This is the main level of the Carolina Place.
Externally we did add the covered front porch, actually it was the only elevation left to get but we wanted it so it worked out. We also got the covered back porch. If you think you want it in the future I would get it through Ryan because later you would have to hire not only a decking company but a roofing company as well and this could potentially void your 10 year structural warranty (I work in the architecture field so this is usually the case but they won't tell you this)
In our community the upgrade to the morning room is currently included in their promotion along with the optional windows in this room which are not so optional. We don't mind the one wall with windows and of course the wall with the door but since we are not getting a dining room we will be using our morning room as a formal place to eat and want to put a dining hutch or sideboard and I personally think putting furniture in front of windows looks silly. I have not given up the fight to get them removed just yet.
We upgraded the kitchen to have double ovens, we currently have not decided if we will upgrade the fridge with Ryan, we are weighing cost vs. convenience. We can easily get the upgraded fridge for a lower cost but then we have to remove the fridge that is included and we just want to make it as simple as possible. We also upgraded the cabinets and countertops.
In the great room we added the coffered ceiling and a fireplace with stone and raised hearth, although depending on our final upgrades we may cut the fireplace to free up some cash as it is costing about $8000. Since we like the look of the "wall of windows" we do not feel we would miss this feature. We had a fireplace in our condo and never used it, it was just aesthetically pleasing. We also liked the see-thru fireplace, it is not a standard option but I have seen this feature in our neighborhood. When we reached out to our SR he said it was expensive 20k and they really didn't want to do anymore. If we do decide to keep the fireplace I may push for this option as they have already approved it for another unit and I do not care about it being an inconvenience to them since we are the ones having to pay the mortgage.
We opted to keep bedroom 3 a bedroom though I really wanted a formal dining space and I felt bedroom 3 was a little small for a bedroom. However thinking long term we have more flexibility with keeping it a bedroom, plus they were charging $500 to install non optional columns. We also took measurements of bedroom 3 and discovered though it looked small it would comfortably hold a full size bed, so it gives our children room to grow.
We did add the optional arrival center for $900 it was worth it to us. Though they have some nice arrival furniture pieces now days we like the look of it built in.
We also added the Owners bedroom extension, we had only ever seen the models with the extension, so when we finally saw a model without the extension it seemed very small for an owners bedroom. It is worth it in my opinion. We also upgraded to the Roman style bathroom with frameless shower door.
The upstairs bedroom/bath is optional but we added both with the thought that it will either be my office (I work from home) or one of the kids will want to move up there in the preteen/teen years and I can use bedroom 3 for my office. (once again being able to avoid stairs)
Our community is currently offering the rec room for free (The main area in the basement) this was a great promo saved us almost $15k. We also opted to finish the home office, media room and bathroom. One thing I loved about this home is the storage! The mechanical storage space is the entire size of the owner bedroom and bath, so as my husband says "We can have a Costco down here." We do not have a walkout or walk up our lot was too flat but that was fine for us.
Our overall selections are below: S=Standard U=Upgrade P=Promotion
Elevation: C with brick & siding S (for our community)
Morning room: P
Updated kitchen: U
Coved back porch: U
Fireplace: U
Coffered Ceiling: U
Arrival Ctr: U
3 Bedroom 2 Bath: S
Owners Bedroom extension: U
Owners bath Roman shower: U
Frameless shower door: U
Bonus upstairs bedroom and bathroom: U
Rec room: P
Media Room: U
Basement Bath: U
Thanks for reading and please feel free to comment or ask questions.
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