blackpool
New Member
What a great idea. That would certainly been the way I would have gone if given the choice. I imagine the problems would arise in the fundamentals. Its a building made up of concrete all over the place, floors, walls, ceiling. It's not a house built of 2x4's. Wiring and plumbing could really constrict what you can and cannot do. Still, as long as you went into it knowing what your parameters were.. maybe it just might work.
I know one friend who just got a "shell" of a place, and built it from the ground up. I don't think most builders will allow this, as they have to warrantee what they do, and if they don't install a kitchen, then this interferes with the warrantee for the water pipes etc.
Builders pretty much ask for at least 2X the cost of everything - doesn't matter if it's a stove upgrade, undermount sink, wall built, everything is at least 2X the cost of you doing it yourself - you just have to accept that.
You also have to consider when you get an upgrade done, you are not going to be there to supervise the work at all. I refused to spend $2000 on an undermount sink, especially when it is not going to be done to my standards. What made me suspicious was the half ass job they did on the undermount sink in the model suite.
Because of the cost and worried about the work, I went minimal with the upgrades, just the stuff that would be an absolute pain to do. I upgraded the hardwood floors, went with the ceasarstone countertop, heat lamp in the bathroom, and bathroom vanity
The floors were damaged during the construction. They are also completely filled with dust - the floors looke 40 years old when I moved in. Their answer? Used furniture stain, to color the dust brown!!!
Heat lamp - they forgot to install this.
Vanity - they installed and looked ok. But inside the vanity, they also installed the access panel to the water pipes and pinned the vanity to the wall via the access panel, so you could never remove the vanity, because it was cemented inbetween the vanity and the wall.
There have been major screwups with other people in the building as well, putting doors on the wrong side of closets, poor drywalling, tiles changing colours, floor panels changing colours (one floor was layed without properly shuffeling the boards, and you could see the transition.
Anyhow, my advice to you is hold off what you can, and get it done properly later. It will cost you less, you'll get a better job done the way you want.