Buying a Brand New home...need Some Advice from Those Who Have BTDT!

Also, keep in mind that if it is the model, that means they are closing out the neighborhood and want to get everything sold...fast! The sales people need to move on to the next new development! Everyone gets "freebies" when they buy a new home, just because yours is already built shouldn't make it any different. Don't be over-the-top, but a fresh coat of paint and an extra keypad isn't much! If they install the keypad over a lightswitch, they don't even have to re-wire anything...they just hook it into the wiring behind the switch plate. Our alarm company gave us a second pad free, even. But, I think that part you do with the alam people, not the builder. COuld be wrong....ask anyway!

I worked as a salesperson for a very large local homebuilder - absolutely negotiate. There are some thing they will not be able to do because it is just too far along in the process and not cost-effective but alot of things are so inexpensive to the builder...

Also, you may choose to have a buyers rep on a new home purchase but remember, (they'll never admit it) but some builders will be able to come down even farther in price to compensate for not having to pay a realtor.

That said, happy homebuying!

Yes, you can negotiate for additional options, and you should. We used a real estate agent (buyer's agent) to help us. She was able to negotiate with the sales person for us and advise us on what to ask for regarding options, price, etc. Best of all, we paid nothing for her services. The buyer's agent gets their commission from the seller. Having a buyer's agent really saved us a lot of stress!
If you build you really do have to stay on top of the construction, visiting the site as often as possible and making sure everything is done correctly. There are always mistakes!
Good luck!

I have not recently bought a new home, but my mother did - a year and a half ago. Yes, you can request that they paint a different color, but expect them to charge you if its not one of their standard colors (usually not much... negotiate the cost with them if it seems high). And yes, you can request an additional keypad on the second floor, but again, you will have to pay for the wiring and the pad.

Also, if there are other upgrades that you want, ask to see if there are any packages that would include the requests you are making. You might find it is cheaper and you get more if you go with a package.

Do visit the build site often during the building phase. Not only can you see how it's going (everyone makes honest mistakes and you are the one who knows for sure how you want it done and can sometime catch things that are difficult to fix if caught later), but you can take pictures for your photo album (it's fun to go back and look at). Also, you can get "to know" the workers... at least they will see you often and I think people are just naturally inclined to do a better job for someone "they know" than someone who doesn't exist to them.

My mom and her husband took the workers a styrofoam cooler of beer & water on one of the Fridays... it was well received! (Their house was being built in the summer, but it was really nice to get the cold water and beer!)

Anyway, that's all I can think of right now, but I think of anything else, I'll edit my post.

Have fun!

P.