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

As I've mentioned before I just bought some land and we plan to build this spring. We are in the final stages and already have a house plan and most of the major details picked out. Cabinets, flooring etc.

One thing that came up as we were picking out door handles, lights etc was whether we wanted a laundry sink in the basement or garage. It never really crossed my mind, but it seemed like something that would just "be there". Our laundry is on the first floor, so it makes sense there just won't be one. And I certainly want something to clean my grimy hands, paint brushes etc in. I am having a bathroom roughed in, in the basement.

On that note, to anyone that has built a house, what are some things that you either forgot, or realized you needed to have, like a sink to clean up your dirty grimy hands and tools in.

I think I've considered everything, but who knows. Or is there something you picked our during building because it seemed so great, but after moving in you realized you really didn't need it?

Don't forget the 2x6 framing for exterior walls. Adds minimal cost to the house, but makes HUGE savings on utilities. :beerchug:

I myself have helped build a few houses, but not mine. I have a couple friends who did. I promise, no matter what you do, you won't get it right. There will be something you wish you did, something you went with but now don't like.... it's gonna happen. I know another guy who had built several houses for himself. Said he finally got it right on about the 3rd or 4th.

If you have never done it, there are too many things to list on this page for advice. All I can say, is if you are doing it yourself and never done it, consult a builder. They will tell you things you never thought of. This is one thing that I would be careful who you ask for advice. I know a house I really like or think is perfect, you may absolutely hate..... so asking a huge audience may not be a good idea.

I worked on 5 or 6 of them from start to finish, not for me but for customers. I did my own house but that was a modular home. I would just put the sink in the basement if you have access to it from outside.

My wife and I just moved into our new home. 36" door to basement, so much easier to move things up and down. Put a piece of conduit under side walk/drive or any where you may want run landscape wire or anything similar later on. Take pictures of wiring and plumbing before drywall goes up, may want to know where something is before drilling holes and such. Costs next to nothing to add a couple shut off valves in water lines to isolate sections for repairs or additions, don't have to shut off whole house that way.

Make sure you have enough outlets.

If the house is 2 stories, then I would personally put the laundry room on the 2nd floor upstairs: Reason, most of your dirty laundry is upstairs, from clothes, to bed sheets, etc., so why drag them up and down the stairs.

Another thing that I did when I built my first house, I ran electrical conduit from the attic to the basement. I have all new wiring in my house, but somewhere down the line if the next guy needs to re-wire it, then he can just drop a line down the conduit. I think I used either 2 or 2 1/2" conduit so several lines may be dropped down, including cable for tvs, etc. I also ran my electrical in 1" metal conduit in about 85% of my house. Several people gave me static about it at the time saying it was unnecessary, but when putting the cedar siding on the house one of the nails struck the conduit and deflected to the side of it and I said that is why I chose to be safe rather than sorry. I had several electricians tell me that is what they do for commercial buildings and not residential. So I asked if I had done anything to put myself or my future family in jeopardy and they said, "No, if anything you are over protected." Also, you can use a GFI circuit breaker for your kitchen and your bathrooms/washrooms. This will save you from purchasing those overpriced individual GFI receptacles and at a cost of about $45, it will save you $$$. Of course you can buy the whole electrical panel this way too, but I just would not want my tv in my living room to shut off if water got into an outlet in my kitchen.

Put double electrical receptacles in instead of singles. It will cost more money for the boxes and a little more for the extra receptacle, but you will not have to unplug something to plug in a sweeper when you vacuum or something like that and the cost really isn't that much.

If you have young kids, put lights with dimmer switches on them in the closets. If they are afraid of the boogie man, then you can turn the light on in the closet and dim it down to an acceptable level for them to sleep. This will ease their fears and also provide a light in the closet when needed.

When planning access to your basement, try to plan it as close as possible to an outside door to your house. More than likely, at some point, you will need a repairman to come to your house for things like cleaning your furnace or replacing your furnace, plumbing, electrical work, etc. By placing it close to an outside entrance/exit,you will minimize foot traffic in your house and also limit what they see in your house. Also, if you have a water softener that requires salt and it is located in your basement, you can carry the bags of salt almost directly into the basement or storing holiday yard decorations, etc. into your basement. When setting up your plumbing, put in manifolds for your entire house close to your water heater so shut off can be done as needed from the basement to different points in the house without shutting off full access to the house, if needed. This works great if one of your bathrooms gets a leak, then the rest of your house plumbing is still fully operational and the shut offs in the basement allow for easy access for servicemen while down there.

When in doubt, it is always better to over engineer rather than under engineer! If it is in your budget, put vents in between your roof rafters and then insulate behind them. This will save on both your heating an cooling of your house which will more than pay for itself in a brief period of time. Also, run electricity to your attic. People don't always do this, but if you put attic vents in, then they will help with the cooling of your house and will require electricity.

Another thing I did on my front door is put a remote key entry lock on it. This allows me to unlock my front door from my truck so that if I am carrying groceries, I do not have to fumble for the key to unlock my door. This is not a keypad entry system, but an actual remote control for the front door. Of course it can still accept a key in case the batteries are down in the remote control.

