Custom Home Upgrades: What To Add Now And What To Add Later

Designing and building a new custom home is exciting! There are so many decisions to make, and everything can be designed to your preference.

There are countless ways to approach designing your ideal custom home, and our experts at Timber Rock Construction are here to help you every step of the way.

A great way to start whittling down the numerous options for custom home upgrades, features, and more is by identifying what should be included in the initial design and build, and what can wait or isn’t essential for your home.

In the article below, we’re sharing our recommendations for custom home upgrades and features to include from the start and some advice on what could be skipped or wait until after you’ve lived in your new home for a few years.

Ready to explore the process of building your dream home or have a renovation you’re ready to tackle? Click below to get started!

Custom Home Upgrades & Features To Add From The Start

Most of the time our clients go back and forth over adding upgrades and features to their custom home build due to budget constraints. Do they really need upgraded cabinets in the kitchen? Maybe they could skip a higher-end countertop or light fixtures?

Your home should be customized to fit your needs and your budget, so here are the features and upgrades our team always recommends are included from the start of your project.

Foundation & Structural 

Any features that are essential to your home being stable and structurally sound should be included in the design from the beginning. This can include insulation choices, roofing materials, specific doors and windows, etc.

For example, if you’re considering upgraded windows that are customized for a specific architectural shape, that should be part of your original building design, not something you try to add on later.

Plumbing

Making sure plumbing is in place from the beginning is essential. It not only ensures you don’t blow up your budget later in the build by having to move pipes, but it also gives your home a strong foundation.

If you want to use upgraded materials for pipes, include any additional bathroom areas, or add a feature like an over-the-stove faucet to fill pots with water, those features should be included from the beginning of your custom home build.

Wiring & Electrical

Knowing where you want overhead lighting, dimmer switches, recessed lighting, ceiling fans, and more is important in the planning stages of your custom home project. 

While specific light fixtures can change after a build is completed (many homeowners can handle these changes on their own), changes to actual wiring throughout your home are much more difficult and expensive to adjust later on.

This is especially true if you want your home to be set up to connect with your electronic devices.

Custom Home Upgrades & Features That Can Wait

As much as you may want to have your home completely finished all at once, it sometimes isn’t feasible due to your budget or timeframe. So what can you put on the list to finish after your home is built and you’ve been living in it for a while?

Simple Cosmetic Changes

This is true for any home, not just custom home builds. Anything that would fall under an easy-to-accomplish cosmetic change could wait until after your home has been built. 

Maybe you changed your mind on wallpaper vs. paint or decided after a few years you want to go with marble countertops instead of laminate. Those are simple changes you can do yourself or hire professionals for countertop installation.

Finishing “Unfinished” Spaces

If your custom home was completed with an unfinished basement or open space above the garage, remodeling those spaces years down the road can be a simple way to save a little on your budget. 

Also, your needs might change in 5, 10, or even 20 years, and finishing those spaces into additional bedrooms, bathrooms, or living areas for a growing family could be an ideal solution after living in your home for years.

Outdoor Spaces

Landscaping and adding additional features like a patio, deck, or even an in-ground pool can all wait until after your home has been built. It’s easy to add trees, plants, and flowers to your yard depending on the season.

Waiting to add a patio and landscaping until you can see how the sun affects different parts of your property can be a great way to avoid building a patio in the wrong place or putting plants in areas where they can’t thrive and grow.

Build Your Dream Home With Confidence

Our Timber Rock Construction team believes in working with our clients every step of the way, delivering high-quality custom-built projects on time and on budget.

You never have to worry about making the wrong decision when it comes to designing your ideal home.

We value our clients’ trust and take it seriously to help them build homes that fit not only their needs but their dreams.