Which Pre-Start Upgrades Are Actually Worth It? The Honest WA Guide

You are sitting in front of your builder's upgrade menu and the numbers are adding up faster than you expected. But which ones actually make a difference — and which ones are you going to forget about in six months?

Eye-level view of a color palette with various shades

One of the most common questions WA first home builders ask heading into their pre-start appointment is this: which upgrades are actually worth spending money on?

It is a genuinely good question — and one that deserves an honest answer rather than a sales pitch. At Taylor & Co Interior Design, we work with WA homebuilders to help them make exactly these decisions before their appointment, so they are not standing in a showroom trying to calculate ROI under pressure.

Here is our honest breakdown of the upgrades that consistently deliver the most value in new WA homes — and the ones you can comfortably leave at standard inclusion.

First — A Framework for Thinking About Upgrades

Before we get into specifics, it is worth having a clear framework for how to think about pre-start upgrades. Every upgrade falls into one of three categories:

Structural and impossible-to-change-later upgrades

These are the ones that absolutely must be decided and paid for now, because once the walls are up and the roof is on, they cannot be changed without major expense or disruption. Ceiling height is the classic example.

High-impact cosmetic upgrades

These make a significant difference to how your home looks and feels, and are substantially cheaper to do during the build than to retrofit or replace later. Stone benchtops and floor-to-ceiling tiles fall into this category.

Low-priority cosmetic upgrades

These are the upgrades that feel exciting in a showroom but deliver limited real-world value over time, or that can easily be done after you move in at comparable cost. Resist the temptation to spend your upgrade budget here.

Structural changes to your home should always be prioritised over cosmetic upgrades. Any money left over can then be divided according to your taste and lifestyle.

The Upgrades That Are Almost Always Worth It

1. Ceiling Height

This is consistently one of the most impactful and cost-effective upgrades available at pre-start — and it is one of the very few decisions that genuinely cannot be made after your build is complete.

Raising your ceiling height from the standard 2440mm to 2550mm or 2700mm dramatically changes how a space feels. Rooms feel larger, lighter, and more premium. It improves airflow and makes your home feel genuinely high-end without requiring expensive finishes to achieve it.

The cost difference between standard and 2550mm is relatively modest during a build. Attempting to raise ceiling heights after construction is effectively impossible in most cases.

Verdict: Prioritise this upgrade. If your budget allows only one structural upgrade, this is the one.

2. Stone Benchtops — At Least in the Kitchen

Stone benchtops are one of the most debated upgrades at pre-start — and for good reason. They are more expensive than laminate, but they are also significantly more durable, easier to maintain, and visually superior in almost every context.

Engineered stone (quartz) in particular is non-porous, scratch-resistant, and long-lasting — qualities that matter enormously in a kitchen that will be used daily for decades. Laminate benchtops chip, stain, and date. Stone does not.

From a resale perspective, stone benchtops in the kitchen are increasingly an expectation rather than a luxury in Perth's property market. Buyers notice their absence.

The builder package price for stone benchtops is almost always lower than what you would pay to have them installed after the fact. This is one upgrade where the build stage is the right time to invest.

Verdict: Worth it in the kitchen as a minimum. Extending to bathrooms and laundry depends on your budget and how long you plan to stay.

3. Additional Power Points and Data Points

This is the upgrade that almost every WA homeowner wishes they had done more of. Adding extra power points and data ports during the build is inexpensive and straightforward. Chasing cables through finished walls after construction is the opposite of both.

Think about where you will actually live in your home before your pre-start appointment. Where will the television go? Where will phones charge? Where will you work? Where will you need USB outlets?

Data points deserve particular attention. With remote work now a permanent part of most households, having hard-wired ethernet connections in your home office, living room, and main bedrooms is worth far more than it costs.

Verdict: Do this. Add more power points and data points than you think you need. You will use all of them.

4. Insulation Upgrades

As of 1 May 2025, all new homes in Western Australia must meet a minimum 7-star NatHERS energy rating. Your builder will design to meet this requirement — but there is often an opportunity at pre-start to upgrade insulation beyond the minimum standard, particularly in ceilings and walls.

In Perth's climate — where summer temperatures regularly exceed 35 degrees and air conditioning runs for months at a time — additional insulation pays for itself in reduced energy bills within a relatively short period. It also makes your home significantly more comfortable to live in throughout the year.

Verdict: Worth considering, particularly if you are building in a western or northern-facing orientation. Discuss with your builder what is included in their 7-star compliance and what additional options are available.

5. Tile Layout and Format Upgrades

This one surprises many people — but the size and lay pattern of your tiles makes an enormous difference to how a space reads. Larger format tiles with a rectified edge make rooms feel significantly more sophisticated and spacious than smaller tiles with wide grout lines.

A herringbone or offset lay pattern in a bathroom or laundry transforms a standard space into something considered and intentional. The tile itself may be identical — it is the format and installation that changes the outcome.

This upgrade is often more accessible than people expect, and it is one where the visual return on investment is immediately noticeable.

Verdict: Prioritise tile format and lay pattern upgrades in bathrooms, ensuite, and kitchen splashback areas.

6. Tapware and Fixture Finish Upgrades

Builder-standard tapware tends to be functional but forgettable — chrome finishes with dated profiles that date quickly and show water marks immediately. Upgrading to matte black, brushed nickel, or brushed brass in a consistent finish across your kitchen and bathrooms costs relatively little at pre-start and makes a significant visual difference.

The key word here is consistent. Choose one metal finish and use it throughout the home. Mixing finishes — chrome tapware with black door handles, for example — creates a fragmented, unresolved aesthetic that is difficult to recover from.

Verdict: Worth it when done with consistency across the whole home.

The Upgrades You Can Probably Skip

Premium appliances through your builder

Builders are often not the most competitive source of appliance upgrades. In most cases, you will get better value purchasing appliances independently after you move in — particularly where the builder's preferred supplier range does not align with your preferences. Confirm what is included in your standard inclusions, and make a note to source anything additional yourself.

Thick slab benchtop edges for their own sake

A 40mm edge profile on a stone benchtop looks impressive, but the additional cost can be significant. In most cases, the same budget is better spent on a larger overall benchtop area, a waterfall end detail, or extending stone to a second room. The edge profile rarely justifies its price premium on its own.

Over-capitalising on a street that does not support it

This is one of the most common and costly mistakes at pre-start — spending significantly on upgrades that are not reflected in the value of comparable homes in your street. Before committing to a substantial upgrade budget, it is worth understanding what the ceiling value of homes in your area looks like. Over-capitalising is a genuine risk, particularly in Perth's outer growth corridors.

How to Manage Your Upgrade Budget at Pre-Start

The most effective approach to upgrade budgeting at pre-start is to separate your list into must-haves and would-like-to-haves before you walk into the appointment. Know your total upgrade budget in advance and stick to it.

Prioritise structural changes first — ceiling height, additional power points, insulation. These cannot be undone or added later. Then allocate remaining budget to high-impact cosmetic upgrades in the rooms you will use most: kitchen and main bathroom.

Everything else can wait. A great home is built on great decisions, not the maximum number of upgrades.

The people who spend their upgrade budget most wisely at pre-start are the ones who made their decisions before they walked in — not the ones who decided under pressure on the day.

Need Help Deciding Which Upgrades Are Right for Your Build?

Navigating pre-start upgrades on your own — in a two-hour window under pressure — is one of the most common pain points for WA first home builders. Taylor & Co Interior Design works with homebuilders across Perth and regional WA to prepare their full upgrade strategy before the appointment, so every decision is made with clarity and confidence.