I've included the prices charged us to help those who might be purchasing a new home. I've been told that a general rule-of-thumb is to add 10% to the cost of the house to account for the upgrades.

Our goal was to upgrade the items that made sense to have done during construction (extra rooms, hot water recirculator, whole-house insulation, etc.) and to take the standard options on as much of the rest as possible with the idea of doing those ourselves later.

The options came in three stages.

• Stage 1 were room and framing options and had to be made when the initial contract was signed.
• Stage 2 were internal upgrades with a deadline equal to the closeout of that phase.
• Stage 3 were flooring choices with an anticipated deadline about six weeks before completion.

(Additional notes were added four years after we moved in.)

Stage 1 options (total = $26,925):

$   125    BBQ Gas Stub at Rear Patio

(We never used this. It was placed in a poor location and was too small for use as the main pipe for the pool heater.)

$   650    Wall/Door at Bath 2

$   330    Wall/Door at Master Bath

$ 1,275    Sink with cabinets in Laundry Room

$ 4,995    Option Bathroom #3

$ 4,550    Air Conditioning

$12,500    3 Car Garage with Workshop

(Because of this option, we couldn't put in a downstairs bedroom. This is one aspect that this house is lacking.)

$ 2,500    C Elevation (stone facade like the model)

Stage 2 options (total = $25,540):

Powder Room

$   150    Maple Cabinets

$    30    Light Fixture

$    40    Beveled Mirror

$   250    Corinthian Countertop

Bath #2

$    40    Light Fixture

Bath #3

$    30    Light Fixture

Master Bath

$   110    Mirrored Light Fixture

$   120    Beveled Mirror

$    80    Bullnose-edged Counter

$   210    Brass Obscure Shower Enclosure

$   820    Acrylic Block Window

Electrical/Lighting

$   140    Holiday Light Package

$   800    Ceiling Fan box with double switch (8 @ $100)

(The double switch isn't a necessity these days. Most fan manufacturers have remote controls that handle both light and fan. Or the fan takes one power-in, and splits it. The major need for this option, in retrospect, was to have them install a suitable fan box. These straddle the stud and can support much more weight than the basic, which is used for light fixtures only.)

$    80    Dedicated external GFI circuit (for future spa)

(The circuit they installed was a standard 120V and we needed 240 for the pool equipment we eventually went with. This was eventually laid in-ground at the same time as the dedicated gas pipe. We did use the circuit for the relocated water timer and the spa controller so it wasn't a waste.)

$ 4,490    Wiring Package #3
            -includes two fiber-optic, cat-5, and coax (RG-6) runs to all rooms

(Considering the ease of use with wireless systems, I'd strongly question this purchase today. The only aspect I really like is the RG-6 runs for my satellite systems.)

$   150    Extra network bundle to office (Bedroom #3)

Exterior

$   170    Front Door Windows

$ 1,620    Gutters

$   150    Exterior Lighting

Garage

$   750    3-car Garage Doors, insulated, with windows

(Note the "insulated" - this is an issue we found more on below.)

$   200    Electrical Package (four extra outlets, overhead light)

$   390    2-car Garage Opener

$    30    Extra Remote

Kitchen

$ 3,380    Maple Cabinets

$ 1,430    Maple Island

$ 2,830    Granite Corinthian Countertop

$   210    Granite Corinthian Backsplash at Stove

$   890    Granite Corinthian Island

$    50    Double Oven in lieu of Microwave & Oven

$   260    Upgraded Dishwasher

$   190    Upgraded 5-Burner Cook top

$   110    Upgraded Range Hood

$   240    Upgraded Hi-Low Cast-Iron Sink

Miscellaneous

$    80    Stone Fireplace

$   700    Laundry Room Cabinets

$   570    Bedroom #4 Mirrored Closet Doors

$   240    Round Corner Bead on Sheetrock

$ 2,170    Interior Insulation (including between floors)

(We were upset to learn (too late) that this didn't include walls in the garage. We purchased insulted garage doors and this package thinking it would help keep the heat down in the garage. Don't assume...)

$   420    Security System Pre-wire

$   920    Hot Water Recirculation (pipes and pump)

(One issue: they didn't include the kitchen sink in the pipe chain. It's the only faucet in the house that doesn't get hot water instantly. I consider this a major flaw that should have been disclosed as part of the purchase of this option.)

Stage 3  options (total = $10,930):

$ 4,655    Upstairs carpet - Stairs, Bed2, Bed3, Bed4, Loft,
                Linen, Uphall, Master Bed/Vanity/Closet

$ 2,530    Downstairs carpet - Living/Dining, Family Room  

$ 1,515    Carpet pad upgrade to 8 lbs. 

$   730    Vinyl upgrade - Master Toilet, Bath2, Bath3

$ 1,355    Basic vinyl in specified zones (see drawing)

$   145    Additional sanding prep