Who's built a house? Looking for tips on what to not forget!

[vr4Legacy]

Originally Posted by Cub Cadet 123

There are little things too, like do you want to put your dryer vent in the wall or in the floor.....Putting it in the wall will allow you to push the dryer further back if needed. Also, small pets cannot knock it out or mess with it. This depends on where it is located, if there is a wall around it, etc. Also, put shut off valves for your washer above your washer so that you can quickly shut it off if you need to in an emergency.

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If you have a large window, you might consider having safety glass put in it. When I put my 5' octagon window in my kitchen, I had safety glass installed so that no one gets hurt if a baseball comes through it or an accident occurs. Now, someone might get a good ole fashioned paddling if they were careless and broke it, but still no one gets hurt.

Thanks for all the info. We're building a 1 story ranch, with a full, poured wall basement.

They use one of those laundry hookup/drain deals above the washer, so shut offs are handy, but a great thing to point out. Thanks!

Good point on the safety glass. We are putting in a 5x6 "feature window". I assume it's safety glass being that large, but something I'll check on. With 2 boys, I anticipate something getting broken along the way lol.

[john hall]

Well, you've already been told that you WILL get something wrong, accept it. I've seen some great ideas tossed out. Here are some more:

A real exhaust vent over the stove, not one of those pcs of crap that filter the air and keep it in the kitchen--guess what we have.

Big old garden tub in the master bath--waste of money and space.

2 sinks in master bath or you will never get anywhere on time.

Front porch--6 foot is too narrow, 8 is better.

How dirty do you get everyday? I'm a machinist and part-time farmer. Metal chips, mud, grease, general stinking clothes--that's me. Just as soon as I walk in the house I am in the mud/laundry room where I can take off my shoes and anything else that stinks. This is where I keep my work boots and coats as well. There are hampers there for my dirty clothes. FWIW, somedays the clothes are so nasty that jeans and shirts are removed outside--thank GOD we don't have close neighbors!

We also put in tile so if I'm not really dirty, or only need to remove my shoes I can make it to the kitchen without having to walk on carpet.

Counterspace in the kitchen---like workbenches in the shop--you can't have enough.

Are you building a garage now or in the future? If its in the future, plan for it now when laying out your lot. Mine is 26 x 42. It houses 3 vehicles, 1 Cadet, 3 ATV's, deep freezer, toolbox, sporting equipment, generator, and a 111 yr old IH hit-and-miss engine. I don't do mechanic work in the garage (often) as I have access to the farm shop for that.

[Jeff in Pa]

Lots of good suggestions given. I will add put a light switch for the outside lights in the master bedroom. That way if you hear something in the middle of the night, you can light up the outside within seconds.

You mentioned a walkout basement. Go as wide with the doors as you can afford. My friend George had his opening put in at 10' wide. There is two 2' wide solid sections on each side of the french doors. It all comes out to put whatever he wants in easily. He put his Corvette in the one winter and restored it in the comfort of his basement

[PaulS]

Several things I would do differently. I would build the garage now. I waited and the garage was way more expensive than if I had done it with the house.

I have a couple of those motion detector lights and do not have a switch inside for them. When the power blinks off as it does here occasionally those lights come on and stay on and I have to flip the circuit breaker and that shuts off our alarm clock in the bedroom which needs to be reset.

[Dirty Steve]

Put in the biggest electrical panel your state will allow. I think NY allows up 52 space panel now. Mine is a 42 space and already put a sub panel in after the fact. Use all 12/2 wire or even 10 guage. Don't put too many ceiling can lights on one circuit. My brother in law is electrician. We put in modular and brother in law helped us design the electrical from the get go. Dimmers are great features. Use as much LED and energy star as possible. Put the best insulation in which is available. Sprayfoam if you can afford it. Carbon monoxide detectors. Someone mentioned stubbing conduit in walls from attic to basement. I put in 8 1.5 inch counduits after the fact. Pain to do after the fact.

