New Construction Homes, What They Don’t Want You To Know | BiancaReneeToday 

Please make this a series!! Ppl know the “end result” of the pictures with the key in front of the new house, but very few ppl are out here keeping it real about the process leading up to that- and it’s usually not a smooth cake walk that goes as expected.

FYI: Be sure to ask if there is a tax increase on your home during your second year. In some areas, you only pay taxes on your land, but subsequent years, you may need to pay taxes on your new home AND the land. This could be a VERY costly surprise if you are not prepared for it. Your subscribers may be interested in this bit of information.

There’s another RU-vidr who bought new construction a couple years ago (Kimberly Cherrelle) and I remember wondering why she was renovating her brand new home and she explained the lack of options the builder gives you so she went with all the standard options and then changed the whole house afterwards. It wasn’t until seeing her journey that I learned how few options you have when buying new construction.

What they don't tell you is they: -Upcharge you due to market conditions exponentially. -Those homes (when building dozens or hundreds in a community) cost the builder pennies on the dollar. -The workers leave their filth and food containers behind walls and seal their trash in the walls. -The materials are so cheap (less than Home Depot Grade) that if you could afford to build your own home you would never consider using any of the items. -If you are buying in the South, builders have to build to Cat4 hurricane strength but take shortcuts so walk your attic and if nails are just sticking through they are taking shortcuts. The nails have to be bent in so the roof does not lift off in a hurricane strength wind. -They don't bury lines deep enough so you could cut a water line doing something simple like setting up your kids soccer goal post. -HOAs suck. -Sometimes they build on contaminated soil. -If you want a pool let them build it while building because it will cost you way more after but pools are expensive to maintain anyway. -Know your easements and make sure you know what they are building around you or you may live in a beautiful home and then a WalMart goes in on the plot of land behind your community. -Don't finance in this market. Interest rates are over 7%. Do the math. Do the math. Do the math. It may be cheaper to rent. -Don't hop on the train to the South movement. You need to consider the access to education, healthcare, the politics, all of it. If you move to a State where their belief system is so opposite of yours, you will have problems. -Buy from a credible builder. Or buy land and then use a credible builder to make your dream a reality.

Bought a house not new construction and it’s just all around stressful 😅 but the best feeling ever is finally being settled in 😊

We did new construction in 2020! We purchased 40 thousand in upgrades! The model homes are witchery!

Congratulations ya'all!!!!! Yes, girl, there are extra costs for everything... I'm on my 3rd new home build and one thing I would absolutely recommend to anyone who is going to buy a new home - think about what you want to have in your mortgage... for our current new build in VA, I told my husband that we will do our floors, bathroom fixtures, basement, and deck later -- why? Because I would rather pay out of pocket - than have it in my mortgage for 30 durn years. Oh, and let's not forget Lot premium costs... gurlllll... our lot premium was ALOT --- because our lot is a "high visibility" lot --- but we really wanted it because it is very large, and we only have one neighbor to our right -- which is great! And, fences make great neighbors!! Seriously! So we will eat the cost! We close at the end of this month - and we are so excited!

Omg new construction, especially post covid, you need to be so careful.. the costs of everything right now is way too much. And you have to be careful to make sure they aren't cutting corners!

My husband is a carpenter. I'm not sure where you live but a lot of those construction companies who put up developments have pre fabricated pieces (entire walls) and only a couple of floor plans. But also there should be codes when it comes to lights, electric outlets and things like that. You may want to look into that and make sure that development company is following your state/county codes. If you want something unique where you are more a part in the process, you're going to have to do a custom home construction & it costs a fortune.

