Quote:
Originally Posted by Kenswing
Since it looks like we're going to be choosing a homesite and building a house, I'd love to hear from those of you that went through the process.
Your overall impression of the process. What is the process? How long did it take from start to finish? How long to pick all your finishes? How flexible are they to customization? What were some of your concerns during the process?
Granite during the build or after? Appliances? Window coverings?
Let me hear it all. I love details.  |
1) No one has mentioned insulation. I don’t know what the standard amount of insulation is, but adding 6” to 12” of extra blown in insulation in the ceiling should only add a few hundred dollars to the price but should be recuperated in the first year.
2) A more efficient HVAC system has a slower payback—several years—but then it’s gravy.
3) I love to take a bath, but I need a long, deep bathtub. Six feet long, two feet wide, and deep. The average bathtub is a waste. A larger one costs more, but it is more likely to get used. (By contrast, jacuzzis in bathtubs seldom get used, and shallow oval or triangular tubs are a waste. Get INTO the tub and make sure there is good neck support. Many baths are designed only for sitting up—too sharp at the edge.)
4) Put in lots of security grab bars in the bathrooms, whether horizontal, vertical, or diagonal. If horizontal, they double as towel rods. These have to be screwed into studs or into horizontal lumber set into the studs, so you need to plan for them in advance. One slip, fall, and trip to the E.R. Costs much more than do these grab bars. I have 15’ of horizontal bars and one vertical in my bathroom, and I’ve learned to use them all the time. They’ve saved me from many falls.
5) I installed kitchen cabinets in my bathroom over the sink, six feet wide and three feet high (two 24” doors and two 12” doors). I had a glass company put mirrors on the 24” doors. Thus, I have medicine cupboards six feet long and a foot deep. I also had four outlets put in the cupboard for recharging my shaver and things like that. I also had outlets installed below the counter for plugging in a blowdryer. It hangs from a hook below the counter.
6) Have Panasonic ultra quiet fans installed in all bathrooms and something similar in the kitchen over the stove. These must all vent to the outside. The bathroom fans should be 100 cubic feet per minute, and they should be wired to a timer that offers several presets. A stove should always have a strong but quiet fan above it and a range hood, and it has to vent outside so that smell of broccoli doesn’t fill the house. Don’t mount your microwave oven above the stove. That’s too high, anyway, for safety.
7) have your closets well-designed, ideally with a row of shelves as well as hanging room. (I use shelves instead of drawers.) Include hooks for hanging things, too. (Closets are easy to add later, but don’t skimp. They repay the cost on resale.)