Irvinecommuter
New member
pricedoutJay said:
Pretty hard not to go to $1 million for a house in Irvine.
Additional Cost and Options for New Home Purchase
- Thread starter pricedoutJay
- Start date
NEW -> Contingent Buyer Assistance Program
Pretty hard not to go to $1 million for a house in Irvine.
200K on a 600K house is nuts, but Im sure your house was awesome. I think cost of new builds are so misleading because these upgrades will tack on a huge cost. New builds sound like a great idea at first, but the more and more I look into upgrades, the value seems horrible...
Did you do gold toilets?
Cabinet "upgrades" are a scam. The boxes are still crappy 1/2" particle, with laminate veneer facing. The doors are all mass produced in standard sizes. There's nothing special about the "upgraded" cabinets. If you can afford it, I would rather rip out the standard white thermofoil cabinets and replace it with custom or higher quality modular cabinets. This gives you the opportunity to customize the doors/drawers/pullouts/hardware/rails/hinges/etc.
However, it IS a slippery slope. Once you do this, you are changing out countertops, sinks, faucets, and sometimes even appliances. I've fallen victim to this more than once, but have NEVER regretted doing it.
I don't closely monitor members like "some" people.
I didn't remember Ready2Downsize mentioning where he bought... and the 4-car garage really threw me for a loop. Need to look at resale where R2D lives.
Do you have a spreadsheet of TI members?
Pretty hard not to go to $1 million for a house in Irvine.
usctrojancpa
Well-known member
Having worked in banking, I can tell you that federal banking regulations require an appraisal when making loans residential homes whether they be for new homes or for resale homes. The lender selects the appraiser, not the builder. It would be a good idea to inquire what their typical cost is for an appraisal (3rd party not related to the lender) from the lender.NYT said:
Ready2Downsize
Well-known member
When we were looking at Pulte's Hawthorne, we had access to their website that listed upgrade and prices and those amounts seem inline with his numbers.
We would have had to even pay for a hose bib and gas stub to the backyard. I couldn't get much under $40K without even counting flooring. Add in window coverings, landscaping, etc and I can easily see at least an additional $200K outlay and that is not a large yard.
We spent $200K on our house in 1998 and the house was only $580K.
We would have had to even pay for a hose bib and gas stub to the backyard. I couldn't get much under $40K without even counting flooring. Add in window coverings, landscaping, etc and I can easily see at least an additional $200K outlay and that is not a large yard.
We spent $200K on our house in 1998 and the house was only $580K.
Ready2Downsize said:
200K on a 600K house is nuts, but Im sure your house was awesome. I think cost of new builds are so misleading because these upgrades will tack on a huge cost. New builds sound like a great idea at first, but the more and more I look into upgrades, the value seems horrible...
Im hoping someone can shed a light on why the cabinet finish upgrades are so expensive. I saw a cabinet upgrade for 3k, but the same cabinet in a different finish and color is 13k. Really? 10k difference just for the finish and color? Am I missing something here? I feel like I can easily hire someone to repaint and coat the cabinets for a fraction of that...
Ready2Downsize
Well-known member
We paid the builder only $20K which included some electrical upgrades, cabinet upgrades and stair rail upgrades.
The rest we did after escrow.
At that time, granite was not standard, so we ripped out the dal white tiles in the kitchen and master bedroom counters and replaced with granite, marble.
The secondary bathroom backsplashes and shower walls were upgraded with colored tile insets (we paid a Standard Pacific tile setter to pop out some of the old tiles and replace with what we wanted........ this is how they fix tilework that needs repair after it's done......... had zero problems and save a ton). He even gave us tile that was leftover from other jobs which he said they routinely throw away. Not sure if you can go on a job and talk to employees any more but 17 years ago, I was not the only one hiring Standard Pacific workers on their days off.
We got a carpet credit for no flooring and put in marble in most of the downstairs along with a design that included the granite in the kitchen counters (I wanted hardwood but hubby won out....... Still wish I did hardwood but marble came out well). We picked our marble and granite slabs. (We probably would have just paid the builder but they refused to put in the type we wanted, which set us off on finding out how much upgrades would be after we closed). Ended up being cheaper to tear out and replace than pay the builder for granite kitchen counters and way cheaper for the flooring.
