Perspective
Well-known member
Characterizing an Irvine home as "cookie-cutter" is about as redundant as identifying the exterior color of Irvine homes as beige.
Orchard Hills - Strada by Irvine Pacific
- Thread starter ps99472
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NEW -> Contingent Buyer Assistance Program
Thanks for you perspective. We've been shopping (on Redfin) for a house for a couple years. Every house I see requires major upgrading to suit my taste, which includes flooring, cabinets and counters. I always factor that cost into the price. This is one reason we're attracted to new construction (since so much is available in Irvine), but it's helpful to learn others don't look at existing inventory with the same thought process.
Bonnie, Judy and our design consultant struggle to even think of a home that didn't go with the standard white cabinets. The design center keeps pics of the homes that did select non-white cabinets. She'll share these at our next appointment, but pics don't always illustrate cabinet color well.
Is the standard thermafoil cabinets or a paint grade white?
The standard is thermofoil white cabinets. Upgrading to the MDF/paintgrade cabinets in white (and two other colors) is $7K throughout the house. This upgrade provides three subtle cabinet design options and adds the design to the drawers. The standard thermofoil drawers are flat - no shaker design elements.
So most people are going with Thermafoil? I've read thermafoil can peel especially when exposed to heat (around the oven area especially)? Personally, I don't mind the look and like that they are easy to clean but the issue with peeling has me concerned about going with the standard cabinets.
Has thermafoil been improved recently so heat and peeling aren't really an issue?
Long as we don't pull the plug. You know I still have concerns about Tustin and housing in general (which btw, either housing peaks or the market dives soon as we buy a house, so hoping it won't happen again).
Really like the house and the builder. Wish it was in Irvine but then again I'm sure it would be 400K higher.
Everything about Stafford was high end, from the 10-foot ceilings to 7" baseboard, and included 16x16 tiles (not those small 13x13). So I am sure you will love the house. Congrats.
I'd guess late July. They're building the block walls on the other side of Bountiful already. There's no slowing down here.
It is more then a few thousand dollars. By the time you rip out the slabs and replace granite, etc, you are talking a lot more money. When it comes to remodeling / fixing up a house, my general rule is I'm okay looking past paint & flooring...if I need to gut the cabinets though, I am not interested in it. A lot more work and just not in my wheel house. Unless of course the price was super cheap.Perspective said:
Perspective
Well-known member
Bullsback said:
Thanks for you perspective. We've been shopping (on Redfin) for a house for a couple years. Every house I see requires major upgrading to suit my taste, which includes flooring, cabinets and counters. I always factor that cost into the price. This is one reason we're attracted to new construction (since so much is available in Irvine), but it's helpful to learn others don't look at existing inventory with the same thought process.
Perspective
Well-known member
Jonah said:
Bonnie, Judy and our design consultant struggle to even think of a home that didn't go with the standard white cabinets. The design center keeps pics of the homes that did select non-white cabinets. She'll share these at our next appointment, but pics don't always illustrate cabinet color well.
Ready2Downsize
Well-known member
Perspective said:
Is the standard thermafoil cabinets or a paint grade white?
timandjess
New member
Anyone who has moved in currently hears what I presume to be a pack of coyotes every night?
Perspective
Well-known member
Ready2Downsize said:
The standard is thermofoil white cabinets. Upgrading to the MDF/paintgrade cabinets in white (and two other colors) is $7K throughout the house. This upgrade provides three subtle cabinet design options and adds the design to the drawers. The standard thermofoil drawers are flat - no shaker design elements.
Ready2Downsize
Well-known member
Perspective said:
So most people are going with Thermafoil? I've read thermafoil can peel especially when exposed to heat (around the oven area especially)? Personally, I don't mind the look and like that they are easy to clean but the issue with peeling has me concerned about going with the standard cabinets.
Has thermafoil been improved recently so heat and peeling aren't really an issue?
Perspective
Well-known member
"They say" thermofoil has improved and doesn't peel any more, in part due to heat shields placed on the sides of the oven to protect the cabinets. Our apt years ago was brand new when we moved into it, with thermofoil cabinets. Within one year the cabinets near the oven were peeling.
Ready2Downsize
Well-known member
We signed a reservation in Stafford. I think we fell thru the cracks and no one called us to sign the contract so for now everything is completely refundable.
Standard Pac preplotted quite a bit of electrical (jboxes and some recessed lights) which would have been upgrades if they were not preplotted. The additional $7500 in design credit allowed us every electrical upgrade plus insulation in the house and garage. We still have almost $1500 credit left.
Unfortunately we were past cutoff for fireplace in the office.
Standard Pac preplotted quite a bit of electrical (jboxes and some recessed lights) which would have been upgrades if they were not preplotted. The additional $7500 in design credit allowed us every electrical upgrade plus insulation in the house and garage. We still have almost $1500 credit left.
Unfortunately we were past cutoff for fireplace in the office.
Ready2Downsize
Well-known member
qwerty said:Oh congrats. Welcome to the neighborhood
Long as we don't pull the plug. You know I still have concerns about Tustin and housing in general (which btw, either housing peaks or the market dives soon as we buy a house, so hoping it won't happen again).
Really like the house and the builder. Wish it was in Irvine but then again I'm sure it would be 400K higher.
Irvine Dream
New member
Ready2Downsize said:qwerty said:Oh congrats. Welcome to the neighborhood
Long as we don't pull the plug. You know I still have concerns about Tustin and housing in general (which btw, either housing peaks or the market dives soon as we buy a house, so hoping it won't happen again).
Really like the house and the builder. Wish it was in Irvine but then again I'm sure it would be 400K higher.
Everything about Stafford was high end, from the 10-foot ceilings to 7" baseboard, and included 16x16 tiles (not those small 13x13). So I am sure you will love the house. Congrats.
Perspective
Well-known member
Jonah said:
I'd guess late July. They're building the block walls on the other side of Bountiful already. There's no slowing down here.