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Advice on building new house
In light of a recent similar post on buying a new house, I was curious about the AM experience from anyone who has built or contemplated building a new house?
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188 Replies
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Many people I know, including many doctors, have built homes. Only two would do it again and the majority hated the experience. All went over budget, some went over budget by >50%. Those that had to sell lost money and some who built over 10 years ago would still lose money if they sold today. Having said that, if you do it right it could fit your needs well and you might love it, but you asked about past experiences.
I’ve read some horror stories about building on AM so I’m looking forward to the other replies.-
From looking at a good number of custom homes, building your ‘dream home’ has a high likelihood of leading to divorce.
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don’t do it. too many options, price always goes up. quite a hassle.
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One of my neighbors has buit 5 homes in her lifetime. She enjoys the process and in a rising RE market, there was actually money to be made in doing so. Build, move in, keep 10 years and sell before the first repair. Whatever profit you have is tax exempt.
There is a big difference between just buying a ‘new construction’ home and just selecting from some options the builder offers and building a true custom home. With the former you end up with a home pretty similar to others in the neighborhood. When you sell, you are going to get pretty much the same price as anyone else with the same square footage and bedroom count. That second staircase that was a $8000 option at the time of the build appraises with an extra $500 when you try to sell.
Whether it makes financial sense depends entirely on your local market. Building can be anything from a great idea to a terrible one.
Some (few) people enjoy going through the process of building a true custom home. What you get in the end is an expression of your own ideas and style. There is some satisfaction that comes with that. Just don’t expect that the market will value your ideas at the cost you had to build it. We had a local OB who spent 1.4mil on the construction of a real neat place (+200k for the patch of dirt). 10 years later it sold for $620k, and that was in good condition.
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I have never heard of anyone who enjoyed the process.
I bought a custom home from a ER doc who had spent 1 year building it and then had to move due to wife’s job change. He hated the process.
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We built a “semi custom” home. Builder had a lot and approved plans. We moved some walls, added some rooms, altered the foundation, upgraded various things, axed some others and generally rearranged things to suit the way we live. Building a truly custom home is a lot of work, time and design expertise that I don’t have, nor am I interested in acquiring at this point in time.
Came in on budget, on time. Due to the timing of the build, we likely have some appreciated equity based on comparable recent sales after about 3 years in the home. We would leave with a small profit after commissions if we sold thru a realtor today.
The process was…unusual? Comical? Frustrating? It’s unbelievable how difficult it is to find people to do things correctly. Would I build this house again? Probably given the housing circumstances at the time and how it ended up turning out. We definitely made some decisions that in retrospect we would do differently in terms of design and layout. Would I build another house if the opportunity arose? Absolutely. I am a tech person and got to wire this house exactly the way I wanted and that was a lot of fun for me. I like knowing who framed the house, who the plumber was, and that we picked quality materials that make up the guts of the house. Media room is awesome. We don’t need an eat-in kitchen – waste of space, so we don’t have one, etc. Exercise room so we don’t have to go to the gym when it’s 30 below out.
Problems arise when people start adding things like those mentioned above – extra staircases, $10k chandeliers, elevators, pools, indoor saunas, golf simulators, sport courts, etc. High value to original builder, 0 value to majority of potential buyers.
Regardless if I built my first house early in life, late or never, I wager I would be 200% better at building the 2nd house. Not sure if I could have waited 10 years and been that much better at it without going through it once. Possibly I suppose if you were committed to a lot of research etc.
The most important thing is not to put yourself in a position to be buried by the house. Easier said than done. Like others have said, build/buy a good home in a great neighborhood with broad appeal – which usually means a house without insane addons and good public schools.-
Great summary. I have a family member in the process of building a semi custom house.
I think how you decide to go about this also depends on local inventory. Can you get a house that you really like or are all the houses built in 1930 and have small rooms, lots of walls and bedrooms where you can’t even begin to think about fitting a king bed? in that case, building a house makes great sense
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I think fully custom home is fraught with problems especially for someone doing it the first time.
Semi-custom home is a good way to probably go (plans already drawn up, lot already selected, permits obtained, water/sewer/electrical already figured out/geoenginneering done). Knocking down wall hear or there or adding small additions doable in addition to all the custom options on the inside (floors, kitchen, bath, paint, outlets).
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It is similar to ordering a Porsche. The give you base model with a fair amount of standard features, but then charge you an arm and a leg for all the options.
The best value is the base model but I doubt many people stick with it when there are so many shiny bells and whistles available – and when you go for trade-in, those expensive options you order hold very little value.
Really smart business model.
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I built my first home. Couple of lessons:
1. Try to pick a layout that the builder has done many times; it will be a smoother process with less mistakes.
2. If you have a designer or architect it helps if they have a relationship with your builder already.
3. Have a high tolerance for mistakes; this is probably the most important lesson. People accept so many flaws in homes that they buy but they want every little thing to be perfect in their new build and that’s just not the case. Understand that (barring humongous mistakes) every builder will have some mistakes. What differentiates a good builder from a bad builder is how responsive they are to fixing those mistakes.
4. Many people don’t think home inspectors are useful in new builds. I completely disagree. Get a home inspector to look at the house before the dry wall goes up and prior to closing. Try to find one who has had experience with new construction.
5. Be careful about ‘preferred lenders.’ Often builders will offer you a discount on a morning room or finishing the basement if you go with their lender. While it’s hard to beat a free finished basement, often times you can find a better rate with someone else if they aren’t offering that great of a discount on the home.
6. As already stated above, there are huge markups on upgrades for finishings in your house. Try to get builder grade (i.e. whatever they are giving for the base price) for as much as you can tolerate. Often you could probably get it for cheaper after you close, however most people are so sick of the building process they don’t like the thought of renovating afterwards.
7. Most national builders give a 1 year warranty on everything in the home, 2-5 year warranty on electrical/plumbing/etc., and a 10 year structural warranty. If you are going with a local, custom builder ask about their warranties on the home.
8. Some national builders have their own settling agents that help you close. I think this is a mistake. No builder can force you to use their settling agency. Get your own lawyer who will represent you at closiing.
9. Review your contract VERY VERY closely – especially the part about what counts as ‘breech of contract.’ Have it looked over by a lawyer if you can.
10. Be wary of getting really high expensive upgrades unless you are okay with getting an appraisal that is less than what you are paying for the home. For example, to an appraiser hardwood is hardwood; they will not care that you got hand scraped wide plank brazilian cherry or that you have imported tile. You will eat those extra costs; which is fine if that’s what makes you happy.
That’s about all I can think of for now. Hope that helps.-
Good points. I have found home inspectors to be all but useless. Noted all the little things and missed the code violations and structural issues.
Get another builder and an electrician to inspect the structure prior to drywalling.Oh, and run cable conduits with drawstrings through the house. You’ll thank me later.
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Well… here we go.
mrs_dergon and I have just started the process of building a full custom home.
We found a great parcel in a neighborhood we love with access to Lake Erie and wonderful water and downtown cityscape views.
We have an architect/design team on board and are in the process of interviewing builders.
I’ll keep you posted.-
build for efficiency and plan ahead on things. Like maybe you don’t want a nat gas generator now, but maybe you have the plumbers stub up gas connections for it. Same with a grill/pool. Use subpanels for splitting up electrical. pull wires for tele/data, leave service loops.
