Choosing a builder by the model home

Why it happens

• Models are fully upgraded and professionally staged.
• Nobody hands you the difference between the model and the base spec.

Warning signs

• No written spec sheet offered.
• Answers about insulation, framing, or HVAC stay vague.
• The included-features list is shorter than the upgrade list.

Questions to ask

• What in this model is standard, and what is an upgrade?
• Can I see the written included-features spec?
• Who supervises my house day to day, and how many homes do they carry?

Cost if ignored

$15k–$60k in upgrades you assumed were included

Plus years of comfort and utility cost you can no longer change after drywall.