You’ve picked the floor plan. Before you pick the sofa, find out exactly what comes with the house.
A newly built home in Amarillo can offer appealing layouts, current finishes, and the opportunity to begin a new chapter in a space that has never been lived in. The next step is turning that appealing picture into a complete purchase and ownership budget.
When buying new construction in Amarillo, confirm the final price, included features, incentive conditions, financing costs, completed-home tax assumptions, inspection access, warranty coverage, and possession terms in writing. The details vary by builder, property, loan, and contract. A model home, advertised base price, or sample payment is a starting point for questions.
1. Compare the final price for the specific home and lot
Begin with an itemized proposal for the home you actually want. Ask whether the quoted amount includes the selected lot, elevation, structural changes, design selections, and any other charges that apply.
A model home may display features that are optional or unavailable in a particular inventory home. Ask the sales representative to identify the standard specifications and the upgrades shown, then compare those specifications with the purchase documents.
If you are selecting changes during construction, ask about selection deadlines, payment timing, refundability, and the written change-order process. Discuss with your lender how additional costs affect your financing and cash needs before committing.
Compare homes using the final proposed scope and price. A lower starting price and a higher price that includes more features may lead to a different comparison once both are fully itemized.
2. Make a separate move-in budget
Ask whether each item below is included, optional, or your responsibility. These are questions to verify, not a statement that every builder excludes these features.
Outdoor improvements: fencing, gates, sod or other landscaping, irrigation, gutters, drainage improvements, patios, and exterior lighting.
Indoor essentials: window coverings, refrigerator, washer and dryer, ceiling fans, and the specific appliances and finishes listed in the specifications.
Technology: internet availability, installation charges, smart-home equipment, monitoring subscriptions, and equipment ownership.
Moving and setup: moving services, utility deposits or connection charges, overlapping housing costs, and the furnishings you plan to purchase.
Community expenses: applicable HOA dues, initiation or transfer charges, assessments, and any approval process for future improvements.
For a simple illustration, a home priced at $300,000 with $8,000 of buyer-planned move-in items creates a $308,000 purchase-and-setup subtotal before closing costs and other expenses. Those figures are hypothetical, not an Amarillo cost estimate or a statement that the extra items can be financed.
Our Amarillo cash-to-close guide helps organize the separate upfront expenses.
3. Evaluate incentives alongside the full financing offer
A builder incentive may be valuable. Ask exactly how it works: which homes qualify, when the offer expires, what costs it can cover, whether a designated lender or other provider is involved, and what happens if your closing date changes.
Request the terms in writing and compare complete financing offers. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau recommends comparing Loan Estimates, including loan terms, payments, and costs. Look at the loan type and term, rate, points, lender charges, credits, cash to close, and rate-lock conditions. Compare estimates issued close together with the same assumptions where possible.
If an incentive involves a temporary buydown, ask the lender for the payment schedule after the temporary assistance ends. If it involves discount points, ask what the upfront cost buys and how the alternatives compare for your expected ownership period. Do not build the budget around a hoped-for refinance.
Ask lenders to explain differences in estimated taxes and insurance. A smaller estimate for a cost the lender does not control is not automatically a better loan offer. See our guide to the full monthly cost of an Amarillo home.
4. Check whether tax estimates reflect the completed home
A current tax record may reflect a lot or a home at an earlier stage of construction. Ask what property value, exemptions, taxing entities, and rates were used in the payment estimate, and whether the estimate accounts for the completed home.
The Texas Comptroller explains the property appraisal process. Texas property is generally appraised as of January 1, subject to applicable law and exceptions. A prior tax bill does not promise what you will owe after construction is reflected in the appraisal records.
Have your lender explain escrow assumptions and how later tax or insurance changes could affect the payment. Confirm exemption eligibility and application requirements with the appraisal district rather than assuming an exemption is already in place. Our Amarillo property-tax guide provides more questions to ask.
5. Discuss independent inspections before signing
New construction still deserves a clear inspection plan. Ask about access for an inspector you select, any requirements for the provider, available inspection stages, report delivery, and the process for discussing findings with the builder.