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Quote from dergon
Well… here we go.
mrs_dergon and I have just started the process of building a full custom home.
We found a great parcel in a neighborhood we love with access to Lake Erie and wonderful water and downtown cityscape views.
We have an architect/design team on board and are in the process of interviewing builders.
I’ll keep you posted.
Consider paying your architect to also provide construction management services. Get references from people who used the architect in that role. Some are great at making daring designs but have no skill whatsoever when it comes to drawing detail plans and to hold a builder to implementing them.
Given the current labor and material shortages, it would have to be a very unusual set of circumstances to cause me to embark on a custom home project at this time.-
Try to find an architect and general contractor that have worked together before and have a good relationship. If you are going to do full custom build, youll most likely need a project manager as well, especially if you plan on continuing to work full time.
Finding quality people who are ethical and responsive is the most important.
Right now is a bad time to start a project due to the costs of materials and labor.
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Neat, have fun! This is the kind of thing my wife would love… and I would really not love.
If it weren’t for my wife civilizing me, I’d still be renting a 2 bedroom place like a resident and letting the landlord deal with all the headaches.-
Thats pretty much the dynamic here
My wife is a mechanical engineer and project manager . This is like a fun walk in the park for her
Im terrified
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Built a custom home. Turned out ok, but anything you dont like and wished you had done different is on you.
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And it will always cost more than you think.
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I think about building a new house at time. I like tech so a smart house would be cool.
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Did it about 25 years ago and still in the house. Mostly very happy; made very few mistakes. My suggestions:
-semicircular driveway with extra parking area so no one has to back out onto a street
-whatever size garage you decide on, add another half bay for a workbench etc
-think about privacy: you want to be able to walk down the 2nd floor hall in your underwear without being seen from the front door. No big windows in the bathroom.
– position the house properly on the lot: backyard is more important than front yard
-have family room and your private room (office/den/library) on opposite ends of the house
-think about how sound will travel in the house. You dont want to hear the TV in the family room when you are in your office/den/library
-there is no such thing as too big for a kitchen
– the only thing I would do differently is to eliminate the living room. With a big family room and office/den/library, we never use the living room.
– you may call me a Luddite, but I say no to smart house. What is smart in 2022 will be dumb in 2032. -
Quote from CoronaRad
I think about building a new house at time. I like tech so a smart house would be cool.
Be careful what you wish for. My brother just purchased a custom home out of a bankruptcy process. No expenses spared when the place was built 10 years ago, only the finest Italian tiles etc. It was also what passed for a ‘smart home’ 10 years ago. All the electrical is on a multiplex system. Each lightswitch its own little computer. Every lightbulb on its own controller. 10 years later, it’s already dated and you need a dedicated windows XP laptop to access the SCADA hardware. Wall mounted touch screens with a dated user interface etc. Reminds me of all the 70s houses with a ‘whole house speaker system’ or with those room to room speakerphones. Visited the home of an old OBGyn, he had a true ‘home theater’ with a giant 3 tube Video projector and optical disc player in a separate room. I am sure it was the ‘tech house’ of it’s day.
IOW, tech gets dated quickly. Run generous ducts to the rooms so you can pull cat6 , fiber, extra low voltage circuits if you have to. Include a central network room to hold servers and power conditioning equipment. But make all lighting and heating control as simple and standard issue as possible. Put in a propane Genset even if you are in the middle of town, takes one outage to pay for itself.
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Lots of good stuff 🙂
(ps — they’re telling us to order our appliances *now* and we haven’t even done the demolition on the old house yet …. supply chain) -
Quote from dergon
Lots of good stuff 🙂
(ps — they’re telling us to order our appliances *now* and we haven’t even done the demolition on the old house yet …. supply chain)
Two ways you can go with that:
Go top shelf Sub-Zero, Wolf, Miele etc. If something breaks, a tech comes out and fixes things. Be prepared to pay for it.
Or go with basic US made Whirlpool and replace if something breaks.
Don’t go in-between with the ‘top end’ stuff from GE, LG, Frigidaire/JennAir. No touch screens or integrated computers that can calculate your income tax. A nightmare once the warranty runs out and too expensive to just haul to the county dump when you are sick of the repair bills.
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Mesh wifi will be the future. Forget wired/cat anything. Dumb switches everywhere. Smart bulbs and smart plugs do just fine.
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Quote from cobol
Mesh wifi will be the future. Forget wired/cat anything.
Disagree. WAPs on each floor with hardwired back-haul. PACS workstation hardwired and on a dedicated circuit with a central UPS.
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I second this. Went with UniFi WAP in the whole house. Far superior to mesh.
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Quote from fw
Quote from dergon
Lots of good stuff 🙂
(ps — they’re telling us to order our appliances *now* and we haven’t even done the demolition on the old house yet …. supply chain)
Two ways you can go with that:
Go top shelf Sub-Zero, Wolf, Miele etc. If something breaks, a tech comes out and fixes things. Be prepared to pay for it.
Or go with basic US made Whirlpool and replace if something breaks.
Don’t go in-between with the ‘top end’ stuff from GE, LG, Frigidaire/JennAir. No touch screens or integrated computers that can calculate your income tax. A nightmare once the warranty runs out and too expensive to just haul to the county dump when you are sick of the repair bills.
Mrs_dergon does most of our appliance repair now… she’s good with that stuff
I’ll probably get a wolf range top as a splurge —
the rest will be Bosch etc in that area — but we don’t really need “show” appliances.
(although I *do* need a MUCH larger wine-er-rator)
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Alright, well I’ll set a reminder to come back to this thread in 10 years and we can see what everyone thinks of mesh.
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Quote from dergon
Quote from fw
Quote from dergon
Lots of good stuff 🙂
(ps — they’re telling us to order our appliances *now* and we haven’t even done the demolition on the old house yet …. supply chain)
Two ways you can go with that:
Go top shelf Sub-Zero, Wolf, Miele etc. If something breaks, a tech comes out and fixes things. Be prepared to pay for it.
Or go with basic US made Whirlpool and replace if something breaks.
Don’t go in-between with the ‘top end’ stuff from GE, LG, Frigidaire/JennAir. No touch screens or integrated computers that can calculate your income tax. A nightmare once the warranty runs out and too expensive to just haul to the county dump when you are sick of the repair bills.
Mrs_dergon does most of our appliance repair now… she’s good with that stuff
that helps
As was stated above, run conduit/ducts everywhere for future proofing of ethernet etc which I’m sure you know; current home is wired with cat5e which is fine, but I wish they had run to a few other places when building. Wired > wireless, even today.
Also, with your technically skilled spouse, if you ever want to go with fiber I absolutely recommend that as a DIY project. The only tricky part is terminating the ends, and you can either buy pre-terminated fiber or find someone who will do it for a reasonable price. Did one fiber optic project 5-10 years ago on a commercial property and saved a ridiculous amount of money over bids. And by “did” I mean I planned the project and bought the stuff. Installation required nothing beyond general “handyman” skills and was done by an appropriate and trusted employee.
That said, I doubt many people really would benefit from in-home fiber at this point. But it’s a great option for connecting buildings. And if you have the money and want it, well most of us buy lots of things like that.
But do not pay $20k to run fiber throughout your house.
