Eric MorrisCoastal Delaware Homes

Buyer guide · Features

What's included in an Insight home, and what's an upgrade

When you compare new homes, the base price only tells you part of the story. Here's what comes standard in every Insight home, so you can compare builders feature for feature before you pay for options.

Included in every home

The standard features list

From Insight Homes' standard specifications (updated October 31, 2025). Specifications can change and some vary by community, plan and elevation; I'll confirm the current list for any home you're considering.

Extra included features

  • 5,000-watt solar system, owned (not leased)
  • EV charging receptacle in the garage (40 amp, 208/240 volt)
  • Central vacuum system
  • Broan SmartSense fresh-air ventilation
  • Sump pump with perimeter drain
  • Driveway and landscape package (communities)
  • Grading with seed or sod, up to half an acre (communities)

Foundation & framing

  • Poured concrete foundation
  • Conditioned crawlspace with rigid foam insulation, accessed from the garage
  • 2x6 advanced framing with insulated headers
  • ZIP System wall sheathing
  • Hurricane straps
  • Energy-heel roof trusses, so attic insulation stays full depth to the edges

Insulation & air sealing

  • R-23 dense-pack blown insulation in the walls
  • R-49 attic insulation
  • R-10 crawlspace wall insulation
  • Two-stage air sealing, with third-party testing
  • Independent HERS rating on every home (what that means)

Exterior & roof

  • Premium vinyl siding
  • Fiberglass exterior doors
  • Super Low-E windows that block about 90% of the sun's heat
  • 50-year architectural shingles with mold protection

Heating, cooling & plumbing

  • Variable-capacity inverter heat pump, up to 20 SEER
  • MERV-13 air filtration
  • Smart thermostat you can control from your phone
  • Tankless water heater
  • Moen fixtures
  • PEX plumbing with a MANABLOC manifold (a shut-off for every fixture in one place)

Kitchen

  • ENERGY STAR stainless steel appliances
  • Granite countertops
  • 36-inch upper cabinets
  • Undermount sink

Baths

  • Maple cabinetry
  • Cultured marble vanity tops
  • Double vanity in the owner's bath

Flooring & interior

  • Engineered hardwood in the foyer
  • Luxury vinyl plank in the kitchen and baths
  • Carpet in bedrooms
  • 5¼-inch baseboards
  • Low-VOC paint
  • LED lighting package, with Progress light fixtures and ceiling fans

Driveway, landscaping, grading and seed or sod are included in communities, not with Build On Your Lot homes, where site work depends on your land. Features listed are standard specifications and may vary or change. Confirm the specifications for a specific home before you sign.

What counts as an upgrade

Options fall into two groups, and it helps to know which is which before you visit the Selections Center:

  • Structural options change the house itself: extra bedrooms or baths, morning rooms and sunrooms, finished space over the garage, larger garages, basements where available, and porch and elevation choices. Each floor plan page shows the options in the brochure. These are chosen with your contract, because they affect permits and construction.
  • Finish selections are how the home looks and feels: cabinet styles and colors, countertops, flooring, tile, fixtures, lighting and paint. You choose these at Insight's Selections Center after you sign.

How to compare builders fairly

Many builders advertise a low base price, then charge extra for features Insight includes, such as solar, a tankless water heater, a high-efficiency heat pump, the EV receptacle or the landscape package. When you compare:

  • Price the same plan size with the same features in each home, not just the base price.
  • Ask what the HERS score is and whether every home is tested.
  • Add the energy bill to the monthly cost. A lower-HERS home can cost less to own each month even at a similar price. The payment calculator helps.
  • Look at what's behind the drywall: wall thickness, insulation, sheathing and air sealing. My book The House Behind the Price walks through it.

Insight also offers community incentives from time to time, such as free options or design-center credits. Each community lists its current offer. Ask me for a side-by-side comparison with any other home you're considering.

Let's talk

Questions about your new home?

Ask me anything about building or buying new in Southern Delaware. I'll give you a straight answer and help you find the right community and plan.

Call 410-726-4176 Email Eric
Eric Morris Community Sales Manager, Insight Homes
emorris@insightde.com

How can I help?

What would you like to do?