Place visqueen down in all craw spaces. Not only will this keep the dirt/musty smell out of your house but if ever someone has to enter the craw space to do work, it will allow them to easily slide around into position and help keep them cleaner.

Put automatic vents in your foundation so that they open only when necessary. This will provide an energy savings to you and keep your house more comfortable. I also put a geothermal water furnace in my house with a closed loop. It is more costly at first, but if you plan on keeping your house for a while, then it will more than pay for itself in savings and comfort level. A closed loop does not require filter changes and as much maintenance nor does it require a water source for withdrawal or deposit.

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

When bracing ceiling fans or light fixtures, I always use a 2x4 cut to size and then attach my octagon box to it. The prefabbed hangers for these is not as strong and more costly than a piece of 2x4.

Don't forget your bridging between your floor joists. And if you choose to go with metal ones, then separate them about an inch or two or else walking across the floor will sometimes put them in contact if they are next to each other and you will hear it!

If you have little kids or plan on having them, I like to put enough windows in so that I can see them from any room in my house from any point. Yes, windows are more money, but my child's safety is priceless. If they are out playing in the yard, then I can see them whenever and where ever I need to if I cannot be out there with them. Obviously, you will want them to be of appropriate age. If you have a large window, you might consider having safety glass put in it. When I put my 5' octagon window in my kitchen, I had safety glass installed so that no one gets hurt if a baseball comes through it or an accident occurs. Now, someone might get a good ole fashioned paddling if they were careless and broke it, but still no one gets hurt.

Well, the list probably goes on and on, and as already mentioned there is always going to be something that you forget along the way, but this will hopefully help you out a little. It is a very smart and sensible question that you asked.......I wish someone had helped me or I would have thought to ask that before I built my first house.

Cub Cadet 123

I like having a concrete wash sink in my basement. I wash my nasty hands/stuff down there and it doesn't crap up my wife's kitchen sink. (keeps her happy.) My parent's house doesn't have one that I grew up in. Also multiple bathrooms. My parent's house also doesn't have one of those and it was a must when we were looking to buy (my wife and I).

Yup, come's standard :)

We are using Schumacher Homes out of Akron OH. I wouldn't dare try to sub contract it out myself. I know my limitations lol

Doing a walk out basement, but good point.

Great idea with the pictures!! We'll have PEX in the whole house, so there will be shutoffs to each circuit at the manifold.

Yup. I keep telling myself that, but I need to write it down. We do a walk through with the electrician after framing. I need to make sure I remember to clarify and specify what I want and where.

3BR 2 Bath split. Wife and I are on one side, the kids are on the other ;)

I'm also having them add insulation on the interior walls between the great room and bedrooms and the Kitchen and our master suite. I don't want to keep the kids up while we watch tv, or have them waking us up banging cabinet doors lol. (we did opt for soft close drawers)

I'm having them put a sink in the garage, with freeze proof faucets. Ideally, I'll do my grimy work in the garage. Until I build my super duper Cub shack :D

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

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

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

Well, you've already been told that you WILL get something wrong, accept it.:biggrin2: I've seen some great ideas tossed out. Here are some more:

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

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

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

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

How dirty do you get everyday? I'm a machinist and part-time farmer. Metal chips, mud, grease, general stinking clothes--that's me. Just as soon as I walk in the house I am in the mud/laundry room where I can take off my shoes and anything else that stinks. This is where I keep my work boots and coats as well. There are hampers there for my dirty clothes. FWIW, somedays the clothes are so nasty that jeans and shirts are removed outside--thank GOD we don't have close neighbors!:bigeyes::biggrin2:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Are you planning on living here the rest of your life? If so, plan things around that can be changed as you get old-er. Being in a chair, I always look at others homes and think, "man what you going to do if/when you get old"? How you going to get around that house?
Wide doorways, lower windows, counters that you can sit under rather than alongside. Not a lot of steps outside. If you do an attached garage, make it level with the living quarters, instead of a step up.
Open bathrooms, not toilets stuck back in a corner.:biggrin2: Think of wider hallways, not the normal narrow ones.
In case you ever need to add a ramp, it'll be possible, instead of impossible, where you would have to move because your home couldn't be adapted.
Unfortunately, we are all going to get old someday, but when we are young, no one thinks of them days...
And when you figure your garage/toy-box, always think bigger, because it's never big enough, you run out of room real fast. :bigthink:

Paul, replace the battery in your alarm clock! :biggrin2:

Generator sub panel, you need water and heat with kids when the power goes out. 2 sources of heat with different fuel sources, you will have an issue with your fuel supply or furnace....someday. A couple dedicated outlets at the front corners of the house powered by a commercial grade timer at the panel for Christmas lights. If you do icicle lights, you can have an outlet put in the soffit from the same timer. Are you window candle people? I've installed "the window candle package" in new houses. It is a single circuit that is run to a receptacle under each window in the front of the house, all controlled by a switch next to the front door. It allows you to turn all your window candles on/off all at once.
Our old house had door switches in the door jams of every swinging-door closet, open the door, light goes on, close the door, lights goes off. I miss them. Don't put in gfi breakers (unless required by code), put gfi's at point of use. That is unless you don't mind being called in from the garage to go downstairs and reset the gfi because your wife is elbow deep in another culinary masterpiece. :biggrin2: Personally, I think double receptacles everywhere would look silly. I get behind the couch or bed, but install a central vac or receptacles just inside the door of each room for vacuuming. If you are putting in ceiling lights in the bedrooms, install a fan box and 3-wire from the switch to box so you can control the fan/light separate (even if you're not installing a fan, you might could one day).