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She knows how to do that fiber… been talking about tht as a project at our vacation cabins vs cat6
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Quote from dergon
She knows how to do that fiber… been talking about tht as a project at our vacation cabins vs cat6
fantastic
we went with fiber for outdoor runs both b/c of distance in a few cases, and b/c I didn’t want to worry about lightning/surges. have not had a single issue with anything in the fiber optic system since installed, and this is using fairly inexpensive cable from “discount low voltage .com” and Startech transceivers from Amazon. I think if that stuff works out of the box it’s pretty reliable so I didn’t see the need to buy e.g. Cisco transceivers. -
So, as someone at the start of a build, has anyone considered doing Geothermal?
I’m not into the electronics fad. But I am into long-term solutions to constant needs. -
We looked into it. I initially really wanted to go that route but I was convinced not to by our architect and builder.
Geothermal works well but high efficiency gas furnaces are becoming so good and cost effective that they seem to be the way to go. I should caveat that we are building a near passive house level home, with triple pane European windows and a high level of air tightness.
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They say that because most of them leveraged by paying only 20% down. Most people don’t buy index funds on margin.
Now if all assets are going up, up, and more up, then of course the leveraged investments are going to win on a cash on cash basis. -
They say it because it feels good.
But, otoh… you can’t live in stocks. -
A house is an asset and liability, not an investment. But, since we spend a large % of our lives in our home, I think its worth having a nice one.
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Quote from CoronaRad
A house is an asset and liability, not an investment. But, since we spend a large % of our lives in our home, I think its worth having a nice one.
Agree with this. Just had a relative pass who lived well below his means, worked his whole life, retired, got diagnosed with cancer and died with a big bank account. Of course it will benefit others, but all he did was work. At some point when your critical needs are accounted for, the rest is just a number. -
Quote from Socalrad2
We looked into it. I initially really wanted to go that route but I was convinced not to by our architect and builder.
Geothermal works well but high efficiency gas furnaces are becoming so good and cost effective that they seem to be the way to go. I should caveat that we are building a near passive house level home, with triple pane European windows and a high level of air tightness.
Came to same conclusion when I had to replace main level HVAC. Problem was slow leak of refrigerant on the AC side so I decided to update system since R-22 is becoming increasingly expensive due to phase out. Lower level unit still working but will replace when needed. Systems are about 20 years old.
Looked into geothermal but my lot (sloped without suitable relatively flat area) and local geology (karst; thin topsoil) meant that a vertical heat exchanger loop was the only option. To get to a stable 50 degree layer meant drilling 3-400 feet through limestone ($$$$). Since I planned on eventually upgrading the lower level HVAC at some point, I’d need extra capacity.
Executive summary: Geothermal system was going to at least $20K, assuming drilling didn’t run into a snag; high efficiency propane/R-410A AC was under $4K. Easy decision.
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Looks like our renewable plan will be rooftop solar. Ohio allows only to qualify 120% capacity of what the home’s estimated electrical usage is.
So solar array then once you’re to that decision on distributed solar, most everything else is going to be electrice powered. (Except for the stove top … I gotta have gas)
Also probably a nat gas built-in generator system.
(Ps — thanks for the comments on wireless/internet/ futurizing … mrs_dergon studying it hard . Building this house is her new part-time job … on tope of her full time job) -
This morning, the #&#-#+(( geothermal heat pump (2ton water furnace) has crapped out again. I hate that $+_+-&&@@ $+++(# ($ $–&-@.
Addendum:
Cascading failure
– brine pump lost it's impeller water flow in the ground circuit decreases
– water side heat exchanger freezes up
– coolant side goes into protective shutdown
– 10kw emergency heat kicks in
– main fuse blows
—> Everything dead.If you get geo, make sure you have a propane/NG furnace for backup. With electric emergency heat, you would need a ginormous generator for backup power.
And you do want backup power, even if you are in a suburban or urban community. Most roof top PV installs are 'grid tied'. The inverter has to turn off within milliseconds of mains power being lost. This is code to protect utility workers against back feeding. There are PV installs with a service rated disconnect and a battery bank that can provide emergency power for your house, but many utilities don't allow them and the difference in price is high enough to make a propane fired backup generator more economical. Now, if your property is served by natural gas, the city may not allow you to sink a 500Gal propane tank, but as the TX power crisis demonstrated, the natural gas grid is subject to disruptions just like electrical and the internet tubes. So for backup you want propane or diesel. Propane is much easier for long term storage. I am familiar with the maintenance on a commercial 250kW diesel Genset and the annual cost for that is high. -
Quote from dergon
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So solar array then once you’re to that decision on distributed solar, most everything else is going to be electrice powered. ([u][b]Except for the stove top … I gotta have gas[/b][/u])Also probably a nat gas built-in generator system.
…..[edited and emphasis added]
Speaking as someone who’s had conventional electric and gas ranges/ovens over the years, if I was in the market to build or upgrade a kitchen, I’d go with an induction cooktop.
My main problem with gas cooktops is attaining a good (i.e. low enough heat) simmer. The heat output just isn’t low enough for my purposes and from talking with other people that have gas cooktops from different brands (e.g. Viking, Wolf; I have a F&P) it seems ubiquitous. A friend has tried a heat diffuser with unsatisfactory results. I’m sure someone will chime in with a brand/model that works well for them but in every induction cooktop I’ve used, low heat/simmer isn’t a problem.
An interesting trend I’ve seen is incorporating the induction elements directly into a fabricated (e.g. quartz) countertop for a seamless cooktop area. Personally, I think I’d still go for a more traditional look cooktop but obviously tastes vary.
And a whole house backup generator….. definitely. It’s one of those things like heated seats in vehicles. Once you’ve had them, you’re never going to consider a vehicle without them.
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Quote from Dr. Joseph Mama
[edited and emphasis added]
Speaking as someone who’s had conventional electric and gas ranges/ovens over the years, if I was in the market to build or upgrade a kitchen, I’d go with an induction cooktop.
agree 100%. Gas never again. Only downside to induction I can think of is that if you sell your house people that don’t know what they’re doing will be upset that it’s “electric.” -
Jus remember , a house is a piece of crap like everything else one can buy.
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Just remember, a house is a piece of crap like everything else one can buy.
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I was happiest and had the most free time before I got nicer stuff.
I could go back, but my wife and kids wouldnt go with me.
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Contract completed. Mortgage approved (should close in 10 days). Excavator is ready.
Finally, ground break before end of March. (21 months from first parcel offer to build) -
exciting. I’ve been waiting a guitar for 2 years that’s finally being built. So I can kind of understand the anticipation and that’s just for a guitar.
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Ground breaking was this week.
The slope work guys will pour the pad for the waterfront sitting area at the bottom of the hill on monday.
Within a few weeks at least I’ll have a place to go hang out while the work on the house is ongoing.
mrs_dergon bought me a nice big cast iron fire pit. The slop guys said they’d bring it down the hill with their machinery before they leave … then I can at least have a few sunset fires this summer 🙂
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Well hopefully the weather cooperates. Forecast looks like it’s pretty bad this week.
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Quote from stephenhumes
So, as someone at the start of a build, has anyone considered doing Geothermal?
