18 Best Low-Cost Upgrades for Big Impact on New Home Construction

Choosing upgrades is a part of building a new construction home that is the most exciting, yet also the most challenging. Maintaining your budget while getting those touches that make your home comfortable and tailored to your needs is especially difficult. Focusing on low-cost upgrades that make the biggest impact is a great way to have the best of both worlds!

This article will give you many ideas to help you choose some great upgrades for your new construction home. Also – check out our Video 10 Best Low-Cost Upgrades! to see examples of some of these.

Here are my 18 Best Low-Cost Upgrades

for Big Impact on New Home Construction

Low-Cost Electrical/Lighting Upgrades

LED Flushmount Lights: Extra lighting always elevates the look and use of a room. Builders may have a limit on the number of lights included in certain rooms. LED Flushmount Lights last for about 15-20 years before needing to be replaced and are as low as $4 – $20 each. You can find them in most big box stores like Home Depot or Loews and online on Build.com Flushmount ceiling lights. If your new construction home comes with recessed can lights, you might be able to substitute LED flush mounts. According to angi.com recessed can lights can cost anywhere from $100 each to $350 each How Much Does It Cost to Install Recessed Lighting in 2023? (angi.com). In addition, bulbs for recessed can lights can cost as much as $4 or more each, which is about the cost of the entire LED Flushmount light.2.
Extra Outlets and Switches: The cost of adding outlets varies from builder to builder. It can be anywhere from $35-$100 per extra outlet or switch depending on the type and location. Adding floor outlets for plugging in lamps and reclining furniture, mid-wall outlets for plugging in TVs or adding an outlet to a utility closet can really make a difference in avoiding cords running across the floor or down the wall. This is one of those things that nobody notices until you try plugging something in and realize there is no outlet nearby, or you can’t turn off the light behind you after walking across a room. Watch our electrical planning video to get some ideas on where you can place extra outlets and switches to make your life easier.
USB Outlet Covers: These handy outlet covers come in a variety of types – some with USB-C, and some come with lights. You can get these on Amazon for as little as $12 TOPELER USB C Wall Outlet, 15A Tamper Resistant Receptacle with 3 USB Port, Total 6.0Amp High Charging Power Electrical Outlet, Screwless Wall Plate Include, UL Listed & FCC Approval If you don’t want to change the outlet cover, it is also easy enough to buy an adapter you can plug into a regular 3-prong socket.
Pre-Wire for Pendant and Sconce Lighting: Pendant lighting is not just for the ceiling over the kitchen island. Pendant and sconce lights can add a luxury touch to any room, especially bedrooms, entryways, and media rooms. Pre-wiring for lighting you buy later is a cost-effective way of planning for lighting during the process of building your new construction home. The upgrade charge for pre-wiring varies widely between builders. Some builders include a certain amount of pre-wiring as a standard, included feature. For example, pre-wiring for pendant lights over the kitchen island is usually included, whereas pre-wiring for sconce lighting in a theatre room may have an extra cost. If a builder will charge you for extra pre-wiring, it may cost between $100 and $250 to do the extra pre-wiring.
Cat 6 Ethernet Pre-Wire: Our builder offered a few Cat 6 Ethernet ports standard, and we paid $85 each to add extra Cat 6 ports to our new construction home. The advantage of Cat 6 ports is that you can hardwire directly to your home’s internet, as an alternative to using Wifi. By using a Cat 6 Ethernet cable, you can plug your TVs or computers directly into the wall, and get a better internet connection. This is good for using streaming services, gaming, and for those who work from home.
Soffit outlets: This is one of my favorite upgrades! Outlets in the soffits are a small upgrade that will be a game-changer when you hang holiday lights! You don’t need many to make a big impact. The builder may include soffit outlets or charge a little extra for these. Builder prices vary widely for these which may cost anywhere from $25-$100 per outlet.
Floor plugs: Open floor plans create large, beautiful spaces that blend into one another and also create a lack of walls. Fewer walls equals less wall space for outlets, which makes it harder to plug in reclining furniture, computers, lamps and recharge phones and tablets. Strategically placed floor plugs are the answer! The floor plugs are embedded in the concrete during the building process, so they will be a structural upgrade. We paid $1800 to add five floor plugs to our new home: one in the game room, two in the great room, and one in each extra bedroom we will use as an office.
Also, for more ideas, check out our article 14 Must Have Lighting and Low Voltage Ideas for New Construction for more information.

