long exposure to warm water.
 
irvinehomeowner said:
FranchisePlr said:
Questions:
* Is getting an upgraded stove/refrigerator a must?  (e.g.  If someone buys a home that is this much, would they need an upgraded stove (Wolf, Viking or GE Monogram etc?) Or would the standard work?  Does that make a difference in resale?  I believe upgraded range is $5,000.
Click to expand...
Seems like the standard in the higher priced homes are good enough. Unless you are trying out for Chopped.
* Would you guys spend $6,500 on upgraded staircase for iron balusters and wood?  Or should I keep standard white picket fence look?  (Trying to go modern).  $11,000 for full iron.
Click to expand...
Nope... and I believe you can paint or replace for cheaper afterwards.
* How much would doing the backyard cost with a retaining wall and standard plants/brushes in back?
Click to expand...
Sounds like you have a slope. This is hard to determine not knowing size, dimensions, shape. However, it it's TIC, it can't be that big. :) Does the design studio do backyard landscaping? I can't imagine basic landscaping costing more than $10-20k.
* Should I upgrade the bathroom showers from the white 6 inch tile and put strips of decor small tile or retile the whole thing with bigger modern tile?
Click to expand...
Like bones said, if you're doing the master, yes. For the secondary, not so much -- but it depends on price.

Back in the day when we were looking at new homes, I recall that doing subway tiles was a minimal cost upgrade and that's something you might want to do in non-master bathrooms. As for counters in the bathroom, the E-stone they are using is good enough (at least in my opinion).

And just remember, nowadays, I believe the cost of upgrades gets added to the sales price so you will be paying property tax on it every year.
Click to expand...

Can someone explain to me how it came to be that we are now taxed on upgrades at time of sale into perpetuity? It makes no sense at all other than cities and governments conspiring ways to to take more of our money.
 
Chairman said:
Can someone explain to me how it came to be that we are now taxed on upgrades at time of sale into perpetuity? It makes no sense at all other than cities and governments conspiring ways to to take more of our money.
Click to expand...
Someone in a PP sales office explained that it was required now because upgrades are essentially part of the home. The interesting thing is even if you get a $10k design center "credit", I think the sales price reflects the gross with upgrades instead of the reduced price you paid with the credit.

Maybe someone who is actually in a new sales process can shed light on this as my assumption is based on hearsay and conjecture.
 
I'm not sure if it works the same way today but when I bought my house (15 years ago in Northwood Pointe), if you told the builder your options and didn't pay for them as you went they were tacked on to final sales price.

If you paid as you went, the sales price was recorded as the actual price quoted by the builder when we signed before choosing upgrades. We got a flooring credit for closing without flooring but we it didn't affect the recorded sales price.

So the guy who bought next door to us had a recorded price well over 100K more (and pays taxes on that plus 2% more each year) than we do.......... all cuz we paid for options as we went and he didn't.
 
I was just at the design center last week and the designer told us that the whole house is insulated (standard), the additional insulation will reduce the noise between the rooms but you won't really see your utility bill drop.  We also picked this option, hoping this will reduce the garage door noise.  We've just purchased a house in Mendocino, SG and just completed the stage 2 ripoff.  We are now evaluating options for 3 & final ripoffs....
 
My view is that "must upgrades" are things that are structural, electrical, or related to bathroom/plumbing.  For example, we went through the builder for insulation, recessed lighting, range/stove upgrades, bathroom tiles/showers. 

Everything else, you can do outside for cheaper and at your own pace.  It can be a problem but it's not like going through the builder is worry-free.
 
bones said:
irvinehomeowner said:
Chairman said:
Can someone explain to me how it came to be that we are now taxed on upgrades at time of sale into perpetuity? It makes no sense at all other than cities and governments conspiring ways to to take more of our money.
Click to expand...
Someone in a PP sales office explained that it was required now because upgrades are essentially part of the home. The interesting thing is even if you get a $10k design center "credit", I think the sales price reflects the gross with upgrades instead of the reduced price you paid with the credit.

Maybe someone who is actually in a new sales process get shed light on this as my assumption is based on hearsay and conjecture.
Click to expand...

3 years ago, we got a substantial design center credit and it was taken off the final price so my "final purchase price" was less the design credit.  Can anyone confirm what R2D is saying about paying for all your upgrades in full?  Also, if you do $50k in upgrades through the design center, that's $580 in annual RE taxes (1.16%).  Surely you can do better with the $50k on your own on an annual basis??  Am I thinking about this correctly?
Click to expand...

Did you pay for the design center credit separately from closing?
 
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