Have it, not sure I would do it again. Some of the problems may be related to the system, local geology/climate and the install, but I probably wouldn’t do it on a new build:
– you need a service company who knows geothermal, not a plumber who has done a weekend course. The systems are closer to commercial HVAC and your normal local AC repair man has multiple opportunities to fluck things up.
– used to be more efficient than air/air but that advantage has all but disappeared.
– system expensive to install
– system expensive as **** to replace after 20 yearsFor a small project and with favorable geology, I would maybe go with a cemented borehole type system. Chances are you are better off with condensing propane furnace for heat and a air-air heat pump for the periods in fall and spring when you may need a small heat load.
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As someone who spent way too much time learning about network equipment etc on that fiber optic project I mentioned, here’s what I personally would do if I were building my dream home (much already suggested by others):
1. build a decent sized network closet where I could, if needed, put a server rack. I doubt I would ever fill up a full height rack, but who knows 10 years from now. Also room for some shelf space. Not everything will be designed for a server rack.
2. Run an HVAC vent to server closet. Don’t need it for 1 switch, but maybe at some point you have several amplifiers in there for whole-home and outdoor sound system, 5 other things on the rack, etc.
3. Run ducts/conduit everywhere. Cat-something, not fiber, unless it goes outdoors.
4. Do (or have some bright HS/college kid etc do) a heat map for various AP locations to plan out #/placement. There is decent free software that will do this. You do not need to pay someone a ton of money for this.
5. Make sure the APs I choose do a great job with roaming as someone moves around the property and switches between APs. Haven’t looked at that in a while, but when I did there was a huge gap between enterprise gear and what you get at Best Buy. Guessing I would end up with Ubiquiti (great value, lots of enterprise features without the enterprise price) or maybe spend a little extra and get something like Aruba (although that’s clearly ridiculous overkill for a home; but it’s what we used in the commercial setting and I loved it– also they have great outdoor APs if you have a big yard and want to go crazy).
6. Put a decent hardware firewall plus one good switch with POE in the server room. Also a good security camera system with a rack-mounted NVR.
All that said, current home was already built, have google wifi APs (with wired backhauls), and once I tweaked things to get everything to connect at 5 GHz have had very few issues.
Also, as also stated above, definitely want to do a little due diligence of building costs right now. I was told that plywood prices had spiked almost 10x briefly earlier in this pandemic. I have no idea how you handle potential price fluctuations when building a custom home, but it would suck to have your $X dream home turn into $1.5X because of temporary supply shortages.
Good luck to both of you building your dream homes! I think it’s a fantastic project. Maybe someday, but I would likely turn it into a full-time job. -
Just went through the appliance supply chain issue for a new frig two weeks ago. You are caught in the middle. Fix it but then wait for service appointment and parts. Replace it, which we decided but then discovered availability is very limited. Looked at major retailers and local appliance dealers. They were all the same. We were getting dates of delivery at end of November, into December, January, and on a couple of models April 2022. Other models all out of stock and no projected date availability. Some colors on models are limited. There seemed to be more white appliances available than other colors. We found one model that was right color and size and as I was completing the online order it went out of stock.
Ended up getting one but it was not the color we wanted. I feel bad for anyone that only has one frig and needs to replace it ASAP. Fortunately we have a 2nd one in the garage.
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Did it about 25 years ago and still in the house. Mostly very happy; made very few mistakes. My suggestions:
-semicircular driveway with extra parking area so no one has to back out onto a street
-whatever size garage you decide on, add another half bay for a workbench etc
-think about privacy: you want to be able to walk down the 2nd floor hall in your underwear without being seen from the front door. No big windows in the bathroom.
– position the house properly on the lot: backyard is more important than front yard
-have family room and your private room (office/den/library) on opposite ends of the house
-think about how sound will travel in the house. You dont want to hear the TV in the family room when you are in your office/den/library
-there is no such thing as too big for a kitchen
– the only thing I would do differently is to eliminate the living room. With a big family room and office/den/library, we never use the living room.
– you may call me a Luddite, but I say no to smart house. What is smart in 2022 will be dumb in 2032. -
I have been going through a custom build process. It’s an interesting experience.
We opportunistically bought land in a highly desirable area a while back, with the idea of building eventually. The property has appreciated significantly, it’s worth 600-800k more than what we paid.
Even with building costs so high, when I do the math I end up with an expensive project, but one that based on a lot of recent comps, should be worth about 700-900k more than what we have into it.
We wanted to build custom for a few reasons. My wife and I are very into modern architecture so it’s a labor of passion for us. And it’s extremely hard to find something we like.
Because of the unique circumstances around our land, it’s location, and the fact that we view it as a forever family property (it’s waterfront on a beautiful lot in a desirable area that is growing rapidly, and that we would return to for vacation even if we eventually moved elsewhere), we thought it was the right move for us.
But without those unique circumstances I would be hesitant to build custom. The process is very time consuming and can be stressful. It’s like building a plane and trying to fly it at the same time.
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We wanted to build custom for a few reasons. My wife and I are very into modern architecture so it’s a labor of passion for us. And it’s extremely hard to find something we like.
Because of the unique circumstances around our land, it’s location, and the fact that we view it as a forever family property (it’s waterfront on a beautiful lot in a desirable area that is growing rapidly, and that we would return to for vacation even if we eventually moved elsewhere), we thought it was the right move for us.
Except for being in an area that is “growing rapidly” , all those things are true for us. We want modern. We are both Cleveland lifers who plan to keep a major presence in the city forever. It’s waterfront and close to downtown in a way that is *very* limited … perhaps a couple dozen parcels in the area total.
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if you want smart anything just stick to individual plug and play stuff (light bulbs, blinds, light strips, speakers) that work with alexa,homekit,google, etc. all that stuff can be replaced if the tech drastically improves. for regular light switches people love lutron caseta.
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I put in the geothermal system at my farm in WI 10 years ago. The installer supposedly had put in 25 systems prior to that. They made so many errors that it took years to sort them all out. It has been running well for several years now so I don’t think there is a basic problem with the tech not being reliable. I love the system, saved a ton of money over how the house was heated. Great AC in the summer. If I were doing again now I would also look at air coupled heat pumps, they have come a long way.
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I have a heat pump and it is awesome !
Also, to OP: If you are nitpicky about things and wanna make house your life…go for it. I can tell you that having a house near a running trail (any kind) is preferable than having a custom built house or condo not close to a running trail for me. Having said that…I bought a fixer upper and as I evolved over the course of many years as a person..I added my personal touches to it and my experiences shaped my house.
The house you build now is the sum of your experiences/ concept in the now/past. It will change…Your needs , your wants and quirks will change. And you may find yourself looking to remodel it in 5 years from now for something that you saw or experienced in Europe in your travel at a cool VRBO.
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Sorry to hear about your Geothermal woes. We are just exploring options at this point, but the above comments are swaying us.
One great resource I have found:
[i]Fine Homebuilding[/i]
This is a builder’s magazine, full of tech geek stuff which will probably appeal to rads. If you want to understand the physics of all your options regarding windows (R values and such), they cover it in detail. Garage doors? They cover all the options. Backup generators: how they work, portable ve permanent. They’ve got you covered.
And they usually include a couple of special issues for Best Kitchen design and such. Lots of architect’s houses are evaluated which is always an eye-opener.
