Building a house: what are your must have or want to have items?

#27
#27
How much do those systems cost to run, annually? Our pool installer kind of talked us out of going that route, as they are fairly pricey and "one more thing that can break." It would be nice to not have to fool with the vacuum, though.
 
#28
#28
utvolpj said:
Starting the process to build a new house again and want to see what others are as must haves or want to haves. We built about 5 yrs ago and that gave us a big list we've now mostly checked off.

What would you want in a new house?
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I wish I would have had an outside cutoff for my water. I have a crawl space and I have to crawl under the whole length of the house to cutoff the water to work on any plumbing issues. Saying it sux would be putting it nicely
 
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#29
#29
utvolpj said:
Starting the process to build a new house again and want to see what others are as must haves or want to haves. We built about 5 yrs ago and that gave us a big list we've now mostly checked off.

What would you want in a new house?
Click to expand...
I'm seriously thinking about installing the generac solar and generator system
 
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#31
#31
utvolpj said:
Outdoor definitely important to us too. Pool, spa and got my outdoor kitchen (grill, hood, fridge, sink, etc). Builder really concentrates on that. Got the garage but we don't have gas so didn't go with the tankless. Getting an insta hot by the sink though

We had neighbors who got dollar and it really doesn't make sense imo. Ran about $35k from what they said
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That sounds really good for the outside area. You can get propane tankless water heaters (we have one) although I agree that natural gas would be better.

Our pool isn't heated but we do have a small solar system that can heat up the hot tub/spa. That has worked well in the winter months. 35k sounds high for a solar system but obviously this based on the size of the system. Five years ago, we got an estimate of 25k for a 3300 sq foot house. Prices should have decreased since then.
 
#33
#33
Pex plumbing throughout
Composite tile roof (50 Year)
Room-by-Room ac/heat units
Hardie concrete siding with a jell coat paint
Pre wired security and USB outlets
Metal security shutters
Built-in safe
Huge Master Suite
Other bedrooms on the other side of the house
Curbless shower
2 person heated and jetted tub
 
#34
#34
kiddiedoc said:
How much do those systems cost to run, annually? Our pool installer kind of talked us out of going that route, as they are fairly pricey and "one more thing that can break." It would be nice to not have to fool with the vacuum, though.
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There isn’t really any cost for mine since it runs on water pressure from the main pump. I do have a secondary pump for the waterfall so it remains constant. (Depending on which heads are up, the flow could change if they were all on one) I have also read about systems using a dedicated pump.

Another consideration is the amount of debris that gets to your pool. I have a screen enclosure so I never get things like leaves to worry about.
 
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#35
#35
goldenvol said:
I wish I would have had an outside cutoff for my water. I have a crawl space and I have to crawl under the whole length of the house to cutoff the water to work on any plumbing issues. Saying it sux would be putting it nicely
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Wow! Is that the builder or lack of a building code or the crawl space entrance got moved?
You typically have a shut off valve next to your water meter that is accessible. You usually need a tool sometimes called a curb key. Most call it a water shut off valve. About $10 at lowes, etc.
 
#36
#36
McDad said:
Heated floors. Had those installed in our bathroom and I want it in all our lower level floors.
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What kind of circuit requirements are there? I’m having my bathroom redone and they said it would need it’s own circuit
 
#37
#37
Go aeiou said:
Wow! Is that the builder or lack of a building code or the crawl space entrance got moved?
You typically have a shut off valve next to your water meter that is accessible. You usually need a tool sometimes called a curb key. Most call it a water shut off valve. About $10 at lowes, etc.
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The water meter does have a cut off, but I dont have the tool and my driveway is like 100yds away from the house and the meter is at the end if the driveway

Dont think I haven't considered that to still be the easiest method next time I have plumbing chores to fix
 
#38
#38
golfballs said:
What kind of circuit requirements are there? I’m having my bathroom redone and they said it would need it’s own circuit
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I don't know. The installer ran the electrical. As far as I know, there is not a dedicated circuit...assuming I would see a new breaker in the breaker panel.
 
#39
#39
I find it amazing what some people find as "must haves" when building a house. I would say things like 2x6 walls, good windows, quality cabinets, flooring and roofing materials and I would only recommend those if you going to live there for a very long time. If you plan on moving in the next 10 years, build a cheap house that will sell easily.
 
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#42
#42
McDad said:
Hmm. I noticed you didn't answer either, you old curmudgeon.
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I don't do house wiring and don't know the local codes, but I could give an opinion on what I would do which I'm sure would far outweigh the local wiring codes. Sometimes it's best to remain silent, but add a circuit for the flooring, another for the outlets and another for the lights and you'll be good anywhere.
 