For a home under construction, ask a qualified inspector which services may be useful and when they need to occur. An inspection before a system is concealed may involve a different scope from an inspection of a substantially completed home. Do not assume every stage inspection is included in one fee.
TREC’s consumer inspection guidance explains the standards and reporting requirements that apply to licensed inspectors inspecting substantially completed residential property. A municipal inspection, builder walkthrough, lender appraisal, and independent buyer inspection serve different purposes.
You choose, hire, and pay your inspector. Your agent can help coordinate access and discuss the findings and contract process. Your purchase agreement determines access, deadlines, and the parties’ obligations; an inspection report does not automatically require every requested change.
6. Read the warranty before you need it
Request the actual warranty documents before committing, and ask who provides the coverage. A builder warranty, manufacturer warranty, and separately purchased service contract may cover different things.
Review covered components, coverage periods, exclusions, maintenance duties, the start date, transfer terms, and how to submit a claim. Ask which requests need written notice and what deadlines apply.
The Federal Trade Commission’s new-home warranty guide explains why the written terms and claim procedures matter. There is no single warranty schedule that should be assumed for every Amarillo home. Keep copies of the documents, notices, and responses; seek legal advice if you need help understanding rights or dispute provisions.
7. Plan around the contract’s completion and possession terms
A projected completion date helps you plan, but ask how the contract addresses delays, extensions, financing, and the steps required for closing and possession. A construction milestone or an initial walkthrough is not, by itself, permission to move in.
Discuss a backup plan for a lease expiration, moving truck, storage, or temporary housing. Ask the lender about rate-lock expiration, extension costs, and any updated documentation needed if the schedule changes.
Before closing, review how remaining agreed items will be documented, who is responsible, and what completion process applies. Do not rely on a verbal assurance that paperwork can be handled later. Ask your agent and, when appropriate, an attorney to help you understand unfamiliar builder-contract provisions before signing.
Understand representation before the model-home visit
Ask the builder’s sales representative whom they represent. A person helping you choose finishes or explaining the builder’s homes is not automatically your buyer’s agent.
If you want your own representation, speak with an agent early and discuss services, written agreements, compensation, and any builder registration procedures before visiting or signing. Compensation is negotiable; do not assume the builder pays your agent or that representation has no buyer cost. Review the actual agreements.
Your new-construction visit checklist
What is the itemized final price for this home and lot?
Which model-home features are optional, and what is included in my specifications?
Which move-in items will I need to arrange and pay for?
What written conditions apply to the incentive?
How does the complete financing offer compare with alternatives?
Do the tax and payment estimates account for the completed home?
What independent inspection access and decision deadlines apply?
What does the written warranty cover, and how do I make a claim?
What happens if construction or closing is delayed?
What must happen before I receive possession?
Questions Amarillo new-construction buyers ask
Are fences, landscaping, and appliances always included?
No universal package applies. Check the specifications and signed agreement for the particular home, including any negotiated additions or exclusions.
Is the builder’s lender always the best choice?
Evaluate the actual offer. An incentive can change the comparison, but compare the rate, fees, loan structure, cash to close, and payment schedule together.
Does a new home need an independent inspection?
An independent inspection can provide additional information within its scope. Discuss appropriate services with a qualified inspector and confirm the access and timing allowed by the contract.
Choose your new home with the full picture
Green Door Group can help you compare new construction and resale homes in Amarillo, Canyon, and the Texas Panhandle using the features, costs, and contract terms that matter to your plans.
Start with our Amarillo Homebuyer Guide. Considering an established home too? Read Buying an Older Home in Amarillo. When you are ready, contact Green Door Group to plan your next step.
Phone: (806) 318-8479
3131 Bell St, Suite 201, Amarillo, TX 79106
Sources and scope
CFPB: Comparing loan offers · Texas Comptroller: Valuing property · TREC: Property inspections · FTC: New-home warranties · TREC: Consumer information
Published November 5, 2026. General educational information, not legal, lending, tax, insurance, or inspection advice. Builder offerings, incentives, warranty terms, and financing vary and may change. Signed agreements control. Consult qualified professionals about your circumstances. Cover image is a conceptual illustration, not a specific listing. Equal Housing Opportunity.