Carpet was a huge bargain. We went to the same company that Standard Pac was using and got it for major cheap.
We put in a custom trophy cabinet where the builder had changed a closet into a small wine closet.
Added a coffered ceiling to the dining room (way more detail than the builder had for half the cost........ my cabinet guy said he would have priced it higher after he had done the work).
Downstairs bedroom got the closet removed and built in desks and shelves again more than the builder's model had for less than half the cost the builder wanted and instead of veneer sides over pressboard we have maple hardwood. When I'm not working in it (I use it as an office and craftroom so it can get messy if I'm busy), it hides lots of stuff........ printers and scanners are all on pull out shelves).
All bedrooms, family room and the bonus room have recessed lights and fans. Dining room also has recessed lights in the coffered ceiling. I have no lamps anywhere in my house.
We had the entire house painted with higher quality Dunn Edwards paint, in two tones after we closed. Builder wouldn't let us choose the paint we wanted. Again cheaper than the builders cheaper paint.
The bedroom with the extra sitting area got a nice built in desk that wraps around two walls with wainscoting along all the walls. We didn't ask what the builder wanted but I'm sure we saved money.
The master bedroom had a couple wall cutouts so we finished those off and added built in nightstands and a finshed wall behind the bed.
The master shower and bathtub got all their tile ripped out and marble installed.
The four car garage has epoxy coating.
The family room got built ins along the wall which match the kitchen cabinets.
We have lots of windows, most have shutters.
And then there was the hardscape.
It took a couple months for all the interior work to be done, way more for the hardscape but by the time I paid the last check to the hardscape guy the base price for the houses currently being sold with smaller lots against a road were more than I spent for my entire house.
All in all I think we got a major bargain.
The rest we did after escrow.
At that time, granite was not standard, so we ripped out the dal white tiles in the kitchen and master bedroom counters and replaced with granite, marble.
The secondary bathroom backsplashes and shower walls were upgraded with colored tile insets (we paid a Standard Pacific tile setter to pop out some of the old tiles and replace with what we wanted........ this is how they fix tilework that needs repair after it's done......... had zero problems and save a ton). He even gave us tile that was leftover from other jobs which he said they routinely throw away. Not sure if you can go on a job and talk to employees any more but 17 years ago, I was not the only one hiring Standard Pacific workers on their days off.
We got a carpet credit for no flooring and put in marble in most of the downstairs along with a design that included the granite in the kitchen counters (I wanted hardwood but hubby won out....... Still wish I did hardwood but marble came out well). We picked our marble and granite slabs. (We probably would have just paid the builder but they refused to put in the type we wanted, which set us off on finding out how much upgrades would be after we closed). Ended up being cheaper to tear out and replace than pay the builder for granite kitchen counters and way cheaper for the flooring.
Carpet was a huge bargain. We went to the same company that Standard Pac was using and got it for major cheap.
We put in a custom trophy cabinet where the builder had changed a closet into a small wine closet.
Added a coffered ceiling to the dining room (way more detail than the builder had for half the cost........ my cabinet guy said he would have priced it higher after he had done the work).
Downstairs bedroom got the closet removed and built in desks and shelves again more than the builder's model had for less than half the cost the builder wanted and instead of veneer sides over pressboard we have maple hardwood. When I'm not working in it (I use it as an office and craftroom so it can get messy if I'm busy), it hides lots of stuff........ printers and scanners are all on pull out shelves).
All bedrooms, family room and the bonus room have recessed lights and fans. Dining room also has recessed lights in the coffered ceiling. I have no lamps anywhere in my house.
We had the entire house painted with higher quality Dunn Edwards paint, in two tones after we closed. Builder wouldn't let us choose the paint we wanted. Again cheaper than the builders cheaper paint.
The bedroom with the extra sitting area got a nice built in desk that wraps around two walls with wainscoting along all the walls. We didn't ask what the builder wanted but I'm sure we saved money.
The master bedroom had a couple wall cutouts so we finished those off and added built in nightstands and a finshed wall behind the bed.
