Building a new house

[Big Po 1]

Stand up shower, seperate from the bath tubs. Sure makes getting ready alot faster. We have them at our lakehouse, but not at the house in town.....Wish we had them here too.

 

Definitely make sure that garage is heated, and well ventillated during the summer....And definitely make it big enough to park all your cars, toys and boat in there. I'd leave a special slot just for your boat that's walled off from the other part of the garage, so nothing scratches it or hurts the boat. I think a 15x30 slot will be big enough to house the boat with an Enzo with enough room for you to get around in there. Might sound a bit over-kill, but it's what I'd build if I was building my own house.

Edited May 6, 2011 by Big Po

[Troy 234]

1. Put good windows in, not the cheap aluminum crap that they normally put in here in TX. Our aluminum windows sweat so bad that I have to wipe down the window seals every day during the winter. This past winter when it was below 32 for the 100 straight hours I had ICE on the inside window seal. Our house was built before we bought it and had most every upgrade in it, so I thought the windows would be OK. Boy was I wrong! Spend a little extra on windows now and save $$$ the rest of the time you live there!

2. If you install gas fireplaces, use vent-free ones they are like 99% efficient instead of the 80 or so efficient vented fireplaces.

3. I would recommend putting a drain in the floor of the garage under the boat that way you don't have the water running out under the door and making the floor slick while you are cleaning the boat up.

4. A sink and water spigots in the garage is a must!

5. A walk-in door is also a nice to have. Growing up we always had walk-in doors in the garage, then moving here I didn't think it was going to be missed (our house only has the garage doors in the garage) but it is a pain to have to open the garage door just to go in and out.

 

When is the house warming party scheduled?

[Red Falcon 1]

Heated floors in all bathrooms. I want to redo my 4 year old bathrooms just to put them in. The one thing mentioned and the thing I love that we did was plumb in for speakers thru out the house.

[Avy c4 surfer 0]

be sure to have a game room with pool table, etc... movie theatre with like 12 seats. maybe a laundry shout? shelves in bedrooms, doggy doors everywhere! outdoor garage opener, pull out trays in your cupboards, lighting in them too, electrical outlets everywhere. outdoor gas grill, bbq pit, sink, mini frige, outdoor shower, ceiling fans outside, make room for the biggest tv possible, eventually you will have it.

[Trevor Gleadhill 0]

1. Put good windows in, not the cheap aluminum crap that they normally put in here in TX. Our aluminum windows sweat so bad that I have to wipe down the window seals every day during the winter. This past winter when it was below 32 for the 100 straight hours I had ICE on the inside window seal. Our house was built before we bought it and had most every upgrade in it, so I thought the windows would be OK. Boy was I wrong! Spend a little extra on windows now and save $$$ the rest of the time you live there!

2. If you install gas fireplaces, use vent-free ones they are like 99% efficient instead of the 80 or so efficient vented fireplaces.

3. I would recommend putting a drain in the floor of the garage under the boat that way you don't have the water running out under the door and making the floor slick while you are cleaning the boat up.

4. A sink and water spigots in the garage is a must!

5. A walk-in door is also a nice to have. Growing up we always had walk-in doors in the garage, then moving here I didn't think it was going to be missed (our house only has the garage doors in the garage) but it is a pain to have to open the garage door just to go in and out.

 

When is the house warming party scheduled?

 

Troy - I really like #4, that is a really good idea.

 

Heated floors in all bathrooms. I want to redo my 4 year old bathrooms just to put them in. The one thing mentioned and the thing I love that we did was plumb in for speakers thru out the house.

 

Sound wiring throughout is a good one.

 

 

be sure to have a game room with pool table, etc... movie theatre with like 12 seats. maybe a laundry shout? shelves in bedrooms, doggy doors everywhere! outdoor garage opener, pull out trays in your cupboards, lighting in them too, electrical outlets everywhere. outdoor gas grill, bbq pit, sink, mini frige, outdoor shower, ceiling fans outside, make room for the biggest tv possible, eventually you will have it.

