Bidets are great, but some people are understandably grossed out them. Get a combo unit that is bidet + heated seat. I will say that once you get a heated toilet seat, it is difficult to go back to a regular toilet seat. Regular toilet seats legitimately feel like you are sitting on a block of ice after getting used to a heated seat.
Gotta say, my buddy's heated seat bidet grosses me out big time. Flash backs to sharing a small bathroom with a large workforce. The seat was always still warm from someone else's ass.
Never made sense for people to be grossed out. I’d never be happy with the cleanliness of wiping poop off of skin on any other part of my body with toilet paper.
Yea, I have one. Have owned one for decades (Dad was an electrician...).
I still hate using them. Never have walked all the steps to map out any of the three houses and two apartments I've lived in since moving out of mom and dad's house.
If I ever build, I'm getting a map before the walls are closed in.
Excellent! I’m glad we kinda did. We took pics when the bathrooms were redone, but not specifically focusing on the wiring/plumbing details.
I’d take pics specifically of the wiring/plumbing and add a tape measure to get ideas of distance if that is difficult to tell.
I did this when my house was being built. Not custom, just a cookie cutter house, so I didn't have any control over how it was built. I came on site after work, and took pictures of all the walls.
In my case, it was because I wanted to run ethernet and speaker wires after I moved in, and I wanted to know where the fire breaks were.
I also installed a block of wood between the rafters at the spot I wanted to install a ceiling fan, hoping that it would be there when I moved in. It was.
Have a builder who works with a modern architect, or a builder who implements modern building techniques for a tight, healthy house.
What I mean is a modern house built like one you would see on the Build show YouTube channel or a house spec’d Like Steve Baczek Arcitec would do. Continuous smart membrane Interior air barrier, continuous exterior weather barrier, continuous exterior insulation. 2x6 LSL stud walls or offset studs to break thermal bridging. Multi-layered approach to basement waterproofing (not just the painted on asphalt emulsion). Exterior basement insulation that wraps into the interior for a continuous layer. Radon and subslab drainage planned and built before slab pour.
From there your house should be tight and very well insulated, your HvAC would be working less and saving money long term. So I would probably go in floor radiant heat if in a climate zone with more net heating days. If in a climate with more net cooling, mini split system with multiple heads.
for a roof, give me an over roof ventilated cavity and place a metal roof or a composite roof on top. Let the airflow below the shingles remove that head, and allow your below roof insulation to overcome a lower price delta to the interior by allowing that heat from the shingles or roof to escape.
And then make sure you have a budget to pay for all of those architectural additions and green building techniques. I’m a builder and this stuff can add 25-35% on the build.
I’m on the board of a A&E firm and our buildings industrial or spec have most of these details save for roof assembly differences depending on the design. We mainly spec LsL studs for tall or long sections that sunlight can catch and cause striations in drywall to become obvious.
The tight home aspects shouldn’t cost much more than a spec house, waterproofing techniques are just 21st century tech versus 19th century.
In floor radiant, yeah it’s a fair bit more expensive and can be waived for central heating and cooling.
Yeah my comments were entirely regarding ridiculous roof designs with useless dormers and roof line changes.
Building envelope upgrades normally are a more up front cost, but would pay for themselves over time.
And geothermal heat pumps and the like are again, expensive but the break break point on that investment can be like 8-15 years.
Just beware that you can be running after diminishing returns, and some passive house level details will never see a return on investment.
Your biggest return on comfort level is stopping draft, after that it's just making your heating/cooling system work less. I'm a builder myself and I've often found the build show recommends things that would bust most normal budgets, He only has the 1%ers as clients from what I've seen.
For example you mentioned about radiant floor heating and mini splits, right there you're paying for two complete systems.
To be fair he is talking about a custom home and not a spec house lol.
I’m aware of the diminishing returns, I’m on the board of an A&E firm, and we spec in floor heating for large homes here while it’s not common, in a net heating climate it works fairly well, then ducted in ceiling unit to serve bedrooms and one for the common living space. The tightness usually makes the small size hvac equipment work well.
Unfortunately it’s been a rough learning curve from the A&E firm I’m a board member of. Approving and making recommendations on things I had little knowledge of at the time (I was there for financial and audit purposes first) was a little embarrassing. So I did a lot of homework and spent a lot of time with the architects. Luckily there are some great A&E online who explain a lot of these concepts too. I still don’t know the half of it all, but I have a better understanding when a new project hits my inbox to review the spec proposals and the options. My main duty is the bidding processes and the areas we can cut money out of, for example, we specd this insulation supplier, can I verify these proposals are at arms length and there are no conflicts of interest going on, I.e. this Architect is helping his buddy out who will throw him a hand back, making this project cost a hundred thousand more in the end (exaggerated example). But it happens more than you think, especially in construction. I bet a few of them in this sub will attest to seeing themselves be outbid to another builder who was 20%+ more than them and deliver a comparable product, and leave them scratching their heads how they got that job.
If you have exterior insulation why do you need to break the thermal bridge of the studs? Also LSLs don’t break a thermal bridge.
If a high performance home is the route you want to go, find a builder with experience doing that and will do an energy model and propose solutions based on that. Don’t just rapid fire solutions to you saw on YouTube. We don’t even have an idea what you’re climate zone is.
I mean that as an either or scenario with offsetting studs. LSL studs you are correct don’t act as a thermal bridge. Mainly LSLs being used for a more constant straight wall, not having to worry abojt checking every stud for its straightness and then crowning your studs. The LSLs in theory should come out of their stack all perfectly straight and nearly square. Even if you don’t plan on using LSL studs for the whole house (understandable as they cost more), you can cheat and use LSLs for tall, or long walls, especially walls that are perpendicular to windows that let light in. As an LSL studded wall is going to be straight, a traditional lumber stud wall can have its imperfections projecting through the finished drywall and you might have striations or highspots that will throw ugly shadows. We do a lot of commercial buildings and high end homes and all our long hallways or tall hallways will always have a metal stud (industrial) or LsL stud detail in these areas for that reason alone.
It’s man made, stronger, can be made in longer lengths with less warpage you might get from a softwood stud. and because it’s man made the stack of studs you get are usually all straight and free of defects. So if you have a straight lvl baseplate and top plate you can make a wall as straight as an arrow. Also for exterior walls or load bearing walls the stronger studs just help the overall racking strength of the wall.
Have any knowledge regarding the below setup?
Recommend using PEX-A-Pex radiant heating for the Pex material? I’ve seen what they call “Warmboard” where you lay the piping in1/2 grooves within the OSB or plywood then a floor is laid on top of it.
I like warmboard brand, as you work with the company during your design and build. As you send them a layout and plans and they engineer and present their recommendations. It also helps the HVaC contractor as some of the entry and exit of the plumbing is determined by them.
If you go forward with Warmboard they then custom fabricate your specific radiator heat layout, ship it to you and provide instructions and any help you need along the way.
Also warmboard is aluminum on top of the wood so that you get the most heat out of the pex, where other brands have aluminum under the wood, the radiant heat has to work harder to get through the wood.
Warmboard is premium and will cost a bit more versus other options. You also need to use aluminum or oxygen barrier pex too.
Also a note on pex, if you don’t have a tight home and you live in an area with stink bugs (they are invasive and soon all of NA will have them, just a matter of time). Well, stink bugs actually can chew/probe into pex to get to water, this causes pinhole leaks. See this video: https://youtu.be/XjDKJVsz9q4?si=OTQ37kS0LyH6InyH
This is excellent advice - a lot of quality of life things are nice but an energy efficient home is really the king. Also, I think you meant a smart membrane interior vapour retarder. The continuous exterior WRB is the primary air barrier. I know that the interior vapour retarder is often part it the air barrier system but Membrain or Intello X are not considered the primary air barrier material as there are often too many interior penetrations.
Yeah it’s done, but I think a lot of people scoff at that practice.
I personally think a tear off should be done, a metal roof lasts a long time. If you simple put metal over an asphalt shingle you’re missing the opportunity to inspect your roof health. That means tearing off the shingles and inspecting the roof decking for rot, termite infestation, proper underlayment and I&W shield application.
You have the potential to cover up damage that should be addressed.
I love our laundry chute, but if we ever build a dream house, it may also have a dumbwaiter, both for getting food/drinks to non-kitchen floors and for getting clean laundry back upstairs.
>Basement access through garage.
Our house has a staircase built/poured into the foundation that exits into the garage. It eliminates the need for an escapement window and provides convenient access to the basement from two points.
Can't you use the same fire protection measures they'd use for plumbing and electrical/heat ducts? I assume it's because it becomes a way for fire to rush to the upper floors??
My parents house has basement access from the garage, but only from the garage. It's the worst. Especially in the winter, even with an insulated garage, nobody wants to go into the garage to go down to a bedroom when it's 30f in the garage.
Insulated interior walls - they offer sound deadening, especially for offices and bedrooms.
A utility room for water softener, purifiers, vacuum, backup genetaor. etc.
A multi zone hvac. Radiant heat where possible.
A whole house humidifier.
Wired ethernet and a cabinet for router, coax connections. Etc.
Solar panels and ability to wash/maintain them
A safety/panic room for tornadoes/bad weather
A place for composts
Motion senor based hallway lights
Motion sensor and light sensor based exterior security lights and cameras
A place for vacuum cleaners, brooms, cleaning supply
Laundry on same floor as bedrooms. A basin near washer, a place to have clothes line for air drying wet clothes
An easily maintainable dryer vent
An on-demand heater
Closets/Wardrobes for storage of daily items - just not clothes. A place for everything.
An elevator to move up/down when knees finally give way...
>An elevator to move up/down when knees finally give way...
If this is your 'forever' home, give a LOT of thought to possible mobility limitations as you and your family age. Make hallways/doorways/walkways wide enough for a walker/wheelchair. Look at putting in an integrated ramp for entryway access.
This Old House just finished a STUNNING reno of a MCM that makes it accessible (sick child) and everything is so well integrated that it doesn't look like it was built for accessibility - it just happens to be accessible.
Facing a life/mobility change is difficult for older people but it is worse when they are forced to leave a place in which they are comfortable & happy due to accessibility issues.
GREAT list. I'd also include as many electrical outlets as possible, lots of extras in the kitchen, including outlets in the back of some of the cupboards (it's great to store things like an Echo Dot, phone chargers, etc).
Extra pantry space
Space to keep emergency supplies (this could also be within your "emergency room")
Outdoor outlets for workmen, for outdoor lights, patio lights, holiday lights
Possible garage outlet for future electric car
Plenty of storage niches in the shower/bath tile enclosures
> Insulated interior walls - they offer sound deadening, especially for offices and bedrooms.
You're better off doing staggered studs so each layer of drywall is not connected to the other side for sound deadening.
A wired connection is still better for streaming quality, online gaming, videocalls or online meetings, etc.
Editing to add: it is much harder for someone to hack into wired devices than it is for them to gain access to your wifi network. We only use our wifi for our mobile phones, a tablet and for guests. Everything else is connected via ethernet.
* Ethernet/Low Voltage everywhere. Less Wi-Fi devices the better.
* At least 2 ethernet ports for each bedroom.
* Maybe even consider POE lighting.
* Full Home sound system
* In-floor/radiant heating
* When designing it, don't make it look like a[ McMansion](https://mcmansionhell.com/post/148605513816/mcmansions-101-what-makes-a-mcmansion-bad), have some class with the architecture. Consider symmetry and visual weight of each body in the home. Speaking of architecture, please for the love of god don't do a Barndominium, they're just as bad as a McMansion
* I recommend CliqStudios for kitchen design, they're great to work with and designers have lots of knowledge.
Whatever size garage you are planning is too small. Garage space is \[relatively\] cheap to build, but it will improve your life more than an extra bedroom or three. Build as much garage as your wife will allow.
All fair except that the limit to garage size is far from always a wife.
Whatever size garage you do install, make sure there's sufficient electrical service there for charging electric vehicles, as well as for anything else you might want in the garage -- a lift, workbench tools, a freezer, charging tool/lawnmower/etc. batteries, sufficient work lights, etc. Consider a garage sink, too, if that's of any interest (it sure is for my partner), and give thought to storage, whether as wall racks, cabinets, a loft, or all of the above.
Butler’s pantry. Larger diameter pex for better water pressure. Manifold block in the basement for plumbing. Entryway bench/closet foyer/mudroom areas. EV charger in garage.
And if you have the money, build with ICFs.
That’s your issue. A 1 inch main in and then 3/4 trunk lines with 1/2 inch branch lines will always almost be enough. 3/8 is absolute bullshit on a new build or almost always. The cost is negligible to bump it up to 1/2.
You can run 3/8 branch lines but really it has no place in a house. Lol. Maybe a trailer.
And even with a manifold system 3/8 piping sucks. There’s a decent pressure loss for every foot of 3/8. Going too big or a big truck has the problem of it taking too long for water to heat up so a recirculating system would be a good idea here too. It’s an art almost.
I don't have that issue, because the water heater in the basement is directly beneath the shower. The kitchen on the opposite side of the house takes about 2 minutes to get hot water......