Bill

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

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

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

Lights in all closets.

Wow guys. As I suspected, lots of great suggestions.

Of course, money is the limiting factor on some suggestions. If I had the funds, I'd probably just print this thread off and say "here ya go" lol

We chose a split bedroom ranch with the plan on being there a long time. Laundry is on the first floor and there aren't really any hallways, as the master bedroom opens into a foyer/kitchen area. The other 2 bedrooms are on the other side of the great room, with a very short hallway on each side. We couldn't swing the top of the line bathroom, but have the bathroom laid out so it won't be hard to rip out the prefab and add in a walk in shower. That's definitely will be one of our first upgrades down the road.

Good tip on lights in closets. Again, something I assume is standard, but likely isn't.

We are doing a single car garage. I intend on putting in a pole barn in a few years, and pouring a floor in there and adding plumbing if the budget allows at the time. Unfortunately, the budget doesn't allow making it any bigger. I'll check on adding a drain to the garage. I think it's a great idea, cost will be the determining factor there.

Exterior receptacles are another great suggestion. I don't have any in the front of my current house and every time I drag a cord out the basement door I say "I'm gonna have them in my new house". And guess what.... I never even asked about them.

Same goes for the exterior spigots. Never thought about it, but I certainly want 1 on front and back.

I intend of putting in all LED bulbs from the get go. Just gonna give the electrician a box of them and have at it. Going to try and use what ever direct install LED fixtures I can too, but I like the idea of having a replaceable LED bulb v a fixed LED fixture. LEDs may last forever, but my experience is the power supply isn't nearly as reliable. I'd rather be able to put a new bulb in than replace a fixture.

I already had them add an exterior vent for the kitchen fan. Something I don't have in my current home and something I definitely want in the new one.

I'm also putting in a Nest or Ecobee thermostat. Leaning towards EcoBee right now because it supports Apple HomeKit, and thus can be controlled with Siri through my AppleTV (priorities :D )

Thanks again for all the info. I wish I could afford to do it all!

Just my 2 cents but I don't like floor drains in the garage, when the get plugged up from the crap that cars drag in you have a problem. I suggest that you just pitch the floor towards the door then you can just hose the crud out the door.

I have built 4 houses and placed 1-1/2" foam insulation under the basement floors and also around the exterior basement walls before backfilling.

On my pole barn, back in '77, The holes for the poles were drilled in rotten limestone. I concreted them in solid in the holes with a rebar alongside them, bent horizontal and stretched between each pole. Then formed and poured a stub wall between each pole, dug down as far as feasible onto the ground, Then poured the floor inside the wall with foam insulation under it. Has held up well and the floor in the heated portion stays pretty much the same temp year round.

Make sure you get the poles in the ground far enough into undisturbed earth if possible. I visited a fellow a few years ago to pick up a sandblast cabinet. His pole shed was only a couple years old and already, all 4 corners had heaved out of the ground about 6". It had been built on fresh fill to level the lot before construction.
Insulate the ceiling if at all possible during construction. I did not and have been kicking myself ever since.
Good luck and enjoy!!

Something to think about...................

When I built my current house in 1970, interest rates were about 7%. At that rate, when paid off in 30 years, I would have paid back $2.50 for every $1.00 I borrowed on the loan. After a couple of years, I refinanced to a lower interest rate and assumed the loan at 20 years for only $10.00 more/month.

Don't skimp now because if you decide you under built down the road, inflation will guarantee that you'll pay more and more to correct it. I offer this because you say you intend to stay in place for a long time.

Mike, good deal you did not wait a few more years to build!!
IIRC, rates were about 10 points higher!
I think the 1st Peterbilt I bought, the rate was something like 18% or thereabouts.

Very sound advice.

Rates will definitely rise in the coming year, if not months. I'm ticking every "want" box off that isn't easily changed down the road, and is relatively cheap (when compared to total build price). For example we did 9' ceilings and a vaulted ceiling in the great room, not something you can really change. Same goes for roughing in plumbing in the basement or adding fan boxes and 12/3 wire to the switches. Upgrading the bathroom to our "want" was a big chunk of money, and not really much less than it will cost to do it after the fact. I don't plan on financing any renovations. If I don't have the cash in reserve, it can wait.

I was fortunate and bought my current home when rates were rock bottom. I bought a fixer upper so bought it cheap and was able to afford a 15 year mortgage. After doing basic upgrades and refreshing, I have a bit of equity now 7 years in, which is really helping me offset a few of these upgrades.

Unfortunately, this time around it's gonna be a 30year. But I don't see rates getting any lower. Hopefully I can hit the principal hard in a few years and get it paid off before I expect to retire.