 

I'll see if I can scan in the plans. Right now the house is 4100 sq ft with a 1000 sf garage. 4 beds (two up, two down), 1.5 baths up and 2.5 baths down, office, dinning, family, breakfast down, game and media rooms up. I think the media room is 14x19 with a component closet and 7.1 surround sound pulled. Outside there is a fireplace, and we'll have the outdoor kitchen built.

 

T

[KnuckleDragger 7]

I think a couple of guys mentioned it already but make sure you put a shop sink in the garage! Oddly, I think that is one of the best things in my house. Nice to be able to have spot to clean things up. I hook a hose up to it when I service my boat or ballast and love it every time. I don't have a drain but my floor slopes enough to allow the water to run out the garage. Like BigCat said, insulate the heck out of it....walls and door. One other thing someone mentioned was the people door. That is a must as well. And make sure it is a double door at least 5' or more in width. That comes in handy if you ever need to pull an ATV or riding lawn mower through the door. Put electrical outlets on the ceiling for retractible extention cords, etc. Also, put a 220 outlet near the front of the garage or RV pad if you have one.

 

As far as the home interior goes, everyone has different oppinions on that and there are some good ones on here. Try to think about every scenario. One thing that gets commonly overlooked is doorway and hall widths. Imagine yourself moving large furniture in, take some measurements, and make sure you won't have any surprises. How many times has someone been trying to move a long couch or pool table around a tight corner or door?

 

Oh, one last thing...dig a trench and put some 2" or larger pipe under your driveway and any sidewalks before they are poured. That gives you a place to push sprinkler pipe through easily so that you have more options when it comes to how your zones are designed.

 

Congrats on the new home! I enjoyed building ours...it was a lot of time and work but I enjoyed it. I don't plan on ever doing it again, but I enjoyed it.

[Auldman 0]

One thing I forgot but is an absolute must as long as you are building...Have the builder put in a lake. Don't scrimp on this one as I truely regret not getting one and I am sure there are other crew members who would highly recommend it. You should also install extra docks for the Crew! If there is any spare $$ left put in a fuel dock.

[Colombian Surfer 2]

If you can get a basement put in, do it! cheapest room in the whole house!

 

In the kitchen, Double ovens!!! Try and get an 36 inch stove top!

[KnuckleDragger 7]

One thing I forgot but is an absolute must as long as you are building...Have the builder put in a lake. Don't scrimp on this one as I truely regret not getting one and I am sure there are other crew members who would highly recommend it. You should also install extra docks for the Crew! If there is any spare $$ left put in a fuel dock.

 

Oh yeah, how could we forget about the lake? Treavor will be 10 mins from his lake but that is WAY to inconvenient. Save on gas, launch fees, etc and be sure to install one of these in your back yard...

 

[Bigcatpt 408]

Definitely make sure that garage is heated, and well ventillated during the summer....

 

Garage ventilation during the summer is a good thought. I insulated my garage really well so that it stays warmer in the winter... but it does not breathe well during the summer. I do have a window in there but hell if I am going to leave it open. Too easy of access to all my expensive toys. I wish I would have put in some sort of ceiling vents that circulate some air during the summer but can be closed off during the winter. It can get pretty hot, humid, and musty in the garage in the heat of summer after bringing the boat back from a day on the water. A ceiling fan would help dry things out but at some point you need some exchange of air or it just gets more humid.

[1911 4]

Built in gun safes. One in master closet and one in room close to front door.

 

Insulation in all the walls, not just exterior. Costs more, but keeps noise down inside the house.

 

I say laundry room far away from bedroom. Wife and I have opposite hours, and when she does laundry I can always hear it, not matter how nice of washing machine we buy.

 

Outlets in eves for christmas lights.

 

An a/c unit just for the bedroom, that way you can run it all night and not have to cool the whole house (we dont have kids though)

 

2x6 studs for exterior walls. can fit a lot more insulation in.