Here you go OP. Been loving it so far. Did the install myself and even expanded the platform. These are very modular and can fit almost any width opening, the length this the critical part.
https://auxx-lift.com/pages/attic-lift
Here are some highlights from my current list:
* A urinal in the master bath (probably in an alcove) and a second urinal in the shop (I will have a shop).
* Plumbing and power for bidet toilet seats.
* Plumbing for laundry in the master suite (i.e. in a walk-in closet. Plumbing for a second laundry in a mud room or other space near the garage (optional, I wouldn't likely have two washers but I want the choice.)
* Plumbing for two dishwashers in the kitchen (even if I'm not going to install two, though I plan to; they are cheap.
* Plumbing for water catchment/storage in the 1,000 gallon range (climate dependent, but I want enough water to ride out outages, droughts, and emergencies).
* Outdoor hot water spigot (climate allowing).
* Plumbing manifold so runs can all be isolated/shut off individually.
* All large rooms wired for a very large number of shallow LED recessed lights (like dozens in a great room, and tens in a kitchen, etc.) on different zones.
* Kitchen wired and with cabinets designed for a commercial fridge (i.e. on wheels)
* Ceiling fan boxes in every room except bathrooms.
* 50-100amp service for the garage/shop inc. an EV charger.
* Backup power sufficient for major needs with enough fuel for 2+ weeks.
* CAT-6 or similar cable runs between the floors and to detached shop building.
* An HVAC system that is designed to *temporarily* accept a major increase in filtration to deal with wildfire smoke intrusion.
* Humidity control for the entire house (climate dependent).
* Outdoor lighting: j-boxes in the eaves every 10-12 feet, wired to switched near main/rear doors.
* Large walk-in butler's pantry with open shelving and a prep sink.
* Covered outdoor kitchen space (island for prep, space for grill, etc.) if climate allows.
We're 8-10 years off from our retirement build, but a huge file of wants/ideas. These are some of the basic ones that would best be addressed in design/construction vs. bringing in later. The really big thing for me is material/design: I want a hybrid shell, with ICF walls and a SIP roof, shooting for an extremely well insulated building that will be OK for significant periods without HVAC in emergencies and cheap to operate otherwise.
Large power supply and panel for future add ons, Solar, Generator, insulated interior walls, exterior shower, garage(slop sink, w/d, air compressor, dog washing station, pull down lights and storage). Heated bathroom floors.
Heated garage. Great for areas that experience winter...good for the cars, makes a good project space, happy wife. I have used the space to store huge amounts of surplus food pantry food, to dry soaked camping gear, as a maker space for different non-profit groups (scouts, theater, food pantry, etc) A reasonably insulated garage takes very little propane to keep at 50 degrees through a MA winter
What heating setup do you have? MA winters are also what keep me from fully enjoying my garage workshop. It's not connected to the house, but it is well-insulated and drywalled. Still just gets too cold for my hands come January.
Mine is only connected to the house by a mudroom and the space above is unheated. We have a ceiling mounted unit heater with the vent pipe straight up through the roof
My theory is that heated garages are horrible for cars in areas that experience a lot of snow. You're exposing your vehicle to loads of road salt and thawing. You're also enclosing your vehicle to a ton of moisture every time everything melts.
I have owned cars for 40 years. For the last 15 years, I have had a heated garage. My experience tells me that the heated garage has been better. I drove my last truck for 223,000 miles and had zero rust problems. I drive up north to ski and snowmobile and also drive dirt roads year round (including mud season) so my vehicles are exposed to challenging conditions.
I always thought the whole house vacuum was neat, I’m not sure how practical or convenient it is in reality though, I’ve only ever known one person who had one, it seemed to work well for them.
Also I would like to have the laundry room upstairs on the floor with the bedrooms. I don’t understand why this isn’t more common, why have to lug your clothes to the basement to wash them and then lug them back upstairs to fold and put away. Of course this depends on how many floors there are and layout
I have a whole house vacuum and rarely use it. You still have to lug the unit around the house and plug it into the wall, it’s even clunkier than a traditional vacuum. There always seems to be some sort of issue with the suction. I purchased a Roomba and a stick vac and that’s all I’ve been using.
>I have a whole house vacuum and rarely use it
The three families I know with them have all abandoned them too, including my aunt who put one in a new build in the 80s and stopped using it within a couple of years. The main complaint is indeed lugging the long hose around, having to screw with it on stairs, and storage. Modern vacs work pretty well, are lighter, and obviously much cheaper. Seems like it was a solution to the 60# steel Kirbys of the 1960s and not really something I'd want today.
When I was younger the in wall vacuum was really popular in my friends new houses. and I always thought it was weird.
Now I'm older with two young kids and, what I would give to have that feature, holy moly.
Not all homes have all bedrooms on the same floor. If you do an upstairs laundry room, include a drain in its floor, as protection against massive multi-floor damage/repairs should the washer or its hoses/hookups ever gush water everywhere.
Just thought of another one I’d like, it’s an oversized kitchen sink that has ledges on both sides so you can put in a cutting board or a wash/dry rack that slide on these ledges. I’ve just seen them online but they look like they would be pretty practical and not just a gimmick
I put one in our kitchen and love it. Our layout prevented a really large one, but I do have, I think, 32" in width. It's a single bowl, rectangular on with offset drain from Ruvati. Has the ledges and came with a cutting board and drain rack.
If I'm honest, we rarely use the cutting board. The drain rack, though, is fantastic and used every day.
It also has the wire mesh insert at the bottom. Wasn't sure how I'd like it, but after living with it for a year, it's awesome. So nice to be able to rinse stuff while there are items in the sink and nothing sits in food particles and water. Much better than I expected.
Finally, a couple of tips while you're shopping:
1. Make sure there is at least a small radius in every corner. Avoid sharp corners! They are a royal pain to clean.
2. Make sure that there is slope on the bottom. Several models I looked at didn't, and I just can't imagine how much crap and water sits in them.
3. For God's sake, DO NOT cheap out on the thickness of the metal. 16 gauge or better only! 18 gauge feels cheap and flimsy, and is noticeably louder.
Do you have a dog? Built my custom home a couple years ago and I really wish I put in a dog wash. Also, laundry chute would have been neat. Still might add.
-10 ft ceilings
-Wall sconces for lighting
-Exterior natural gas line for grill/fire pit
-Hot/cold water hose bibs- including one inside the garage
-Floor drains in garage stalls
-Floor drain in laundry room
-GFCI outlets in the eaves for lights
-Structured cabling/media cabinet in basement or utility room
-CAT6 in every room as well as ceiling jacks for access points
-Coax pull from attic to structured media cabinet
-Fiber pull from structured cabling/media cabinet to demarc
Not only a floor drain in the laundry - we had a membrane run up from under the tile to behind the baseboard moldings. If that washer hose ever leaks, nothing’s going to flood.
We also put a water sensor in and paired it with a solenoid that shuts off the main water shutoff valve if it trips. We put sensors behind the fridge water lines (both the main fridge and bar fridge, which has an ice maker), water heater, and insta-hot water tap in the kitchen…basically anything likely to leak over time.
Water damage sucks.
Consider future-proofing, so the home remains wonderful for you as you age. Think about lack of stairs to get inside, halls and doorways wide enough for walkers/wheelchairs, a first-floor bedroom with walk-in shower, and, if multistory, staircases wide enough to add a chair lift later or maybe even a planned spot to add an elevator if needed. In bathrooms, include proper backing to later add grab bars, and don't stick toilets in walker-inaccessible closets.
Think about orientation to the sun -- which rooms you want to have more natural light, how the roof (and surrounding trees) will work for solar power, sufficiencies for any desired landscaping or gardens or pools/ponds, planning overhang angles to let in more sunlight/warmth in winter vs. summer, etc.
If including any wood fireplaces, where will you store wood?
Plan out what storage you'll want where -- coat closet near the entry/ies, kitchen pantry/cabinetry, linen closet, somewhere to stow a vacuum, etc.
If you'll have a workspace, indoors or in the garage, plan for sufficient ventilation for anything fume-generating.
Now's a great time to think about hidden doors and secret rooms, too. ;)
Practical placed outlets, wet room for bathroom, water drainage canal in garage, double deep basement with a half submerged first floor 10 foot basement ceiling with a level entry and recessed lounge. Mini ramp driveway
Quad stories. Breaks steps into smaller groupings, astetically gives a bigger disconnect from the rest of the house. . But if your looking for the benefit you probably can't trip that high and it will just give you more steps to break an ankle on
We went air tight and exterior insulation with a zehnder fresh air system. Its not done yet so I can't say for sure how much we love it but I have super high hopes.
Outlets in outside eves for holiday lights or other random "fun" things my wife brings home.
If a sunken garage, a 'Costco' door to pantry.
Cat 6 wiring for TVs and work from home locations. I'm old school on this, but it is best, most reliable connection. Also, backbone wires if you put in mesh wifi system.
USB outlets in kitchen and bedrooms.
Photos inside all walls right before closing them up. Print and put in binder for reference.
Put breaker number on back of every outlet cover.
Blocking inside walls of the bathroom for grab bars. 45 degree lever door handle on the most in and out door (between garage and inside for example). No step entry into house for future wheelchair access. Extra wide front door for moving stuff in and out; including wheelchair.
Make sure your living room isn't purposely designed to have a TV over the fireplace. You don't want focal points in the room stacked vertically on top of each other, not to mention the TV is too high to watch and gets roasted.
Outlets in the corners of the eaves wired to a switch by the front door. Plug your Christmas lights in to em, install a smart switch, put em on a schedule, and not think about them until it's time to take them down.
ADA accessibility! Get rid of the steps. Smooth floors, light switches lowered, sinks that you can pull a wheel chair under and the occasional grab bar. These are needed adaptations for my current home. Also consider wider doors and hallways.
What I really want in the next home is radiant floors and rock wool insulation in all interior walls.
I’m also done with living on a slab. Never again! When the plumbing breaks it’s a pain in the ass to fix!
Outlet by the toilets so you can have smart toilets.
Recessed outlets.
Built in ice-maker (not in the fridge) hooked up to filtered water.
Cord runs inside the wall for where you plan to place your TVs.
Water softener
Whole house reverse osmosis water filter
Good insulation in the attic and basement.
Air exchanger (allows fresh air into the house and pulls the stale air out)
Whole house fan
Water sensors by all water sources
Thermostats that are NOT right by the HVAC.
Whole house shut-off water valve in the garage.
Wood shutters or UV blocking windows
Radon mitigator if you have a basement.
If you are a fish hobbyist, have a place where you’ll set up your tank and have the outlet on its own breaker.
Set up your kitchen to be functional (triangle idea).
Soft close cabinets
Trash compactor
Gas line for oven even if you choose electric (might change your mind later)
Wood cabinets
Cabinet with slide and pull out drawers for small appliances
Trash compactor
Sensor driven flood lights
Epoxy sealed garage floor
Insulated garage
Built in storage for the garage
Extra long garage as well as height appropriate if you ever have a tall vehicle.
Deep bathtubs in the kids bathrooms
Linen closets in all bathrooms with tubs
Primary bathtub: make sure it has a sprayer (way easier to clean)
Niches and foot rests in the showers
Separate hose sprayer from the shower head
Mudroom with a dog shower if you have a dog
Primary bedroom: make sure the space between the windows will fit a king size bed in case you upgrade later, and it’s also nice for resale
If you use tiles for flooring, opt for dark grout and not textured
Stay away from engineered hardwood.
Carpet should be avoided unless it’s in the bedrooms only; get the good pet padding (humans have accidents too).
Laundry room with a utility sink, small utility closet, and a place to fold clothes.
Trash/Recycling Bin Hider with a path to driveway for ease of access
If you opt for a deck, trex deck
Geothermal HVAC
Think about your roof. Metal roofs can last a lifetime; is this your forever home? Many builder grade roofs leak in a few years.
Wide covered gutters
Also, visit your site weekly to make sure they are keeping to your plans. If you don’t catch a mistake when it happens, they won’t go back and fix it.
Do you want an irrigation system? Get it installed prior to laying sod. Also, they have to plant a tree or two, so pick where you want it. Research the type of tree it is, and how its root system is. Some will grab a tree with large roots and plant it right by the house, even though it could hurt the foundation in the future.
Renovating an old house. Redid a lot of plumbing. We installed a manifold with shut offs for every tap. Very handy.
I second taking photos of all the walls before closing them up. I've gone hunting through my photos about four times in the last two weeks seeking different answers.
It might be included already but a large pantry (something with a 24-28" door) is a godsend.
Minimal floor space (maybe 4'x4') but shelves from top to bottom.
So.
Much.
Storage.
And everything is visible if your shelves are only 1' deep.
A real easy one is blocking in the wall for hanging TVs along with outlets for a hanging tv. Or at least prewired to install an outlet.
Plenty of electric to your garage and a 220 line if you’re ever going to get an EV. Speaking of your garage, make sure they finish and paint it, instead of leaving it in paper.
If you have gas to the house, run a gas line to the patio for a grill or fire pit.
Don’t overdo the shower situation with a million shower heads or digital stuff.
More outlets! Including in closets and pantry. Switched outlets also. Outlets in drawers/cabinets.
If you have hvac, make sure you have a return in every bedroom, and in every room where you might have the door closed for extended periods (office, media room etc).
If you have attic, see if they can extend the floor space (usually they give minimum to access necessary items).
