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House Beautiful’s report gathers advice from interior designer Shandon Barrett and home-design executive Tammy Crosby on how to prioritize a new-home budget. They recommend spending early on hard-to-change elements such as layouts, windows, flooring and exterior materials, while considering lower-cost or later upgrades for fixtures, appliances, paint and bonus rooms.
House Beautiful’s report on new-home budgets recommends putting money toward choices that are difficult or disruptive to change later, including room layouts, windows, flooring and exterior materials, while saving on easily replaced finishes and accessories. The advice comes from interior designer Shandon Barrett and The House Designers CEO Tammy Crosby; it is expert guidance, not a universal cost estimate or guarantee of savings.
Crosby says homeowners should settle on kitchen and bathroom layouts early because moving water or gas lines later can involve breaking concrete slabs or cutting floor joists. She also suggests installing plumbing rough-ins during construction for possible future features, such as a basement bathroom, outdoor kitchen or ice-maker, even if the fixtures are not part of the initial build. The source does not provide prices for rough-ins or estimate how much they might save.
Windows and doors also deserve early planning, the report says. Changing window sizes or adding openings later can require work on siding, framing and interior drywall. Crosby recommends considering larger or additional windows in living areas and stairwells, as well as double- or triple-pane low-emissivity glass. She says that glass can save thousands of dollars in energy bills over the home’s life, but the report supplies no calculation, assumptions or comparison to support a specific household saving.
Flooring and the building envelope are other areas the experts say can be expensive to retrofit. Crosby recommends continuous hard-surface flooring in main living areas and deciding on tile during construction. She also advises investing in a resilient exterior, including roofing and siding, which protect the structure from weather and thermal transfer. By contrast, Barrett says decorative lighting can be upgraded later if electrical planning is done properly. Crosby also points to standard appliances, neutral paint, basic trim and unfinished bonus rooms as possible ways to defer spending.
Spend Early on Hard-to-Change Work
The recommendations address a common budgeting trade-off in new construction: a lower initial price can leave owners facing expensive disruption if they later change built-in systems or structural finishes. Planning layouts and utility connections before construction may reduce the need to reopen walls, floors or slabs, while decisions about windows and exterior materials can affect both later labor and household comfort.
The advice also distinguishes between the cost of a feature and the cost of changing it. A decorative light, cabinet pull or wall color can usually be replaced without reworking major parts of a home. Postponing those choices may leave more of the initial budget for construction decisions that are harder to revisit. However, the report does not compare bids, quantify typical retrofit costs or establish that every upgrade will pay for itself.
energy-efficient double-pane windows
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The Cost of Changing Course
The report frames its advice around how difficult a choice may be to alter after a home is built. Moving plumbing or gas lines can involve access to floors and structural components; enlarging a window can entail changes both outside and inside. Flooring may be removable, but replacing it across a large area can also mean removing trim and baseboards and paying for substantial labor.
For items that can be changed with less construction, the experts describe a phased approach. Homeowners might install standard fixtures or appliances first, then replace them later, provided the original electrical plan, openings and utility connections suit the intended future products. A bonus room can also be framed and finished later, according to Crosby. Those options depend on the home’s design and the owner’s future plans, rather than being suitable for every project.
““It’s not about spending the most money; it’s about spending it in the right places.””
— Shandon Barrett, interior designer at Love vs. Design, quoted by House Beautiful
Savings Depend on the Project
The report offers professional recommendations but does not include a construction budget, regional pricing, contractor estimates or a comparison of upfront costs against later replacement costs. Its statements about potential energy-bill savings and long-term returns should be read as expert claims, not independently calculated outcomes. Actual results will depend on the home, climate, materials, labor prices and household use.
It is also not clear how much homeowners should allocate to each category, which upgrades have the best return in a particular market, or whether a given project can safely defer insulation, drywall or other work in a bonus room. The report does not address local code requirements, financing terms or the details of individual building contracts. Homeowners will need project-specific advice from their builder and relevant professionals.
Decisions to Make Before Building
For people planning a build, the report’s advice points to decisions to discuss with the builder before plans are finalized: room and fixture layouts, future plumbing needs, window placement, flooring transitions and exterior materials. Owners can also ask for the cost of adding rough-ins now versus installing them later, and confirm that appliance openings and utility hookups will fit any products they may want to use.
Finishes that are easy to replace can be evaluated against the available budget and scheduled for a later phase. The report does not identify a next publication, policy change or construction milestone; timing and costs will be specific to each build. Its practical message is to compare the cost of doing work during construction with the disruption and expense of returning to it later.
Key Questions
Which parts of a new home does the report recommend prioritizing?
House Beautiful’s experts recommend planning layouts, plumbing rough-ins, windows and doors early. They also advise considering durable flooring in main areas and resilient roofing and siding because these choices can be disruptive to change later.
What upgrades can homeowners consider postponing?
The report identifies decorative lighting, plumbing fixtures, cabinet pulls, appliances, custom paint, wallpaper and accessories as items that may be upgraded later. Crosby also says a bonus room may be finished in a later phase, depending on the project and its plans.
Should homeowners install plumbing for features they may add later?
Crosby recommends discussing plumbing rough-ins for possible future features, such as a basement bathroom or outdoor kitchen, while the home is under construction. The value depends on the cost of the work now and the likelihood that the feature will be added.
No. Crosby says low-E glass may reduce energy bills and that high-performance exterior choices can produce long-term savings, but the report provides no figures or project-specific comparison. Homeowners should request estimates suited to their climate, materials and build.
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