By Alexis Grace
If you are building a home, you will meet with your chosen designer to discuss important details about your home design. Appointments at design centers are vital to ensure you get your home designed the way you want. But, to make sure you have all your concerns addressed, you need to prepare for that meeting. Before your meeting, here are important things you must do:
Create a Wish List
You must list down things you want and need to have in your house other than the standard features the builder offers. For instance, do you want tiles in the family home now or you will just upgrade later? You may want to consider upgrades such as fireplace stones, carpet upgrades, wood flooring, and more. Make sure to set a budget towards the total upgrades you wish to add on top of builder incentives.
Ask about Standard Options
The majority of builders let you check out the options before your appointment. Make sure to ask for the model home in and around town for your same plan. Then, visit this home to get an idea of how it looks in the plan.
Set a Budget
When you get to the design center, you may have limited options and upgrades. Builders will usually tell you that the average customer spends an extra 10% to 20% of the sale price on upgrades. Fortunately, you can avoid costly temptations when you already have a budget in mind before your appointment.
Consider what you Like and Dislike about your Current Home
If you love your current home’s flooring, color scheme, or countertops, you may want to replicate them. Consider if you want your new home to have practical cabinets or sufficient lighting. Because you are starting from scratch in your new home, use what works for you now and eliminates what does not.
Think About the Lifestyle and Priorities of your Family
If you and your family spend most of your time in the kitchen, you may want to allocate most of your budget for it. If you tend to watch movies together, you need to give serious attention to the media room.
Consider Smaller Items
Before your appointment, make sure you will talk about smaller items that can help in keeping your home clean and organized. For instance, discuss the possibility of prewiring for speakers and television wall mounts, as well as installing power outlets. While these things can be done after construction, the work will not look good.
