Is it better to pay for options in a new build home or do the work yourself later?

My wife and I are having a home built and the options seem to be a bit a pricey. We are at the top of our budget and I was wondering if going a few dollars (70-80 per month) over was better than waiting and using cash to have the work done later. For example we want granite counter-tops and one of our concerns is the cabinets getting damaged, plus with the amount of cash we would have to come up to do all the work ourselves, the work wouldn't be finished for eight months to a year. Thanks in advance and any advice will be helpful.