 

wire for and install an intercom system.

 

spend money on quality toilets. we got one on sale and replaced it within a year. now all of ours are "power flush" toilets. They basically have an air chamber in the tank, and there is a ton of pressure with each flush. they never clog.

 

just some of the stuff we did when we built our house. (except for the laundry, which we put close to bedrooms and regret now)

 

and 1000 sq ft is not big enough for a garage. make it deeper if you can

Edited May 7, 2011 by 1911

[Auldman 0]

Built in gun safes. One in master closet and one in room close to front door.

 

Insulation in all the walls, not just exterior. Costs more, but keeps noise down inside the house.

 

I say laundry room far away from bedroom. Wife and I have opposite hours, and when she does laundry I can always hear it, not matter how nice of washing machine we buy.

 

Outlets in eves for christmas lights.

 

An a/c unit just for the bedroom, that way you can run it all night and not have to cool the whole house (we dont have kids though)

 

2x6 studs for exterior walls. can fit a lot more insulation in.

 

wire for and install an intercom system.

 

spend money on quality toilets. we got one on sale and replaced it within a year. now all of ours are "power flush" toilets. They basically have an air chamber in the tank, and there is a ton of pressure with each flush. they never clog.

 

just some of the stuff we did when we built our house. (except for the laundry, which we put close to bedrooms and regret now)

 

and 1000 sq ft is not big enough for a garage. make it deeper if you can

 

 

I second both the insulation in all of the interior walls and 2x6 framing. We have that in our home and it makes a HUGE difference. One area that we missed though is the floors\ceilings and I wish we would have thought of it. Also, the 2x6 exterior walls. They are pretty much standard in snow country now but for the nominal extra $$ it seems worthwhile.

[Bojik 0]

I am a builder in colorado and if you want to email me a set of plans I will see if I see anything.

I have built 3 homes with my wife, hopping to do another this year, and the first was the hardest. After the second she started to come arround

[Big Po 1]

After growing up in 3 different houses (dont remember the first much since we moved when I was 5, and the folks built the house we have now...20 years later). After we bought our lakehouse (designed and built by a contractor who sold it to us before they ever put 1 piece of furniture in it). It was completed about 3-4 years ago and sat empty after completion (financial issues forced them to sell it, so we bought it). It is amazing at the updates in a house built 16-17 years newer than the house you lived in your whole life...

 

Here's a few of my favorites that I will be using when I build my house. First is the standup showers b/c I always wanted one growing up. It makes getting ready so much faster. Also, basement (full basement the size of the entire first floor's slab. Make it tall too. Seal it good like a room, and turn it into a man-cave with a pool table, kegerator, bar, neon lights, big screen, surround sound, etc... Also in that basement I would build a hidden-from-plain-view built-in gun vault with a huge steel vault door. That way you know you're guns and valuables are safe when you're not there. Also a big & tall heated and vented garage for all the toys. I'd also build a seperate garage area for the boat that is also heated and cooled. There's several others like all tile and hardwood floors, Marble or granite countertops, stainless appliances, flat-top stove, LCD or LED tv's (1080p resolution), etc...

 

These are all just things I will be doing when I build my own house.

Edited May 8, 2011 by Big Po

[duramat 462]

Congrats bro!

 

I don't care how you do it but do it, get a basement and put a theater room with sloped flooring in the bunker under the garage floor! (suspended garage floor) YOU WOULD BE THE MAN! if anything it's more space for whatever (storage, workshop, indoor "tomato" indoor horticuture, art room, bomb shelter, etc.

 

200 amp service along with 200 amp panel with your feeders BEING oversized along with all circuits pulled in 12/2. I say 12/2 cause of all the electronics that you can find in a home can throw alot of "garbage" on the neutrals which can screw up electronics. Be sure and put in some surge suppressors in your panel and service to help protect your investments (that monstrous TV, computers, the "Got the Dura"-XBox, fax machine, projection system, your PGA Tiger approved golf swing simulator system, LG dryers/washers with motherboards that crap out that are $110, and suck (that sucked)  basically anything with sensitive electronics etc.) Most residential outfits only pull 14/2 (cheap buggers!)

