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@MenagerieMama: I know our washer door can change direction but I don't think our dryer has that option (which is the one going the wrong direction). Maybe it's worth looking into again though.
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Best thread ever!
We have builder optional built in shelves/ cabinetry and the adjacent walls windows are just a few inches away from the lower cabinetry. Once I add curtains the fabric will hit the built ins. Tip: plan out your windows/ builtins/ large furniture layout so you still see enough wall in rooms.
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I thought of one more thing. The old house had switches in every room that tied to an overhead light and a lamp light. My new house had the extra switch for the fan part of the overhead lighted fans. While I like having the light and fan blades on separate switches I miss a switch for accent lighting.
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My MIL built her house and some of the things I like are that she had them include outlets above the cabinets so she could put lights up there, and she had them wire her pantry so the light automatically comes on when she opens the door. No switch needed. She also has an outlet on the outer edge of her L-shaped counter (nowhere near a wall, if that makes sense) because she keeps her kitchenaid nearby. She doesn't need to move it to plug it in each time. Minor, but nice ideas.
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Oh, and if there are any rooms that won't get a lot of natural light, I would consider putting in a solar tube. My parents have one and it makes a big difference.
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We have a coat closet and it's so nice to grab quick jackets or hang up for guests. This is in addition to the mud room we have in the butlers pantry.
Lots of built in shelving wherever you can squeeze it in
We have plenty of electrical outlets so I can move furniture but I wish we had floor outlets so when I plug in a lamp the cord isn't as visible. I also wish I could center furniture in the room more and not have to be limited to perimeter in room.
Have at least one plug be on a switch. For example our Christmas tree lights I don't have to plug/unplug there is a switch that controls the light for the rest plug I'm using.
Stay consistent thoughout. We have white subway tile as all tile--bathrooms and kitchen. All rooms are painted using the same color. I like that it is consistent. All countertops are granite. -
Outlets closer to the mantle, and I would have saved about 10k in my budget for at least some furniture - out pristine home sat empty (and still is in some pockets) because we didn't have money to spend on the inside.
I also spent way too much on a special marble inlay in my shower which was a total waste.
And SO stupidly we opted out of bar seating at the island in our kitchen. Major regret!!
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Oh, and add a few outlets in bedrooms close to the entrance door. It will never get blocked by furniture, and makes great access for a vaccuum or random needed outlet. We have that in my sons room by accident and love it!
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@pinkarmadillo: I buily 6 years ago. Here's a list
Stuff I'm glad I did
- tons of closet space
- very open
- lots of windows
- maximized space upstairs by having a very small "hallway" to make the bedrooms as big as possible instead of having wasted hall space
- a formal dining space is a complete waste of space and i'm glad we don't have oneI would have done differently:
- powder room is in the middle of our house which is convenient but awkward for guests!
- a bigger garage. Ours is 1 car and not only that, too narrow. I had city ordinance easements that cause that though
- like people say... washer and dryer should be as close to the bedrooms as possible!Mine are on the main floor, but I like that the spin cycle don't rattle the whole house -
Oh - and a big one! We have a center cabinet like this in our master bath - inside I have my hair dryer, straightener and instyler (the three things I use often) on a rack that is mounted inside - with an outlet. I never have to see my blow dryer out on the counter again and I love it!!
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@thepicklemonster: we did this too with our water heater! And we in Cali with constant drought issues!
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Master bathroom: I've seen a couple of pics of bathrooms with a tub literally in the master shower, and I think it would be an awesome space to bathe my kids while I shower. Specific to toddlers.
Outlets everywhere. We have them on our kitchen island and I'm so glad we do.
Kitchen island range - might be just me but the idea of having my stove range on my island terrifies me. People just lounge at the island and chat, and kids leave their artwork/homework/mail sitting on the island. Fire hazard.
Think about the way sound carries. Our kids are young and sleep in their own room - we use white noise but really appreciate having a place we can sit and chat after the kids are in bed without worrying about loud laughter or turning down the music. You can use stairs and insulation to control the way sound will project in your home.
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We just did renovations in our current house, the biggest being a gut job of our master bath. We went with a smaller tub (since I'm short, the old 6 foot tub was WAY too long for me), which allowed us more space for our custom tiled shower. We also had outlets put inside the counter, so that my hairdryer and stuff could stay plugged in but hidden. My most favorite part is the TV in my bathroom above my tub.
We actually just went under contract on a new lot to build our dream home. DH and I have been pouring over house plans and talking about our wants/needs so we can go to the architect with a detailed list.
We already know we want 4 bedrooms + office & bonus room. We're still on the fence about each bedroom having it's own bathroom or having 2 bedrooms w/ a jack-and-jill bath.
Most of my must-have's and things we'd do different pertain to the main living areas - especially the kitchen.
- 3 car garage
- mud/laundry room off the garage
- walk in pantry
- formal dining room & office off the entry
- giant kitchen island open to family room
- gas cooktop but electric double wall oven
- pot-filler over the stove
-electrical outlets in baseboards not on wall
- knockdown vs smooth drywall
- central vac system
- phone jacks in most rooms (we found that there is literally only a phone jack in the master and in my office in our current house. I get that most people use cell's these days but we live in a terrible service area)The biggest thing is really thinking about the placement of your furniture so you can appropriately place outlets. We also renovated our FROG into a media room, and part of that was having outlets put into the floor based on where the furniture would go as it's all electric recliners.
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@shellio: I don't like the idea of having the hob on an island either, my kids lean all over our bench / breakfast bar and it would be a total hazard!
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@shellio: @Kemma: we have our cooktop and oven in our island. Surprisingly it hasn't caused any issues even with the kids on the other side occasionally. But it can also pose an issue with ventilation. I really want to upgrade to induction cooktop to make it safer.
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Ah, re: the bathroom. My shower is across from the tub. So nice to be able to take a shower while the kids bathe. Also, make sure your shower is adequately ventilated. We had a fan right outside the shower stall and it still wasn't enough -- we were getting mold inside on the ceiling and had to put in another fan.
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My parents have a ceiling fan in their master bathroom and it's super nice when getting ready with hot hair dryers and stuff.
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My parents built a house when I was in high school and they put the laundry room on the second floor. It was amazing! I highly recommend (this is coming from someone who has laundry in the basement!
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