A home is a place where you want to feel comfortable and happy. That is why you need to look into how to modernize your home now during the build stage rather than waiting to change things during a renovation. 

When it comes to making upgrade choice changes, you will have many questions. Do you want to add hardwood floors to the bedrooms? What about adding a backsplash above the kitchen countertops? Are you considering plumbing upgrades to reduce costs down the line? Or do you want better energy-efficient features? 

Although many of these extras may be appealing, upgrades will increase the cost of your build. That’s why our team at Country Classics has detailed essential home improvements, which improvements increase home value, and which improvements can wait. So, if you’re unsure which upgrades you should add now and which ones you should wait for, take a look at our breakdown. 

Add It Now: Plumbing Upgrades

During a New Jersey home improvement, adding plumbing upgrades during the build period is more feasible and beneficial than trying to do this later. If you upgrade or choose your plumbing while you build your bathroom, you will save yourself the hassle of changing pipes later on, not if but when they present an issue. 

We recommend always investing in durable, high-quality piping to prevent leaks and breaks. With high-quality piping, you will reduce maintenance costs over time and have peace of mind that your pipes won’t burst after only a few years of use. 

If you are building a modern bathroom, you should also choose any major fixtures now rather than wait. For example, putting in a lovely big claw-foot tub or modernizing your shower will be more cost-effective than remodeling your bathroom later with an NJ home renovation company.

Wait: Minor Cosmetic Changes

If you’ve already reached your self-imposed upgrade limit based on your budget, consider adding cosmetic changes to the “it can wait'' list. There are a few ‘it can wait’ features and items that can be changed or added quickly later down the line that are good choices, such as:

• Light fixtures: You may not love the standard choices for kitchen light fixtures, but as long as they are functional, they can easily be replaced in a few months or even years when you have more money.

• Paint: Delaying a custom paint job may also make sense if you’re watching your upgrade costs closely or can’t decide on the ideal paint colors. Luckily, the neutral colors that come standard with your home won’t clash with your furniture. Also, while painting may disrupt your life for a few days in the future, it’s one of the easiest and cheapest renovation projects.

• Hardware: Door and cabinet knobs and pulls are easy to replace yourself or with a renovator. However, although these items may not be expensive individually, the cost can add up if you’re swapping out all of the hardware in the kitchen and bathroom. 

Add It Now: Additional Outlets, Light Fixtures and Tech Features

It’s always easier to perform electrical and wiring work while your home is being built. If you wait to add additional fixtures or outlets, your electrician may need to remove drywall to access wiring or even run ugly conduits along the walls in inaccessible locations.

It’s much easier to turn your new house into a smart home if you add the wiring before your builder closes the walls. Thanks to innovative technology, you can control your appliances and heating and air-conditioning system from anywhere, automate your shades, monitor security cameras, and check the contents of your refrigerator from your smartphone. 

All Country Classics homes offer pre-wired access points to be smart home-ready as a standard included feature.

Wait: High-End Appliances

Appliances costs can vary by thousands of dollars depending on the brand name and features. If a top-of-the-line Wolf range is a want but not a need, you may decide to wait to add the pricey appliance to your kitchen. 

At Country Classics, we offer high-quality stainless steel standard appliances that will meet your needs until you’re ready to upgrade. You can always add more expensive appliances later when your budget permits. 

Add It Now: Flooring

Flooring is another item that will be more expensive to add later. Whether you want to add hardwood flooring to the bedrooms, upgrade your carpet padding, or cover your foyer floor in marble, you’ll save when you add flooring changes to your building list rather than waiting to renovate in the future.

Wait: Landscaping

Do you envision a lush backyard full of trees, shrubs, and flowers, but you don’t have the budget for it when building your dream home? Luckily, it’s easy to add plants and trees later once you've already moved into your home. 

Also, if you’re considering adding a large outdoor entertaining area to your home, you may want to delay building a patio or deck until you can observe which parts of your yard are shady or sunny during various parts of the day. So, adding landscaping and outdoor elements can wait until later when you have the perfect vision surrounding how best to maximize your yard. 

Add It Now: Cabinets and Countertops

Your kitchen is the heart of the home, so why not invest in it from the get-go? Taking advantage of cabinet and countertop upgrades will add a dramatic visual impact to an area where you will spend a great deal of your time each day and will help increase your home's resale value. 

If you replace your cabinets and countertops after you move in, your contractor may need to move your appliances, which could void their warranty. The project will also be costly and inconvenient after you've already moved into your home.

Wait: Decorative Accessories and Fixtures

It can be tempting to spend a lot of money on decorative features during your home's construction, but this aspect of the process can quickly drive up the budget. For this reason, it might be better to wait until you have more money and a better grasp of how you want to decorate your home. 

So, leave any hyper-personalization until later. For example, you don't need to choose between blinds or curtains now or whether shades would be a better choice, and decorated cornices and specialized trims can also wait until later. 

Add It Now: Energy Efficient Upgrades

• Insulation: High-quality insulation can reduce heating and cooling costs and make your home more comfortable year-round.

• HVAC Systems: Upgrading to a high-efficiency HVAC system ensures your home stays comfortable while reducing energy consumption.

• Windows: Energy-efficient windows can significantly lower your energy bills by keeping the heat in during the winter and out during the summer. 

Add It Now: More Square Footage or Structural Changes

Adding or expanding rooms, moving walls, or making any structural changes will be cheaper and easier during the building phase. Renovations aren’t just expensive – they are disruptive as well. 

Depending on the project's scope, remodeling may take weeks or months, and you may need to move out of your home temporarily. Although upgrades to the structure or the square footage of your home are among the most expensive options, they’re still much more cost-effective than renovating your house.

What Actually Increases Property Value? 

One of the biggest home improvement hacks is to add upgrades to your new build sooner rather than later if they are a necessity or something you want now rather than later and have the budget for it. But what home upgrades add the most value? 

If you’ve read this far, you won't be surprised that some of the best ROI home improvements that significantly increase property value in a new build include structural enhancements, such as additional square footage. 

In addition, energy-efficient windows, as well as high-quality finishes like hardwood flooring and upgraded countertops, are also upgrades that increase a home's value. Moreover, modern kitchens and bathrooms, with premium fixtures and appliances, also boost value and should be considered during the construction phase. 

Essentially, everything we mentioned as an ‘add it now’ will bring value to your home and save you costly renovations later on. 

Get In Contact With Country Classics 

Personal touches through upgrades during the build phase make your new house feel like home. If you’re looking for a new home community with plenty of upgrade options, consider building a new home with Country Classics. Our award-winning collection of new construction homes is conveniently located in the heart of Central New Jersey! 

Sources:

PC Magazine: The Best Smart Home Devices for 2019

https://www.pcmag.com/article/303814/the-best-smart-home-devices-for-2019

Houzz: 11 Smart Upgrades for a New House

https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/80545412/list/11-smart-upgrades-for-a-new-house

New Home Source: Home Upgrades That Are Totally Worth It

https://www.newhomesource.com/guide/articles/home-upgrades-that-are-totally-worth-it