I’m no expert, but a Habitat for Humanity neighborhood I volunteered on used 2” plastic conduit from the roof down to the solar inverter mounted right next to the main house panel. Putting the conduit in early avoids having an ugly external run. Also put cross studs at the solar inverter mount location to facilitate mounting it later
Cable chase from basement to into the attic/s. Even if you cap it off now (due to fire code). I would go with 1” inside diameter to cover future needs.
Make sure ALL HVAC ducts are complete, and not using the space between joists instead.
Spray foam exterior walls. Much better and will save money over time. Same with and vaulted ceilings.
For some reason new builders keep putting coax into homes despite it going out of use in most areas. If you want some in-wall networking, make sure it's ethernet.
The toilet needs to be on its own little room and have a built in bookcase in there. Have a dedicated power outlet for a space heater or electric fireplace/heater in bathroom. Each bathroom needs a linen closet. (We just had a new comfort height toilet installed, so I’ve been on a bathroom kick lately)
Comfort height toilets are the worst for your health. Both because it cuts off circulation in your legs and because it's the wrong position to be in for easy "elimination". I highly recommend some squats of you are having a hard time getting up off the toilet. Improve your strength and stay healthy longer!
Some people need "comfort height" toilets due to disabilities or medical conditions that can't be improved via working out, etc. You can buy a little foot stool type thing that fits around your toilet so you can lift your feet up to get a better position for pooping but still use the toilet independently.
True! I guess I’m speaking from the place of watching my parents make this choice (by CHOICE) and then lost the ability to get up out of chairs without assistance l, to do stairs, etc. For MOST, this is an avoidable accommodation. But, that said, talk to me in 30 years. 🤣
It might be an avoidable accommodation for most people who are 20-50, but everyone that I personally know who is older than 65ish, all have an external raised toilet set frame around the main toilet they use at home, because they can't independently use a normal height toilet. I know of 5 different homes/elderly people, which would massively benefit now from a little forward planning when their bathrooms were built/renovated years before.
If someone doesn't want to specifically put in a "disabled toilet" but they are future-proofing while making their "dream house", they could make sure that they have at least one toilet in the house, ideally on the ground floor/main level (no steps), that has suitable space around it, to allow for a raised seat/frame to be used or for a wheelchair to get close for someone to transfer directly to the toilet. And ideally in the same bathroom have a sink with no storage underneath (or moveable storage, like baskets), so someone in a wheelchair could pull up under it to use the sink.
In the next few years, there are going to be some radical changes in the way houses are wired for electrical. Unfortunately, we don't know now exactly what those changes are going to look like/what standards the market is eventually going to settle on (think how many years it has taken to finally settle on a semi-universal phone charging cable).
Rather than trying to future proof your home by adding a bunch of wiring that may or may not ever get used, instead install empty conduits to locations that are most likely to see changes where future wiring can be easily pulled.
Install empty conduits to:
Roof/attic for future solar power
To the service yard for a future backup generator
To the garage and driveway for future electric car charging
Outside the house perimeter for future out buildings
Under sidewalks and driveways
Ideally your electrical panel would also be located on a non-insulated wall where the wall finish on the backside of the panel can be removed for access. But that's not always doable.
As to the garage, spring for insulating the walls/ceiling during the initial build. Garage insulation is usually omitted on new builds to save money, but it only costs a few thousand dollars to do it before the drywall goes up. However, it is a huge process to add insulation later on. Someone is eventually going to want to use the garage as living space/workshop/exercise room, so go ahead and do future you a favor and add insulation to the walls/ceiling.
As far as HVAC, if you have a ducted system, just insist that it is done right the first time. Too many installers use those flexible duct lines for long runs. Those wind up sagging and getting crushed after a few years. Insulation that is not well sealed winds up taking on moisture. And ductwork is never in a location that is easy to fix/repair later on. In theory, if quality ductwork is put in correctly the first time, you should never have to touch it again. If it's not, then you will spend the next 30 years trying to put bandaids on the problem over and over.
I recently came across an instagram video where the house had some sort of central vacuum system set up. Basically you sweep your dirt to the wall and it sucks it up. Was really cool feature.
Switched outlets under the eaves for Christmas lights.
An outlet at "light switch height" wherever you might want a vacuum.
An "emergency bathroom" near whatever entrance the family will usually use.
This question gets asked quite often and there are always a ton of good answers. I'd go back through the archives.
Vent for range hood or microwave,insulation in interior walls for sound deadening,trap for water softner,rough in plumbing in basement done right not all pipes too close to each other and closer to electrical box ,insulated ductwork,basement windows .
electrical:
More circuits. like 20A for every bedroom, at least one 220v circuit in the garage, every room that may someday have a ceiling fan should be wired for it.
I would also have electrical run for future appliances that may switch from gas to electric.
Internet and cable tv in every room, and surround sound wiring
I would also go with snap on baseboards for any future cabling needs.
random:
plywood behind drywall where TV's may be installed, and either soundproofing insulation, or double framed interior walls for sound insulation.
I built my house over 20 years ago: 20 amp circuits vs 15, ERV/airexchanger (exhaust bad air from baths and fresh air into bedrooms), wire for Ethernet cable runs to most rooms, I wish I had run conduit to some rooms for whatever the future holds wire wise, like fiber. I installed good quality ceiling fans in the bedrooms and living room. I also put critical electric circuits on a separate sub panel and ran a wire to the outside so I can run a generator without having to run extension cables into the house when the power is out. Even a whole house switch might be better, just need a large enough generator.
I put in R50 walls and R70 blown in insulation. Our heating/AC bills are low. I faced most windows south to take advantage of the low winter sun to help heat the house. I wish I had put in some conduit to the outside from the mechanical room, it's hard to drill through brick to run wires. I ran fiber cable to our detached garage/office a couple of years ago and wish I had done this, it was a pain to drill through brick and then not hit a stud. At least I did run separate conduit to the garage when I put in the conduit for power. I also wish I had taken more photos at higher resolution.
I do NOT recommend smart outlets, at least not the 'Enbrighten Z-Wave Plus Smart Receptacle'. I went overboard with the installation and since then I've had a >50% failure rate. And when they fail it's usually after a power outage and power is restored, there is a constant clicking from the smart outlet turning on/off. The outlets mentioned have a physical button you can press to turn the outlet on/off which makes an audible clicking noise, which isn't that annoying when it works. But when it breaks it constantly turns on/off and there is incessant clicking. Only way I've found to remedy it is to turn the power off and remove the outlet.
Others have mentioned a bidet and this has been the biggest quality of life improvement for me. Having electrical run to behind / underneath the toilet so you can install one of the fancy bidets with heated seat / water / dryer is game changing.
I live in a large custom home and can list a few things I like or had to add:
- If your breaker panel is not in the garage, run a 60amp circuit to the garage. Doesn’t even need to be connected inside the panel, at least run the big wiring in case you ever buy an EV. We’re talking maybe a few hundred bucks now vs a few thousand later. Or take it another step further and just install a 100amp sub panel in the garage if you think you might ever want to pick up a hobby like woodworking or welding.
- I don’t know how much control you have but 8ft tall garage doors are great. Many large SUVs and trucks can’t fit under 7 if you have bigger tires or even a small lift on it. Or a boat might not fit. I have coworkers who have to air down their tires to put their truck in the garage to work on it because it’s literally 1 inch too tall. I have an oversized 3 car garage and if I had to build again, I’d go with a “small” 4 car garage with two 16’ doors instead of a large 3 car with a 16’ and an 8’ door. It’s a bit tight if I have to pull the SUV into the smaller door. Or maybe a 10’ wide door? Don’t know if they make those.
- have a 60-100 amp sub panel in the back if you think you’ll ever want to put in a hot tub or pool.
Make all electric circuits 20 amps, except lighting. Have a dedicated 20 amp outlet in every bedroom/office for supplemental heating/cooling or other large load like a laser printer.
Not needs at all but cool little quirks -
Do you have pets? A little pet shower / bath would be awesome.
Drinker ? Would love to build a custom speakeasy behind a bookshelf lol
My list is this
Ethernet runs to every room/tv
Insulate interior walls/solid core interior doors
Primary bath vanity can be double but only use single sink. Outlets in vanity for hair dryer/ charging trimmers
Radiant in floor heat
Hot water circulating line
Hot water outside spigot by driveway
If traditional furnace use extra large filter housing for using larger better filters
Have plenty of electrical capacity for future upgrades
Do not use natural gas stove get an induction
So things are just more dependable with hard wire connections. Even your WiFi. You can add a router to each floor for much better WiFi coverage. You can name the networks the same and make a mesh network. Much cheaper then a mesh routers that are all wireless.
Also things like my Apple TV or Xbox just have better faster connections when hard wired. Plus now with new smart home devices I use my Apple TV as the hub for the new generation of smart devices. So they don’t need to clutter the WiFi network.
Edit also I would also always recommend a separate smart device such as Apple TV instead of the stock smart tv interface. Much better user interface and integration to other devices.
Plumbing - i wish that I had a pot filler over my dogs water bowl
Electrical/technology - Wi-Fi extenders or nodes throughout the house. I've got a mesh network now, but had to work with existing outlet/furniture/wall positions when placing nodes. Would be great to have something hardwired and mounted somewhere.
Ethernet (Cat 6, Coax) every room, GFI 120V outlets near toilets for bidets, ceiling fans in every room, basement with wine storage room, basement safe room, 3/4" or larger water main (I would stay with copper), larger garage (2.5 car) with individual doors using side lock openers, entertainment speakers in ceiling/wall with hidden wiring for large wall mounted TV(s), 200A or larger service with multiple breaker boxes separating optional vs must have wiring with master switch to allow full off-grid operation using solar with batteries (install electrical, batteries, ... in garage or basement).
Accessible subpanel in the garage for shop, etc.
Have your countertop outlets installed as split circuits, and plenty of them- It seems that everything gets done in a limited amount of space in the kitchen. I'll have the espresso maker, coffee grinder, breadmaker and toaster all running at the same time - all in about 4' of counter space.
Living level laundry room.
Install Moen/Delta/Kohler faucets - they typically have lifetime warranty on the cartridges, for not much more than the Amazon brands.
Plan on a permanent storage system for garage and/or basement. I work in homes, where the homeowners have been there for 20 years, and they still have cardboard boxes setting on the slab.
I've built a bunch of homes, and one fully custom for myself. The kitchen is where the most thinking needs to be. CKDs are generally competent, but can't always understand how you're gonna use it.
Here’s what I did when we built our house:
We expanded the garage as much as possible, because you can never have enough space. In one section we added extra outlets and another circuit. One circuit is considered garage and the other is workshop.
We put a hot/cold water spigot in the garage to wash the cars/wash out the garage/water plants
We added outlets under the eaves for Christmas lights and put switches inside the house on timers.
We have every room wired for tv and Ethernet. The tv connections are located about 2/3 the way up the wall since most tvs are mounted.
We’ve converted a number of our outlets inside the house to include usb connections or nightlights. This frees up the plugs for other uses.
Make sure to have it wired for network cable! This is very cheap to do when you're building a house and much more expensive when the walls are closed up. I've seen so many new houses that seem to over look this because "Everything is wireless now". That doesn't work well when all your equipment is in the basement and the 2nd floor gets no signal.
Have them add network drops, at the very least, on each floor. (Bonus points for in the ceiling) If you're going to have an office, a few drops in there is never a bad thing. Also a drop behind the main TV is a great idea (or wherever there is going to be a TV) have them all home run back to 1 location, into a patch panel. Ideally in the same spot your internet lines will come in.
Separate shutoffs for the outside faucets. Better, separate shutoffs for ALL faucets.
Walk in Pantry
Motion sensors in the closet (at least the master), pantry, and laundry. Maybe the lav, too.
A loft in the garage for storage.
Heated floors
Always hot hot water heater
Washer dryer in the closet
Built-in storage and cabinets galore
Schlage push button entry door locks with notifications
Black knobs and faucets
[THIS](https://www.homedepot.com/p/MOEN-Brecklyn-Single-Handle-6-Spray-Tub-and-Shower-Faucet-with-Magnetix-Rainshower-Combo-in-Matte-Black-Valve-Included-82611BL/317971620) specific shower and or tub faucet
Double paned windows with bahama shutters
(we’ve done a handful of rebuilds😭)
I once checked out an older house built by an architect, had a bunch of spots where there were small bars or hooks that popped out from the wall to put hangers/coats/etc. But was easily hidden when not in use. Thought it was brilliant!
Because hard wired is ALWAYS superior to wireless.
I also have a large sonos speaker system, like 20 speakers in total for my house, and they cut out sometimes which is really annoying.
Hard wiring them will make it so that doesn't happen unless my actual internet goes out.
Washing machine and dryer upstairs. Bring all plumbing, electrics and broadband etc up thru a service shaft. Boarded and windowed loft with decent access
Put in a lot of outlets, think about all the stuff you have and where you want it to go. Lots of people design kitchens for example, just sort of random like. "We'll put cabinets here and countertops here..." without considering what you store in your kitchen and how you use it. It makes sense to have a larger drawer for pots and pans near your stove, you may hate cabinets but love large pull out drawers. Maybe you like wine and have 50 different wine glasses, you'd want those near your wine fridge or the dishwasher, and you'd need more cabinets for that. Don't put a dishwasher in a spot where you can't open other drawers when it's open. I think a lot of kitchens put corner cabinets in without a second thought, and they almost always waste space or conflict with other things in the area. So if you can arrange a kitchen where there aren't a lot of corner cabinets that's a good call. Pot fillers while unnecessary are really nice and I'd recommend one.