Oh it is never big enough and always too much money. Good luck!!!

[Billy-O]

If you are doing a rough-in bath in basement, you're probably already half way there to putting in a temporary sink. So why not do both the garage and basement?

As far as building a house, just make sure you know what the builder is putting in the pot with his price/bid. Often times, the builder will substitute something else when plans call for something specific such as a name brand, make, model, etc., etc. You don't want the substitution to be an inferior. I could go on an on with other ideas but I think you got the smarts to run the show.

[zippy1]

Are you planning on living here the rest of your life? If so, plan things around that can be changed as you get old-er. Being in a chair, I always look at others homes and think, "man what you going to do if/when you get old"? How you going to get around that house?
Wide doorways, lower windows, counters that you can sit under rather than alongside. Not a lot of steps outside. If you do an attached garage, make it level with the living quarters, instead of a step up.
Open bathrooms, not toilets stuck back in a corner. Think of wider hallways, not the normal narrow ones.
In case you ever need to add a ramp, it'll be possible, instead of impossible, where you would have to move because your home couldn't be adapted.
Unfortunately, we are all going to get old someday, but when we are young, no one thinks of them days...
And when you figure your garage/toy-box, always think bigger, because it's never big enough, you run out of room real fast.

[Berwil]

Paul, replace the battery in your alarm clock!

Generator sub panel, you need water and heat with kids when the power goes out. 2 sources of heat with different fuel sources, you will have an issue with your fuel supply or furnace....someday. A couple dedicated outlets at the front corners of the house powered by a commercial grade timer at the panel for Christmas lights. If you do icicle lights, you can have an outlet put in the soffit from the same timer. Are you window candle people? I've installed "the window candle package" in new houses. It is a single circuit that is run to a receptacle under each window in the front of the house, all controlled by a switch next to the front door. It allows you to turn all your window candles on/off all at once.
Our old house had door switches in the door jams of every swinging-door closet, open the door, light goes on, close the door, lights goes off. I miss them. Don't put in gfi breakers (unless required by code), put gfi's at point of use. That is unless you don't mind being called in from the garage to go downstairs and reset the gfi because your wife is elbow deep in another culinary masterpiece. Personally, I think double receptacles everywhere would look silly. I get behind the couch or bed, but install a central vac or receptacles just inside the door of each room for vacuuming. If you are putting in ceiling lights in the bedrooms, install a fan box and 3-wire from the switch to box so you can control the fan/light separate (even if you're not installing a fan, you might could one day).

Bill

[johns cubs]

I am a contractor and have built many homes, garages, barns, etc. One thing I always recomend if using boiler is radiant heat in floors! Its a hell of alot nicer to lay on even 60º concrete rather than -10! If you are putting washer/dryer down stairs I would consider laundry shoot. Also a table/ cabinet with counter space in laundry room with lights directly over w/dryer. Make it nice to fold laundry as it comes out of dryer and if ever u need to repair appliances you can see them. I always put plywood behind sheetrock where you wanna hang something, ie towel bars, tp roll holders coat racks etc. I like to have a toilet in garage area, if I have a few buddys come over to work on a project and have a few beers your not running in and out of house all the time. Make sure plumbers get whatever drain pipes you think you might need planned before any concrete goes in. Lights over counters/work benchs. Exterior recepticles as mentioned, even if you dont think you need them they are there. Also like to have spigots anyplace you may want/need hose. Usually one on each side of house for watering grass etc.

[titleist1]

Zippy covered it pretty well....For ease of access as you age or need to care for aging relatives....use all 3' interior doors, have hallways wide enough for a wheelchair & at least one bathroom with a shower stall with very low lip or pitched tile entrance so you don't have to step over a tub. We set our house up like this a few years back during renovations thinking we may need it in the future but it came in handy while my mother re-habbed here last summer.

Lots of good suggestions on the garage, I would add a floor drain to the design if possible.

Lights in all closets.