Design center! What to cut!

[Lbjen]

Some of those 'ugly' cabinets, granite and tile might look a bit less ugly when you see how much you'll save to spend on other stuff.

[loves2read]

I think if you can find a countertop option that is not granite in some bathrooms you could save some money and might be just as happy
I really think granite is becoming over done and depending on what you chose in place of it could be as successful
Granite is great because of its can't-hurt-me nature but it is so implacable in its nature/look

totally agree about the mirror situation in baths--construction adhesive is guaranteed to have them break if you try to replace/remodel--and most pics you see now have individual framed mirrors vs plate one...
also consider using nice medicine cabinet ones that can be recessed into wall cavities and framed afterward by YOU...easy to do with ready-made PVC trim...depending on sizes you get...

you can't automatically take out carpet and add wood floors---
check out new homes were finished-on-site wood flooring is going in...
those areas are often/usually recessed in the poured slab so the floors will be flush with whatever is going next to it...carpet/tile...

it DOES MATTER when you go to change flooring mediums that the two are LEVEL...and getting that to happen after the fact/years later can be problem...
if you are laying laminate in your upstairs where you had carpet in bedrooms and you will run it over ALL the subfloor which is plywood--not a real problem except for the thresholds into the baths which are likely tiled...
but if you have tile floor on concrete slab on first floor and carpet in some areas and you want to change carpet to wood...then you need to pay attention as to whether or not those floor surfaces will come out level after the wood is laid...

[loves2read]

consider this---
DESIGN is not just about buying more expensive items but using imagination to make the best of choices offered...

check out website called Young House Love--couple that started it have grown a business out of initial postings about house hunting for first time and remodeling what they bought...
now have had HGTV mag story, line of paint colors at BM, book that is selling well and impressive list of sponsors on their website...
they are ALWAYS looking for the least expensive way to make the best design choice...
and yes----sometimes that does mean spending more than the basic whatever costs...
but it doesn't automatically mean that more expensive is better

and anyone who doesn't expect to have to upgrade from what comes with price of house hasn't been watching any home improvement shows...
this is where most of the profit from building a home comes to the builder...

agree with the improved look of the bigger baseboards--one thing to consider is that those are usually MDF now to save money and you are really better served using traditional wood for baseboards and MDF for trim above where water usually comes...
THAT is expensive most people don't want to make because it also involves paint issues...

[Lbjen]

My builder included enough as standard that I could have done a pretty nice house without putting any extra money in, not even considering the incentives they gave. Granite in kitchen and all baths, reasonable standard cabinet and tile options, all rooms wired for cable/phone/data, ceiling fans in some rooms and blocked/wired in the others, garage opener, crown moulding, hose bibs, exterior lights, security system etc. I only spent around $6k at the design center aside from my structural additions.

[Htown2013]

Some builders include more options than others, but I agree upgrade items that are hard to change later. Most important are things like garage extensions, porches, any pre-wiring, electrical outlets, etc. After that I would get the granite in kitchen, good cabinets, good bathroom layouts. Do not get the builder hardwood - it is a ripoff. Put the basic included carpet wherever youbeant to upgrade to hard wood. Either upgrade the tile to what you like or put in the standard carpet if you would like to upgrade the tile later.

Save the finishes & appliances for later.

[testmo]

ceiling fan is about 100-150 (sometimes they are also on sale) from the home depot for a nice one with remote. a person with minimal knowledge can install one as long as there was some electrical source in the ceiling. i hope home builders arent making people pay for a ceiling fan. in texas it is a necessity