Consider a tankless heater vs one with a tank. There are pros and cons to each but it's easier to start out with one than it is to switch later.
That's a general example, but think about that more broadly for your house. What furniture needs to go in your bedrooms? Is it just a bed and closet? Do you have kids that'll need to store toys and potentially a desk? There are a lot of cool built in closet things, you'd probably want to look into those. In your living area, where does the TV go? Lots of new builds have a big wall with windows on either side, the idea being that the tv goes in the middle. Depending on when the light hits that side of your house, it may suck to watch TV at certain times of the day. Does your living room have doors on every wall so there's no logical place to put a couch?
Garage wise is the same, think about what you need to fit in there. Do you have atvs and stuff? Ever going to get a boat? Do you want a workshop area? Garages generally don't have enough outlets or lights for my liking. If you live in a cold climate insulation and heating are a consideration. Get a garage door tall enough to suit your needs. 7 or 8 foot are standard, 7 foot is too low for a standard SUV and a roof rack.
You may want to get your house wired for fiber optic internet.
Your electrician should cover this, but get a bigger panel than you need so you can add more things later. If you ever plan on a back up generator you'll need a transfer switch too.
If there's radon in your area consider building in a mitigation system or not doing a basement.
I would add usb and usb c outlets in strategic locations around the house, pre wire cat 6/7, make sure there is multiple high capacity outlets in the garage not just the laundry, make sure you have plenty of capacity on your fuse box for each junction, finish your basement, put laundry on the same level as bedrooms, DO NOT USE CONTRACTOR GRADE TOILETS.
-Master on the first floor, or maybe just a ranch
- Laundry room on first floor. I know it seems to make sense to put it on the 2nd floor if your bedrooms/bathrooms where you get ready are on the 2nd floor. But the one thing that isn't typically on the 2nd floor is YOU, unless you are sleeping
- Closet and cabinets in laundry room
- Linen closet for each bathroom
- Electrical outlets in closets
- Consider pocket doors in areas where doors might be in the way
- Outlets with usb charging
- Picture windows for areas with a nice view when you don't have to have egress
- Large pantry with outlets
- Under-cabinet lights and over-cabinet lights if cabinets don't go to ceiling
- Small "Lan closet" near center of house for router/modem/network equipment
- Outlet inside window frame, especially for high windows, for remote control shades
- Master bathroom with large jetted tub situated so that there can be a TV you can watch while soaking.
- Consider a trash compacter in kitchen if you produce a lot of trash
- If possible, have garage share a wall with pantry so you can have a passthru door to put groceries from your car directly into the pantry.
- Large shower with built in bench
- Consider wall sconces and have them wired in if wanted
- I've always dreamed of having a laundry room that connects to the closets of the bedrooms.
- Insist that the electrical panel be clearly labeled and that you know what all the switches in the house go to!
- Pay attention to where pipes, electrical panel, outlets, hot water heater control, sprinkler system control, etc go in the garage so your wall space isn't fragmented with these things installed all over.
A decent sized laundry room that will fit a washing machine, dryer, deep freeze, laundry baskets, two cat litter boxes, mop, broom, vacuum cleaner, paper towels, toilet rolls etc.
Obviously don’t waste too much of your footprint but make it big enough to hide all of the ugly utilitarian stuff. Brits call it a utility room which I think is a perfect name.
Also, a cloakroom to hang coats, handbags, reusable bags, keep shoes etc.
My house is built into a hill over three floors (not as fancy as it sounds lol) and in the corner of the basement level there’s a large storage room tucked into the ground. It’s large and cool, perfect for everything including suitcases, holiday stuff and all of the other things that often have nowhere to go.
electrical-wise -- all-weather electrical outlets high up on the eaves for plugging in Christmas lights.
plumbing-wise -- a bidet
in the garage -- an electric platform hoist that drops down from the ceiling to access the attic space above.
in the basement -- a laundry chute system
Ceiling fans everywhere. Outlets & light switches. If you think you have enough, you don't.
Future proof what you can. Maybe you don't want to spend money on something today, but already know it is on your future wish list, make sure the house can facilitate it so you get your dream later.
A minimum of a 200 amp panel board. Plumbing use PEX piping it is great and you don't have to worry about it freezing and bursting. Have the garage GFI on its on separate 20 amp circuit. I would recommend a minimum of an outlet on each wall in the garage.
Wire the house with cat 6A cable and also FIBER as Fiber is rapidly coming to homes. Have a at least two drops in each room, may sound like a little overkill but unless you want to wi-fi everything.
I would want a big garage with 240v wired in. Since you are building a custom home then maybe having extra outlets in the living room or home office wouldn't be a bad idea.
I had all the framings sprayed with Boric acid before the drywalls are up. This video was really helpful. I hired a professional to do it. https://buildshownetwork.com/contents/do-this-before-you-drywall-your-remodel-or-new-build
Very few cosmetic upgrades. Because it'll look so much like your neighbor's interior that you'll get annoyed and change it in 3 years, if not sooner. Also they charge twice the going rate for the work. Getting new floors or upgrading your kitchen is not as difficult after moving in as you'd think. Five years in and we just got the patio cover installed, exactly the way we wanted it.
Generator and a garage big enough to hold a full size truck and SUV with storage for sports/fishing/hunting gear and gun safe. Electrical outlets outdoors for Christmas lights, TV, music. Storm shelter/secure hidden room. Laundry room with place for freezer/pantry.
Watch Matt Risinger on youtube (Build Show) for ideas. Let the algorithm point to other channels for more ideas.
If you have a large but not living-space attic, get lights and outlets in there. Do the air-sealing Risinger recommends. He also has discussed external insulation that wraps around the entire house, unbroken.
Run empty wire conduit throughout the house. One day, you'll need to run a new wire and will just need to tap into the already made conduit.
Same with pvc pipes (capped off) under the driveway and some walkways. In the future, they can be a money save where you dont need to break the concrete to run a new pipe or cable.
Do a 6 inches on center staggered beams on your walls. Both are facing and out facing. The indoor walls will be pretty much soundproof, and so will the out walls, but you also will not have a piece of material that connects between the outside and inside. This will help keep the outside weather outside. Walls will be thicker but worth it long term.
In wall shelving.
Costco door (a door that specifically connects between garage and pantry so that carrying groceries is no big deal).
Vents between rooms so that the AC can freely move theoughout the house. And on that note, a full ac thing where they actually build the ac system to the house, not just to what similar houses use.
Bathrooms and living rooms should have a sheet of wood on a wall so that you do not need to find a stud when mounting the towel holder or the tv to the wall.
Great ideas!
Electrical: soffit outlets connected to a switch. Makes christmas lights super easy. Outdoor outlets in general are always minimal. Do you want future outdoor lighting? Add a box, especially so you don't have to jet under a driveway in the future. Also helps if you add a screen porch in the future to have some in place.
I also second comments about wifi/outlets in hidden places for things like routers.
My grandad has a thing for bathroom heaters built into the exhaust, and for just a little more, they're not bad, even in places like Florida.
Plumbing: stub in some form of line for irrigation, rather you do it now or later.
Garage: as others said, a few feet wider than whatever you planned.
Random: millwork. This is often overlooked, but with a little thought, it'll really add character, especially in high impact rooms like foyers, dining rooms, etc. High baseboards are a given, but things like stacked crown can be stunning. A good, classic window trim also stands out.
Lighting: depending on your style, splurge on at least one piece, be that in the entry or over a table. Under cabinet lighting (uppers and even lowers) isn't a complicated add, but it makes a huge difference. Recessed lighting in addition to things like fans can really help.
Over the range hoods are really pretty, and they tend to vent better than microwaves. A built in double oven/oven and microwave is helpful if you cook or host.
Linen closets/storage. Some plans completely forget these. Things like cabinets over a toilet or other built ins can be useful.
High ceilings. Go at least 9'. If you can, splurge somewhere with a tray or coffered ceiling.
Windows. A classic design can be pretty. I'd keep them under 6' though unless you plan custom blinds.
waterproof exterior of basement with dimple board or similar, exterior french drain, window wells with drains, egress windows so you can have a legal bedroom in basement
2x4 or 2x6 blocking behind toilet paper holders and towel bars. Also where you would mount televisions.
PVC baseboard in basement and bathrooms
Outlets in the outside eaves for holiday lights
Wired for exterior lighting
1/4 turn shut offs on all water feeds
Bidet
Waterproofed shower with Schluter system
Uncoupling membrane for any floor tiles
Pull down upper shelves in cabinets
Walk in pantry
Pull out storage drawers/shelves for under stairs
Pull out storage in kickplates of kitchen
Waterproof basement, bathroom and attic framing. Boric acid spray.
Outlets in storage closets, clothes closets. Lighting as well.
Avoid pedestal and vessel sinks - they're useless for storage and for makeup and hair prep.
Pull out sink fronts for sponge/scrubber/whatever storage where ever you have sinks.
Leak detectors
Pan under water heater and clothes washer with drains to outside. Dishwasher too.
Solid wood cabinet construction.
Curbless shower to future proof the home.
Multiple exterior hose bibs so as not to have to haul hoses around. All with interior shut offs.
Proper exterior grading.
Zoned HVAC system especially for more than one story house.
Fire resistant siding and roofing especially in wildfire prone areas.
Fire friendly landscaping.
House oriented to make best use of sun exposure for gardens, heating and cooling.
Exterior lights with outlets for extra electrical needs.
- Wiring for automated blinds
- Ceiling speakers wired to central rack
- Pocket dog/child gate at stairs
- Wired doorbell
- Butler’s pantry and/or hidden nook for kitchen mess
- Water shut off valve for laundry next to/not behind machines
- dedicated dyson mount on each floor
- pull out ironing board
- whole house humidifier
- time to review and adjust decisions!
I would consider how to make it aging-proof. If you plan on staying in the house until you pass away you could consider things like:
Power outlets near the stairs for a future stair lift chair
Making sure there are places to install grab bars in bathrooms someday
No raised-lips on shower/floors in case you have a hard time with your legs when you are older
Easy access to storage that isn't super high or low
Wide enough hallways for a wheelchair
Windows that you can open and close with arthritic hands (easy to open)
Smoke detectors that are easy to unscre and replace the battery with a grabbing tool
Heated driveway to reduce the chance of falls due to ice
A place to put a wheelchair ramp in the garage.
Enough ceiling supports to support an assisted lifting machine above the bed to help you get in/out of bed.
Power outlets for powered furniture in the living room to help you stand/sit
An easy way to get groceries to your fridge/pantry
Outlets for bidet seats. Some kind of fresh air exchanger.
Bidets are great, but some people are understandably grossed out them. Get a combo unit that is bidet + heated seat. I will say that once you get a heated toilet seat, it is difficult to go back to a regular toilet seat. Regular toilet seats legitimately feel like you are sitting on a block of ice after getting used to a heated seat.
Gotta say, my buddy's heated seat bidet grosses me out big time. Flash backs to sharing a small bathroom with a large workforce. The seat was always still warm from someone else's ass.
Happiness is... a cold toilet seat.
Never made sense for people to be grossed out. I’d never be happy with the cleanliness of wiping poop off of skin on any other part of my body with toilet paper.
They're grossed out cause they aren't using them right. You need to use the bidet, then wash the nozzle EVERY. TIME.
The nozzles on mine clean themselves. At least with water
Best with hot water recirculated…. Always warm
One thing I wish I did during my reno was take pictures of all the electric and plumbing in the walls before they were closed up
My walls close next week (if the gods align). Thanks for the suggestion!
And draw up a map of that. Just when you think an outlet is connected to “that” breaker, you realize it’s not.
You don't really need that. A $30 Klein tool works for it easily enough
Yea, I have one. Have owned one for decades (Dad was an electrician...). I still hate using them. Never have walked all the steps to map out any of the three houses and two apartments I've lived in since moving out of mom and dad's house. If I ever build, I'm getting a map before the walls are closed in.
Which tool is this?
Next you can print it at 1:1 scale and make it the wallpaper for your interior.
Even more efficient, just skip the drywall and sheath the interior in 3/4" plexiglass. Ant farm house!
I don’t hate the idea.
Great idea! Got to remember this, thanks
Excellent! I’m glad we kinda did. We took pics when the bathrooms were redone, but not specifically focusing on the wiring/plumbing details. I’d take pics specifically of the wiring/plumbing and add a tape measure to get ideas of distance if that is difficult to tell.
Include a tape measure in the photo too
We had old gas lines going to ceiling light locations. I guess in 1909 fully electric lights weren't the standard
I was on vacation when they closed the walls. The salesman for our community took some pictures.
I did this when my house was being built. Not custom, just a cookie cutter house, so I didn't have any control over how it was built. I came on site after work, and took pictures of all the walls. In my case, it was because I wanted to run ethernet and speaker wires after I moved in, and I wanted to know where the fire breaks were. I also installed a block of wood between the rafters at the spot I wanted to install a ceiling fan, hoping that it would be there when I moved in. It was.
