Build Process - Considering Select Minimum / Upgrade After Closing…
 

As we understand it from recent forum posts, the “Street of Dreams” build process is now more like the “Avenue of Disappointment” regarding very limited choices and options. Thinking of going with the bare minimum selections or least expensive choices then have everything from tile flooring, backsplash, light fixtures, and blinds, added after closing…

Guess choosing basic carpet everywhere possible is the cheapest way to proceed with upgrading to tile flooring later; omit what we can or select the least expensive options. Cabinets, sinks, countertops, and shower, we are thinking those are the “keepers” and we should choose best of what’s available not replacing later.

Has anyone followed a similar strategy and can say they are happy with the results (choices, costs, and quality of third party workmanship)?

The current marketing period you are describing sounds similar to the restrictive environment when we built in 2008. We opted for tile in the public areas, i.e., living, dining room. They (developer) wouldn't even lay it diagonally. Now we prefer the look of plank tile over square ceramic that comes with enormous amount of troublesome grout. But too costly to change.

Your thinking about installing the builder carpet throughout is sound, in my opinion.

Not sure how much it adds to the price of the home but doing the tile floor afterwards may be an issue. Some tiles won't line up correctly if carpet is laid like in a bedroom. The tile from the hall will match going into the bedroom (where carpet is removed) but when you get to the bathroom that originally had tile, the new tile probably won't line up and you'll need a threshold piece. May be 2 or 3 tiles laid perpendicular to bedroom & bathroom tiles. Either way, the grout lines will not match going from bedroom to bathroom. It could look like a hack job when finished.

I'd put tile in the same category as your cabinets & countertops. Get what you want as it's being built and cut back elsewhere. It's only a few more $ on your monthly mortgage.

You also need to think about how difficult it might (will) be to get construction people in to do any work after the fact. And pricing will be higher.

You may be able to choose vinyl instead of tile. Matching tile after is not fun

Matching vinyl has the same issue. Dye lots change and some are discontinued just like regular ceramic/porcelain tile.

One puts in vinyl to save $$$$, so it can be ripped up after closing along with the builder carpet, than install aftermarket floors

I believe I agree with your assessment, we bought a lot and built in a different era (2013) and were able to get almost everything we wanted. I agree with getting quality cabinets and counter tops, some friends went what I would call a nightmare getting new counter tops. The general opinion is to avoid grout in the bathrooms, IF (BIG IF) you can get epoxy based grout then I would go with tile and this grout, as it is sealed. We had to seal our a few years after moving in but are very happy with the results. There are so many choices with flooring that you will need time to decide. We had carpet (I loved the quiet), however after a few years these showed the normal wear and tear, I refused tile (too noisy), we settled on a very nice vinyl plank floor (NOT a conventional engineered floor). My point, get the stuff you absolutely know you want, move into your house and then decide what needs to be changed.
Hope this helps.

We built so long ago, not sure anything we did would apply. Here goes: none of our carpet choices were of any quality AT ALL. They refused to just do NO flooring, so we were forced to take the carpet, and we tolerated it for two years... by then it has about "pilled" itself into extinction anyway. We had NO choice of appliances, only GE, and we were finally able to get them to agree to just not hook them up, but they did argue a bit. So we ordered the Bosch products and others we wanted and had to hire installation. Been VERY happy with that decision, did not want to use a cheap dishwasher for a year and then have to have it torn out, etc. We took their highest upgrade in a disposal because a 1/4 or 1/3 hp disposal was not for us, definitely not for ME, and hubby feels similar. At that time we were able to get a high hp Insinkerator, which was exactly what we left and what we wanted in our new home, so, another good decision. Window quality was not good and we took the most upgraded models offered, definitely still not our first choice, but stuck. Hubby was most concerned about what is NOT seen, the diameter size of the major drains, copper versus aluminum wire (they used aluminum, much cheaper than copper). We let them put in their standard fans and light fixtures, then took our time shopping for what we wanted as didn't care for the "upgrades" they offered. Biggest regret is probably not upgrading the light switches. Changing all those cheap toggle type is not difficult, but it is a "pain".... so we just waited until the little wires finally broke, and then replaced them with the wide toggle type. Should have just upgraded to that. Other regret, since they were pricey, only had one center of the floor outlets in living room, now wish we'd had 2 or 3 done, so when we change entire arrangement, or have Christmas tree, floor lamps, etc. we'd have more choices now in arranging furniture. Also would have had standard outlets put in above the kitchen cabinets, so after we had the moldings done around the cabinet tops, we would have been able to have lights at Christmas time, or, like our neighbors, who had outlets put above cabinets because they have very small candlestick type lights as part of their above cabinet decor, so I regret not having that done. Last perhaps, is not having additional outlets on OUTSIDE of house, much cheaper to do when built than an after thought. Again, holiday decorations without having to have cords all over the lawn, convenient if you use a non battery edge trimmer or hedge trimmer, and in case you want to add a fountain or pond. Don't know if any of this applies now or not ?

In my opinion, excellent advice. You only have to go through tearing up grout and tile ONCE, to know you think you may never survive and that you will still be breathing the dust from it for a year after it's done, no matter how well you clean. It's so fine, just don't do it, take the carpet for now. What we did in kitchen, is pass on their tile section, and took a vinyl that did not even have to be removed when we chose or "permanent" flooring after we moved in.

Aluminum wiring has not been used in fifty years, except for the multi strand wires used for service cables and sometimes wiring to the stove or HVAC, which is legal.

I did exactly that on the new build we moved into in August 2022 in St. John’s. I have built two new homes elsewhere in the past and The Villages was the most ridiculous and frustrating of anything I have ever been involve in. Between The Villages unwillingness to disclose the cost for upgrades, a bump in the base price of our plan of $25,000 at our design meeting due to lumber prices going up (lumber went back down 2 months later but we got nothing back), non disclosure of several key changes to design features of our plan ahead of time until we got to our design appt….then had to pay a fortune to make changes back to the original design. Good luck with these Village idiots. I ripped out the base carpet the day of closing and gave it away on Facebook market place. Left the vinyl sheeting down and put vinyl plank everywhere…my preference since I have seen too many older seniors fall on ceramic and break something like hips. I put in all the light fixtures, fans, blinds, did my own painting. Personally I would prefer not to have had to do any changes because it really ruined the enjoyment of building a new home, and I will never build another new home with The Villages. The build process was the “Street of Big Disappointments” and not great quality at all.

I close May 15 in Newell. The rules they have are arbitrary and made to build faster - quantity, NOT quality. You pick lot, floor plan, (basic) colors, cabinets, countertops and flooring. The choices are very few and very basic grays and pastels. If they display 20 light fixtures, 6 are available. There is no flexibility - only one carpet color, one color paint, one cabinet type, landscaping choices, etc. There are NO interior wall deviations. If you dream of designing a house, go to TOTW.

As far as upgrades - we did what we could (undercabinet lighting, all available stretches) but anything customer is aftermarket...

Very sad to read these posts.

Certainly kills any interest we would have to build another homes here.

Not my intention to project a negative perception, we love it here and would not build elsewhere. Just going to have to be creative in building as close to our dream home as “practical”. I think flooring, light fixtures, room colors, and maybe even backsplash, can be our after close choices - six months down the road after closing hopefully will be what others could custom build years ago. Times change guess we just have to change with it is what I am trying to do… thanks to everyone for their responses - staying positive TV is still the best place I can think of to live!

We took vinyl over carpet, you can put most plank flooring right over it.
At the time the options were almost unlimited 2.5 years ago.