Irvine Pacific's Standard Flooring is... VINYL

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lucky760

lucky760

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I was just dismayed to learn that the standard flooring offered by IP, at least for Saratoga, but maybe for other communities, is vinyl.

I couldn't believe my ears because I've never seen any new build in Irvine offer anything except ceramic tiles as the standard flooring for all wet areas. Not only is this an Irvine company build where they're making hundreds of thousands of dollars more than other builders (since they own the land), but it's a 3/4 of a million dollar home and the standard flooring is vinyl? Seriously? Obviously we'll now be required to upgrade our flooring, perhaps to cardboard or maybe saran wrap.

Anyway, just thought I'd share my shock and horror.
 
Actually vinyl is a great choice cuz it's easy to take off after COE.  You don't have to demo it like tile, less mess and expense.  If a buyer wanted whatever standard tile came with a new build, then I guess an added expense if upgrading flooring with the builder, but for ppl that will change flooring after COE, a way better option.
 
Gosh, you're an upbeat lady! (To quote Phil Connors.)

That's really an excellent point and I thank you very much for pointing that out to me. We did want to look into aftermarket flooring, so that actually will make a big, beneficial difference.
 
The standard flooring on the entry is tile. And they don't allow it to be changed to vinyl or carpet. I don't know why.
 
Maricopa is 18x18 ceramic in the Kitchen and Dining areas as well as immediate entrance, 12x12 ceramic in all bathrooms, and vinyl in the laundry room.  Cost of replacing carpet or vinyl with the base ceramic is approx $9 a sq ft...consider the quality/cost of the tile (~$1/sqft online) and the fact that they'd be installing over clean/bare floor, should be no more than $4-5 sq ft installed.  so essentially IP is marking up the cost of their base tile by 100%.  Flooring and window treatments are the absolute worst upgrades at the design center.  To make matters worse, the layout of the standard flooring is often pretty awful.  In Maricopa plan 1, the immediate ~3' entry is ceramic, but the rest of the hallway and great room is carpet.  not a very appealing set up, but the cost to tile the entire first floor with the standard tile is absolutely absurd.  You have a couple of options...just get the standard flooring and rip it out once you close.  This is the best option if you don't like any of the standard flooring options.  If you do like the standard tile, you can order the same tile through different vendors and have it installed after you after you close.  It's not 100% ideal because you'd be extending tile from the center of the space, which means you might have some oddly shaped cuts especially near the edges of walls and perhaps some slight color irregularities due to using tiles from different batches, but I think it would be pretty small and barely noticeable. 
 
I agree that the standard flooring is pretty stupid and bad for paying so much.  It's pretty much a marketing tactic to get you to upgrade because you wouldn't want it since it's so ugly.

But like ocgasman said, it's much much easier to tear up the floor and get it done.  Venetian flooring has said they prefer the vinyl and carpet.  They can have it ripped out quickly and have your floors finished within a day or two depending on the size and type of flooring you're doing.  Saratoga, they can have finished in a day.  Obviously laminate  is quicker since it's floating...wood and being glued down takes a bit more time.

Maricopa is a higher price point and they give better standard options.  I think that's just a given since you're actually getting a home not a detached condo.

Anyways don't mention to the designers or anyone you're upgrading since it technically voids your warranty.


 
As a fellow Saratoga buyer, I also thought it was ridiculous to have vinyl as standard in kitchen and bathrooms. It doesn't leave you any option other than upgrading. I actually LOL when they told me that.

BTW, is Venetian Flooring a good place for flooring upgrade now that Broda mentioned it?
 
While we're on the topic of bitching about IP upgrades...can someone explain why it costs so much to paint the inside a different color? You'd imagine that paint whether it be "swiss coffee" or "golden wheat" costs about the same, right? and it's applied to the walls in the exact same manner...paint was one of the few things that threw me off in the design process.  I expected ridiculous prices for most things, but not paint. 
 
In regards to the paint... you can say it cost "more" to buy a 2nd color rather than use the standard color they are using for all the other homes.
 
jilala said:
As a fellow Saratoga buyer, I also thought it was ridiculous to have vinyl as standard in kitchen and bathrooms. It doesn't leave you any option other than upgrading. I actually LOL when they told me that.

BTW, is Venetian Flooring a good place for flooring upgrade now that Broda mentioned it?
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The main sales guy Eric, said before the design center...they use to be the primary floor contractor for Irvine Pacific.  They got good reviews from people on this forum as well as other places that I have read.  He's was pretty up front about everything. No pressure towards one brand or the other.  I gave him exact brand and flooring type and he came in 2-4K cheaper than the design center depending on which flooring I picked.  Free base board upgrades where ever you plan on doing the new floors.

I plan on using him after the house is built.  He has a recommended tile guy too which I have yet to do some research on the tile guy.

 
irvinehomeowner said:
In regards to the paint... you can say it cost "more" to buy a 2nd color rather than use the standard color they are using for all the other homes.
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you "could" say that, but everyone knows it's BS.  They only offer 5 paint options throughout all IP homes and they definitely aren't buying paint specifically for your house. The thing is they know that they can charge a ridiculous amount for something like paint because no one wants to paint once they move in...its a messy job and puts you out of your house while the fumes clear...so you charge just enough where you actually question whether it's actually worth just going through the design center, even though the color they are offering isn't the one you really want...
 
Paint is really easy to do after close of escrow... you just have to price how much a painter would do it compared to whatever upgrade price IP charges.
 
IP doesn't even offer choice of colors for different room and still overcharges for it.

As for standard vinyl flooring, I would love to have that.  So that I can do wood flooring more easily after closing.
 
Irvine_Dreamer said:
IP doesn't even offer choice of colors for different room and still overcharges for it.

As for standard vinyl flooring, I would love to have that.  So that I can do wood flooring more easily after closing.
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I'm surprised they haven't told people that if you paint your own walls, you void your warranty because you're altering the integrity of the drywall.
 
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