In this game, knowledge is power, and this magazine will deliver that.-
Quote from stephenhumes
Sorry to hear about your Geothermal woes. We are just exploring options at this point, but the above comments are swaying us.
One great resource I have found:
[i]Fine Homebuilding[/i]
This is a builder’s magazine, full of tech geek stuff which will probably appeal to rads. If you want to understand the physics of all your options regarding windows (R values and such), they cover it in detail. Garage doors? They cover all the options. Backup generators: how they work, portable ve permanent. They’ve got you covered.
And they usually include a couple of special issues for Best Kitchen design and such. Lots of architect’s houses are evaluated which is always an eye-opener.
In this game, knowledge is power, and this magazine will deliver that.
This is probably one of the few useful posts here.
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I would recommend avoiding a clay tile roof. These type of roofs seem to leave gaps all over the place and make it easy for birds or critters to take up residence in your attic. Speaking from experience unfortunately.
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Radiant floor heating also works really well.
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Quote from CoronaRad
I would recommend avoiding a clay tile roof. These type of roofs seem to leave gaps all over the place and make it easy for birds or critters to take up residence in your attic. Speaking from experience unfortunately.
Choice of roof depends very much on where in the country you are.
I am very partial to standing seam metal roofing. But the roof itself has to be designed for that material, if you just stick it on a roof made for tar shingles, its going to look bad and be noisy.
Consider getting pre-cast basement from ‘Superior Walls’. It comes on a number of semis and gets glued and bolted together on-site. Pre-installed studs, pre-engineered ducts for electrical, pre-installed insulation etc. You are not relying on your local yokels ability to set up concrete forms and to perform a skillfull pour. The walls are straight and after everything is assembled watertight. With the high R-value in the basement walls, you can actually use the space.
Oh, and in Cleveland, I would put floor heating throughout, including the basement and the garage (+ gas fired convection heater for the garage). Drive your iced over car into the garage in the evening, come back to a dry and warm car in the morning. Extend the garage floor loop into the concrete underneath the garage door so you never have the door frozen to the ground. And floor heating throughout the basement makes the basement fully livable despite the arctic climate.
Rather than going with stick-built, consider using SIPs (structural insulated panels). Similar to the pre-cast basement, the pieces for the house are made in a factory and come on a series of semis. The panels are basically sandwiches of OSB with a foam core in between. With skilled construction labor hard to come by, you are again not relying on some guy hired on the spot that day to pound together your house from sticks of kindling.
Spend the extra money on solid floor joists rather than the lightweight cardboard crap that has infested home construction in the last 15 years. Todays lightweight joists are made from two sticks of kindling with a paper thin layer of OSB to keep them apart. Saving weight makes sense if you are building an airplane, for a house not so uch. Of course, the builders love that stuff as it cuts down on equipment needs and reduces the manpower needed to handle individual joists. They’ll tell you 20 reasons how I am wrong 😉
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Great thread.
Stick built construction in this country baffles me. Prefab options seem to be the ideal as stated above.-
I forgot:
– Insulated garage door panels.– make the square footage of the house 30% smaller than what your wife tells you she needs 😉
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Quote from fw
– make the square footage of the house 30% smaller than what your wife tells you she needs 😉
This is gold. The 1000 square foot master bedroom/ensuite is a waste of space.-
Quote from samichlaus
Quote from fw
– make the square footage of the house 30% smaller than what your wife tells you she needs 😉
This is gold. The 1000 square foot master bedroom/ensuite is a waste of space.
Unless MTV ‘Cribs’ does a feature on your house, yeah it doesn’t matter.
Now, if you have a house full of rugrats or you tend to have lots of guests hanging around, a small library/office with a desk and a couch that is only accessible through the master is really useful so you can get away from the commotion and do some work. People tend to respect your bedroom door more than the door to a main floor office.
The one room I’ll gladly splurge on is the master bath. Not for size but amenities. Heated tiles are a must. Walk-in shower with all the fixings. I could do without a tub, but I guess that’s expected to be present.
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For me the splurge room
Is kitchen for sq ftIm in there all the time amd no matter what I try when people are over they congregate there
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Quote from dergon
For me the splurge room
Is kitchen for sq ftIm in there all the time amd no matter what I try when people are over they congregate there
Yup. Large kitchen with island, bar counter and a full size table.
Two rooms I would eliminate from any plan are:
– dining room (everyone eats in the kitchen)
– this ‘sitting room’ waste if square footage right next to the main entrance.I don’t have a butler who has guests wait in the ‘sitting room’ while he presents their business card to me on a silver platter. If I had a butler, I would add a ‘sitting room’ to my house.
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Anyone have thoughts on kitchen cabinets? We are interested in a more modern, architecture driven kitchen, so most American cabinets are not hitting the mark.
We have looked into a few options for materials but it seems like wood veneer on furniture grade plywood or HDF is the most common material we are encountering (given that we want frameless flat front cabinets)
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Quote from Socalrad2
Anyone have thoughts on kitchen cabinets? We are interested in a more modern, architecture driven kitchen, so most American cabinets are not hitting the mark.
We have looked into a few options for materials but it seems like wood veneer on furniture grade plywood or HDF is the most common material we are encountering (given that we want frameless flat front cabinets)
What material are you looking for ?[link=https://cabico.com/en/]https://cabico.com/en/[/link]
Pro tip: Whatever you do, dont say: ‘Sure honey, the kitchen is yours, set it up whichever way you want.’
You just may end up with the kitchen that the designer puts on their website [:-] -
check out Kraftmaid. I think they can do just about anything. Quality cabinets made right in Middlefield. I got my vanity(cabinet) from them and it’s really a nice piece.
[link=https://www.kraftmaid.com/browse-cabinets-products/door-styles/?_bc_fsnf=1&Where+to+Buy=Not+Sure]https://www.kraftmaid.com…;Where+to+Buy=Not+Sure[/link]
Or got to Ikea.
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Heated tiles are a must. Walk-in shower with all the fixings. No tub.
Yes^^^^
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[link]https://youtu.be/Sd5KlfeCwaM[/link]
Old house is now demolished … time lapse video shot of the process 🙂-
That is a really cool video.
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Great view.
…without the house.
I love playing with heavy equipment. I would have paid extra to do the teardown myself 🙂
This site calls for something Frank Lloyd Wright inspired.
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What was wrong with that house? A little dated but looks fine.
Money burning a hole in someone’s pocket.-
Old.
Bad foundation.Water damage everywhere
Mold in the cabinets
No structural repairs really ever
Not a penny put in for maintenance / improvement since 1990
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And yes, fw, there is certainly some FLW inspiration in the design
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Nice video. I agree with idea of unloading material things etc. Baggage.
But this seems like potentially a cool creative journey, as long as it is kept in perspective and you can afford it. Building something beautiful is not a bad thing. You can enjoy it, as well as others down the line.
The idea that we own anything is a bit short sighted. We are really individually borrowing it, then we die. Kind of how native Americans see it.-
Quote from boomer
Nice video. I agree with idea of unloading material things etc. Baggage.
But this seems like potentially a cool creative journey, as long as it is kept in perspective and you can afford it. Building something beautiful is not a bad thing. You can enjoy it, as well as others down the line.
The idea that we own anything is a bit short sighted. We are really individually borrowing it, then we die. Kind of how native Americans see it.
