Homebuilding question(s)

be soooooooooo careful about your tax appraisal. make sure you're holding back enough to take care of the jump from being taxed on unimproved land to improved land. that bug has bit a ton of new homeowners here, particularly out in Katy. homebuilders don't tell you the whole story on your tax burden going in, particularly if you're escrowing you taxes/insurance. then in year 2-3, your taxes skyrocket from your expectations.

i'm seeing people lose their homes over this.

 

If you think of your house not only as your home, but as an investment you may want to consider the following:

Always ask the question: Will this help me sell the house?

If so, it might be a good idea. You are a consumer and your tastes probably aren't all that different from most other people looking to buy a home...so if it seems like waste of money that you don't think you'd enjoy, chances are that most people will agree.

The places you should perhaps spend some money...carpet pads. Unless you plan on living in the house 15 years and don't care about the carpet, upgrade. If you sell the house in 12-15 years, chances are that people are going to replace the carpet anyways so it doesn't matter. If you plan to sell in 5-10, good thick (and well treated) carpet can go a long way on a first impression. Steam cleaners and carpet stain removers take off the carpet's stain fighting chemicals over time, so if you avoid staining your carpet and just vacuum regularly, your carpet will stay cleaner over time.

Kitchen: A good, upgraded, spacious kitchen will sell a house faster than anything...upgrade the countertops.

Bathrooms: People want nice bathrooms..don't skimp. You can often upgrade your bathroom hardware yourself much cheaper than the builder can, so perhaps you do some upgrades there. (Since we're talking "upgrades" I take it you are building with a tract home builder...who upcharges on "upgrades").

Tile, not linoleum (sp?) on the floors.

I might think of a few other things...but light fixtures, hardware, and appliances can be upgraded yourself if you have a mind to in the future...floors, countertops, built-ins are much harder to upgrade yourself, so have the builder do it.

Tip: If you can unscrew it yourself and replace it...upgrade it yourself.

 

When I bought my house, I chose 1 with carpet instead of wood floor and I 've been regretting it.

I know most people live with carpets all their lives but it is filthy and unhealthy. Do some research and decide for yourself.

 

I would strongly recommend upgrading to include a pool. I do not know if you would use it, and I do not think it helps resell that much, but it will give us a place to have the DFW Astros pool parties.

 

I did build a year and a half ago, but don't have any advice for you. Mostly because I didn't use a builder, my dad and I built it. Most of the things I wish I could have done but didn't were simply a matter of capital, not foresight. My biggest hindsight second-guessing is I wish I spent more time thinking about the lighting in the house. But, that won't be a concern with a professional builder.

 

Vinyl windows with double pane glass will save money over the long run. Use argon gas filled ones on windows with south or west exposures.

Hardiplank siding over wood - won't shrink and swell as much so it won't losen the nails. Vinyl siding has come a long way and doesn't look so cheap any more. Keeping west exposed wood siding nailed up and painted is a real chore.

Synthetic decking if your building a deck.

Ridge vents.

Deck out the master bath! spa tub and seperate shower.

Upgrade the counter tops as much as you can afford.

I put solar tube skylights in some dark areas of my house, a hall and the master shower that didn't have a window, and I am pleased with the results. The one in the shower really keeps the mildew down.

 

I work in architecture and I highly recommend if you're planning on improvements and you can afford it to get those done in the initail construction rather than later. It always cost more to retrofit an existing structure than to include those improvements when it is first built. Further it will save you the headaches of having to deal with construction while you're living there.

That said I totally agree about the kitchen and baths. Those are one of the first things that sellers push and buyers want to see. Next, if you don't have one I would recommend a backyard patio or deck. If you can't budget for one now that's not a problem because they are easy to add later on. I also totally agree with double pained argon windows and recommend you get windows with low-e coatings. I also recommend super insulating your house (greater than R19 walls and more than R30 roof)and heating and cooling with a heat pump with a HEPA filter. These things don't come cheap but will save you a lot in the long run in energy. On a broader energy conservation level if you can help it I would limit a lot of direct window exposure on the south and west side of your house and maximize windows north and east. This will save you on cooling expenses while still giving you natural light. I would also encourage the use of low maintenance finishes like brick and for floors look into some of the latest artificial wood and stone floorings that look as good as hardwood but last longer and easier to care for.

I could go on and on but I would suggest you take a look at a lof of houses and read up. I also suggest not being obsessed with resale value. If you're going through the trouble of building a new house it should fit your needs. One good book I would recommend is The Not so Big House by Sarah Susanka which has a lot of great innovative ideas.

 

DoD,

You aren't using a realtor???

He/she should be able to advise you on all that.

 

Does anyone use anything else these days?

 

SPRINKLER SYSTEM

A must-have.

 

Our buillder offorded us back $4000 or so in upgrades. Since they were by default putting in apartment grade carpet, we upgraded the carpet and also got a thicker pad.

Whatever electrical upgrades you opt for, demand a walk through BEFORE the dry wall goes up.

