What do you actually get in a Temecula new construction home before upgrades? More than most buyers expect. This SHAWOOD base model in Sommers Bend has quartz counters, dual ovens and a full prep kitchen with almost no options added.

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Why You Almost Never Get to Tour a Base Model

Every builder tour you have ever watched was filmed in the model home. Model homes exist to sell upgrades, so they carry every option on the sheet: the upgraded flooring, the upgraded backsplash, the wine wall, the built-ins. You walk out impressed and then discover, three appointments later, that the house you loved and the house in the base price are two different products.

The home in this tour is the opposite. It is a SHAWOOD plan in Sommers Bend, Temecula with almost no upgrades selected — which makes it the single most useful thing a new construction buyer can walk through. What you see is the floor you start from, not the ceiling you pay to reach.

The Lot: End of a Cul-de-Sac

This is one of the smaller plans in the community, positioned at the end of a cul-de-sac. That placement is worth noting on its own — cul-de-sac lots take almost no through traffic, and in a community still under construction, that matters more than it will in five years.

What "Base Model" Actually Looks Like Here

The great room runs very high ceilings and opens through a wall of glass. The fireplace and mantel are already handsome at the base level; the upgraded versions in other SHAWOOD homes are dressed up further, but nothing here reads as unfinished or stripped.

That is the honest takeaway for anyone shopping new construction homes in Temecula: at this builder, you do not need the upgrades. You may want them, and they do look good. But the base is a finished, livable house rather than a starting point you are forced to spend your way out of.

The Kitchen

Quartz countertops, dual ovens, a Monogram cooktop with a pot filler, a dishwasher, and cabinetry that holds up to a close look. The sink faces into the main living areas rather than a wall, which is a deliberate SHAWOOD layout choice across their plans — you are never cooking with your back to the room.

The Prep Kitchen

Behind the main run there is a full prep kitchen with a second refrigerator and its own pantry. This is the feature that separates the plan from most Temecula new construction at a similar footprint. The mess stays out of sight, and the main kitchen stays presentable on the days you actually have people over.

A Private Bathroom for Every Bedroom

There is a suite downstairs and, upstairs, a private bathroom attached to every single bedroom. Nobody shares a bathroom in this home. Upstairs also carries a kitchenette and a second laundry room, so the second floor can operate largely on its own.

SHAWOOD builds this way on purpose — their plans are designed to still work ten and twenty years out, not just for the first three to five. Whether that flexibility is worth paying for depends entirely on how you expect to use the house.

The Backyard, Honestly

This is the part of the tour worth being straight about. The lot is long but narrow — one of the shallower-feeling backyards in the community by proportion, because the cul-de-sac position stretches it out rather than widening it. It is a genuinely large yard; it just has a shape you have to plan around.

Most buyers on a lot like this put the pool along one side so the lawn runs uninterrupted the other way. The patio cover, which is standard on these plans and one of the better details the builder does, already frames the usable outdoor room.

Block Walls and Drainage

The community uses cinder block perimeter walls instead of vinyl fencing, which looks substantially better and lasts longer. Roof and patio drainage is already run. These are the unglamorous items that cost real money to add later and are easy to overlook while you are looking at countertops.

Upstairs: The View Is the Argument

What ultimately sells this particular home is the back side of Sommers Bend. The upstairs patio looks out over the whole community and toward Temecula Wine Country beyond it. Views like that are not an option you can select on a sheet — they come with the lot or they do not.

Register Your Agent on the First Visit

One practical note that costs buyers real money in Temecula: the person in the builder's sales gallery works for the builder. They are not representing your side of the transaction.

Anthony Anselmo does not charge buyers a commission, and on new construction the builder typically covers it — but you have to register your agent on your first visit to the community. Walk in unrepresented and you generally cannot add representation afterward. Call or text before you go, not after.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is included in a base model new construction home in Temecula?

It varies by builder. In this SHAWOOD home in Sommers Bend, the base level includes quartz counters, dual ovens, a Monogram cooktop with pot filler, a prep kitchen with a second refrigerator, a fireplace with mantel, cinder block perimeter walls and a patio cover. Always ask the builder for a written standard-features list and compare it against the model you toured.

Do I need a real estate agent to buy new construction in Temecula?

You are not required to have one, but the sales gallery represents the builder, not you. If you want your own representation, you generally must register your agent on your first visit to the community — most builders will not allow an agent to be added later.

Are Sommers Bend backyards big?

They vary widely by lot. Some are notably deep; this cul-de-sac lot is long and narrow instead. Walk the specific lot before you commit, since backyard shape is one of the few things about a new construction home you cannot change with an upgrade.

About Anthony Anselmo

Anthony Anselmo is a REALTOR® and team lead at Abundance Real Estate, specializing in residential real estate across Temecula, Temecula Wine Country, Murrieta, Menifee, and Southwest Riverside County. Abundance Real Estate was ranked the #1 brokerage in Temecula for both units and volume in 2024.

Touring New Construction Soon?

Before you set foot in a sales gallery, reach out to Anthony so your representation is registered from the first visit. You can also read through what he provides buyer clients or start a VIP home search across Temecula and Southwest Riverside County.