I’ve said this on other threads on this board – but this past year had a physician relative pass away. He worked. Retired. Got cancer. Died. Was never healthy enough at the end to do anything with everything he had saved. Made me think differently about work, money, family and time. In 1000 years no one is going to remember any of this, much less care about it. It’s over fast, might as well do something while you’re here. -
Quote from boomer
Nice video. I agree with idea of unloading material things etc. Baggage.
But this seems like potentially a cool creative journey, as long as it is kept in perspective and you can afford it. Building something beautiful is not a bad thing. You can enjoy it, as well as others down the line.
The idea that we own anything is a bit short sighted. We are really individually borrowing it, then we die. Kind of how native Americans see it.
Two things:
1. (from the video) Heavy equipment is cool.
2. (from the quoted message) I’ve been pretty careful with money, but I will say that a *home* that you really enjoy is one of the few major purchases that is totally worth it. If anything, in hindsight would spend more and earlier. That is a great lot, and IMO this is going to be an amazing project and then a home they will enjoy every day for years to come. With the one caution that applies to building any new house which is that you can get really screwed by contractors. But clearly y’all are going to be there and on top of things.
(the caution is prompted by a discussion I actually had yesterday with someone– a friend of theirs built their dream house and then spent 5 years getting everything fixed/suing the builder etc etc. So, you want to avoid that)-
I’m late career (turn 55 soon) and we are financially independent.
I don’t regret not doing this earlier though. Staying in my $180k condo for 25 years allowed me to build wealth and get to this point. (and even though I am logically aware that I can afford this, the big $$ numbers *still* twist my gut occasionally.) And my neighborhood is really cool.
Hopefully I can get 30 years out of this next one 🙂
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also …. turns out that I’ll be going with an induction cooktop (after all that big talk about ‘gotta have gas’ earlier in the thread)
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Quote from dergon
I’m late career (turn 55 soon) and we are financially independent.
I don’t regret not doing this earlier though. Staying in my $180k condo for 25 years allowed me to build wealth and get to this point. (and even though I am logically aware that I can afford this, the big $$ numbers *still* twist my gut occasionally.) And my neighborhood is really cool.
Hopefully I can get 30 years out of this next one 🙂
If you are shooting for 30 years don’t build too many floors. Stairs at 85 are asking for trouble.
I should get a nice place too but I’m in a small town. I have seen how that ends many times. Rad loses contract and huge home sits empty for years--
Yeah. We’re doing a second floor master for now…
but the design is specifically made to accommodate a change to a first floor master in the future if we want/ need it.
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Ikea cabinets are actually great and cheap. When your spouse wants to remodel, you can buy aftermarket doors online that make them look custom at a much cheaper price than tearing out and putting in new. And the insides can easily be replaced; shelves to drawers etc
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Quote from dergon
Yeah. We’re doing a second floor master for now…
but the design is specifically made to accommodate a change to a first floor master in the future if we want/ need it.
What are you doing to plan for this? We’ve thought about it but always thought it was weird if a first floor bath had a full on shower instead of just 1/2 bath.
We’re probably going to just frame in an elevator shaft on the off chance I live that long.-
Quote from bald
Quote from dergon
Yeah. We’re doing a second floor master for now…
but the design is specifically made to accommodate a change to a first floor master in the future if we want/ need it.
What are you doing to plan for this? We’ve thought about it but always thought it was weird if a first floor bath had a full on shower instead of just 1/2 bath.
We’re probably going to just frame in an elevator shaft on the off chance I live that long.
Attached “pool house” with full bath can be be changed over.
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Quote from dergon
Attached “pool house” with full bath can be be changed over.
Ah, that’s a good idea. Ours is a walkout so pool on basement level. I don’t think the covenants will let me put a tiny house in the yard 😀-
I know you mentioned that you are agnostic, but for those reading along, who want to put up a ‘festivus pole’, a giant menorah or those oddballs who follow the pagan tradition of dragging a ‘yuletide tree’ into their house, one really handy feature is a floor outlet in the center of your family room.
[attachment=0]
As per national electrical code, it must have a permanent cover. A flip-cover would stick out from the floor, so the best floor outlets for this purpose have this little screw-in ‘manhole cover’. The cover is there to keep debris from getting into the contacts and lighting your house on fire while you sleep.
That kind of floor outlet also works to power an electric recliner or a handy place to plug in your oxygen concentrator if the 23rd wave of Covid leaves you with permanent lung damage.-
Anyone once experience a psychological shift in their approach to their [i]current[/i] house once they decide to build a [i]new[/i] house?
Just realized I haven’t cleaned my shower since the day we closed 🙂-
Meet with the architects today.
Think we have a builder (at least we have one candidate in the lead )
Exciting
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Quote from dergon
Anyone once experience a psychological shift in their approach to their [i]current[/i] house once they decide to build a [i]new[/i] house?
Just realized I haven’t cleaned my shower since the day we closed 🙂
After self-remodeling my bathroom I tend to clean it every week because I want to keep it looking tidy. I have hard water and a clear glass door. so if I don’t clean it the glass looks all streaky and takes away from the aesthetic. Plus I have nice black kraftmaid cabinet that shows dust and splashes easily.
as a side note. I enjoy this old house. It’s worth reading/watching if you are building or remodeling. I’ve learned a lot about just about everything. It’s very informative about best practices like materials and installing.-
Japanese toilet.
Trust me.-
Second that.
ToTo to go.
Nothing does it better. And the options are endless.
You can scoff at the toilet paper hoarders if you go with ToTo.
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The ToTo showroom at Narita is amazing
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I would think about what I would want in an emergency electric circuit – what it would cover and where the outlets for those items would be.
If your power goes down and you need to rely on generator or battery power – it usually doesn’t have enough power to power your entire house (unless you have a ridiculously expensive and large backup power source).
Generally you will want to have an emergency electricity circuit that the generator or battery that connects to to power stuff that you really need or want to keep going going – like the fridge, lights, etc and exclude the high draw items that you can do with out (oven, air conditioner, etc).
Doing such an emergency circuit is much easier and cheaper in a new build.
I would also say that now is the time to carefully think about your plumbing layout. Changing it later will be a lot more difficult and expensive.
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cant you get whole home generator backup for like $20k?
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You could but would you bother if you could get away with a smaller and cheaper one (using an emergency circuit which should be simple and cheap in a new build)? After all, (hopefully) it will mostly be idle.
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Whole house generator when your locality doesn’t historically call for one is a huge white elephant, IMO, although someone might argue the theoretical risk of climate change making it necessary down the line.
For most, a good generator on the ready with interlock panel in place is a smarter way to go.
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Quote from bald
What are you doing to plan for this? We’ve thought about it but always thought it was weird if a first floor bath had a full on shower instead of just 1/2 bath.
We’re probably going to just frame in an elevator shaft on the off chance I live that long.
My current home was built as a ‘forever home’ by a couple in their late 50s at the time. It has a framed in elevator shaft that is currently an odd shaped closet. What wasnt so smart in that context was that getting from that hallway into the master requires a step up……
5 years into ownership they visited friends in FL. Stayed a week, stayed two weeks, bought a house in the same development and never returned.
If building from scratch, I would just put in a ‘master wing’ with direct access to the pool deck. Spiral staircase to an upstairs library/office. Maybe a roof deck on top of that to maximize the view of the lake.
