Finished House or Finish It Yourself?

TL;DR

With finishes: you move in fast, with a fixed price and no work to coordinate.
Without finishes: you pay less upfront and choose your own flooring, doors, closets and kitchen, but you take on the time, management and risk.
For a house of ~300 m², flooring and wood carpentry cost between $50M and $100M in 2026, depending on materials.
The key question: are you going to change the finishes anyway? If yes, buying without them avoids paying twice.

What “without finishes” means

When a builder offers a house without finishes, it usually means delivering it without:

Flooring (porcelain tile, wood, laminate)
Wood carpentry: interior doors, closets and kitchen cabinetry

The structure, walls, utilities and facade are delivered finished; always confirm the exact scope with the builder. What’s left to you is what most defines a house’s style.

How much it costs to finish it yourself in 2026

Reference ranges for a house of about 300 m² (all prices in Colombian pesos, COP):

Item	Reference cost	Estimated total
Flooring (porcelain tile, material + installation)	$57,000 – $125,000 per m²	$17M – $38M
Full kitchen	$8M – $25M	$8M – $25M
Closets (~12 linear meters)	$1.5M – $2.2M per linear meter	$18M – $26M
Interior doors (~12)	~$500,000 – $800,000 each	$6M – $10M
Total		$50M – $100M

Ranges checked in 2026 with suppliers and price generators; some material prices are from 2024. With natural wood flooring or lacquered carpentry, the figure rises.

Advantages of finishing it yourself

You choose everything: floor tone, kitchen style, closet design
You don’t pay twice: if you were going to remodel the kitchen upon move-in, you save on demolishing something new
You control the budget: invest more in the kitchen and less in closets, or do part now and part later
You pay less upfront: useful if you want to reduce your loan amount

Disadvantages

Time: between quoting, buying and installing, count on one to three months before moving in
Management: you coordinate several suppliers and oversee quality
Risk of cost overruns: if you choose high-end materials, you can end up spending more than you saved
Warranty: finishes you install yourself fall under your suppliers’ warranty, not the builder’s

The Salma Type E case

The last house at Salma Condominio Silvestre, the Type E, offers both options:

With standard finishes: $1,414M. Flooring, doors, closets and kitchen included.
Without flooring or wood carpentry: around $100M less. You finish it to your taste.

It’s 313 m² built, 5 bedrooms, 6 bathrooms and an 843 m² lot, with immediate delivery.

How to decide:

If you like the standard finishes or want to move in as soon as possible, buy it finished.
If you already have your dream kitchen in mind, or know you’ll change the flooring, buy it without finishes and put that difference toward what you really want.

An advisor can confirm the exact value of each option and what it includes.

Frequently asked questions

Can I get a mortgage for a house without finishes?

Generally yes, because the house is built and structurally habitable. Confirm with your bank how they appraise the property in that condition.

Can I finish just part of it now and the rest later?

Yes. Many families install flooring and the kitchen first, and leave the closets for later.

How long does it take to finish it?

With reliable suppliers, one to three months, depending on material availability and custom carpentry.

Conclusion

Buying with finishes gives you convenience and certainty; buying without them gives you freedom and budget control. Neither is better in the abstract: it depends on how much choosing every detail matters to you, and how much time you have.

If you’re still comparing options, see what $1,450 million buys you in Bucaramanga, or write to us to learn about the last Salma house.