#43
#43
VolStrom said:
I don't do house wiring and don't know the local codes, but I could give an opinion on what I would do which I'm sure would far outweigh the local wiring codes. Sometimes it's best to remain silent, but add a circuit for the flooring, another for the outlets and another for the lights and you'll be good anywhere.
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The heated floor is surprising to me. Our bathroom is bigger than average. The floor stays on all day during the cooler months; although the temp fluctuates based on the settings we programmed (warmer in the am, cooler during the day, etc). The surprise is I cannot tell any increase in our electric bill. Maybe I will when it gets coldest in Jan / Feb.

ETA: We kept a space heater in the bathroom during the winter before the heated floor install although we didn't run it all the time. I guess it's possible the electrical for the space heater is approximately what the flooring is pulling. Seems to me the flooring should pull more.
 
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#44
#44
utvolpj said:
Starting the process to build a new house again and want to see what others are as must haves or want to haves. We built about 5 yrs ago and that gave us a big list we've now mostly checked off.

What would you want in a new house?
Click to expand...
Don't know you're age. I'm pushing 50 and over 6' tall so this list may pertain to older and taller folks. Must haves: comfort height (tall) toilets; a walk-in shower that I can roll a wheelchair into; countertops that I don't have to bend over to reach; one big ass kitchen sink that I can fit any pan I own in, no divided crap; prefer laundry room close to the kitchen; at least two bedrooms and two full baths on main level (assuming not a one-story); stair steps must be at least 12" long (no narrow crap); and no steep steps on porches.
 
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#45
#45
VolunteerHillbilly said:
Don't know you're age. I'm pushing 50 and over 6' tall so this list may pertain to older and taller folks. Must haves: comfort height (tall) toilets; a walk-in shower that I can roll a wheelchair into; countertops that I don't have to bend over to reach; one big ass kitchen sink that I can fit any pan I own in, no divided crap; prefer laundry room close to the kitchen; at least two bedrooms and two full baths on main level (assuming not a one-story); stair steps must be at least 12" long (no narrow crap); and no steep steps on porches.
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Stair requirements are typically covered by the building code. Your requirement for the tread depth is reasonable provided you want a nose on the treads. It can be difficult to change stairs once they are drawn on a set of plans. To o many criteria to satisfy. Lack of Room is usually the problem.
Ha, I have an adult toilet. My wife has a child model. She says her feet dangle from mine. I might as well be sitting on a hole in the ground on hers.
Good idea about the accessible shower. You never know when you might need it. Also two bedrooms on the main level. In 20 years you'll likely want everything on one level.
 
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#46
#46
Go aeiou said:
Stair requirements are typically covered by the building code. Your requirement for the tread depth is reasonable provided you want a nose on the treads. It can be difficult to change stairs once they are drawn on a set of plans. To o many criteria to satisfy. Lack of Room is usually the problem.
Ha, I have an adult toilet. My wife has a child model. She says her feet dangle from mine. I might as well be sitting on a hole in the ground on hers.
Good idea about the accessible shower. You never know when you might need it. Also two bedrooms on the main level. In 20 years you'll likely want everything on one level.
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All the stuff I mentioned is in my parents home. I have none of it, but I was 30 when I moved in my current residence. My house will be a tear down if I ever move due to acreage in town. I’ve updated a couple of things over the years but not much.
 
#48
#48
utvolpj said:
Starting the process to build a new house again and want to see what others are as must haves or want to haves. We built about 5 yrs ago and that gave us a big list we've now mostly checked off.

What would you want in a new house?
Click to expand...
If I were doing it again, I would have paid more attention to outdoor living space. Covered and open areas.
 
#49
#49
Dudleys87 said:
A nice outdoor half kitchen setup with a really nice smoker/grill.
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Roustabout said:
If I were doing it again, I would have paid more attention to outdoor living space. Covered and open areas.
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Definitely did that with our current plan. We missed a few things on our last build that we made sure to include in this like the paver patio, hottub/spa and a full outdoor kitchen with grill, sink, fridge (plus a shower as recommended above). Also got the large, triple sliding doors where they slide into the wall to hide so it's fully open. We like our current setup but this will be much better
 
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#50
#50
VolunteerHillbilly said:
Don't know you're age. I'm pushing 50 and over 6' tall so this list may pertain to older and taller folks. Must haves: comfort height (tall) toilets; a walk-in shower that I can roll a wheelchair into; countertops that I don't have to bend over to reach; one big ass kitchen sink that I can fit any pan I own in, no divided crap; prefer laundry room close to the kitchen; at least two bedrooms and two full baths on main level (assuming not a one-story); stair steps must be at least 12" long (no narrow crap); and no steep steps on porches.
Click to expand...
I'm not quite as old but taller. We're all one level and that was a requirement. Definitely going with comfort height toilets except for the kids rooms. I can switch those out later. Good idea on the shower so I'll have to check the width of entry. There is no door so it should be big enough

For the kitchen sink we went with a smart divide where there is a divider but it's lower to allow for handles to cross over.
 
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