You might want to have cable outlets in all of the bedrooms/ spare rooms. Same with phone outlets.

Our builder offered us a below market price for sodding the back yard. This was a HUGE mistake. The builder made this offer so they would not have to clean up the back yard.

If you are undecided about cable or satelite TV, get the builder to run two cables from the outside to the attick. That way you can run cable supplied broadband on one cable and satelite on the other cable.

If you want to be a real b*stard, hire someone to create your puch list from the final walk through.

And do not close until you are 100% happy. Any line from the builder about how hard it is to set up appointments at the title company for closing is BS.

 

From a reslae point of view:
1. Always upgrade the carpet, but it is more important to have a great pad under the carpet than great carpet
2. Upgrade the bathrooms, people like large tubs and or jacuzzis
3. Fireplace (prolly not as big as Texas as it is in Ohio)

 

Agree. They aren't cheap. but it would have been easy to roll it into the mortgage. I'm dyin' here in Austin trying to water the yard without one, since we keep putting off the expense. They cut down quite a bit on your water bill, from what I've heard. And make sure you have enough outside water faucets! Once you build the house, you're more or less stuck with what you have.

I'd go with the bathroom and kitchen upgrades as well. I'd also get ceramic tile for them. We "upgraded" our vinyl tile floors, where we have them, and it was a waste of money.

Some friends of ours did the wiring for speakers and stuff themselves during the build, before they put in the sheetrock. Might be a thought. Good luck!

 

Sorta defeats the point of having a punch list.

 

I should have put "final" in quotes. That is what builders opportunistically call it, since they are hopefully you will not find anything wrong.

I remember on our "fina"l walkthrough the builder told us that we were lucky that the rainy weather of the last week allowed him to go through my house several times to get everything right. Walking through with him, we still found 4-5 things need to be fixed. The guy I brought in later that night came up with two more pages for the punch list

 

60% of your energy loss is your windows so that’s a must, and I would recommend radiant barrier roof decking ( TechShield is one of them ) It’s looks like plywood with a layer of aluminum foil attached. That stuff really works, really cuts down on the heat in an attic.


Bathrooms and kitchens are the best place to upgrade, I have seen appliances close a deal on a house before.

What’s the name of your builder ? How many sq/ft. ?

 

CONGRATULATIONS:

Put your money into the kitchen and the master bath, those are indeed the best places for resell value. Granite Countertops are very attractive.

Tile on the floor holds up better than wood and carpet. Tile the bathrooms and the kitchen if you can.

Also, Cat 5 is not so important anymore with Wireless, you could save a few bucks there.

Solar screens on all the windows will save you a ton on electrical bills.

If you can get some electrical outlets put into the EVES of your house, you can save a lot of hassle putting up Christmas lights.

Also, extra Cable outlets are a good thing throughout the house.

Good luck.

DD

 

Wood floors, granite countertops, stainless sinks and appliances, brushed nickel fixtures, slate or tumbled marble tile bath and backsplashes, crown or false crown moldings, french doors, transoms, six panel solid doors, rounded corners, lots of color - different for each room, accent walls. Two fixtures in master shower. Seperate closests. Seperate sinks.

Insulation. Insulate between floors, and buy the more expensive pad. Run A/C lines away from master bed - they rattle in the wall or sound reverberates up the outside wall.

I prefer pier and beam, if available. It's cooler and more stable.

Coolply or the tinfoil plywood is great for the roof and the sun exposed walls. tinfoil in - roof; tinfoil out - walls.

Get lots of extra plugs, and floor plugs in a big room where you might want a lamp next to the couch. The xmas plugs are great.

Sprinkler system - good. French drain, good. Driveway gate and closer - good.

Whole house sound wire is neat. You can use for intercom, too. Handy.


Real stucco is a good option instead of brick. A good stucco man can make stucco look like stone, and give you nice mantels, cornices, lintels, pidgeon ledges and so on. It really dresses the house.

A nice front door with iron work is handy. Iron work in general is kind of nice to dress things.

You can really push the front with a decorative front walk and number system. Use tiles or patterned concrete. Be sparing, but hit the high point.

Make sure you have enough light fixtures. Cans don't cost much, and a few more make a big difference.

French doors make good upstairs windows in a new orleans or mediterranean style, with ironwork balcony enclosures. It's attractive and cheaper than casements.

Back porch or deck should have power and water. Make it nice. People want to relax and enjoy that area. It makes them like the home.


Congrats and good luck. Thanks for all the computer tips over the years.

 

I would go wired for everything...

cat5 in every room. Forget about wireless..have a wired house and you have 100 mbps (or up) connection which leaves the door open for streaming video, IP telephony, IP security cams...

I've always wanted a "control room" where all cable, internet, telephone, etc connections are held. So a wire leads from that room to the other rooms.

I would have a lot of coax...for cable...security cams...

Speaker wire in every room...surround sound ready..you can pay $100 for enough wire for most of your house. So, if you choose to have surround sound later you've got the wiring behind to drywall ready to go.