New Build Finishes: What You Need to Know Before You Decorate

When you move into a new build finishes, the final details that make a newly constructed home livable and visually complete, including flooring, paint, cabinetry, and fixtures. It’s not just about picking colors—it’s about timing, materials, and how your house behaves after construction. Too many people rush to hang pictures or lay rugs, only to find cracks in the walls or peeling paint six months later. That’s because a new home isn’t done when the builder says it is. It’s still settling, drying, and adjusting to its environment.

One of the biggest mistakes? Decorating before the plaster, the material used to coat interior walls and ceilings in new builds, which takes weeks to fully dry and cure is completely dry. In damp climates or during winter, that can take up to six months. If you paint or paper over wet plaster, moisture gets trapped. Mold grows. Paint bubbles. And worse—you might void your builder's warranty, a guarantee provided by the home builder that covers structural and finishing defects for a set period, typically 2 to 10 years. That’s not just a hassle—it’s a financial risk. Even something as simple as installing heavy shelves or hanging TVs can cause stress fractures if the structure hasn’t settled. The new construction, the process of building a home from the ground up, often involving custom materials, tight timelines, and multiple trades is complex, and the finishes are the last piece of a very delicate puzzle.

What you’ll find in the posts below aren’t generic tips. They’re real, tested insights from people who’ve been through it. You’ll learn why waiting six months isn’t just advice—it’s a rule backed by builders and surveyors. You’ll see what materials hold up best in new builds, why some flooring types are a trap, and how to spot hidden issues before you spend a dime on decor. There’s no fluff here. Just what works, what doesn’t, and what you need to know before you pick up a paintbrush or unbox your new sofa.