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Ps- I was on call this weekend and it was so slow but also so cold and crappy out that I finally cleaned my
Shower -
Quote from noogie60
I would think about what I would want in an emergency electric circuit – what it would cover and where the outlets for those items would be.
If your power goes down and you need to rely on generator or battery power – it usually doesn’t have enough power to power your entire house (unless you have a ridiculously expensive and large backup power source).
Generally you will want to have an emergency electricity circuit that the generator or battery that connects to to power stuff that you really need or want to keep going going – like the fridge, lights, etc and exclude the high draw items that you can do with out (oven, air conditioner, etc).
Doing such an emergency circuit is much easier and cheaper in a new build.
I would also say that now is the time to carefully think about your plumbing layout. Changing it later will be a lot more difficult and expensive.
Yes, you dont back up the whole house, even if it’s called a ‘whole house generator’. The device is called an ‘automatic transfer switch’ and its a separate electrical panel next to your main panel. From there, you have short ‘jumpers’ that go onto whatever circuits you select (fridges, one set of outlets on each floor, HVAC, sump pumps, well pump, septic pump etc.) The better panels have a load balancing circuitry that limits what consumers can run at the same time. E.g. if you run heat pumps to keep the house warm, it will lock out the well pump while the heat pump is running. That way, you dont need a huge generator to guard against the contingency of all the high draw devices running at the same time.
The cheaper generators use an air-cooled engine similar to what a big riding mower uses and they spin the generator at 3600rpm. The downside of that is that they can be quite noisy. That’s more of an issue during the automated weekly load test, during an actual outage, that sound of the genset in the backyard is music ! The larger and more expensive generators use a small liquid cooled engine. Some of them run at 1800rpm and are in a sound deadening enclosure. Those are very quiet.
If you are confident that you are home when the power goes out, the most economical way to get backup power is to have the electrician install a manual transfer switch to back up selected circuits and to have a ‘power inlet’ somewhere on the outside of the house. You can then use a portable 12 or 15kW generator to that you plug into the ‘inlet’ with a big 50amp three-phase cable. You fire up the generator and switch the circuits you need backed up manually to the genset until it squeals. The downside is you are out there in the ice-storm fueling a generator every couple of hours.
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Meh. Ill just rough it if power goes out. Then I have something to complain about at work the next morning besides the typical ED noctor complaints
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Had our first sit down “interview” with one of the builders yesterday. We’re down to the top 2.
Feels like a really, really big decision.-
Quartzite instead of granite. Much harder and better colors. Dont confuse quartz with quartzite. Quartz is inferior
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quartzite natural stone with variable properties. have to be careful you get one that is on the more durable end like granite/quartz, as some of the varieties can be nearly as vulnerable as marble.
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mrs_dergon all in on quartzite
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For counters, we did grey and white marble with MORE Anti-etch treatment, the treatment is thick and a real barrier. Looks good and is hardy, no worry of the kids leaving spaghetti sauce on the counter or spilling vinegar or anything acidic.
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Nothing beats tuff skin just a permanent film over your countertop . Leaves your stone flawless
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I think we have our builder.
Coincidentally, a Ukrainian firm here in Cleveland-
Plans going off to planning commission and architectural review board.
Cliff/erosion/drainage work to begin in a month or so.
Estimate ground breaking in early Sept.
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Question about appliances: Anyone have a steam oven with regular oven as an alternative to a traditional double oven set up?
How do people like their induction cooktops? (We get a big hunk of points towards our green build tax abate if we go away from gas)
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LMAO w a huge eyeroll. Let me get this straight. You tore down a house using heavy equipment, bragged about it w a you tube link showing the heavy equipment pushing exhaust & all kinds of emissions into the atmosphere. You need to do drainage work to protect the water etc., which will spew more emissions into the air and of course does not guarantee it will protect the shore. Then you build a new replacement house that will increase your carbon footprint w all the emissions w everything from manufacturing to delivery to operation of heavy equipment to workers transportation to the site and electricity (to build plus to run the house later) not to mention hauling away left over materials and trucks arriving to deliver or work. But you come on here and ask about appliances so you get a points for a green tax abate on those appliances that during manufacture added to pollution? What a joke!
Only a liberal/hypocrite that posts on the climate change forum, etc. but totally ignore the carbon footprint they leave just to build a house for their pleasure that you didn’t even need.
Typical lib/ hypocrite preach the story but don’t toe the line.
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Quote from dergon
Question about appliances: Anyone have a steam oven with regular oven as an alternative to a traditional double oven set up?
Pro tip. Never ever get a double oven. The thing that craps out on those things is the control panel, if that happens both ovens are dead. Get either two regular ones or a regular plus one of those steam things.
How do people like their induction cooktops? (We get a big hunk of points towards our green build tax abate if we go away from gas)
Cheapest coil cooktop set in a hole cut for the appropriate Wolf or Thermador gas cooktop. Also, have the wood drill fairy make a channel from where the non-existing gas line enters your house to the kitchen so that if need be, one could pull a armored flex line from that 100Gal tank to the range top.
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Oh the fauxtrage and pearl clutching is precious.
“How dare a liberal build a house!” [image]https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/images/smilies/rolleyes.gif[/image]
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The right thing for the government to do for hypocrites like you is to mandate you do everything green and disqualify you from any abatement and actually penalize you for unnecessarily contributing to pollution and your footprint. You should pay higher fees and taxes during the life you own the house, not be incentivized.
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Wow
Someone got their feelings hurt
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By the way
Quartzite the way to go. Its on the higher end of price but just looks amazing when in place
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And more accurate than a Rolex
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Quote from Chirorad84
By the way
Quartzite the way to go. Its on the higher end of price but just looks amazing when in place
mrs_dergon is on top of all the surfaces. but yeah.
(walked down to the lake yesterday at the property. Cool breeze out of the north and the waves were crashing and roaring like the sea. So peaceful. 🙂 )-
Quarts is man made doesnt resist heat well and has no imperfections
The beauty of natural stone like quartzite is its subtle imperfections
Like a fingerprint. No 2 slabs identical
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One of my partners did like a 20 foot run of porcelain for a countertop … that just cracked. … whole thing has to be replaced now
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1. put the laundry room upstairs, rather than basement.
2. Make rounded wall corners, rather than 90 degree. Costs pennies!
3. Put 220 v. in garage for future electric car
4. home theater in basement
5. radiant heat in basement
6. ultra quiet fan in bathrooms on a timer that you can set for 10, 20, 30, minutes
7. in shower have the fan on a timer also.
8. radiant heat in the bathroom floors – a nice little luxury in the cold mornings
9. electric wall outlets that have built-in USB ports. Place in a couple of strategic locations where you might need to recharge your mobile phone or iPads, like by you bed, kitchen, etc.
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Any input on installing a pool? Gunnite, vinyl, or fiberglass? We live in a warmer area with occasional periods of freezing. Endless pool spa thoughts? We are swimmers, and do not have a huge backyard.
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Quote from Soshedid
Any input on installing a pool? Gunnite, vinyl, or fiberglass? We live in a warmer area with occasional periods of freezing. Endless pool spa thoughts? We are swimmers, and do not have a huge backyard.
Beyond the recommendation of ‘dont’ ?