😮 Wow! I did not realize how different the new build experience could be from state to state and builder to builder! Congratulations on your home and I am sure that you and your family will create some amazing memories in it. My husband and I just bought our first home in Florida in our mid-fifties and it’s a new build. We decided on an “express” version. Which meant that we could not pick ANY upgrades but it would be ready faster. What you see on the floor plan is what you get. We did get some great things like soft close cabinets/drawers, double doors in our den/extra bedroom, and blinds. But we also got crappy grass, entry level appliances and laminate countertops. On the bright side, we can make the inside of our home whatever we want (slowly incorporating my 5 yr long Pinterest board ideas!). But we also have to put up our own fence ($$), change these horrible laminate countertops ($$$), try to keep the lawn from dying and figure out how to keep this vanilla looking carpet chic until we can change it. It comes down to what you and your family can live with 🤷🏻‍♀️ Thank you for sharing ALL of your experiences. Keep up the awesome work and congratulations again 👍

Will you do like a 6mo-1 year follow up video like “after living in a new construction home, what we would do differently/upgrade immediately” type of video? Have you already been there for long enough that you’re like “should have upgraded that”?

I have personally never bought new construction before, but based on some articles & forums I have read in the past. I am absolutely not surprised with your experience. A builder will always do only the minimum and give you only the minimum but will show you something else in their model. Almost always you will get a marginal furnace in marginal air conditioning system and they will cut back on things that you don't see like insulation and things you won't pick up on right away

I've love buying new constructions!! ❤ Have been blessed to do it and look forward to doing it again. I learned alot from my first build. It better prepared me for my second build. Two things that are important to learn about new construction are having a budget for upgrades and states include different standard features. Read the marketing material. It will last the standards. If it's not on the sheet, it's an upgrade. That way you will not be disappointed or feel like your losing out. My friend built homes in three states, and California was the most recent. We laughed as she went through her process because California doesn't offer several of the standards provided in other states. Like lights, doors, landscaping, grass, bushes, gutters, trees, etc. It was ridiculous! You can negotiate appliances with the builder. Now, the standards may be Tier 1 which is way you must be prepared for upgrades. Trying to provide some balance as we've learned alot going through her California purchase. Definitely not one will experience in other states. Also, as the buyer remember to negotiate with the builder. They are trying to meet quotas and sale. 😊

Never go to MARONDA HOMES IN POINCIANA, FL...waited 2yrs from February 2021 and home was finally built June 2021 but they had me waiting for so long September 2022! The house I was getting was a 4/2, $224,000 with the upgrades (signed contract October 2020) but when the house market went up, THEY STALLED and had me waiting! They really messed up my dream of purchasing my 1st🏡 Congratulations on your new home purchase🏡

Things my house didn’t come with (even though it had 2 previous owners) - only 1 bathroom has a toilet paper holder and there’s 4 bathrooms - no shower rod for the 2 bath/shower combos upstairs I don’t understand why houses don’t come with those things. I found that so strange when my husband and I were house hunting and the amount of homes that were missing simple things like that.

I bought my house nearly 7 years ago and it was built in the late 1980s and there was no light in the living room. For a year, I used lamps, but I finally broke down and had an electrician come in and install a light fixture. Cost me about $650. Best money I spent

Omg! Totally could have used this info when we purchased our new build 6 years ago. Everything you've mentioned is 100% accurate. Love this content and can't wait to see your video on decor. I'd love to see some affordable options for window treatments especially. Keep em coming. You're doing great! 😊

The reality check in this video is wild, adulthood is so ghetto😭but congrats on your new home 🎉🎉

When I was doing the research on what and where to buy I also found out a new term that mainly applies to appliances but can also apply to fixtures is “contractor grade “ this often means that while yes it it maybe shiny and new a lot of times these items are not the highest quality and will breakdown, fall apart, or just stop working rather quickly. The fixtures tend to be smaller costs but bigger things like ovens, refrigerators, or heaven for bid your AIrcondition or furnace units are huge expenses that you don’t think about when buying a new home or having to replace a year or two after moving in.

Keep the house updates coming! Currently looking to buy a house so the gems you’ve been dropping helps

So happy for y’all! Your home looks beautiful! ❤ It’s so crazy how things vary state to state and new development builds versus custom! In my state, things like gutters and lighting are part of code so the home wouldn’t pass without them.