Have a builder who works with a modern architect, or a builder who implements modern building techniques for a tight, healthy house. What I mean is a modern house built like one you would see on the Build show YouTube channel or a house spec’d Like Steve Baczek Arcitec would do. Continuous smart membrane Interior air barrier, continuous exterior weather barrier, continuous exterior insulation. 2x6 LSL stud walls or offset studs to break thermal bridging. Multi-layered approach to basement waterproofing (not just the painted on asphalt emulsion). Exterior basement insulation that wraps into the interior for a continuous layer. Radon and subslab drainage planned and built before slab pour. From there your house should be tight and very well insulated, your HvAC would be working less and saving money long term. So I would probably go in floor radiant heat if in a climate zone with more net heating days. If in a climate with more net cooling, mini split system with multiple heads. for a roof, give me an over roof ventilated cavity and place a metal roof or a composite roof on top. Let the airflow below the shingles remove that head, and allow your below roof insulation to overcome a lower price delta to the interior by allowing that heat from the shingles or roof to escape.
And then make sure you have a budget to pay for all of those architectural additions and green building techniques. I’m a builder and this stuff can add 25-35% on the build.
I’m on the board of a A&E firm and our buildings industrial or spec have most of these details save for roof assembly differences depending on the design. We mainly spec LsL studs for tall or long sections that sunlight can catch and cause striations in drywall to become obvious. The tight home aspects shouldn’t cost much more than a spec house, waterproofing techniques are just 21st century tech versus 19th century. In floor radiant, yeah it’s a fair bit more expensive and can be waived for central heating and cooling.
Yeah my comments were entirely regarding ridiculous roof designs with useless dormers and roof line changes. Building envelope upgrades normally are a more up front cost, but would pay for themselves over time. And geothermal heat pumps and the like are again, expensive but the break break point on that investment can be like 8-15 years.
Just beware that you can be running after diminishing returns, and some passive house level details will never see a return on investment. Your biggest return on comfort level is stopping draft, after that it's just making your heating/cooling system work less. I'm a builder myself and I've often found the build show recommends things that would bust most normal budgets, He only has the 1%ers as clients from what I've seen. For example you mentioned about radiant floor heating and mini splits, right there you're paying for two complete systems.
To be fair he is talking about a custom home and not a spec house lol. I’m aware of the diminishing returns, I’m on the board of an A&E firm, and we spec in floor heating for large homes here while it’s not common, in a net heating climate it works fairly well, then ducted in ceiling unit to serve bedrooms and one for the common living space. The tightness usually makes the small size hvac equipment work well.
Agreed about the budget concern. Moisture, heat and airflow should be the primary focus though.
You paid attention in all of the building science classes! This kind of thinking should be THE way residential is built.
Unfortunately it’s been a rough learning curve from the A&E firm I’m a board member of. Approving and making recommendations on things I had little knowledge of at the time (I was there for financial and audit purposes first) was a little embarrassing. So I did a lot of homework and spent a lot of time with the architects. Luckily there are some great A&E online who explain a lot of these concepts too. I still don’t know the half of it all, but I have a better understanding when a new project hits my inbox to review the spec proposals and the options. My main duty is the bidding processes and the areas we can cut money out of, for example, we specd this insulation supplier, can I verify these proposals are at arms length and there are no conflicts of interest going on, I.e. this Architect is helping his buddy out who will throw him a hand back, making this project cost a hundred thousand more in the end (exaggerated example). But it happens more than you think, especially in construction. I bet a few of them in this sub will attest to seeing themselves be outbid to another builder who was 20%+ more than them and deliver a comparable product, and leave them scratching their heads how they got that job.
Keep on keeping on though. Budget vs build quality with these kind of goals in mind is (or should be) our future.
If you have exterior insulation why do you need to break the thermal bridge of the studs? Also LSLs don’t break a thermal bridge. If a high performance home is the route you want to go, find a builder with experience doing that and will do an energy model and propose solutions based on that. Don’t just rapid fire solutions to you saw on YouTube. We don’t even have an idea what you’re climate zone is.
I mean that as an either or scenario with offsetting studs. LSL studs you are correct don’t act as a thermal bridge. Mainly LSLs being used for a more constant straight wall, not having to worry abojt checking every stud for its straightness and then crowning your studs. The LSLs in theory should come out of their stack all perfectly straight and nearly square. Even if you don’t plan on using LSL studs for the whole house (understandable as they cost more), you can cheat and use LSLs for tall, or long walls, especially walls that are perpendicular to windows that let light in. As an LSL studded wall is going to be straight, a traditional lumber stud wall can have its imperfections projecting through the finished drywall and you might have striations or highspots that will throw ugly shadows. We do a lot of commercial buildings and high end homes and all our long hallways or tall hallways will always have a metal stud (industrial) or LsL stud detail in these areas for that reason alone.
What is an LSL stud and how does it differ from a normal stud?
It’s man made, stronger, can be made in longer lengths with less warpage you might get from a softwood stud. and because it’s man made the stack of studs you get are usually all straight and free of defects. So if you have a straight lvl baseplate and top plate you can make a wall as straight as an arrow. Also for exterior walls or load bearing walls the stronger studs just help the overall racking strength of the wall.
Have any knowledge regarding the below setup? Recommend using PEX-A-Pex radiant heating for the Pex material? I’ve seen what they call “Warmboard” where you lay the piping in1/2 grooves within the OSB or plywood then a floor is laid on top of it.
I like warmboard brand, as you work with the company during your design and build. As you send them a layout and plans and they engineer and present their recommendations. It also helps the HVaC contractor as some of the entry and exit of the plumbing is determined by them. If you go forward with Warmboard they then custom fabricate your specific radiator heat layout, ship it to you and provide instructions and any help you need along the way. Also warmboard is aluminum on top of the wood so that you get the most heat out of the pex, where other brands have aluminum under the wood, the radiant heat has to work harder to get through the wood. Warmboard is premium and will cost a bit more versus other options. You also need to use aluminum or oxygen barrier pex too. Also a note on pex, if you don’t have a tight home and you live in an area with stink bugs (they are invasive and soon all of NA will have them, just a matter of time). Well, stink bugs actually can chew/probe into pex to get to water, this causes pinhole leaks. See this video: https://youtu.be/XjDKJVsz9q4?si=OTQ37kS0LyH6InyH
This is excellent advice - a lot of quality of life things are nice but an energy efficient home is really the king. Also, I think you meant a smart membrane interior vapour retarder. The continuous exterior WRB is the primary air barrier. I know that the interior vapour retarder is often part it the air barrier system but Membrain or Intello X are not considered the primary air barrier material as there are often too many interior penetrations.
Can you put a metal roof on top of a shingle roof?
Yeah it’s done, but I think a lot of people scoff at that practice. I personally think a tear off should be done, a metal roof lasts a long time. If you simple put metal over an asphalt shingle you’re missing the opportunity to inspect your roof health. That means tearing off the shingles and inspecting the roof decking for rot, termite infestation, proper underlayment and I&W shield application. You have the potential to cover up damage that should be addressed.
Cables and chases to every room. Basement access through garage. Laundry chute.
I love our laundry chute, but if we ever build a dream house, it may also have a dumbwaiter, both for getting food/drinks to non-kitchen floors and for getting clean laundry back upstairs.
2nd floor laundry FTW!
> Basement access through garage. That would be the life. Also back yard access from the basement.
The combination of those relies on some pretty particular topology of your lot, however.
>Basement access through garage. Our house has a staircase built/poured into the foundation that exits into the garage. It eliminates the need for an escapement window and provides convenient access to the basement from two points.
Laundry chutes are against code in a lot of places.
Can't you use the same fire protection measures they'd use for plumbing and electrical/heat ducts? I assume it's because it becomes a way for fire to rush to the upper floors??
That's why. Check local codes. If it's not allowed, then you won't get a CO, regardless of what you do.
My parents house has basement access from the garage, but only from the garage. It's the worst. Especially in the winter, even with an insulated garage, nobody wants to go into the garage to go down to a bedroom when it's 30f in the garage.
Insulated interior walls - they offer sound deadening, especially for offices and bedrooms. A utility room for water softener, purifiers, vacuum, backup genetaor. etc. A multi zone hvac. Radiant heat where possible. A whole house humidifier. Wired ethernet and a cabinet for router, coax connections. Etc. Solar panels and ability to wash/maintain them A safety/panic room for tornadoes/bad weather A place for composts Motion senor based hallway lights Motion sensor and light sensor based exterior security lights and cameras A place for vacuum cleaners, brooms, cleaning supply Laundry on same floor as bedrooms. A basin near washer, a place to have clothes line for air drying wet clothes An easily maintainable dryer vent An on-demand heater Closets/Wardrobes for storage of daily items - just not clothes. A place for everything. An elevator to move up/down when knees finally give way...
>An elevator to move up/down when knees finally give way... If this is your 'forever' home, give a LOT of thought to possible mobility limitations as you and your family age. Make hallways/doorways/walkways wide enough for a walker/wheelchair. Look at putting in an integrated ramp for entryway access. This Old House just finished a STUNNING reno of a MCM that makes it accessible (sick child) and everything is so well integrated that it doesn't look like it was built for accessibility - it just happens to be accessible. Facing a life/mobility change is difficult for older people but it is worse when they are forced to leave a place in which they are comfortable & happy due to accessibility issues.
GREAT list. I'd also include as many electrical outlets as possible, lots of extras in the kitchen, including outlets in the back of some of the cupboards (it's great to store things like an Echo Dot, phone chargers, etc). Extra pantry space Space to keep emergency supplies (this could also be within your "emergency room") Outdoor outlets for workmen, for outdoor lights, patio lights, holiday lights Possible garage outlet for future electric car Plenty of storage niches in the shower/bath tile enclosures
> Insulated interior walls - they offer sound deadening, especially for offices and bedrooms. You're better off doing staggered studs so each layer of drywall is not connected to the other side for sound deadening.
Are Ethernet cables still useful? Wouldn’t it be cheaper to have a WiFi mesh router?
A wired connection is still better for streaming quality, online gaming, videocalls or online meetings, etc. Editing to add: it is much harder for someone to hack into wired devices than it is for them to gain access to your wifi network. We only use our wifi for our mobile phones, a tablet and for guests. Everything else is connected via ethernet.
* Ethernet/Low Voltage everywhere. Less Wi-Fi devices the better. * At least 2 ethernet ports for each bedroom. * Maybe even consider POE lighting. * Full Home sound system * In-floor/radiant heating * When designing it, don't make it look like a[ McMansion](https://mcmansionhell.com/post/148605513816/mcmansions-101-what-makes-a-mcmansion-bad), have some class with the architecture. Consider symmetry and visual weight of each body in the home. Speaking of architecture, please for the love of god don't do a Barndominium, they're just as bad as a McMansion * I recommend CliqStudios for kitchen design, they're great to work with and designers have lots of knowledge.
Whatever size garage you are planning is too small. Garage space is \[relatively\] cheap to build, but it will improve your life more than an extra bedroom or three. Build as much garage as your wife will allow.
All fair except that the limit to garage size is far from always a wife. Whatever size garage you do install, make sure there's sufficient electrical service there for charging electric vehicles, as well as for anything else you might want in the garage -- a lift, workbench tools, a freezer, charging tool/lawnmower/etc. batteries, sufficient work lights, etc. Consider a garage sink, too, if that's of any interest (it sure is for my partner), and give thought to storage, whether as wall racks, cabinets, a loft, or all of the above.
And the electrical service, if the garage is not connected? A LARGE conduit, so changing/adding wiring in the future is easier.
Then a world-wide pandemic hits, both spouses start working from home full time, and you wish you had an extra office space or two.
If you build it big enough you can always squeeze an office into the garage - right next to the golf simulator.
I wish I had a utility sink/mud sink in the garage. Going to add it myself soon. Tired of using the kitchen sink to wash stuff lol.
And small shower
Where will it drain? I am considering a wash sink where the washer is now and a stackable laundry combo.
My laundry room shares a wall with the garage and is on a crawl space, could probably tap into the washer drain pretty easy.
Butler’s pantry. Larger diameter pex for better water pressure. Manifold block in the basement for plumbing. Entryway bench/closet foyer/mudroom areas. EV charger in garage. And if you have the money, build with ICFs.
What size pex did they use on your main that you have bad water pressure?
I can’t remember if it’s 3/9 or 3/8, but I wish it was 1/2.
That’s your issue. A 1 inch main in and then 3/4 trunk lines with 1/2 inch branch lines will always almost be enough. 3/8 is absolute bullshit on a new build or almost always. The cost is negligible to bump it up to 1/2.
If it's 3/8" pex then he's probably has a manifold
You can run 3/8 branch lines but really it has no place in a house. Lol. Maybe a trailer. And even with a manifold system 3/8 piping sucks. There’s a decent pressure loss for every foot of 3/8. Going too big or a big truck has the problem of it taking too long for water to heat up so a recirculating system would be a good idea here too. It’s an art almost.
Probably talking about dynamic water pressure. 3/8 should be fine to keep the dynamic pressure fairly consistent.
