Inside a $1.5 Million New Construction Home in Felida Washington (Builder Walkthrough)

Ruben walks the finishes and layout inside a Felida, Washington build in the $1.4M to $1.5M range, plus a mid construction lot next door.

A walkthrough of two finished spec homes in Felida, Washington, the Ashley lots, in the $1.4 to $1.5 million range. This is what the finish decisions actually look like on a build at that price point, and which ones are worth the money.

Make the entry something

On a house selling at $1.4 to $1.5 million, the entry has to land. Natural stone on the front, a concrete porch poured level with the door so the transition is flat, heated diamond tile in the entry, and engineered hardwood through the rest of the home.

Where to spend: gas, on the right house

Not every spec home gets a natural gas meter and gas piping run through it, because it is a real added cost. On this one it earned its place: a gas fireplace with stone in a two story great room, and because the gas line and meter were already there, a gas cooktop in the kitchen too. That turns it into a chef’s kitchen for very little incremental spend, and it is connected to the great room for entertaining.

The free upgrade

A closet sat in the middle of the great room space. Moving it to the office side and replacing it with a framed archway cost nothing extra, and it turned a dead corner into a feature you can light and plant. Reworking a layout during framing is often free. The same move after drywall is not.

Small rooms are where character is cheap

The powder bath got a marble floating sink on custom metal brackets, with a smooth Roman clay style troweled finish on the walls. It goes on with a spatula, dries with texture, and is inexpensive for how expensive it reads. On the second home, a travertine style solid slab on a brass stand does the same job.

Primary suites: separate the functions

A long layout with two separate vanities, a freestanding tub between them, a walk-in shower, tile shelving, a large walk-in closet, and a fully separated toilet room with its own fan. Heated tile underfoot and under-cabinet LEDs washing down onto it. Those details are what a buyer notices every single day.

Landscaping that looks expensive and is not

A lower cost rock retaining wall reads as natural against a gentle slope, a wood fire pit anchors the yard, and hydroseed produces a much more even lawn than patch seeding. Inexpensive for the result.

What the second home does differently

Lot two carries a primary suite on the main floor and a second one upstairs, which makes it a dual living house: parents downstairs, owners upstairs. That is a product the current market wants. It also has a commercial grade hood over 1,200 CFM, a walk-in pantry with a tile detail, a sink in the island so you can entertain while cleaning up, a coffee bar, a mudroom, and a laundry with a folding counter and a utility sink, which is what separates a laundry room from a laundry closet.

Sequence the sales, not just the builds

The two homes were deliberately staggered on the schedule so lot three could be listed and sold first, with lot two following shortly after. Lot three had photos scheduled and was going on the market while lot two still had concrete and excavation pending in the back yard. Two identical listings hitting the same street the same week compete with each other. Staggered, they do not.

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