Yeah New construction homes. It took forever for my yard to grow. And I had the hardest time picking the plants that we planted in the flower beds. The window treatments are nonexistent But your house didn't come with gutters????? That's a new one

Please make this a series. Educate us please.

i hope you give us a decor video in the future 🫶🏽 i love this homeowner content of yours!

Whoof, that was an education. Thanks so much. Wonder if you're going to give us a tour, or maybe you have already and i missed it. Would love to see.

Girl, I had our house built. July will be 3 years we closed on it in Las Vegas. I hear you! All new construction, even apartment building rentals are built with no lights. Our builder was Toll Bros and their design center gave us way too many options. It takes 2 full days to design your home. And as for the landscaping, it’s the same thing here, and it can cost upwards of 100k depending on how much landscaping you have. I have front, courtyard and backyard!!! Ha ha ha and it’s poured here as well but I wont get gutters until I see for a fact that it’s the new norm. No mailbox in front. Paid extra for outlets. If you want solid wood doors, that’s extra, appliances, washer dryer, extra. We did have a choice of paint colors. So, basically the house ends up being twice the price it’s advertised as!!!! They’ll say starting at 500k, that means 1M in the end.

I live in NorCal and I was saying yep, everything she saying is true. We got solar after we purchased our house $20K. I have bought numerous homes and never heard of no rain gutters. Utterly ridiculous! They charge for everything now. Might as well build a home from scratch at least you'll know you're paying for

CONGRATS! A lot of useful info. The rain gutters were a surprise to me.

Wow 😮, all I can say is I am glad l don’t live in California. I am closing on my house in a few months. All the 5 bedrooms, including the family room and the game room come standard with lights and ceiling fans. We also get grass in both the front and the back yard . My daughter spent $20,000 installing solar panels in her house and got $8,000 back in the form of rebate. By the way, congratulations on your new house.

Just signed on a new house (Ryan Home). All appliances (fridge, oven, washer and dryer) were included. Paid extra for stainless steel, but was free as part of an incentive. Biggest issue is the lighting. Only able to get the $595 package for multiple light in the great room/kitchen/breakfast room. Will have to get my electrician to come install multiple one in every one of the 6 bedrooms. Very weird that they don't have these options to make extra money. Just checked for gutters and it does come with it No blinds, like duh 🤣, just like any house bought. I think it is a personalized experience for each person. So far so good

Congratulations on your new home! I bought new construction and girl…. None of the closets had shelving or bars to hang hangars!!!!! I couldn’t believe it!

Girl!!!! This was so informative for me!! We're thinking about buying a "New Construction " house in a community just like what you did next year in Florida. Good thing you're pointing all this out because now I'm going to be more aggressive on what to ask for and have the knowledge of what not to expect in the house.

Super helpful! Thanks BR!!!

Congratulations! Thank you so much for this video. It was very helpful.

Love your home videos.

Looove this stuff

interior Designer here: ask for a documented list of the base model. You should be able to get a copy of the construction documents that get submitted for permits. You should review it before they permit the job. If they do not have it listed as a line item of what the base model includes, the construction set will.if you don't know how to read construction documents I'm sure a professional designer would help you read it for a minimal fee. Early in my career I did homes and I use to roll my eyes at these cheap builders. Don't even get me started on the cheap materials they use to build ! Congratulations on your new home. 🎉

Very informative!! I had no idea! I’m so glad to have come across your video!

Congrats on your home Bianca 💕

Keep em coming sista! I am learning so much I wonder if these things that are not included is universal in other states or if every state is different. Makes me wonder if I would want that in the future lol

Thanks for sharing your journey. I love hearing about what to look for with new construction. I decided against new construction because of time and I really wanted a finished basement. Plus, I heard that you have to supervise the build day to day or at a few times a week visit the site. The blinds in my house were really old. I had blinds company give me an estimate that was pretty expensive. I ordered faux wood blinds from Amazon, Home Depot and Walmart. A few windows I will have to order custom but I spent several hundred rather than thousands. We did have to hang the blinds ourselves which is another story.