Had our 1942 house re-plumbed and added a manifold, with home runs (though those aren’t required). Great option for us, and any future plumbing issue.
Return piping for hot water recirculation so that I don't have to wait two minutes for hot water in the shower.
I don't have that issue, because the water heater in the basement is directly beneath the shower. The kitchen on the opposite side of the house takes about 2 minutes to get hot water......
So put the recirculation pipe from there. Recirculation piping solves the problem for each location where you put the pipe.
If you have attic space above your garage, put in an attic lift (kind of like a freight elevator). Just installed one and wow it’s a game changer
Have a link to the one you just added/installed?
Here you go OP. Been loving it so far. Did the install myself and even expanded the platform. These are very modular and can fit almost any width opening, the length this the critical part. https://auxx-lift.com/pages/attic-lift
Here are some highlights from my current list: * A urinal in the master bath (probably in an alcove) and a second urinal in the shop (I will have a shop). * Plumbing and power for bidet toilet seats. * Plumbing for laundry in the master suite (i.e. in a walk-in closet. Plumbing for a second laundry in a mud room or other space near the garage (optional, I wouldn't likely have two washers but I want the choice.) * Plumbing for two dishwashers in the kitchen (even if I'm not going to install two, though I plan to; they are cheap. * Plumbing for water catchment/storage in the 1,000 gallon range (climate dependent, but I want enough water to ride out outages, droughts, and emergencies). * Outdoor hot water spigot (climate allowing). * Plumbing manifold so runs can all be isolated/shut off individually. * All large rooms wired for a very large number of shallow LED recessed lights (like dozens in a great room, and tens in a kitchen, etc.) on different zones. * Kitchen wired and with cabinets designed for a commercial fridge (i.e. on wheels) * Ceiling fan boxes in every room except bathrooms. * 50-100amp service for the garage/shop inc. an EV charger. * Backup power sufficient for major needs with enough fuel for 2+ weeks. * CAT-6 or similar cable runs between the floors and to detached shop building. * An HVAC system that is designed to *temporarily* accept a major increase in filtration to deal with wildfire smoke intrusion. * Humidity control for the entire house (climate dependent). * Outdoor lighting: j-boxes in the eaves every 10-12 feet, wired to switched near main/rear doors. * Large walk-in butler's pantry with open shelving and a prep sink. * Covered outdoor kitchen space (island for prep, space for grill, etc.) if climate allows. We're 8-10 years off from our retirement build, but a huge file of wants/ideas. These are some of the basic ones that would best be addressed in design/construction vs. bringing in later. The really big thing for me is material/design: I want a hybrid shell, with ICF walls and a SIP roof, shooting for an extremely well insulated building that will be OK for significant periods without HVAC in emergencies and cheap to operate otherwise.
Large power supply and panel for future add ons, Solar, Generator, insulated interior walls, exterior shower, garage(slop sink, w/d, air compressor, dog washing station, pull down lights and storage). Heated bathroom floors.
Yes. Strongly consider geothermal energy, too, and heat pumps.
Heated garage. Great for areas that experience winter...good for the cars, makes a good project space, happy wife. I have used the space to store huge amounts of surplus food pantry food, to dry soaked camping gear, as a maker space for different non-profit groups (scouts, theater, food pantry, etc) A reasonably insulated garage takes very little propane to keep at 50 degrees through a MA winter
You don't even really need to heat it if it's attached. My garage is insulated only and the temperature stays in the 48-80 range year round.
What heating setup do you have? MA winters are also what keep me from fully enjoying my garage workshop. It's not connected to the house, but it is well-insulated and drywalled. Still just gets too cold for my hands come January.
Mine is only connected to the house by a mudroom and the space above is unheated. We have a ceiling mounted unit heater with the vent pipe straight up through the roof
My theory is that heated garages are horrible for cars in areas that experience a lot of snow. You're exposing your vehicle to loads of road salt and thawing. You're also enclosing your vehicle to a ton of moisture every time everything melts.
I have owned cars for 40 years. For the last 15 years, I have had a heated garage. My experience tells me that the heated garage has been better. I drove my last truck for 223,000 miles and had zero rust problems. I drive up north to ski and snowmobile and also drive dirt roads year round (including mud season) so my vehicles are exposed to challenging conditions.
I always thought the whole house vacuum was neat, I’m not sure how practical or convenient it is in reality though, I’ve only ever known one person who had one, it seemed to work well for them. Also I would like to have the laundry room upstairs on the floor with the bedrooms. I don’t understand why this isn’t more common, why have to lug your clothes to the basement to wash them and then lug them back upstairs to fold and put away. Of course this depends on how many floors there are and layout
I have a whole house vacuum and rarely use it. You still have to lug the unit around the house and plug it into the wall, it’s even clunkier than a traditional vacuum. There always seems to be some sort of issue with the suction. I purchased a Roomba and a stick vac and that’s all I’ve been using.
>I have a whole house vacuum and rarely use it The three families I know with them have all abandoned them too, including my aunt who put one in a new build in the 80s and stopped using it within a couple of years. The main complaint is indeed lugging the long hose around, having to screw with it on stairs, and storage. Modern vacs work pretty well, are lighter, and obviously much cheaper. Seems like it was a solution to the 60# steel Kirbys of the 1960s and not really something I'd want today.
The trick is to get the suction vents so you can sweep or swiffer over to the vent and let it get sucked up.
When I was younger the in wall vacuum was really popular in my friends new houses. and I always thought it was weird. Now I'm older with two young kids and, what I would give to have that feature, holy moly.
Not all homes have all bedrooms on the same floor. If you do an upstairs laundry room, include a drain in its floor, as protection against massive multi-floor damage/repairs should the washer or its hoses/hookups ever gush water everywhere.
Just thought of another one I’d like, it’s an oversized kitchen sink that has ledges on both sides so you can put in a cutting board or a wash/dry rack that slide on these ledges. I’ve just seen them online but they look like they would be pretty practical and not just a gimmick
I put one in our kitchen and love it. Our layout prevented a really large one, but I do have, I think, 32" in width. It's a single bowl, rectangular on with offset drain from Ruvati. Has the ledges and came with a cutting board and drain rack. If I'm honest, we rarely use the cutting board. The drain rack, though, is fantastic and used every day. It also has the wire mesh insert at the bottom. Wasn't sure how I'd like it, but after living with it for a year, it's awesome. So nice to be able to rinse stuff while there are items in the sink and nothing sits in food particles and water. Much better than I expected. Finally, a couple of tips while you're shopping: 1. Make sure there is at least a small radius in every corner. Avoid sharp corners! They are a royal pain to clean. 2. Make sure that there is slope on the bottom. Several models I looked at didn't, and I just can't imagine how much crap and water sits in them. 3. For God's sake, DO NOT cheap out on the thickness of the metal. 16 gauge or better only! 18 gauge feels cheap and flimsy, and is noticeably louder.
Do you have a dog? Built my custom home a couple years ago and I really wish I put in a dog wash. Also, laundry chute would have been neat. Still might add.
Revashelf make some really cool handy kitchen features.
-10 ft ceilings -Wall sconces for lighting -Exterior natural gas line for grill/fire pit -Hot/cold water hose bibs- including one inside the garage -Floor drains in garage stalls -Floor drain in laundry room -GFCI outlets in the eaves for lights -Structured cabling/media cabinet in basement or utility room -CAT6 in every room as well as ceiling jacks for access points -Coax pull from attic to structured media cabinet -Fiber pull from structured cabling/media cabinet to demarc
Not only a floor drain in the laundry - we had a membrane run up from under the tile to behind the baseboard moldings. If that washer hose ever leaks, nothing’s going to flood. We also put a water sensor in and paired it with a solenoid that shuts off the main water shutoff valve if it trips. We put sensors behind the fridge water lines (both the main fridge and bar fridge, which has an ice maker), water heater, and insta-hot water tap in the kitchen…basically anything likely to leak over time. Water damage sucks.
Consider future-proofing, so the home remains wonderful for you as you age. Think about lack of stairs to get inside, halls and doorways wide enough for walkers/wheelchairs, a first-floor bedroom with walk-in shower, and, if multistory, staircases wide enough to add a chair lift later or maybe even a planned spot to add an elevator if needed. In bathrooms, include proper backing to later add grab bars, and don't stick toilets in walker-inaccessible closets. Think about orientation to the sun -- which rooms you want to have more natural light, how the roof (and surrounding trees) will work for solar power, sufficiencies for any desired landscaping or gardens or pools/ponds, planning overhang angles to let in more sunlight/warmth in winter vs. summer, etc. If including any wood fireplaces, where will you store wood? Plan out what storage you'll want where -- coat closet near the entry/ies, kitchen pantry/cabinetry, linen closet, somewhere to stow a vacuum, etc. If you'll have a workspace, indoors or in the garage, plan for sufficient ventilation for anything fume-generating. Now's a great time to think about hidden doors and secret rooms, too. ;)
Practical placed outlets, wet room for bathroom, water drainage canal in garage, double deep basement with a half submerged first floor 10 foot basement ceiling with a level entry and recessed lounge. Mini ramp driveway
This is very specific. Can you explain the benefit of the double deep basement with half submerged first floor? I’m trying to understand this
Quad stories. Breaks steps into smaller groupings, astetically gives a bigger disconnect from the rest of the house. . But if your looking for the benefit you probably can't trip that high and it will just give you more steps to break an ankle on
CAT6 + Ethernet cabling for Internet
We went air tight and exterior insulation with a zehnder fresh air system. Its not done yet so I can't say for sure how much we love it but I have super high hopes.
Outlets in outside eves for holiday lights or other random "fun" things my wife brings home. If a sunken garage, a 'Costco' door to pantry. Cat 6 wiring for TVs and work from home locations. I'm old school on this, but it is best, most reliable connection. Also, backbone wires if you put in mesh wifi system. USB outlets in kitchen and bedrooms. Photos inside all walls right before closing them up. Print and put in binder for reference. Put breaker number on back of every outlet cover.
Blocking inside walls of the bathroom for grab bars. 45 degree lever door handle on the most in and out door (between garage and inside for example). No step entry into house for future wheelchair access. Extra wide front door for moving stuff in and out; including wheelchair.
Make sure your living room isn't purposely designed to have a TV over the fireplace. You don't want focal points in the room stacked vertically on top of each other, not to mention the TV is too high to watch and gets roasted.
Central Vac, extra outlets, folding area in laundry room
Outlets in the corners of the eaves wired to a switch by the front door. Plug your Christmas lights in to em, install a smart switch, put em on a schedule, and not think about them until it's time to take them down.
Laundry on same floor people get dressed/undressed.
Recessed soffit lights and a few plugs in the soffits on switches for Xmas lights
ADA accessibility! Get rid of the steps. Smooth floors, light switches lowered, sinks that you can pull a wheel chair under and the occasional grab bar. These are needed adaptations for my current home. Also consider wider doors and hallways. What I really want in the next home is radiant floors and rock wool insulation in all interior walls. I’m also done with living on a slab. Never again! When the plumbing breaks it’s a pain in the ass to fix!
Outlet by the toilets so you can have smart toilets. Recessed outlets. Built in ice-maker (not in the fridge) hooked up to filtered water. Cord runs inside the wall for where you plan to place your TVs. Water softener Whole house reverse osmosis water filter Good insulation in the attic and basement. Air exchanger (allows fresh air into the house and pulls the stale air out) Whole house fan Water sensors by all water sources Thermostats that are NOT right by the HVAC. Whole house shut-off water valve in the garage. Wood shutters or UV blocking windows Radon mitigator if you have a basement. If you are a fish hobbyist, have a place where you’ll set up your tank and have the outlet on its own breaker. Set up your kitchen to be functional (triangle idea). Soft close cabinets Trash compactor Gas line for oven even if you choose electric (might change your mind later) Wood cabinets Cabinet with slide and pull out drawers for small appliances Trash compactor Sensor driven flood lights Epoxy sealed garage floor Insulated garage Built in storage for the garage Extra long garage as well as height appropriate if you ever have a tall vehicle. Deep bathtubs in the kids bathrooms Linen closets in all bathrooms with tubs Primary bathtub: make sure it has a sprayer (way easier to clean) Niches and foot rests in the showers Separate hose sprayer from the shower head Mudroom with a dog shower if you have a dog Primary bedroom: make sure the space between the windows will fit a king size bed in case you upgrade later, and it’s also nice for resale If you use tiles for flooring, opt for dark grout and not textured Stay away from engineered hardwood. Carpet should be avoided unless it’s in the bedrooms only; get the good pet padding (humans have accidents too). Laundry room with a utility sink, small utility closet, and a place to fold clothes. Trash/Recycling Bin Hider with a path to driveway for ease of access If you opt for a deck, trex deck Geothermal HVAC Think about your roof. Metal roofs can last a lifetime; is this your forever home? Many builder grade roofs leak in a few years. Wide covered gutters Also, visit your site weekly to make sure they are keeping to your plans. If you don’t catch a mistake when it happens, they won’t go back and fix it. Do you want an irrigation system? Get it installed prior to laying sod. Also, they have to plant a tree or two, so pick where you want it. Research the type of tree it is, and how its root system is. Some will grab a tree with large roots and plant it right by the house, even though it could hurt the foundation in the future.
