You're thinking about building a brand new home and you pull into a new development and walk into the model home. (of course you're visiting AFTER you let your buyer's agent know, right??)
It's stunning isn't it? It's just got EVERYTHING!!
That kitchen?? Just beautiful, fancy cabinets, counters, farm sink, that island in the middle and those high end appliances?
Wainscotting and plenty of carpentry flair!
Hardwood floors in the latest style.
Wow, those lighting fixtures!!
Painting in the latest fashionable palette and just how much did they pay the decorator to put this place together?
And that master bath with the HUGE custom tile walk-in shower and let me count all those shower heads??
And that man cave downstairs with the media center? You might NEVER leave the basement again!
Seriously, this home has ALL the bells and whistles and it can all be yours...for a price!
Because here's the reality, the builder's model home is a showcase. They've going to put the best of everything in front of you and it's a bit Faustian as the builder's job is to tempt you to add all the things that aren't standard in the home.
Because here's the second part of the reality, the base home is a far cry from the model home.
Yes, the home includes some hardwood flooring, but it may stop after the foyer.
Those kitchen counters aren't standard as granite or quartz. And the builder might have 10 levels of cabinets and the base price is level 1, so you're NOT getting anything but plain. No roll-out shelving, no soft close drawers.
The basement is unfinished to start with and the option list for what you can do there is very long.
The master bath that looks like a picture from Architectural Digest also isn't the norm. That killer shower CAN be yours, but you have to buy the "super luxe bath" package to get it.
Now it's true some builders do a nice job of appointing their homes from the start. We see the well appointed base model more commonly with Cincinnati patio homes, but even there you can spend significant sums above the base price to get your dream home just the way you want it.
It's critical to understand what the value-added options are and what maybe you should decline entirely, or which options might make more sense to do later.
If you EVER need to sell your home, the choices you make now can literally make or break your ability to sell your home later.
Need help choosing the right builder, community and options? That's why we're here to help. Just contact us at 513-520-5305 or Liz@LizSpear.com. We look forward to hearing from you!
Serving Cincinnati home buyer and seller needs,
Liz and Bill aka BLiz
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