Talk of The Villages Florida

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-   -   Top New Home "Upgrades" (or Required Completions) (https://www.talkofthevillages.com/forums/contractors-services-91/top-new-home-upgrades-required-completions-356830/)

idlewild 02-26-2025 10:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thekatman (Post 2412156)
I recommend contacting your monthly pest control vendor and have them open all of the electrical outlets and spray inside the walls and the electrical outlets to seal off the outside world from the inside of your home. This will greatly reduce the exposure to bugs, spiders, and other critters.

2nd: Have them spray for the destructive wood beetles inside your attic.

Super helpful - will do. Thank you!

idlewild 02-26-2025 10:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jimjamuser (Post 2412146)
Plant trees to block the sun and get their evaporation cooling effect. Put stone or low growing plants in a circle a LARGE circle around the trees. Widen your driveway as much as allowed. Both of these strategies give you less grass to mow and fertilize. If it were me, I would get a small riding lawnmower or a push electric one to cut my own grass. If my neighbors were LOUD, I would soundproof a TV room so that I could avoid their noise. I would also plant fast growing plants like podocarpus on my sides or back to block noise and also put stones or low growing plants to cut down further on the area to be mowed. The grass in Florida are all ugly and not as soft as northern grass AND besides mowing they require a lot of expensive watering.

Thanks! I'm a big into gardening and while I'm excited for the exotics afforded the climate, I must admit I'm going to miss "real" grass - our dogs will too! I will research as I believe there are a couple types of grass that will hold up to the heat, but nothing like bluegrass or anything remotely close - correct?

Bwanajim 02-28-2025 03:36 PM

Replace the ceiling fans with ones that have lights and are nicer

Dan T 03-01-2025 07:58 AM

Solor screen
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by biggamefish1 (Post 2411766)
Window blinds, upgrade landscaping, paint driveway, complete interior paint with enamel at wet areas and washable flat wall, garage storage cabs and shelving, solar attic fan, and solar light tubes as needed, plywood attic area for storage, replace bug screen on the lanai with solar screen, front door storm door with pull down screen, roll down solar screens on all west facing windows, pour or pave a rear patio for grilling and entertaining, and more. Bring your checkbook, lol. Enjoy!!

Where do you get color screen to replace your bug screen?

CoachKandSportsguy 03-01-2025 08:32 AM

not sure of how easy it is in a Veranda spec house:
Ethernet hard wired outlet to the lanai for TV, one for any working office area if you use a computer, one for living room TV location
Lanai outdoor living set up, whatever's possible.

No hanging lights, ugh, all can lights in kitchen, dining, living rooms.
Solar tube in kitchen (big one), bathrooms (small) laundry area (small)
gas line outlet outside for gas grille hookup
larger bathroom exhaust fans

tiled wall under any kitchen counter overhang to prevent shoe marks from sitting on chairs.

Lisanp@aol.com 03-01-2025 09:55 AM

I think you are missing:
a closet system in the primary bedroom
some kind of coating on the lanai floor as the cement is dusty and gets dirty/moldy
Ceiling fan light kits with speed control/dimmer switches installed
While the electrician is there you might want some additional dimmers and a timer on the outdoor garage lights
People also like to have a plumber come in to change out the toilet shut off valves and the main water shut off valve to a more substantial valve than the plastic that the builder installs.

I don’t think you need the water stuff and can drink filtered water from fridge, but that is highly personal. I also don’t think you need the insulation. Nor do you need to paint the driveway, but that is not on your list.

mtdjed 03-01-2025 10:01 PM

[QUOTE=idlewild;2411757]We are moving to TV soon and have purchased a brand new home (Veranda-Monroe).

From my research, there are a number of things most homeowners will want/need completed in their first year there which I've listed below in order of priority for us.

REQUEST: Can you please review this list and let me know if there's anything we are missing? We would like to line this up before we move down/in. Thank you!