I have a fiberglass pool with a cartridge filter and salt water generator. It was really low maintenance but once the pool stuff gets close to 10years it all dies one by one. This year has seen a dead pressure pump, dead heater and the control panel for the chlorine generator is acting up. The pool also attracts every loose leaf in the yard and every frog and crawling critter. So every other day you are cleaning something or the other. I have the pool for one reason: the gaggles of teenagers hang out at my house, not somewhere else.
To make it swimmable it needs to be. Deep and rectangular. You probably would have to go with gunnite for that.Like the pool for what it is. Next house won’t have it.
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We’ve been swimming in a neighbors pool for 10 years. Brings the whole neighborhood together. Now moving and as above poster said want to keep our kids and friends at our house to some extent rather than out roaming around.
We are installing a 75×15 pool with a 7 ft swim lane for lap swimming. Doing vinyl due to cost vs concrete and fiberglass due to size limits.
I swam in a demo endless pool – it’s a very different experience. Did not find it relaxing or refreshing – I felt more like I was trying to survive swimming in open water in a boat wake. I also had a lot of trouble with maintaining buoyancy – the stream would hit the front of me and not really make it to my lower extremities to keep them afloat. Also, the stream is pretty narrow, so if you get off center at all it sort of pushes you cockeyed. The store owner said I did “better than most.” Perhaps it was something you would get used to, but I was looking at putting one indoors in my basement for winter swimming, and after that experience I wasn’t ready to commit to the cost. So I decided to just put a big pool outdoors for lap swimming 6 months a year, and spend the other 6 months at the gym.
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We decided to nix the pool and go with a large built in spa.
We’re out of the country a lot of the summer pool season. Hopefully in 10 years I won’t regret the spa …. (but I know I might) -
in the bathroom shower – make sure that the floor tiles are small, non-slippery. Can’t tell you how many hotels (especially European) I’ve been to where they have 12x12in. or larger tiles that when you step on a wet one – you suddenly slide off and can kill yourself. We initially wanted a nice pattern but our GC convinced us to get the smaller 2x2in and couldn’t be happier. Definitely saved ourselves a couple of subdurals in the house over the last 20 years.
Also, make sure that shower had a small ledge to sit on or place for your leg/foot (for shaving – especially important for the ladies).
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Quote from Wilhelm Roentgen-the original
1. put the laundry room upstairs, rather than basement.
2. Make rounded wall corners, rather than 90 degree. Costs pennies!
3. Put 220 v. in garage for future electric car
4. home theater in basement
5. radiant heat in basement
6. ultra quiet fan in bathrooms on a timer that you can set for 10, 20, 30, minutes
7. in shower have the fan on a timer also.
8. radiant heat in the bathroom floors – a nice little luxury in the cold mornings
9. electric wall outlets that have built-in USB ports. Place in a couple of strategic locations where you might need to recharge your mobile phone or iPads, like by you bed, kitchen, etc.Good stuff there. Thanks!
Laundry room going on ground floor, between kitchen and garage…. with an old-school laundry chute from 2nd floor (mrs_dergon really wanted that)
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Laundry chutes are underrated
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Laundry on same floor as bedrooms is key. No way Id ever build something by design where I have to fold my laundry and trek upstairs with it. Inefficient and frankly annoying. We remodeled one of the large bathrooms upstairs and moved laundry into there. Money well spent.
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Small bedroom with 1/2 bath with a separate entry. Ground floor or walkout basement. If you are gonna be there long term, it may come in handy for live-in help. Until then, it’s a guest room for messy teenagers (have a house full of teenagers this week, I would build a bunkhouse in the backyard at this point).
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Quote from fw
Small bedroom with 1/2 bath with a separate entry. Ground floor or walkout basement. If you are gonna be there long term, it may come in handy for live-in help. Until then, it’s a guest room for messy teenagers (have a house full of teenagers this week, I would build a bunkhouse in the backyard at this point).
Ground floor has an extra room with adjacent full bath … currently slated to be a home gym, but could be come first floor master / long-term guest room if needed (and gym re-located to basement)
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one other thing– don’t forget about the budget for furnishing the place, that can be fun!
Mentioned b/c a colleague was telling me about a recent Saturday he and his spouse spent buying furniture for their dream house. Quote: “Luckily there was a bar nearby, b/c I needed a couple of stiff drinks.”-
This topic can be endless and so varied based on each person.
I agree with the comments above regarding building for the future, and sometimes extra costs are worth it. Some things we decided were worth it
-laundry on every floor and laundry in the guesthouse (although I love the idea of laundry chutes). Outdoor shower next to guesthouse laundry.
-Massive steel framing and beams. The entire inside of every level can be just one giant open space if desired. Some interior walls were built to accordion out of the way and disappear which is convenient to have one big room if having a large party.
-Panic room. Doubles as a massive safe. Kids love the secret tunnel that takes them to a hidden exit away from the house. It is difficult to keep them from telling their friends about it.
-Indoor basketball court! Not a full court, but nice to get the family together when the weather isn’t great, put a half pipe in there too which is awesome. Can be easily converted to rooms down the road if desired.
-Hidden garage. You don’t want everyone seeing certain cars, and the builder had a great idea for hiding a few car bays. You would never know they are there from the inside or the outside.
-Put the home theater below grade. Putting it in a sub-basement allows spectacular soundproofing. Also conveniently next to the wine cellar which is very efficient due to being so far below grade.
-Efficiency planning. Having an expert in zero footprint can really add to building efficiency.
There is probably more. The considerations are endless.
edit: thought of some more. I’ll try to update here if appropriate.
– Short segment of glass floor on an upper level walkway. Not necessary, but hilarious to watch people walk up to it and panic.
-There is a hangout room that the kids like and it has wall panels that switch between clear and opaque with the flick of a switch. Its a good way to discourage bad behavior, because they know the walls could become windows at any moment.
-Big conduits for wiring built in. If you suddenly decide you need a cable drop across multiple floors or behind some fixed structure that pvc pipe fit for just that purpose is super handy.
-Hidden weapons safes throughout. Some use NFC to unlock. Hopefully never necessary.
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Quote from sandeep panga
-Hidden weapons safes throughout. Some use NFC to unlock.
well, obviously. thought that went without saying
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like the laundry chute
as has already been said in other ways: future proof, future proof, future proof
also, more storage/closet space is always better
finally, when you start shopping for fixtures/appliances/etc: you will be well served if you can figure out the sweet spot for getting [b]excellent[/b] quality without just paying for the label etc (“made from artisanal materials in a hidden monastery, where master craftspeople think only of god and your faucet”). I know you aren’t going cheap of course. And I’ve never regretted paying more for quality. But it’s easy to get mesmerized by marketing baloney and start paying for things other than quality. And there’s no limit to how much that can cost.
Have some family and friends who went crazy trying to outspend the Joneses.-
Quote from BHE
I know you aren’t going cheap of course. And I’ve never regretted paying more for quality. But it’s easy to get mesmerized by marketing baloney and start paying for things other than quality. And there’s no limit to how much that can cost.
I have found that getting anything that uses industry standard setups (e.g. size of hole to be drilled in the slab for a kitchen faucet) improves your ability to maintain the place 10 years in. Replacing your ‘hand carved by Italian monks’ faucet can be a giant headache if it uses a 32mm hole when standard US stuff like Kohler uses 34mm.
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