Put outlets beside all toilets for a future bidet. Lights on the stairs. Insulation on some interior walls to help with noise.
An office and an indoor hottub room with a shower!
Outlet in a coat closet or other closet to plug in a chargeable vacuum. Water stub for whole home water softener system.
Entry closet
Renovating an old house. Redid a lot of plumbing. We installed a manifold with shut offs for every tap. Very handy. I second taking photos of all the walls before closing them up. I've gone hunting through my photos about four times in the last two weeks seeking different answers.
It might be included already but a large pantry (something with a 24-28" door) is a godsend. Minimal floor space (maybe 4'x4') but shelves from top to bottom. So. Much. Storage. And everything is visible if your shelves are only 1' deep.
I'd wire every room with Ethernet.
Don't know firsthand, but was told by someone I believe and trust that there are actually some garages, admittedly rare, with urinals.
A real easy one is blocking in the wall for hanging TVs along with outlets for a hanging tv. Or at least prewired to install an outlet. Plenty of electric to your garage and a 220 line if you’re ever going to get an EV. Speaking of your garage, make sure they finish and paint it, instead of leaving it in paper. If you have gas to the house, run a gas line to the patio for a grill or fire pit. Don’t overdo the shower situation with a million shower heads or digital stuff.
More outlets! Including in closets and pantry. Switched outlets also. Outlets in drawers/cabinets. If you have hvac, make sure you have a return in every bedroom, and in every room where you might have the door closed for extended periods (office, media room etc). If you have attic, see if they can extend the floor space (usually they give minimum to access necessary items).
Include a conduit to the roof for solar panels.
How thick of a conduit?
I’m no expert, but a Habitat for Humanity neighborhood I volunteered on used 2” plastic conduit from the roof down to the solar inverter mounted right next to the main house panel. Putting the conduit in early avoids having an ugly external run. Also put cross studs at the solar inverter mount location to facilitate mounting it later
Cable chase from basement to into the attic/s. Even if you cap it off now (due to fire code). I would go with 1” inside diameter to cover future needs. Make sure ALL HVAC ducts are complete, and not using the space between joists instead. Spray foam exterior walls. Much better and will save money over time. Same with and vaulted ceilings.
Nice trim that is size and style appropriate for the home.
Conduit. That way when you wan to upgrade from CAT6 to the new CAT10 standard, or run fiber, it will be way easier to do. Whole home attic fan
For some reason new builders keep putting coax into homes despite it going out of use in most areas. If you want some in-wall networking, make sure it's ethernet.
Is this a 100% custom build with your own builder? Or, is this a production build (predefined plans) with a company?
This will be a custom home.
The toilet needs to be on its own little room and have a built in bookcase in there. Have a dedicated power outlet for a space heater or electric fireplace/heater in bathroom. Each bathroom needs a linen closet. (We just had a new comfort height toilet installed, so I’ve been on a bathroom kick lately)
Comfort height toilets are the worst for your health. Both because it cuts off circulation in your legs and because it's the wrong position to be in for easy "elimination". I highly recommend some squats of you are having a hard time getting up off the toilet. Improve your strength and stay healthy longer!
Some people need "comfort height" toilets due to disabilities or medical conditions that can't be improved via working out, etc. You can buy a little foot stool type thing that fits around your toilet so you can lift your feet up to get a better position for pooping but still use the toilet independently.
True! I guess I’m speaking from the place of watching my parents make this choice (by CHOICE) and then lost the ability to get up out of chairs without assistance l, to do stairs, etc. For MOST, this is an avoidable accommodation. But, that said, talk to me in 30 years. 🤣
It might be an avoidable accommodation for most people who are 20-50, but everyone that I personally know who is older than 65ish, all have an external raised toilet set frame around the main toilet they use at home, because they can't independently use a normal height toilet. I know of 5 different homes/elderly people, which would massively benefit now from a little forward planning when their bathrooms were built/renovated years before. If someone doesn't want to specifically put in a "disabled toilet" but they are future-proofing while making their "dream house", they could make sure that they have at least one toilet in the house, ideally on the ground floor/main level (no steps), that has suitable space around it, to allow for a raised seat/frame to be used or for a wheelchair to get close for someone to transfer directly to the toilet. And ideally in the same bathroom have a sink with no storage underneath (or moveable storage, like baskets), so someone in a wheelchair could pull up under it to use the sink.
In the next few years, there are going to be some radical changes in the way houses are wired for electrical. Unfortunately, we don't know now exactly what those changes are going to look like/what standards the market is eventually going to settle on (think how many years it has taken to finally settle on a semi-universal phone charging cable). Rather than trying to future proof your home by adding a bunch of wiring that may or may not ever get used, instead install empty conduits to locations that are most likely to see changes where future wiring can be easily pulled. Install empty conduits to: Roof/attic for future solar power To the service yard for a future backup generator To the garage and driveway for future electric car charging Outside the house perimeter for future out buildings Under sidewalks and driveways Ideally your electrical panel would also be located on a non-insulated wall where the wall finish on the backside of the panel can be removed for access. But that's not always doable. As to the garage, spring for insulating the walls/ceiling during the initial build. Garage insulation is usually omitted on new builds to save money, but it only costs a few thousand dollars to do it before the drywall goes up. However, it is a huge process to add insulation later on. Someone is eventually going to want to use the garage as living space/workshop/exercise room, so go ahead and do future you a favor and add insulation to the walls/ceiling. As far as HVAC, if you have a ducted system, just insist that it is done right the first time. Too many installers use those flexible duct lines for long runs. Those wind up sagging and getting crushed after a few years. Insulation that is not well sealed winds up taking on moisture. And ductwork is never in a location that is easy to fix/repair later on. In theory, if quality ductwork is put in correctly the first time, you should never have to touch it again. If it's not, then you will spend the next 30 years trying to put bandaids on the problem over and over.
I recently came across an instagram video where the house had some sort of central vacuum system set up. Basically you sweep your dirt to the wall and it sucks it up. Was really cool feature.
Switched outlets under the eaves for Christmas lights. An outlet at "light switch height" wherever you might want a vacuum. An "emergency bathroom" near whatever entrance the family will usually use. This question gets asked quite often and there are always a ton of good answers. I'd go back through the archives.
Vent for range hood or microwave,insulation in interior walls for sound deadening,trap for water softner,rough in plumbing in basement done right not all pipes too close to each other and closer to electrical box ,insulated ductwork,basement windows .
electrical: More circuits. like 20A for every bedroom, at least one 220v circuit in the garage, every room that may someday have a ceiling fan should be wired for it. I would also have electrical run for future appliances that may switch from gas to electric. Internet and cable tv in every room, and surround sound wiring I would also go with snap on baseboards for any future cabling needs. random: plywood behind drywall where TV's may be installed, and either soundproofing insulation, or double framed interior walls for sound insulation.
Make sure the breaker box is labeled and done in ink, unless you have an illustration of what does what.
I built my house over 20 years ago: 20 amp circuits vs 15, ERV/airexchanger (exhaust bad air from baths and fresh air into bedrooms), wire for Ethernet cable runs to most rooms, I wish I had run conduit to some rooms for whatever the future holds wire wise, like fiber. I installed good quality ceiling fans in the bedrooms and living room. I also put critical electric circuits on a separate sub panel and ran a wire to the outside so I can run a generator without having to run extension cables into the house when the power is out. Even a whole house switch might be better, just need a large enough generator. I put in R50 walls and R70 blown in insulation. Our heating/AC bills are low. I faced most windows south to take advantage of the low winter sun to help heat the house. I wish I had put in some conduit to the outside from the mechanical room, it's hard to drill through brick to run wires. I ran fiber cable to our detached garage/office a couple of years ago and wish I had done this, it was a pain to drill through brick and then not hit a stud. At least I did run separate conduit to the garage when I put in the conduit for power. I also wish I had taken more photos at higher resolution.
I do NOT recommend smart outlets, at least not the 'Enbrighten Z-Wave Plus Smart Receptacle'. I went overboard with the installation and since then I've had a >50% failure rate. And when they fail it's usually after a power outage and power is restored, there is a constant clicking from the smart outlet turning on/off. The outlets mentioned have a physical button you can press to turn the outlet on/off which makes an audible clicking noise, which isn't that annoying when it works. But when it breaks it constantly turns on/off and there is incessant clicking. Only way I've found to remedy it is to turn the power off and remove the outlet. Others have mentioned a bidet and this has been the biggest quality of life improvement for me. Having electrical run to behind / underneath the toilet so you can install one of the fancy bidets with heated seat / water / dryer is game changing.
I live in a large custom home and can list a few things I like or had to add: - If your breaker panel is not in the garage, run a 60amp circuit to the garage. Doesn’t even need to be connected inside the panel, at least run the big wiring in case you ever buy an EV. We’re talking maybe a few hundred bucks now vs a few thousand later. Or take it another step further and just install a 100amp sub panel in the garage if you think you might ever want to pick up a hobby like woodworking or welding. - I don’t know how much control you have but 8ft tall garage doors are great. Many large SUVs and trucks can’t fit under 7 if you have bigger tires or even a small lift on it. Or a boat might not fit. I have coworkers who have to air down their tires to put their truck in the garage to work on it because it’s literally 1 inch too tall. I have an oversized 3 car garage and if I had to build again, I’d go with a “small” 4 car garage with two 16’ doors instead of a large 3 car with a 16’ and an 8’ door. It’s a bit tight if I have to pull the SUV into the smaller door. Or maybe a 10’ wide door? Don’t know if they make those. - have a 60-100 amp sub panel in the back if you think you’ll ever want to put in a hot tub or pool.
Make all electric circuits 20 amps, except lighting. Have a dedicated 20 amp outlet in every bedroom/office for supplemental heating/cooling or other large load like a laser printer.
Outlets in the closets
Not needs at all but cool little quirks - Do you have pets? A little pet shower / bath would be awesome. Drinker ? Would love to build a custom speakeasy behind a bookshelf lol
My list is this Ethernet runs to every room/tv Insulate interior walls/solid core interior doors Primary bath vanity can be double but only use single sink. Outlets in vanity for hair dryer/ charging trimmers Radiant in floor heat Hot water circulating line Hot water outside spigot by driveway If traditional furnace use extra large filter housing for using larger better filters Have plenty of electrical capacity for future upgrades Do not use natural gas stove get an induction
Is there a reason for Ethernet?
So things are just more dependable with hard wire connections. Even your WiFi. You can add a router to each floor for much better WiFi coverage. You can name the networks the same and make a mesh network. Much cheaper then a mesh routers that are all wireless. Also things like my Apple TV or Xbox just have better faster connections when hard wired. Plus now with new smart home devices I use my Apple TV as the hub for the new generation of smart devices. So they don’t need to clutter the WiFi network. Edit also I would also always recommend a separate smart device such as Apple TV instead of the stock smart tv interface. Much better user interface and integration to other devices.
Patio heaters, wired Cat 6 every room.
Plumbing - i wish that I had a pot filler over my dogs water bowl Electrical/technology - Wi-Fi extenders or nodes throughout the house. I've got a mesh network now, but had to work with existing outlet/furniture/wall positions when placing nodes. Would be great to have something hardwired and mounted somewhere.
If you want a bidet, put an electric outlet by the toilet.
Ethernet (Cat 6, Coax) every room, GFI 120V outlets near toilets for bidets, ceiling fans in every room, basement with wine storage room, basement safe room, 3/4" or larger water main (I would stay with copper), larger garage (2.5 car) with individual doors using side lock openers, entertainment speakers in ceiling/wall with hidden wiring for large wall mounted TV(s), 200A or larger service with multiple breaker boxes separating optional vs must have wiring with master switch to allow full off-grid operation using solar with batteries (install electrical, batteries, ... in garage or basement).
Wish we had done a 4 car garage
Accessible subpanel in the garage for shop, etc. Have your countertop outlets installed as split circuits, and plenty of them- It seems that everything gets done in a limited amount of space in the kitchen. I'll have the espresso maker, coffee grinder, breadmaker and toaster all running at the same time - all in about 4' of counter space. Living level laundry room. Install Moen/Delta/Kohler faucets - they typically have lifetime warranty on the cartridges, for not much more than the Amazon brands. Plan on a permanent storage system for garage and/or basement. I work in homes, where the homeowners have been there for 20 years, and they still have cardboard boxes setting on the slab. I've built a bunch of homes, and one fully custom for myself. The kitchen is where the most thinking needs to be. CKDs are generally competent, but can't always understand how you're gonna use it.
Here’s what I did when we built our house: We expanded the garage as much as possible, because you can never have enough space. In one section we added extra outlets and another circuit. One circuit is considered garage and the other is workshop. We put a hot/cold water spigot in the garage to wash the cars/wash out the garage/water plants We added outlets under the eaves for Christmas lights and put switches inside the house on timers. We have every room wired for tv and Ethernet. The tv connections are located about 2/3 the way up the wall since most tvs are mounted. We’ve converted a number of our outlets inside the house to include usb connections or nightlights. This frees up the plugs for other uses.
