The New Home DESIGN CENTER DO'S AND DON'TS!!! A Complete Guide To Making The Right Choices

Summary

In this video, Jeff West offers essential advice for navigating the home design process when building a new house. He emphasizes the importance of having a clear vision, a budget, and a plan before visiting a design studio. Jeff explains how upgrades can significantly increase the builder's profit and shares tips on what to prioritize, skip, and do yourself to avoid unnecessary expenses. By focusing on key decisions such as structural changes, electrical wiring, and flooring, homeowners can create a stylish yet budget-friendly home. Jeff also provides guidance on managing costs and maximizing value.

Takeaways

• 🏡 Building a home allows you to customize design elements, but without a plan, it can become stressful and lead to regret.
• 📋 To avoid disappointment, go into the design studio with a vision, budget, and plan.
• 💰 On average, people spend 5% to 20% of the total house budget on upgrades, and builders often make significant profits on these upgrades.
• 🎨 Having an aesthetic or design theme in mind helps to avoid mismatched elements and saves time in the design process.
• 🛠️ Compare prices of upgrades offered by the builder with external sources like Home Depot or Wayfair to decide which upgrades to do yourself later.
• 🧱 Complete structural and electrical upgrades at the start of the building process, as they are difficult and costly to add later.
• 🛁 Some features, like tubs in the primary bathroom and 42-inch cabinets, are worth upgrading for resale value.
• 💡 Skip certain technological upgrades and premium fixtures, as they often lose value quickly or have better alternatives elsewhere.
• 🎨 Consider DIY options for items like paint, appliances, lighting fixtures, hardware, and backsplash to save money.
• 🚪 Custom closets and similar features are often overpriced by builders and can be installed later at a much lower cost.

Q & A

What is one of the best parts of building a house?

One of the best parts of building a house is being able to pick out all the design elements that will give it a personal touch and reflect your style.

Why can picking design elements become stressful without a plan?

Without a plan, the process can become stressful because it’s easy to get overwhelmed by choices, leading to decisions you may regret later on.

How much of the total house budget do people typically spend on upgrades?

People typically spend between 5% and 20% of the total house budget on upgrades.

What is one way to avoid disappointment when selecting design elements?

To avoid disappointment, it's important to go into the design studio with a clear aesthetic vision that ensures all elements work together cohesively.

How can homeowners build their design vision?

Homeowners can build their design vision by looking at design magazines, using Pinterest, and touring model homes to get ideas and inspiration.

Why is it important to have a budget before visiting a design studio?

Having a budget is important because it prevents overspending on upgrades and ensures that you don’t exceed the appraisal value or push the house beyond what you can afford.

What should you ask the sales agent when selecting upgrades?

You should ask the sales agent what comes standard in the house and what would be considered an upgrade, as this can vary between companies and even different communities.

Why might some people prefer to do certain upgrades themselves instead of using the builder?

Some people may prefer to do certain upgrades themselves because builders often mark up the cost of upgrades significantly, and doing it later may save money.

Which upgrades are worth doing through the builder rather than later?

Upgrades like structural changes, electrical wiring, flooring, and kitchen sinks are often better done through the builder, as they are difficult or costly to change later.

What types of upgrades are usually best skipped at the design studio?

Technological upgrades, custom closets, and luxury add-ons like wine bars are often best skipped, as they may not add resale value or can be done more cheaply later.