Help Please- new build. Buy what extras/do ourselves?

Minimee

As the thread title suggests, we are purchasing a new build property (4 bedroom).

We have browsed the optional extras that we would like and the cost is coming out at over £20,000, and we just cannot spend that much as it will leave us with nothing for decoration etc, so I am just wondering if there's any new build buyers out there who can share their experience on things that are cheaper to buy through the developer and things that are cheaper to get tradesman in after to do? Here's a rough breakdown of what TW are charging:

Kitchen
upgraded kitchen, integrated appliances- £3891
Earthstone worktops: £3600
Flooring: £1500

Hallway
Flooring (to match kitchen) £1000

Downstairs WC
Half height tiling: £435
Spotlights: £86 per light


Bathroom
Shower £560
Bathscreen £205
Half height tiling: £639
Mirror: £298
Tiled flooring: £427
Chrome towel rail: 195
Spotlights: £86 per light

Similar price for ensuite

Fitted wardrobe: £2500

Wired alarm: £835

External socket: £195

Thank you!

flashg67

I guess its price versus convenience. I reckon you could save 30-50% on those costs, but will have the hassle of finding and booking in the various trades and having a separate mess for each job.
Having said that, my last new build, we did all the tiling and flooring ourselves. I got the flooring done the week we completed, as we had a gap before moving in. The tiling I did in stages - not ideal with a family, but if you have 2 bathrooms, might be more manageable.
If you dont get the integrated appliances, will they still provide the matching front panels for when you do it yourself?

Personally, I'd probably just get the kitchen worktops, the downstairs WC spots (difficult to access afterwards) and maybe the alarm (for the same reason), and the integrated appliances if they won't provide the decor panels otherwise,  everything else I'd source elsewhere

newbuildbudget

We are completing on a new build property this week and decided to pick options of things that are best started at first fix stage - anything electrical and plumbing related (extra plugs, downlights, outside tap, shower over bath). We then paid for what we wanted with what we knew we could afford afterwards. 

We paid for flooring throughout as we had a £3000 incentive for that (total cost was £4500 so we had to fork out £1500. Initial cost was eye watering but we knew we couldn’t floor externally for £1500). 

Partner’s step-dad is a plumber so he’s doing our towel warmers for us, although he said he could probably face time us through the process anyway as it’s not complicated. 

We also paid for integrated washing machine and dishwasher, but didn’t integrate the fridge because we refused to pay over £1000 for a fridge freezer we didn’t get to pick ourselves when we can get top of the line for that price! We did upgrade the kitchen doors and worktop which was a personal choice as we much preferred the upgrade options but it never felt necessary. 

Didn’t pay for turf. Going to throw down grass seed as won’t be doing anything in the garden for 6 months anyway. 

I think it’s crazy what you have to pay extra for nowadays. My parents bought a new build 20 years ago and got fitted wardrobes in all the rooms, carpet, curtains and all the tiling etc all in for the price. Everything has a mark up these days! 

After the £3000 flooring incentive was taken into account, we paid ~£5500 for everything we added extra. 

Generally it will be cheaper to get people in later, but it’s a matter of convenience vs cost. 

74jax

I left newbuild last year. Don't forget if you decide to do yourself, to sell on your brand new unused items. So many people didn't and I'd see them ripped out.

Gentoo365

See if you can get flooring in for free (or rather, included in the price), no harm in asking. Especially if you will still be spending quite a bit on other extras so everyone gets their commission/target/whatever.

rexmedorum

You'd have to get quotes and run numbers, but generally I would have thought that anything where it's an upgrade that if you don't pick they'll still put something. For example appliance upgrades: If they still put a cheper ones if you don't upgrade the upgrade may be less expensive than buying the appliances elswhere. Not to mention it would feel like a total waste to dispose of brand new appliances.

However if it's tiling a part of a wall or laying floors etc that otherwise won't be done at all it feels like shopping around would make sense.

bramptonbrew

Shower over the bath is definitely worth doing through the developers, as they'll fit it at the same time as doing the tiling, rather than someone coming in and needing to drill into the tiles to fit it afterwards. We were lucky with our incentives package (we got upgraded flooring/kitchen/shower/outside tap included).

They wanted £1.5k to turf the back garden which we decided not to do - we have done that ourselves as we never planned on having the entire garden fully turfed, and made it easier for us to landscape as we wanted.

The only thing we paid for was fitted wardrobes in two bedrooms - £3k or so - we probably could have sourced them cheaper afterwards but we wanted the convenience of them being in place when we moved in.