Wanted to post this yesterday, as it was valid for v.0.7.3, but ran out of posts.
When auto upgrade is turned off, the button to upgrade housing manually does not function.
res 3840x2160 @ 1.5 UI scale
Additionally, if auto-upgrade is turned on and a home begins the upgrade (changes to build site) and the auto-upgrade is turned off before the building is finished, the UI check box for allowing building will uncheck itself preventing the player from controlling if an upgrade happens regardless of the auto-upgrade being disabled/enabled. However, the building site can still be “prioritized” despite being restricted.