Pay for the upgrades you can’t easily add later: structural plan options, plumbing and electrical rough-ins, energy features, and sometimes main-area flooring. Cosmetic items like lighting, paint, hardware, and faucets are usually cheaper to change after closing. Upgrades don’t always appraise dollar for dollar and can raise your property taxes, so set a budget before the design center.
Brock Bremmer | Real Estate Agent | eXp Realty | San Antonio Metro Area
New Construction Specialist
Also see: Builder Purchase Contracts | Quick Move-In vs Building | PID, MUD, and SID Taxes
Why Does the Order of Upgrades Matter on a New Build?
Some choices can only be made while the house is being built. Others can be done by any contractor after closing, often for less. Sorting your design-center list into those two groups is the most useful thing you can do before your appointment.
- Build-only items: lot selection, floor plan options (extra bedroom, extended patio, third-car garage), ceiling height, added windows, plumbing rough-ins, electrical rough-ins and outlet locations, conduit for future wiring, and blocking in walls for TV mounts or grab bars.
- Easy-later items: paint colors, light fixtures, cabinet hardware, faucets, window coverings, ceiling fans in existing boxes, and most landscaping beyond what the builder or HOA requires.
Put your money into the first list. Opening a finished wall to add a drain line or an outlet costs far more than adding it on the plan.
Which Upgrades Usually Make Sense in San Antonio?
Every builder prices its options differently, so compare quotes rather than assuming. These are the categories I ask buyers to look at first:
- Structural and plan options: a covered or extended patio, an added flex room, or a garage extension. These change the square footage or usable space and are hard to add later.
- Energy items: added insulation, radiant barrier, window upgrades, or a higher-efficiency HVAC system if the builder offers them. South Texas summers are long, so ask the builder for the HERS score or energy report on the plan you’re considering.
- Plumbing and electrical rough-ins: a gas line to the patio, a 240-volt circuit in the garage for a future EV charger, or extra outlets in the kitchen island. These are inexpensive on the plan and disruptive later.
- Flooring in main areas: often worth doing during the build because replacing flooring later means moving furniture and paying for removal.
Items to question harder: premium countertops and backsplash, designer light packages, and upgraded appliances. These are visible and easy to like in the model, but they can often be done later, and their price at the design center is worth comparing against an outside quote.
Will Upgrades Show Up in the Appraisal?
Not always dollar for dollar. An appraiser values the finished home against comparable sales. If buyers in nearby resales and new-build closings didn’t pay for a similar level of finish, part of your upgrade spend may not show up in the value.
That matters most when you finance with a low down payment. On a VA loan, if the price ends up above the VA’s reasonable value, the TREC Third Party Financing Addendum says a buyer who chooses to close anyway pays the difference in cash. Builders often use their own contracts, so read how yours handles a low appraisal. My guide on a low VA appraisal on a new build walks through the options.
How Do Upgrades Affect Your Property Taxes?
Texas appraisal districts appraise property at market value, so a home with more finished square footage or a pricier finish package can carry a higher appraised value. Here’s a simple illustration: if $25,000 of upgrades added $25,000 of appraised value, and your combined tax rate were 2%, that’s about $500 a year in added property tax. Your actual rate depends on your city, county, school district, and any PID or MUD, so look it up on the Bexar, Comal, or Kendall appraisal district site.
Once you qualify for a homestead exemption, the Texas Comptroller explains that the appraised value of a homestead can’t increase more than 10% per year (Tax Code Section 23.23). That limit takes effect January 1 of the tax year after you first qualify. File early: here’s how to file a homestead exemption on a new build in Bexar County, and why your payment can rise after the first year.
How Should You Budget Before the Design Center Appointment?
- Set a total number first. Decide what you’ll spend on options before you walk in, and keep the rest of your list for later.
- Ask how upgrades are paid. Some builders roll options into the sales price and others require a deposit. Ask whether option deposits are refundable if financing falls through. Your builder’s purchase contract spells this out.
- Compare against the incentive. If the builder is offering a credit, ask whether it can go toward rate, closing costs, or options. Weigh which helps you more.
- Price the after-closing version. Get one outside quote for the big cosmetic items before you commit at the design center.
- Get it in writing. Make sure every selection appears on the signed option sheet before construction starts.
On a quick move-in home, most selections are already made, so the decision becomes whether the price reflects them. I talk through incentive tradeoffs in Are New Construction Builder Incentives in San Antonio Actually Worth It?
Frequently Asked Questions
Are new construction upgrades worth it?
Build-only items such as plan options, rough-ins, and energy features usually make the most sense because they’re costly to add later. Cosmetic items like fixtures and paint can often be done after closing for less. Upgrades may not appraise dollar for dollar.
Do upgrades raise property taxes on a new build in Texas?
They can. Texas appraisal districts appraise property at market value, so upgrades that raise market value can raise your taxes. After you qualify for a homestead exemption, the homestead’s appraised value can’t rise more than 10% per year, starting the following tax year.
Ready to Plan Your New Build?
Brock Bremmer with eXp Realty is a U.S. Air Force Reserves veteran with 120+ homes sold across the San Antonio metro and an eXp ICON agent (2023–24). He helps buyers sort design-center options, read builder contracts, and compare incentives on new builds in San Antonio, New Braunfels, and Boerne.
- 📞 Call or text: 210-501-5088
- 📧 Email: [email protected]
- 📅 Schedule a free consultation
Also see: Inspections on New Construction | How Long It Takes to Build | New Construction Warranties | VA Loans on New Construction
Sources: Texas Comptroller, Appraisal and Tax Limitations; TREC, Third Party Financing Addendum (40-11); Bexar Appraisal District (accessed November 4, 2026).