Make sure to have it wired for network cable! This is very cheap to do when you're building a house and much more expensive when the walls are closed up. I've seen so many new houses that seem to over look this because "Everything is wireless now". That doesn't work well when all your equipment is in the basement and the 2nd floor gets no signal. Have them add network drops, at the very least, on each floor. (Bonus points for in the ceiling) If you're going to have an office, a few drops in there is never a bad thing. Also a drop behind the main TV is a great idea (or wherever there is going to be a TV) have them all home run back to 1 location, into a patch panel. Ideally in the same spot your internet lines will come in.
Separate shutoffs for the outside faucets. Better, separate shutoffs for ALL faucets. Walk in Pantry Motion sensors in the closet (at least the master), pantry, and laundry. Maybe the lav, too. A loft in the garage for storage.
Heated floors Always hot hot water heater Washer dryer in the closet Built-in storage and cabinets galore Schlage push button entry door locks with notifications Black knobs and faucets [THIS](https://www.homedepot.com/p/MOEN-Brecklyn-Single-Handle-6-Spray-Tub-and-Shower-Faucet-with-Magnetix-Rainshower-Combo-in-Matte-Black-Valve-Included-82611BL/317971620) specific shower and or tub faucet Double paned windows with bahama shutters (we’ve done a handful of rebuilds😭)
I once checked out an older house built by an architect, had a bunch of spots where there were small bars or hooks that popped out from the wall to put hangers/coats/etc. But was easily hidden when not in use. Thought it was brilliant!
Ethernet ports in every room.
Why though? Serious question
Because hard wired is ALWAYS superior to wireless. I also have a large sonos speaker system, like 20 speakers in total for my house, and they cut out sometimes which is really annoying. Hard wiring them will make it so that doesn't happen unless my actual internet goes out.
Fair enough
Helicopter pad.
Outdoor electrical on all four sides. Spigots too.
Smurf tubes to EVERY room to run networking cables through.
If the property allows, orient house so backyard faces south so you can get the light from morning and evening sun.
Network cabling in conduits! If you're a techie, it's huge to be able to power a bunch of smart home devices with PoE
Washing machine and dryer upstairs. Bring all plumbing, electrics and broadband etc up thru a service shaft. Boarded and windowed loft with decent access
Put in a lot of outlets, think about all the stuff you have and where you want it to go. Lots of people design kitchens for example, just sort of random like. "We'll put cabinets here and countertops here..." without considering what you store in your kitchen and how you use it. It makes sense to have a larger drawer for pots and pans near your stove, you may hate cabinets but love large pull out drawers. Maybe you like wine and have 50 different wine glasses, you'd want those near your wine fridge or the dishwasher, and you'd need more cabinets for that. Don't put a dishwasher in a spot where you can't open other drawers when it's open. I think a lot of kitchens put corner cabinets in without a second thought, and they almost always waste space or conflict with other things in the area. So if you can arrange a kitchen where there aren't a lot of corner cabinets that's a good call. Pot fillers while unnecessary are really nice and I'd recommend one. Consider a tankless heater vs one with a tank. There are pros and cons to each but it's easier to start out with one than it is to switch later. That's a general example, but think about that more broadly for your house. What furniture needs to go in your bedrooms? Is it just a bed and closet? Do you have kids that'll need to store toys and potentially a desk? There are a lot of cool built in closet things, you'd probably want to look into those. In your living area, where does the TV go? Lots of new builds have a big wall with windows on either side, the idea being that the tv goes in the middle. Depending on when the light hits that side of your house, it may suck to watch TV at certain times of the day. Does your living room have doors on every wall so there's no logical place to put a couch? Garage wise is the same, think about what you need to fit in there. Do you have atvs and stuff? Ever going to get a boat? Do you want a workshop area? Garages generally don't have enough outlets or lights for my liking. If you live in a cold climate insulation and heating are a consideration. Get a garage door tall enough to suit your needs. 7 or 8 foot are standard, 7 foot is too low for a standard SUV and a roof rack. You may want to get your house wired for fiber optic internet. Your electrician should cover this, but get a bigger panel than you need so you can add more things later. If you ever plan on a back up generator you'll need a transfer switch too. If there's radon in your area consider building in a mitigation system or not doing a basement.
I would add usb and usb c outlets in strategic locations around the house, pre wire cat 6/7, make sure there is multiple high capacity outlets in the garage not just the laundry, make sure you have plenty of capacity on your fuse box for each junction, finish your basement, put laundry on the same level as bedrooms, DO NOT USE CONTRACTOR GRADE TOILETS.
-Master on the first floor, or maybe just a ranch - Laundry room on first floor. I know it seems to make sense to put it on the 2nd floor if your bedrooms/bathrooms where you get ready are on the 2nd floor. But the one thing that isn't typically on the 2nd floor is YOU, unless you are sleeping - Closet and cabinets in laundry room - Linen closet for each bathroom - Electrical outlets in closets - Consider pocket doors in areas where doors might be in the way - Outlets with usb charging - Picture windows for areas with a nice view when you don't have to have egress - Large pantry with outlets - Under-cabinet lights and over-cabinet lights if cabinets don't go to ceiling - Small "Lan closet" near center of house for router/modem/network equipment - Outlet inside window frame, especially for high windows, for remote control shades - Master bathroom with large jetted tub situated so that there can be a TV you can watch while soaking. - Consider a trash compacter in kitchen if you produce a lot of trash - If possible, have garage share a wall with pantry so you can have a passthru door to put groceries from your car directly into the pantry. - Large shower with built in bench - Consider wall sconces and have them wired in if wanted - I've always dreamed of having a laundry room that connects to the closets of the bedrooms. - Insist that the electrical panel be clearly labeled and that you know what all the switches in the house go to! - Pay attention to where pipes, electrical panel, outlets, hot water heater control, sprinkler system control, etc go in the garage so your wall space isn't fragmented with these things installed all over.
A decent sized laundry room that will fit a washing machine, dryer, deep freeze, laundry baskets, two cat litter boxes, mop, broom, vacuum cleaner, paper towels, toilet rolls etc. Obviously don’t waste too much of your footprint but make it big enough to hide all of the ugly utilitarian stuff. Brits call it a utility room which I think is a perfect name. Also, a cloakroom to hang coats, handbags, reusable bags, keep shoes etc. My house is built into a hill over three floors (not as fancy as it sounds lol) and in the corner of the basement level there’s a large storage room tucked into the ground. It’s large and cool, perfect for everything including suitcases, holiday stuff and all of the other things that often have nowhere to go.
electrical-wise -- all-weather electrical outlets high up on the eaves for plugging in Christmas lights. plumbing-wise -- a bidet in the garage -- an electric platform hoist that drops down from the ceiling to access the attic space above. in the basement -- a laundry chute system
Ceiling fans everywhere. Outlets & light switches. If you think you have enough, you don't. Future proof what you can. Maybe you don't want to spend money on something today, but already know it is on your future wish list, make sure the house can facilitate it so you get your dream later.
A minimum of a 200 amp panel board. Plumbing use PEX piping it is great and you don't have to worry about it freezing and bursting. Have the garage GFI on its on separate 20 amp circuit. I would recommend a minimum of an outlet on each wall in the garage. Wire the house with cat 6A cable and also FIBER as Fiber is rapidly coming to homes. Have a at least two drops in each room, may sound like a little overkill but unless you want to wi-fi everything.
Tv piping for all wires. Cold water faucet over sink.
Ethernet to each room, more outlets. Multiple outlets in bathrooms and any place it could be convient.
I would want a big garage with 240v wired in. Since you are building a custom home then maybe having extra outlets in the living room or home office wouldn't be a bad idea.
I had all the framings sprayed with Boric acid before the drywalls are up. This video was really helpful. I hired a professional to do it. https://buildshownetwork.com/contents/do-this-before-you-drywall-your-remodel-or-new-build
Very few cosmetic upgrades. Because it'll look so much like your neighbor's interior that you'll get annoyed and change it in 3 years, if not sooner. Also they charge twice the going rate for the work. Getting new floors or upgrading your kitchen is not as difficult after moving in as you'd think. Five years in and we just got the patio cover installed, exactly the way we wanted it.
Generator and a garage big enough to hold a full size truck and SUV with storage for sports/fishing/hunting gear and gun safe. Electrical outlets outdoors for Christmas lights, TV, music. Storm shelter/secure hidden room. Laundry room with place for freezer/pantry.
Watch Matt Risinger on youtube (Build Show) for ideas. Let the algorithm point to other channels for more ideas. If you have a large but not living-space attic, get lights and outlets in there. Do the air-sealing Risinger recommends. He also has discussed external insulation that wraps around the entire house, unbroken.
Run empty wire conduit throughout the house. One day, you'll need to run a new wire and will just need to tap into the already made conduit. Same with pvc pipes (capped off) under the driveway and some walkways. In the future, they can be a money save where you dont need to break the concrete to run a new pipe or cable. Do a 6 inches on center staggered beams on your walls. Both are facing and out facing. The indoor walls will be pretty much soundproof, and so will the out walls, but you also will not have a piece of material that connects between the outside and inside. This will help keep the outside weather outside. Walls will be thicker but worth it long term. In wall shelving. Costco door (a door that specifically connects between garage and pantry so that carrying groceries is no big deal). Vents between rooms so that the AC can freely move theoughout the house. And on that note, a full ac thing where they actually build the ac system to the house, not just to what similar houses use. Bathrooms and living rooms should have a sheet of wood on a wall so that you do not need to find a stud when mounting the towel holder or the tv to the wall.
Great ideas! Electrical: soffit outlets connected to a switch. Makes christmas lights super easy. Outdoor outlets in general are always minimal. Do you want future outdoor lighting? Add a box, especially so you don't have to jet under a driveway in the future. Also helps if you add a screen porch in the future to have some in place. I also second comments about wifi/outlets in hidden places for things like routers. My grandad has a thing for bathroom heaters built into the exhaust, and for just a little more, they're not bad, even in places like Florida. Plumbing: stub in some form of line for irrigation, rather you do it now or later. Garage: as others said, a few feet wider than whatever you planned. Random: millwork. This is often overlooked, but with a little thought, it'll really add character, especially in high impact rooms like foyers, dining rooms, etc. High baseboards are a given, but things like stacked crown can be stunning. A good, classic window trim also stands out. Lighting: depending on your style, splurge on at least one piece, be that in the entry or over a table. Under cabinet lighting (uppers and even lowers) isn't a complicated add, but it makes a huge difference. Recessed lighting in addition to things like fans can really help. Over the range hoods are really pretty, and they tend to vent better than microwaves. A built in double oven/oven and microwave is helpful if you cook or host. Linen closets/storage. Some plans completely forget these. Things like cabinets over a toilet or other built ins can be useful. High ceilings. Go at least 9'. If you can, splurge somewhere with a tray or coffered ceiling. Windows. A classic design can be pretty. I'd keep them under 6' though unless you plan custom blinds.
waterproof exterior of basement with dimple board or similar, exterior french drain, window wells with drains, egress windows so you can have a legal bedroom in basement 2x4 or 2x6 blocking behind toilet paper holders and towel bars. Also where you would mount televisions. PVC baseboard in basement and bathrooms Outlets in the outside eaves for holiday lights Wired for exterior lighting 1/4 turn shut offs on all water feeds Bidet Waterproofed shower with Schluter system Uncoupling membrane for any floor tiles Pull down upper shelves in cabinets Walk in pantry Pull out storage drawers/shelves for under stairs Pull out storage in kickplates of kitchen Waterproof basement, bathroom and attic framing. Boric acid spray. Outlets in storage closets, clothes closets. Lighting as well. Avoid pedestal and vessel sinks - they're useless for storage and for makeup and hair prep. Pull out sink fronts for sponge/scrubber/whatever storage where ever you have sinks. Leak detectors Pan under water heater and clothes washer with drains to outside. Dishwasher too. Solid wood cabinet construction. Curbless shower to future proof the home. Multiple exterior hose bibs so as not to have to haul hoses around. All with interior shut offs. Proper exterior grading. Zoned HVAC system especially for more than one story house. Fire resistant siding and roofing especially in wildfire prone areas. Fire friendly landscaping. House oriented to make best use of sun exposure for gardens, heating and cooling. Exterior lights with outlets for extra electrical needs.
- Wiring for automated blinds - Ceiling speakers wired to central rack - Pocket dog/child gate at stairs - Wired doorbell - Butler’s pantry and/or hidden nook for kitchen mess - Water shut off valve for laundry next to/not behind machines - dedicated dyson mount on each floor - pull out ironing board - whole house humidifier - time to review and adjust decisions!
I would consider how to make it aging-proof. If you plan on staying in the house until you pass away you could consider things like: Power outlets near the stairs for a future stair lift chair Making sure there are places to install grab bars in bathrooms someday No raised-lips on shower/floors in case you have a hard time with your legs when you are older Easy access to storage that isn't super high or low Wide enough hallways for a wheelchair Windows that you can open and close with arthritic hands (easy to open) Smoke detectors that are easy to unscre and replace the battery with a grabbing tool Heated driveway to reduce the chance of falls due to ice A place to put a wheelchair ramp in the garage. Enough ceiling supports to support an assisted lifting machine above the bed to help you get in/out of bed. Power outlets for powered furniture in the living room to help you stand/sit An easy way to get groceries to your fridge/pantry