04/10/2026
We thought we were good until the selections started adding up.
Let me save you the headache:
Builder allowances are not your final cost.
If you don’t review + negotiate them upfront,
you will be coming out of pocket later. (Ask me how I know.)
Lesson learned the hard way:
– Ask what’s actually included
– Price out your real finishes BEFORE signing
– Negotiate allowances like your budget depends on it… because it does.
This part of building a home is not cute and if you are customizing it is expensive.
Nobody talks about this part:
Did your build stay within allowance or did you go over too?