new home wish list question (1 Viewer)

[Tim Brewers]

Hey people, since this isn't really HT related I thought I would put it here.

I am building a new home, smallish-1250 sq. feet. I am a carpenter by trade and will be doing 90% of it myself.

What my question is, if you had a pretty limited budget, what would be some of the things you would definately do if you were to do it again? I mean, x-10, speakers in every room, more lights, better flooring, better appliances, more outlets, etc.

Where would put a little extra money? what would you tell the contractor you want done this time because you couldn't/didn't last time? I have built many homes in the last 15 years for other people, this will be the first for myself and just want to make sure I don't forget, or don't do something I should have. I hope this question makes sense.

Keep in mind this is within reason. Now, I am not going to give a price to stay under, just use your heads. I am not going to upgrade a $1000 Fridge to a $10,000 commercial one. If one is much better for $200 more I am all for it.

Ok, so now I want everyone's wish list if there were building a new custom home and had a budget.

Thanks,

Brew

 

[Adam Bluhm]

My parents always say that they should have planned for more closets/storage.

 

[Kevin Stewart]

Cat5e and RG6 wiring to every room with a home run somewhere in the house (closet, etc.), including the master bath. Wiring (including separate switches) for ceiling fans in every room. Speakers wired ( two in ceiling) to any room you think will need them (including the outside patio). Anything but laminate countertops (corian, silestone, granite, etc.). Exterior lighting flanking the garage, the front door and the patio (you can't grill in the dark). Install a combination microwave/convection oven above the regular oven (this will be used mainly as a microwave, but works well when you need a second oven and doesn't take up as much space). Add a built in seat to the master shower (if you have separate shower and tub). 42" raised panel cabinets in the kitchen. Outlet for a freezer in the laundry room or garage.



Stew

 

[Tim Brewers]

Thanks, those are just what I am looking for, keep them coming.

Brew

 

[CaseyLS]

Kegerator, definitely a kegerator.

 

[Joseph DeMartino]

Stew's list plus:

Seat adjacent to the bathtub as well. (And maybe some handrails. Easier to put them in now than later, and you're set up for any visitors who may find them useful. Neither you nor any of your relatives may need such things now but in a few years... )

An extra deep sink in the kitchen (and a whole second prep sink if you have room - for instance, in an island) and extra tall kitchen faucet. You want to be able to put a stock pot in the sink and fill it from the faucet if anyone in the house does any serious cooking - and you won't be able to with a standard sink.

Gas or electric appliances? If electric, go for a glasstop radiant cooktop. They're great to cook on, easy to install anywhere so your cooktop doesn't have to be above your oven (which can then go anywhere under counter or in the wall.)

Those would be my upgrades. But then, as you may have guessed, I like to cook.

And, as noted, these would be in addition to the wiring, etc. that Stew mentioned. My brother-in-law and I went into a house I was having built the weekend between the receipt of the electrical inspection certificate and the start of sheetrock work and ran speaker cable, cat-5 and RG6. Most of it I never used, but it was nice to know it was there. And it was wonderful just to plug the outputs for my rear channel speakers into outlets on the wall behind the entertainment unit and the speakers themselves into outlets above a shelf on the opposite wall. No a wire to be seen, very cool.

Regards,

Joe

 

[Keith Mickunas]

If you're on a limited budget, I have to go against some of the suggestions. Why spend lots of money on a fancy countertops now? You can always do that later. You're a carpenter, so I take it you're handy. So things that are an extreme pain in the ass you should do now, other stuff hold off on. I'd maximize square footage on a limited budget and do upgrades later if you plan to be there a while.

Speaker wiring is important, as is RG-6. Run lots of RG-6 to the HT room, and home run it to the attic or one closet, then run 1 or 2 to other rooms that might need it, 3 may be good also to some rooms so that way you can run composite and stereo, perhaps in the master. Since you're doing it yourself consider running empty conduit to key rooms so later on you can add additional wiring. Also put in plenty of electrical to all the rooms that are going to need it. Recessed lights, indirect light, etc., are always a plus. Gas drops for dryer, stove, and the fireplace even if you don't plan to use them.

Cat5? Why bother? Run some for phones, but don't go overboard. Wireless is cheap and easy, and you won't be pissed that you didn't run Cat5 to the proper wall. Make sure you have Cat5 and RG-6 going to your computer room if you have one, that way you can get DSL or cable modem access in there.


When I built I prewired for the HT, put tile in and upgraded some of the features in the bathrooms, like dual sinks in the master, and tile in all the wet areas. But I went with the laminate countertops in the kitchen because that is something I could change when I want. Nor did I bother with a fancy front door, or expensive light fixtures. Those are all things I can do myself as my budget permits in the future. Of course I went with a tract home and the builder's upgrades were pricey sometimes.

It's really a matter of what you want now and what you really want to pay for over the next 30 years and what you'll be willing and able to afford to add later on.

 

[Angelo.M]

We have purchased 2 new homes, both new construction. The most "value-intensive" upgrade we made in both cases was quality flooring (hardwood, tile, etc.). When we sold our first home, everyone who looked at it saw it as a huge advantage over similar homes (according to our realtor), and, when the house eventually sold, it was the feature that made the difference between our home and another similar home on our street.

 

[Jason L.]

1. I totally agree as far as closet/storage space. You can NEVER have enough. I cannot understand what the builders of my parents house were thinking when they made the master bedroom closet only 3 foot long.

2. If this is a multiple story house, make sure that it is soundproofed. Padding between the floorboards and floor joists, and insulation is a must.

3. In the bathroom, I personally wouldn't bother with a tub and just make it a large shower area. Being 6'2", I have no use for a bathtub because I am way too big for it [unless you have room for an extra big tub]. Also, I would make sure the tile runs from the floor to the ceiling in the shower. It looks so cheap when the tile stops at about eye level - like you couldn't afford to finish the job.