OUR PRIORITIZED LIST
  1. 1. Replace Carpeting (3BR) with LVP
  2. 2. Epoxy Garage Floor
  3. 3. Install Whole House Water Softener, Kitchen Reverse Osmosis (Culligan?)
  4. 4. Purchase/Connect Washer/Dryer and Gas Range (List TV Install for Resale)
  5. 5. Improve Insulation, Whole House (including Garage and Lanai)
  6. 6. Install Whole House Gutters
  7. 7. Install Garage Attic Stairs
  8. 8. Build Pantry (in Kitchen Nook, Monroe Model)
  9. 9. Touchups (Backsplash, Painting, Lighting, Ceiling Fans

Welcome to the Villages.
Some thoughts:

Almost everyone complains about lack of storage. Storage is one of the first things you need as you unload. The Master suite contains two closets typically with one wire shelf about head high on the three interior walls. However, the ceiling may be 12 feet high. Plenty of room to add something more usable. Shoe racks, high storage for seldom used items etc. We used the same type of rack that comes with the house, and I installed myself. Bedrooms two and three closets can also be enhanced.

The Garage and also be enhanced with these types of racks at a height above your head.
Also, attic stairs and flooring should be optimized. Be alert to shingle nails that might be a hazard.

On a more expensive basis, think about your lanai. I think your model is similar to what used to be called a Gardenia with approximately 28 ft length and 9 or 10 ft width. We found the width confining and contracted it to be enlarged. We were limited to 5 foot due to restrictions. That made the area close to 400 sq ft. Now we had a nice size but found a limited use because too cold most winter days, too much pollen in February thru April, too hot in summer.

Finally, 14 years later we got smart and enclosed it with good windows, and a Minisplit. It is now our room of choice year-round. We could have enclosed the Lanai when we had it enlarged, but we thought it would be great to enjoy outdoors

Consider snap tiles on Garage floor. Still look like new after 18 years.

Things grow fast here. Be careful what you plant. Palm trees look great as you look at your neighbor's yard. You won't be able to see yours, but you will be able to see all their trash when it falls to the ground. And hire people to trim them

Some homes come with what is called a pantry which has fixed shelves making it hard to access foodstuffs. We had shelves replaced with sliders.

So much fun is ahead of you. Enjoy

patfla06 03-27-2025 02:27 PM

The only “ advice” I would give you is to take your time doing the extras.
I would do only the items that would be easier without furniture.

kkingston57 03-28-2025 08:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by idlewild (Post 2411757)
We are moving to TV soon and have purchased a brand new home (Veranda-Monroe).

From my research, there are a number of things most homeowners will want/need completed in their first year there which I've listed below in order of priority for us.

REQUEST: Can you please review this list and let me know if there's anything we are missing? We would like to line this up before we move down/in. Thank you!

OUR PRIORITIZED LIST
  1. 1. Replace Carpeting (3BR) with LVP
  2. 2. Epoxy Garage Floor
  3. 3. Install Whole House Water Softener, Kitchen Reverse Osmosis (Culligan?)
  4. 4. Purchase/Connect Washer/Dryer and Gas Range (List TV Install for Resale)
  5. 5. Improve Insulation, Whole House (including Garage and Lanai)
  6. 6. Install Whole House Gutters
  7. 7. Install Garage Attic Stairs
  8. 8. Build Pantry (in Kitchen Nook, Monroe Model)
  9. 9. Touchups (Backsplash, Painting, Lighting, Ceiling Fans

P.S.
This isn't a post to recommend certain contractors - and I'll search on that myself rather than duplicating a number of other threads I'm sure - but I'll happily take and recommendations for any of these by DM/PM. And I was going to post this in the Home Improvement "forum," but that appears to be just a list of rated contractors/advertisements and not posts.

If not included with your home, solid surface counter tops and full height bac splashes

kkingston57 03-28-2025 08:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tophcfa (Post 2411797)
# 1 upgrade for us, build a pool and plant privacy hedges.

Personally, the last thing I would add especially at todays pricing. Had one for 20 years and used it 4-5 X a month in the summer and none in the winter. Expensive to maintain and keep warm

kkingston57 03-28-2025 08:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Villagesgal (Post 2412070)
Sounds crazy. You dont "need" any of that. You may "want" some of that. Live in it for awhile and then see what you really "need and want", otherwise you are just throwing your money away to be "just like the Joneses".


Good point(s). All(most) can be done afterwards and person will still pay the same amount


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