 

Outlets in the eves was mentioned (good call!) that bring said, if your sparky is smart or can be bribed with a case of "barley pop" keep the GFI's down low where you can get to them!! (garage wall or downstairs basement or GFi the breaker)

Epoxy paint with Silica sand in the garage with painted white walls and dint skimp out on the fluorescent lighting in the garage with one 220v outlet and a 30A outlet so I can plug into along with an RV Dump so I can come and visit ya at Xmas time 

 

[Bigcatpt 408]

After growing up in 3 different houses (dont remember the first much since we moved when I was 5, and the folks built the house we have now...20 years later). After we bought our lakehouse (designed and built by a contractor who sold it to us before they ever put 1 piece of furniture in it). It was completed about 3-4 years ago and sat empty after completion (financial issues forced them to sell it, so we bought it). It is amazing at the updates in a house built 16-17 years newer than the house you lived in your whole life...

 

Here's a few of my favorites that I will be using when I build my house. First is the standup showers b/c I always wanted one growing up. It makes getting ready so much faster. Also, basement (full basement the size of the entire first floor's slab. Make it tall too. Seal it good like a room, and turn it into a man-cave with a pool table, kegerator, bar, neon lights, big screen, surround sound, etc... Also in that basement I would build a hidden-from-plain-view built-in gun vault with a huge steel vault door. That way you know you're guns and valuables are safe when you're not there. Also a big & tall heated and vented garage for all the toys. I'd also build a seperate garage area for the boat that is also heated and cooled. There's several others like all tile and hardwood floors, Marble or granite countertops, stainless appliances, flat-top stove, LCD or LED tv's (1080p resolution), etc...

 

These are all just things I will be doing when I build my own house.

 

 

Never put your gun safe in the basement!!!! Sooner or later it WILL flood from natural disaster, sprinkler malfunction, or hose left on. Its not it...but when!

Edited May 9, 2011 by Bigcatpt

[Big Po 1]

Well, not necessarily. It doesn't flood at my house....Were on high ground.

 

However, regardless of flooding or basement, build you a built-in hidden gun safe big enough for your guns, future guns, and other valuables somewhere in your house. Master bedroom closet or hidden away in another room. I'd make it steel reinforced 2 cinderblocks thick all the way around with a steel vault door. But that's my preference. I've had very valuable guns stolen before...And it sucks. Especially when the insurance company screws you over so bad you cant even begin to replace them. That's why from now on my guns will be out of sight, out of the reach of damn thieves.

Edited May 9, 2011 by Big Po

[Bigcatpt 408]

Well, not necessarily. It doesn't flood at my house....Were on high ground.

 

However, regardless of flooding or basement, build you a built-in hidden gun safe big enough for your guns, future guns, and other valuables somewhere in your house.

 

You can take your chances... Even people on high ground have hoses attached to their house, automatic sprinkler systems, and waterlines running throughout the house that can and do break occasionally. Ever seen an old washer machine hose break on the main floor? It can put a foot of water in the basement over a weekend that you happen to be at the lake house. Any water in a gun safe is a bad deal... Ask your insurance agent. He will tell you never put gun safes in the basement....

[Big Po 1]

Oh, I dont doubt it can be a bad idea...Just saying I didnt think about flooding and such. That is a good point though BigCat. I'll keep it in my mind when I build my house.

[Kyle 0]

I built a few years ago. several things I did that really paid off. I plumbed natural gas to the outside, no more propane bottles to deal with. Also, had room for a back door out of the garage, I was going to do a walk through door and the builder poiinted out he could put a roll up in cheaper due to city code requiring a regular door to have a pad and porch light. Now I've got an 8' roll up door out the back of the garage too. But you got 1000 foot garage? WOW.. we're not worthy.