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Buyers of new homes have many decisions to make

A new house isn't a home until buyers select the finishing touches and make it their own.

To ease the process, builders offer a variety of upgrade options that buyers choose to reflect their personalities, style and taste.

Do you like the sleek, contemporary look? Marble floors might be your choice. Or if you prefer a warm, homey feel, wood flooring and a fireplace can make that happen.

When it comes to the master bath, do you like to soak in a tub, or do you prefer a large, walk-in shower with various sprays?

Builders say homebuyers spend about 10 percent of the home's sales price on upgrades. So what's popular today? Where do buyers spend their discretionary dollars?

Everyone is budget conscious, said Roger Gerstad, president of Gerstad Builders. “It's not like it was in '04 when people took everything — the kitchen sink and the whole nine yards. They're looking at their pocketbooks and monthly payments and making sure they're not overextending themselves.”

Knowing what the buyer generally wants, Gerstad offers an upgrade package that includes 9-foot ceilings, 42-inch kitchen cabinets and appliances, resilient flooring from the front door to the kitchen, and a luxury master bath with two sinks, deck tub and walk-in shower. “Everyone wants that.”

Brian Brunhofer, president of Meritus Homes, says buyers want to get more involved in the customization of their new homes at Creekside at Inverness Ridge, where the base price of a house is $500,000.

“People here think of buying a home as a long-term purchase and not just a ‘Let's get in the house' mindset. They think of this as their last residence and a long-term investment.”

Buyers often focus on the aesthetics of the home's exterior. They want it to reflect their style and complement the interior of their home, he said.

Brunhofer finds that people have a wide range of tastes for the exterior of their homes, and they often want some customization.

Christy Whelan, director of sales for Airhart Construction, echoes Brunhofer.

“We look at the outside of the house and sometimes upgrades can be on the exterior ... ,” Whelan said. “The client may like a more formal look or an informal prairie style, so that's what we design into the front of the home. We do a lot of that.”

Of course the kitchen — the hub of any home — is full of upgrade opportunities. More than any other room in a house, the kitchen reflects how people live their daily lives, builders say.

At Creekside, the kitchen is the most frequently upgraded room, Brunhofer said. “People very much focus on personalizing the kitchen and storage in the kitchen to meet their needs.

“People who like to entertain want a larger island with beverage center, wine coolers. There are so many design elements relating to the design of cabinetry, and a lot are making customization in that area.”

Brunhofer said some people even focus on a more specific look, so they may upgrade granite countertops to a particular design they want.

For Gerstad's customers, “people are still loving the Zodiaq or granite countertops,” he said.

And granite countertops continue to be No. 1 with people Whelan works with.

“It's very big, and people aren't moving to any other countertops yet. Although granite is standard at our communities, it's one of the first things people look at when they walk in the kitchen.”

Cabinetry is another area for personalization. “People like white kitchen cabinets — a white kitchen — sometimes antique-looking cabinets, and sometimes the real 1950s white,“ Whelan said.

Often flooring sets the tone of a room, and how the room is used might determine what kind of flooring people choose. For an area with heavy foot traffic, a hard-wearing floor is a must, while owners might like the bedroom soft on their feet.

“We're doing a lot of flooring upgrades,” Brunhofer said. It revolves around the buyer's lifestyle, and the first component is carpet vs. hardwood vs. ceramic tile. It depends on how people want to use rooms and keep up their floors.

“A lot of people are doing hardwood in the whole home or on the first floor opposed to having more carpeted areas. And we're definitely seeing some trends with the wider plank hardwood floors,” Brunhofer said.

Whelan also sees this as a trend. Oak flooring remains popular, even for staircases and upstairs.

“Wood is more popular now because people have allergies, and it's easier to keep clean. It's not an exciting upgrade, but now almost all the time the whole first floor is oak.”

The master bath is also a room that's conducive to upgrades depending on people's preferences.

Instead of the old whirlpool tub, people do luxury showers with two shower heads, or steam showers that are big enough to not have an entrance door, the builders say. Many homeowners say they didn't spend time in their previous whirlpool tubs.

“But they also like the shower with lots of light, maybe windows, skylights, or glass block walls. That area is also a biggie, and these features are very popular,” Whelan said.

For Gerstad, other options include six different light fixture packages. He said customers also like transoms above doors, oversized windows, and an 8 foot high garage door.

“A guy always loves his third-car garage and the smell of a new home,” Gerstad said.

Today's new homes feature an owner's retreat

Builders creating efficient living environments

How you want to live is as important as where

Porches make their way back to the forefront

Inspection contingency gives buyers leverage for needed home repairs

  Kitchen cabinets and appliances are often where buyers spend their upgrade dollars. White kitchens are popular now. This kitchen was built by Gerstad Builders. BRIAN HILL/bhill@dailyherald.com, file photo
Walk-in showers with multiple shower heads are a newer upgrade many homebuyers now seek, builders say. Daily Herald file photo
Wooden floors remain a popular upgrade. Airhart Construction recently opened this model at Mackenzie Place in Wheaton. Courtesy of Airhart Construction
Many options and upgrades involve the design and look of a homeÂ’s exterior. This house at Creekside at Inverness Ridge was recently sold by Meritus Homes. Courtesy of Meritus Homes

Fall Home Show

Each Friday during the show, the Daily Herald is featuring a different home design topic. Pick up a copy of the newspaper to find new home communities in the area that are participating in the show.

Sept. 9: Master suites

Sept. 16: Shades of green

Sept. 23: Homebuilder niches

Sept. 30: Front porches

Oct. 6: Popular upgrades