08/05/2026
When I walk through a model home with a buyer, I’m not just looking at the floor plan. I’m also paying attention to which parts of the home are standard and which parts were added to make the model feel as impressive as possible.
That matters because it’s easy to walk in expecting the advertised “starting at” price and leave interested in a version that costs quite a bit more.
The base price may cover the floor plan itself, but the model could also include a premium lot, added windows, structural changes, upgraded flooring, higher-level cabinets, better appliances, lighting packages, etc. Some of what makes the home feel so polished may simply be furniture and staging.
Here’s a simple example:
$500,000 base price
+ $25,000 lot premium
+ $35,000 structural options
+ $30,000 design upgrades
The home that initially felt like a $500,000 option is now closer to $590,000 before closing costs or any additional selections are considered.
That doesn’t mean I think the upgrades are a bad choice. Some may be completely worth it. I just want buyers to understand what they’re comparing before they get too attached to a particular version of the home.
When I’m helping someone look at new construction, I want to know what comes standard, what was upgraded in the model, what the available lots cost, and which features actually mattered most to them. Then we can decide which upgrades are worth keeping, which could be added later, and what the home would realistically cost.
The better question is not, “What does this floor plan start at?”
It’s, “What would the version I actually want cost?”