Wow. Looking to buy a home this year, and this made me think that maybe new construction is not the way to go for my first home 😬

If i build new, I'm doing it outside of a new build community lol i don't like cookie cutter and the price gouging and money grab is ridiculous... Congrats on your new home, though!

Wow! This is so insightful. Thank you for sharing this. 🙌🏽 I had no idea about these things.

I am a first time buyer as well on new construction. I didn’t get to make any selections or changes. So I understand.

In CA there is an atmospheric river storm.

This was very informative.

This must be some Cali home builder stuff

Congratulations!

I can’t with the Rain lol

How about the HOA fees...

😮😮😮😮😮😮😮😮 Now it sounds scary to build a home. Thanks for the info!

Question is the saving on not having the updates on your mortgage payment better than what would have been deductible on your taxes? Just wondered because I have heard several new construction homeowner do I wish I would have because most approvements on your home the interest on that loan is not deductible and you making additional payments outside of your mortgage. My guy friend was allowed to come into his unfinished home and set up this computer network wiring he did it after work and the construction was at the bone then (no electricity either). But his home was done at least 20 years ago. What I was surprised by is that my guy friend downstairs room off the family room was not finished (no sheet rock walls or flooring or bathroom). Buying a house should be a joyous thing but with such practices it makes it harder for some and renting is becoming a nightmare and torture because there nothing really protecting renters from abuse. Thanks for sharing and blessings to you and all in the days to come.

i’m gonna need a step by step on how to buy a house and new construction. like who do you contact? how much money do I need to save? things like that

IMO two reasons why people go through the design center. 1. They don't want the hassle of doing it after closing. (aka have plenty of money) 2. Want the cost in the mortgage, not out of pocket. (aka don't have the money) Looking at a new build now, cannot see a single place you wouldn't be better off buying the base spec move-in house and doing it yourself.

Do you like the all white cabinets? I’m a mom of three and I really want them but then I am not sure 😂 I go to the design center next week!

This is very interesting. My mom worked at Home Depot and bought lots of stuff there before building her new home (lighting, flooring, etc.). She definitely customized the house the way she wanted it. Maybe it was a little different because it wasn’t in a development. Hers is way out in the country alone. 🤷🏽‍♀️

Good morning! 🎉

Where did you purchase in california? Which builders built the community and are they reliable?

Dang! California Doing y’all wrong 🥴 here in Texas we get grass in our yard lol and we get lights

We didn’t get a sink in our laundry room.

Morning!! ❤️

??? In most states the Regulation is that ALL rooms have to have a ceiling light!

Hi!

Extra for bathroom doors is criminal

That slope all water go to your house 😢

Did you just park close to the street or is your driveway so short that your car is hanging off?!

Does anyone know builders in New York ?

Not all builders are the same. Your experience was specific to the builder you chose. My experience was way different than yours. I had the option for LVP/Hardwood or Carpet. You can't 100% customize every detail but it sounds like you got a builder that had less options vs. another builder. Also, "what they don't want you to know" What builder did you go with that didn't tell you straight up what you can and can't customize/add? What builder didn't go through everything that is included in your home before you made the final decision to commit? What they don't want you to know? Really?

No door to the bathroom 🤦🏽‍♀️

shit... no wonder everyone is moving to DFW...

It’s astonishing to me when first time home buyers don’t do extensiveeeee research before signing those documents. New builds in this country are complete cash grabs. They lure you in with the illusion of options but you have zero say in the final outcome. Lol why lick up those breadcrumbs when you could be baking feast.

Flat roof new homes are mandatory. No more witchcraft.

Cali sounds like a horrible place to live. They cheap out on you guys on things that don't even sound right, toilet paper roll lol like wtf.

There are more important things in life than hair, Bianca. Wake up!

just stumbled across this video, thank you so much for making it! I'm a single guy, just bought my first house and it's a new build and I'm trying to do as much research as possible to stay on the builders ass. Much love from Canada