Building a new house - what's a couple of your "must haves"?

[Deadeye]

Looks like I'm on the same page with everyone for the most part. You guys have impecable taste...

Already have on the plans:
1. Screened patio (36x17) with outdoor kitchen and sink. 50'' LED mounted opposite wall of kitchen for grilling/football pleasure.
2. Mud room off entrance from garage with benches and lockers.
3. Incredible shower in master. 4x7 shower with dual heads and a rainshower head over the center. Dual side entrances with clear glass enclosing the shower. This thing is awesome.
4. 1/2 bath is located from the side entrance to the patio.
5. No ceiling mount projector, I have several of them at my office that frequently require bulbs at $600 per pop. I like your thinking though.
6. Large front porch 56x8
7. 3 car garage
8. Eventually I will enclose one end of the pole barn and build off of it (like a guest bunk house with all the trimmings.
9. Reclaimed tongue & grove in the kitchen and dining ceiling. I demo'd a 75 year old sharecroper house a couple weeks ago, all cypress and heart pine. Will also build a 4x8 dining table out of the pecky cypress from the old house.


Great ideas, keep 'em coming.
Since yall so good with ideas, I could use the help moving in a couple weeks. Volunteers?
Dead

[tombstone]

Heck, I just want to come stay at some of yall's house for a three day weekend

[JMallard]

honestly....small house, just the necessities. if you want to spend the money, do the kitchen / family room deal. kitchen big enough for everyone......then take the savings, and buy another one.....somewhere on 100 acres that you leave every friday with your kids and wife and go to, then you spend every holiday there, and every break and weekend....with your family......

[Ster]

[arduckslayer]

With all the extravagant suggestions made, my little simple one might get overlooked, but put a built-in ice maker in the kitchen. Those things are worth their weight in gold.

[deltadukman]

[DoublePslayer]

Heard of a guy in Ruleville that has 2 forty ft storage containers buried under the slab of his house to us for storage etc.

[Deadeye]

[Redhead]

My shower is 5 x 15 double heads with the rain head in the ceiling... The rain head is the only one that ever gets used, If I had to do it over I would have 2 rain heads and that's it... also the heater in the shower would be good. anybody got info on these? can you add them after it's finished?

also get the "Handicap" elongated Toilets... worth every penny!

[Deadeye]

For kitch appliances, I'm leaning toward Bosch stainless steel, from cooktop to dishwasher, all Bosch except for ice maker.
I've read alot of good info on Bosch. Anyone have these appliances? Pros and cons?


As for the heat lamps in the bathrooms, I have one in the plans for 3 bathrooms. Right over the entrance to tub or shower.
Never had one before, but should be a cool item. I'm more excited about building the dining room table, just so I can say this was my project in the entire build. Just ready to get this construction started, been waiting a long time to start my dream house.

Dead

[Click]

[JLT]

Just built my first and I pray, my only home. I am in the construction business and I would strongly suggest that you look into ICF construction if it is a home that you plan to stay in for a long time. I did ICF exterior walls and spray foam insulation above the ICF's and in the roof. I am on a crawlspace foundation and I did not insulate the floor, but I did cover the vents that I had installed in the crawl space and I poured a mudslab in lieu of plastic. I also poured concrete walls around the master closet and put a concrete top on it. I installed a 20kw propane generator.....just like insurance......great if you need it....waste if you don't. I have a large shower that I have a wall head and a rain head and I never use the rain head. I do enjoy the large seat that I put in it. We also have a one burner gas heater in the bathroom that is nice. I also love my wood burning fireplace. Large front and back porches have not been used yet, but will be enjoyed this spring and summer. I put my hunting room right by where I park my truck in the garage so I don't have to lug hunting stuff very far.......great idea. I also put a golf cart garage in and I am not totally satisfied with the size.....wish it was bigger. Put walk door into and out of the garage so you don't have to open garage door to go in and out. Think hard about elaborate stuff before you fork it out. I found that several things that I had to do have not been well used yet. We did not skimp on room size and have been glad of that.

[adame]

a bidet......

[Greenhead329]

Hardwood floors
Humongous A/C
2 bathrooms
Fireplace (wood)
Gas water heater

[gtk]

Gas Stove. If you don't want gas now, run the lines to the stove anyway.

Do you have kids? If you are building a two story house, do NOT put your daughters room above yours, especially if you put in a tile bathroom floor upstairs. Those girls can make some racket !

Put the master bedroom on the end of the house that will be away from the family room, so when you decide to go to bed early, you don't have to listen to all the chatter.

Go ahead and run cat 5E network cable wherever you think you may need it.

Make your garage about 4' longer/wider than you think you will need ..