My only suggestion is to not buy too close to a recreation center. The sound of pickleball being played all day can be annoying.

The design process allows you to make changes to almost everything non structural. The stretches are based on your lot size but you can stretch all 4 walls if it accommodates but doubt it will. You usually get 2 sides you can stretch. If you want a witches hat on the front bedroom windows this should be added during design as well.

They don’t give you a list of prices. You put in things you want to add then they have someone else look at it and come back with actual price for the home. You can’t ask how much is it to put in 4 outlets, you add it to the design and they give a complete price. This was the biggest issue we had when designing.

Our sales rep who we are friends with said additions (pool, shutters, etc) are about 30% more at build than if you did it after market. Not sure if that is still the case but it’s a matter of conscience. We did an after market pool, crown molding, gutters, and shutters, 5 years later still doing upgrades based on what we noticed we wanted.

Biggest issue will be flooring which will be a pain to do after market and the standard carpet the villages used won’t last 2 years. The other big thing is interior paint.

The design process is mostly all about the colors and the fixtures you want to have.

Go to as many open houses as you can to see the insides and get ideas. Things we originally wanted change after we saw other options.

I can help you with all of your questions about building. If you already have a sales representative then they can provide you with the information and it is recommended to get with them. I just completed the design process for myself as well
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Definitely stretch the lanai width at least to 12 feet,and length to cover the entire back of the house. Upgrade the flooring and add sliding glass doors to both back bedrooms. We didn't stretch the garage, wish we had. We also upgraded the countertops.

New Buyers
 

when you build go for the big house you can afford,but on the inside be Very Careful if you pick out top of the line Kitchen Appliance’s ,stove,refrigerator,sinks,freezer,washer, dryer DO NOT GO TOP OF THE LINE GET THE CHEAPEST OR BUY THEM WHEN YOU MOVE IN BECAUSE YOUR REAL ESTATE TAXES FOR EVER IS THE TOTAL PRICE OF THE HOUSE SO BUY THEN AFTER YOU MOVE IN GET THE CHEAPEST COUNTER TOPS.JUST A WORD TO THE WISE.

1) TV has to get a CO (Certification of Occupancy) in order to sell the home, so there's nothing they can leave undone. What they used to recommend was if you are set on having something different than they offer, get their cheapest version and after settlement "remodel your new home." We found this dumb and just chose the model, finishes, etc. that we could live with and be happy.

2) Have you looked at the models in real life? We "knew" which model we wanted looking through the floorplans, but once we did the Lifestyle visit and saw the footprint in real life, ALL the models we thought we liked were a hard no. I'd look for a model with AT LEAST a 2 + golf garage. I say "at least" because there's no REAL storage in these homes, and bumping up the garage to 2+, 3, or 4 car is the cheapest way, especially if you add a mini-split (A/C). The area above the garage gets too hot to store anything that could melt or soften and get sticky like rubber, plastic, etc. Obviously, you'll need a lot that will allow it. I think all the homes are built such that the front of the house is 18' from the road, so narrow pie shaped lots probably won't work.

3) Yes, they told us the cost of each stretch at the design center, and for the same reason I stated for larger garages, I'd do every stretch to the max that will fit the lot, although we only did a 4' deep stretch on the Laini, and it's been fine. They price of stretches isn't that much.

Lastly, we don't like the GE Profile appliances. The dishwasher doesn't work well, and we've spoke with others that feel the same. You have to run the sink hot water until it gets hot (~2mins) and then start the dishes, but it doesn't seem the dishwasher hits dishes with enough spray pressure to blow food off. The icemaker of the frig is God awful slow dispensing the meager amount of ice it can hold and jams if you try to dispense cubes. The G.E. service person said it's because sometimes cubes will stay doubled/tripled when dumped and that's too big for the dispenser; he said just use the crushed ice. The gas stove is fine.

Very few if any of these smaller designer homes are on lots wide enough to add a golf car garage. You might want to consider a design similar to what you want that includes the golf car garage or choose a newer pre-owned home that has all the things that you want already in place.

A witches hat? Is that like a turret? I don't know that I've seen a turret on a bedroom window before - usually above a kitchen table or dining area or main entry foyer. I don't know I've ever seen one in The Villages. Could you elaborate?

If a witches hat is offered it make the room so much larger. Without the hat, the front wall of bedroom is straight across, or a slight bump out. By changing to witches hat it added a 4’ alcove. Makes the room very design forward, and useful space.

You can view the space on TV website with models that offer various elevation.

Upgrades are limited, and depending on your designer, you may not know individual prices. Stretch everything they let
you, especially lanai and garage. Flooring would be a pain to redo yourself so we upgraded ours. If you have them paint the walls, ask about paying extra for Sherwin Williams paint upgrade they had back in 2021.We got the best HVAC unit offered. I would not upgrade anything else because you have a much better selection and quality and cost if you have it done yourself after moving in.

try and make sure your lanai does not face west. East is much better especially in the summer. check out the bond/taxes. Very expensive in the southern areas

We have a veranda on a corner lot, a full three car garage and a yard large enough for any full size pool. Can’t figure why it hasn’t drawn more attention from potential buyers. Still under all warranties etc. why build when you still have to upgrade landscaping, add gutters, a water filtration system and more when it’s already done?

Carl…. Carl…. You aren’t understanding her question. She wants to hear from people who have already built this model and what they upgraded and were happy or unhappy with.

Depending on style of home you will NOT be able to do the olf car garage also many are not able to be streteced and then its only 2 feet that you are able to do that on and not all models either

I have west and coming from Az I found it was not all that hot but then again mine is off to the side of the house..........