If you’ve been following our home-building adventure, you know we recently wrapped up our new construction with Toll Brothers, and let me just say… whew, what a whirlwind! From picking floor plans to obsessing over flooring samples at 10 p.m. in my pajamas, we’ve been in it. And now that we’re finally moved in (and semi-unpacked!), I wanted to sit down and give you the real talk on all the upgrades we chose—and whether they were worth the splurge.
If you haven’t seen the full tour yet, make sure to check out our video where we walk you through our favorite features and show you what all those extra dollars actually bought us. But if you’re here for the details of our Toll Brothers home upgrades, keep reading…
The Toll Brothers Home Upgrades We Chose (And Loved 💖)
So let’s get into it. Toll Brothers gives you a solid base package, but we knew we wanted a more elevated, contemporary feel throughout—without getting too wild. Here’s what we chose:
- Upgraded Wood Flooring: 100% worth it. This was one of our biggest splurges and honestly, it completely changed the feel of the home. The quality is amazing, and it gives that warm, coastal vibe we were going for.
- Quartz Countertops + Waterfall Edge: The waterfall island is my kitchen’s main character. These are a dream to clean, super durable, and just make everything feel luxe.
- Contemporary Wood Trim: We opted for cleaner lines throughout instead of traditional trim—and it’s one of those subtle things that really makes the house feel custom. Love it.
- Bathroom Faucets & Primary Shower: The upgraded shower was absolutely worth it—super spacious and spa-like. Faucets were a small detail that made a big impact.
- Can Lighting: This is one of those things you don’t think about until you move in. Having enough lighting (and in the right places!) made the space feel so much brighter and more open. No regrets.
- Upgraded Carpet: For the bedrooms, we chose a softer, more durable carpet and honestly… it’s so cozy. I may have laid down and just chilled on the floor during move-in week. 😂
- Appliances: We upgraded most of the kitchen appliances through the builder so we’d be move-in ready. Totally worth it for convenience and less stress.
What We Didn’t Do (and Why)
We decided to skip a few builder upgrades and tackle them ourselves after closing—and I’m so glad we did! Not only did it save us some serious money, but it gave us the freedom to choose exactly what we wanted (and yes, I have the Amazon order history and Home Depot receipts to prove it ).
- Kitchen Backsplash: We installed this ourselves after moving in, and it completely transformed the kitchen. It was such a fun project, and I love that we were able to pick something unique that really fits our style. (Photos below 👇) Here is a backsplash tutorial on how we did our own backsplash.
- Cabinet Hardware: Also a DIY! We chose our own hardware and installed it over a weekend. It made a hugedifference and gave the cabinets that polished, finished look. Plus, it was super satisfying seeing the before-and-after.
- Pantry Shelving: Instead of going with the builder’s upgraded pantry package, we designed and installed our own custom shelving system post-close. It’s now one of my favorite spots in the whole house—functional, pretty, and totally personalized to how we actually use the space. Here is a Pantry Remodel Tutorial to show you what we did.
The One Thing We Might Have Rethought…
Okay, so let’s talk stair treads. We upgraded these, but if I’m being honest… the color didn’t end up matching the wood flooring the way we hoped. It’s not a dealbreaker (and we might eventually stain or replace them), but it’s the one upgrade we maybe should have thought twice about. Just something to keep in mind if you’re about to go through the same process!
Final Thoughts
Would we do it all over again? Honestly—yes. Most of the upgrades we picked have made our home feel like us. Comfortable, elevated, and truly move-in ready. If you’re building with Toll Brothers (or any builder, really), my best advice is to invest in the structural and hard-to-change things first—like floors, lighting, and countertops—and leave the smaller stuff (backsplash, hardware) to do later if you’re up for a little DIY.
Thanks for following along our journey with our Toll Brothers home upgrades! And again—don’t miss the full video tour to see all these upgrades in real life.