The best new upgrades may be the ones you can't see

By Howard Bogach
January 07, 2019

New-home buyers choose upgrades for a variety of reasons.If they’re planning to live in the house for many years to come, they may be focused on creating the perfect homey environment, with heated bathroom floors, butcher block countertops and higher-end appliances.

Homebuyers thinking about reselling the house in a few years tend to be more focused on elements that bring a better return with buyers, such as oversized bathrooms or upgraded kitchen cabinetry.

In both cases, though, what will have the most impact is what you can’t see: The structural elements that keep a house warm, dry and strong.

If you’d like to ensure those elements are as strong and effective as possible, consider talking to your builder about what ‘invisible’ upgrades might be available while your new home is being built.

When I asked some Ontario builders what they’d look for if someone else was building a home for them, the proposed upgrade list had almost nothing in common with a typical homeowner’s list.

Builders would look for:

  • Metal framing on all boxing, rather than wood
  • Fibre mesh reinforced basement floor concrete to reduce cracks and curling
  • Ice and water shield at all eaves, bay window roofs and at all low slope areas
  • Non-organic lifetime warranty shingles with underlay
  • Permanent roof anchor for safety when doing maintenance and installing holiday lighting.

There was more – lots more – but you get the idea. Builders making choices for themselves are far more focused on maintaining the structural integrity of their home than choosing a particular shade of granite for the kitchen countertop.

New homes come with a seven-year warranty that covers major structural defects and is intended to ensure homeowners have that safe, dry, strong home I mentioned earlier. It’s a tribute to the quality control of the vast majority of builders in the province that we deal with relatively few major structural warranty issues. Generally speaking, builders these days do an excellent job of building strong, sound homes.

Even with that great track record, though, there are obviously ways to make homes better.

If you’re in a position to be choosing upgrades for a new home, try looking past the fancy showerheads and heated bathroom floors and ask your builder what he or she would choose for themselves.

Those invisible upgrades can end up making the biggest impression of all.

About Howard Bogach

Howard Bogach is president and CEO of Tarion Warranty Corp. His column appears monthly in New Home Guide. For more information about how Tarion helps new-home buyers, visit tarion.com or find us on Facebook at facebook.com/TarionWarrantyCorp.

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