The master shower and bathtub got all their tile ripped out and marble installed.
The four car garage has epoxy coating.
The family room got built ins along the wall which match the kitchen cabinets.
We have lots of windows, most have shutters.
And then there was the hardscape.
It took a couple months for all the interior work to be done, way more for the hardscape but by the time I paid the last check to the hardscape guy the base price for the houses currently being sold with smaller lots against a road were more than I spent for my entire house.
All in all I think we got a major bargain.
irvinehomeowner
Well-known member
So less than 5%.Ready2Downsize said:
You had me at four.
I'm assuming this is not in Irvine.
Did you do gold toilets?
Ready2Downsize
Well-known member
It's in Irvine. No toilet upgrades.
My house is no more upgraded than other peoples (I walked into every house being built which at the time you could easily do........ no cameras, etc).
20K to the builder. Really it was their fault we didn't just pay them outright. They were not helpful at all. We had to put in a request for each and every item and pay $50 to be considered. Some things they refused to take a request on, like type of granite.
It turns out that someone from our old neighborhood had bought in the phase before ours and he was the one who convinced me to check into getting work done on my own. (and he was the one who gave me the courage to seek out workers from Stand Pac). We used the tile guy and drywall guy.
I already had a cabinet maker that I had worked with on the house I lived in, so I had him give me quotes for everything before the house foundation was laid based on the model.
Oh forgot........ we have four deadspace areas in the bonus room. They could be closets for a cost. I wasn't sure if we wanted to do it or not and we missed the cutoff. They had to frame it differently to put in doors and another homeowner noticed they framed it for the doors. The builder COULD have just drywalled over it but they actually took out that framing so he couldn't get it done easily after escrow.
We took pix of that framing and had it done in our house after escrow ourselves so we have two closets. One I have my sewing machine in (it's big enough to sit down in) and the other has all our Christmas stuff in. We replaced the downstairs office and bonus room doors with leaded glass doors and used the old doors for the two bonus room closets.
My house is no more upgraded than other peoples (I walked into every house being built which at the time you could easily do........ no cameras, etc).
20K to the builder. Really it was their fault we didn't just pay them outright. They were not helpful at all. We had to put in a request for each and every item and pay $50 to be considered. Some things they refused to take a request on, like type of granite.
It turns out that someone from our old neighborhood had bought in the phase before ours and he was the one who convinced me to check into getting work done on my own. (and he was the one who gave me the courage to seek out workers from Stand Pac). We used the tile guy and drywall guy.
I already had a cabinet maker that I had worked with on the house I lived in, so I had him give me quotes for everything before the house foundation was laid based on the model.
Oh forgot........ we have four deadspace areas in the bonus room. They could be closets for a cost. I wasn't sure if we wanted to do it or not and we missed the cutoff. They had to frame it differently to put in doors and another homeowner noticed they framed it for the doors. The builder COULD have just drywalled over it but they actually took out that framing so he couldn't get it done easily after escrow.
We took pix of that framing and had it done in our house after escrow ourselves so we have two closets. One I have my sewing machine in (it's big enough to sit down in) and the other has all our Christmas stuff in. We replaced the downstairs office and bonus room doors with leaded glass doors and used the old doors for the two bonus room closets.
Irvine Dream
New member
irvinehomeowner said:
meccos12 said:
Cabinet "upgrades" are a scam. The boxes are still crappy 1/2" particle, with laminate veneer facing. The doors are all mass produced in standard sizes. There's nothing special about the "upgraded" cabinets. If you can afford it, I would rather rip out the standard white thermofoil cabinets and replace it with custom or higher quality modular cabinets. This gives you the opportunity to customize the doors/drawers/pullouts/hardware/rails/hinges/etc.
However, it IS a slippery slope. Once you do this, you are changing out countertops, sinks, faucets, and sometimes even appliances. I've fallen victim to this more than once, but have NEVER regretted doing it.
irvinehomeowner
Well-known member
Irvine Dream said:
I don't closely monitor members like "some" people.
I didn't remember Ready2Downsize mentioning where he bought... and the 4-car garage really threw me for a loop. Need to look at resale where R2D lives.
Do you have a spreadsheet of TI members?