Low-Cost Structural/Deco Upgrades
Tiled Fireplaces” Although it will cost extra money to get tile around the fireplace, it will cost less money to use tile than to use brick or stone – especially if you plan on tiling all the way up to the ceiling. Tile not only costs less, but if you can find some nice “standard” or “level one” tile options the better. Tiling the fireplace is also something that you can DIY after the new home construction is done and save even more money. There are some nice brick-look or stone-look tile options that are simply beautiful! Check it out on Amazon. TORURAL 100 Red Faux Brick Wall Tiles, 3D Thin Brick Veneers for Bedroom, Bathroom, Kitchen, Fireplace and Fence Wall Panels (14.2 sq.ft) : Tools & Home Improvement
Padding under carpets: This is something that will be on many money-saving upgrade lists because it is something that really gives you a big bang for your buck. It is a widely given tip for new home construction that it is less expensive to upgrade the padding under the carpet than to upgrade the carpet. Upgrading the carpet can be done after your new home construction is complete when you can do it on your own terms for less.
Soft Close Cabinet Doors and Drawers: This is one of those things that I didn’t even notice I was missing in my life. I visited a home that had soft-close drawers and cabinet doors and was hoooked. However, depending on the builder, getting soft close may involve upgrading cabinet packages or it could be an add-on feature. With our builder, it was a feature we could add on without upgrading the cabinet package. We paid about $2,000 to upgrade to soft-close cabinet doors and drawers throughout our home. Soft close is also something you could do as a DIY project and not do through the builder. For more information see the Angi.com article How Much Does it Cost to Install Soft Close Drawers?
Decorative Tile in Small Spaces: There’s nothing like a beautiful backsplash going all the way up to the ceiling or a magnificently tiled shower wall to make a home pop! However, decorative tiles (especially the beautiful kind) can get expensive! To cut down on the expense, add some decorative tile in small spaces like a powder room. You can also use it as an accent to otherwise plain spaces like a utility room. Check out this 15-second video showing Powder Room Bling Using Metallic Penny Tile!
Sliding Drawer Microwave: A regular microwave has a door that swings open, or that you pull down. However, the sliding drawer microwave opens with the push of a button. It adds functionality and style to your kitchen and can cost about the same as a built-in microwave. Built-in and over-the-stove microwaves can be logistically challenging for shorter people, and seniors. A sliding-drawer microwave is a great and safer alternative!
Electric Fireplace: We saved money on our new construction home by choosing electric instead of gas fireplaces. Gas fireplaces came standard with our floor plan. However, we wanted the sleek, modern look of an electric fireplace. You can get an electric fireplace for the same or less than the cost of a gas fireplace. Also, you can also save money on the installation. We saved money because the builder did not have to run the gas lines. As a result of choosing electric fireplaces, we received a $3,350 credit on our build price.

Low-Cost Upgrades – Other
Thumbprint door locks: These were not an upgrade option offered by our builder. Our sales consultant suggested we put these on the door between the laundry room and owner’s suite . We love this idea! We found a few varieties of thumbprint doorknobs and thumbprint door handles on Amazon ranging from $36 to $125. We are going to add these after we move into our new construction home.
Half-Lite or Full-Lite blind doors: Usually seen on Single or French Patio doors. The door has a large panel of glass in the middle of the door. Half or Full-lite blind exterior doors have blinds that are “built-in” behind a layer of tempered glass. This makes it easy to raise, lower, or adjust the blinds without the need for a curtain or shade. The blinds are often an attachment that fits over the glass inside of the door. Therefore, you may need a round door knob. A lever door knob sometimes hit up against the frame of the blinds. Fortunately, our builder included full-lite blind doors in our new construction home. These doors can cost anywhere from an additional $150-$350. You can also do this as a DIY project – check these out on Amazon.com: ODL Add On Blinds for Raised Frame Doors – Outer Frame Measurement 24″ x 38″ – Home Improvement – Easy to Install, Use and Maintain – Innovative Window Shades Protected Behind Tempered Safety Glass : Home & Kitchen]
Pest/Termite Control System: A pest control system may or may not be included in your new home construction contract. VA loans require proof of a pest control system. It is a good low-cost upgrade option to protect your investment. We paid $1800 to add a termite control system to our new construction home build.
Comfort or Chair Height Toilets: A standard toilet is 14.5 -16” between the floor and the toilet seat. A comfort height toilet is the height of a typical chair (17 – 19” between the floor and toilet seat). You can expect to spend around $150 and up for a toilet whether it is standard or comfort height. Comfort height may or may not be an upgrade. It may actually cost less than a standard-height toilet depending on the features and brand you select. For more information see the angi.com article, What’s the Difference Between Standard Height and Comfort Height Toilets?
Push button Garbage Disposal: You don’t need to upgrade everything in the kitchen to get a modern look. There are small things you can upgrade to give a modern look and feel to your kitchen. A push button for the garbage disposal can cost anywhere from $30 – $100 to upgrade.