Thanks for the tips... that's why CP rocks
We're definitely doing the upgrades that you can't really do yourself later (like roughed in plumbing for the basement, and roughed in gas line for a BBQ in the backyard), but most of the other 'cosmetic' upgrades (better appliances, bigger cabinets, lights, blinds, berber carpet) are things that we either didn't want or weren't worth the money the builder is charging. Additional cable/phone lines were also something we're considering; however, we're not sure if its worth the extra couple hundred bucks since we have no plans to go high tech anytime soon.
It will probably cost an extra $3500 to $4500 to do hardwood through the builder (including installing a humidifer); while we definitely want to save as much as we can (we're already spending through the teeth for the house itself), we both would like get pay a little extra to get hardwood over linoleum (either now, or by the time we sell 3-5 years down the road because we think it will definitely improve resale value; the advantage of the former is that we can actually enjoy it while we live here). You're definitely right though; when tacked onto the mortgage, it will end up costing more once you add the juice.
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Originally Posted by Dominicwasalreadytaken
Hardwood is soooo easy. And it doesn't have to be expensive at all. Case in point, just a couple months ago I bought 300 feet of carbonized bamboo for $2.50 a suare foot at Reid's Auction. It looks fantastic. I installed it myself, and was incredibly easy to do. Read up a bit on the net for the little things you need to know about installing hardwood and it'll be a piece of cake.
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If we end up installing it ourselves (and that's a big 'if'), that's definitely a great suggestion and something that I would definitely do... however, I don't consider myself mechanically inclined (installing my own garage door opener to save a couple of hundred bucks is okay, but a $4K flooring job is another story)... plus, it's a new house (probably willing to take a bigger risk of doing it myself if it was older and needed renovations anyway), and the floor layout scares me a little (doing a rectangular room is one thing, but doing a hallway with closet, kitchen with a pantry and nook, and perhaps a bathroom (around the sink and toilet) is little more daunting).
I'll do a little research and if it's as easy as you say it is, it might be worth it to wait... however, the last thing I want to do is end up planning a project but not having the time to actually get around to doing it because I'm too busy with work
