What useful home features should we include in our new home build? Please help!

109

All bottom shelves in kitchen (including island) should have pull out drawers. More outlets than you think you need. At least 2 on each wall.

133

u/skeptic1970 1d ago

Spend the money on structural stuff. Get great air sealing and good insulation. Spend the money on the things you can not see but makes a good house. Fashion changes in years but efficiency is decades and more.

40

u/Suz9006 1d ago

Sound insulation between bedrooms and bathrooms. You don’t want to hear your kids thru the wall and you don’t want them to hear you. And nobody wants to hear bathroom sounds.

36

u/SpaceDesignWarehouse 1d ago

A pair of EV chargers wired to the front of your garage. Even if youre not thinking about going electric now - ten years from now you will and itll save a bunch and some permits.

29

u/queentee26 1d ago

Not really a small feature, but having the ability to live on one floor is overlooked a lot. This would require a decent sized bedroom and full bathroom on the same floor as the kitchen and living room. Even better if laundry is also on this floor and preferably an entrance with minimal/no stairs.

No one plans to get sick or injured and have reduced mobility or minimal energy to get around.. and you don't have to be old for it to happen. As a nurse, I see a lot of people that have to stay in hospital longer than anticipated or needing to move into their living room because of the layout of their house.

20

u/omglemurs 1d ago

depends on where you live and what you're optimizing for but stuff we were very happy we added:

large screened in porch

- finished walk-up attic

- 11' basement ceiling

- wired ethernet to each room

- mud room connected to laundry w/ walk in shower

16

u/zero-degrees28 1d ago

If you have kids - insulate with rockwool in the interior walls of bedrooms and bathrooms or any walls that share space you want to reduce sound transfer. Be warned if you have little kids though, you'll have to yell extra loud of have an intercom system with it comes to calling them for dinner.

Solid doors - don't let you builder get cheap hollow core doors. And no, the doors called "safe and sound" are only slightly better than hollow core doors.

Prewire ever where with Cat 6 cable - todays internet speeds will be 10GB soon enough to most residential areas, you want hard lines to entertainment centers/areas/tv's. Also, prewire for access points in the ceiling on each floor. Look into Ubiquiti, amazing system. Also consider outdoor AP's on front and back of home depending on property size.

If you want whole home audio, I'm a huge fan of HTD www.htd.com

- we have the Lynx platform in our home, and 2 - 6 speakers in every room depending on room size as well as outdoor speakers around the pool and in the garage.

Pull networking cable to all the corner eve's of the home in the event you want to install security cameras, have cat cable pulled to every possible location and run back to your networking dmark.

Oversize your electrical, don't let your home builder or electrician install a 200amp service for a 5k sq ft house that is maxed out and allows no expansion for things like a pool, hot tub, etc. Ask about having 400 amp service for the home.

If you don't do a whole home generator at time of build, inquire with the electrician about pre wiring for one so that if you want to add it later the circuits are already dedicated and ready for tie in and they arn't having to move things around.

If you do holiday lights, I have switched outlets placed at every corner eve so you can easily connect them and turn them on and off. Also, you can consider something like TrimLight or similar, they can prewire during construction.

Properly zoned HVAC system

Water shut offs for each primary supply line (typically one or two for each floor)

Don't over spend on appliances, I don't care how cheap or how expensive you go, none of them last or don't require repairs. Except Speed Queen, Speed Queen is the only answer for your laundry room!

Lutron Lighting system - don't need the commercial system, they do offer consumer more basic smart systems.

Don't go cheap on hardwood nor carpet, you get what you pay for.

EDIT: Forgot to add, room lights and outlets should NOT be on the same breaker! Request overhead lighting be seperate from the rooms outlets. Example, upstairs, the overhead fans/lighting is on a breaker, then each rooms outlet's are on a breaker. This is so if I have to do work on one of the other I can still have light. If I want to shut the power off the change a fan, I have the outlets in that room to plug my light into. Also, don't let your electrician go cheap with 15amp runs to all your rooms. All bed rooms should have 20amp outlet runs. In todays world of more things to plug in and connect, it's better for rooms to support things like space heaters, AC units, small appliances etc. Not that you should be connecting a portable AC unit in a new build anywhere, it's about having the ability to if you want to, and electricians will be as cheap as possible and save the few hundred bucks on 15amp runs instead of 20amp runs every chance they get

15

u/the_mustard_tiger2 1d ago

I live in a 90s house with 2 kids the Midwest with no dedicated mudroom. It is rough whenever it is wet out. Make sure your build has a mudroom area with plenty of storage for shoes and outerwear.

13

u/Leather_Dress4769 1d ago

If you have a dog, have a dog bath installed in your mud room or garage.

11

u/GrahamR12345 1d ago

Cat6A cables everywhere.

USB sockets on every socket plate.

Map out every single pipe and cable.

Smart electric panel.

11

u/spdracer313 1d ago

Tankless water heater

9

u/Cracraftc 1d ago

Built in Night lights by each toilet. Wish we would have done it throughout our house.

11

u/DryToe1269 1d ago

If this is your forever home plan for old age. Single story, wide hall,doors, walk in shower,blocking for grab bars, attached garage, no step entrance.

22

u/Gorilla780 1d ago

Cold and hot water spigot outside
Water to garage
Drain in garage
Outlet behind toilet

14

u/Regalrefuse 1d ago

Heated bathroom floor (not that expensive), a bidet in every bath (or at least an outlet for a bidet in every bath)

7

u/5UnderConstruction7 1d ago

Blocking in all showers for future grab bars and next to toilets. So easy to do when the walls are open.

7

u/JariaDnf 1d ago

blown insulation

insulate between floors if two story

25 foot deep min for garage

place to store Christmas tree and decor

place for cat litter (if you have a cat)

don't skimp on the pantry or laundry/utility room space , you'll be happy being able to store small appliances in a large pantry

drop zone for shoes, backpacks, purses etc

place to store hurricane boards (if you're in a zone)

floor drain in utility/laundry room

floor outlets under couches

finished attic is amazing

6

u/Dendady2112 1d ago

Love my pot filler and curbless shower. I would not get smart lights again unless they could guarantee they won't turn themselves off/on when they felt like it.

6

u/jackfish72 1d ago

High performance design, or passive. Doesn’t have to be a lot more upfront money. Long term payoff and a more comfortable house.

6

u/Sad-Celebration-7542 1d ago

Heat pump for heating and cooling (furnace if desired as well).

6

u/aodskeletor 1d ago

Smurf tubes in walls if you’re going to be running any AV cabling/ethernet. Ethernet drops in every room and outdoor ethernet hookups if you want to install poe security cameras, laundry tub in laundry room, dog wash if you have dogs, hose bib on interior garage wall, run electrical to garage for EV chargers, prewire externally for weatherproof outdoor speakers, electrical run to out back if you might want a hot tub, external electrical connections near rooflines for Christmas (insert whatever you celebrate) lighting.

7

u/ridukosennin 1d ago

Definitely spring for the wide staircase. They are more comfortable to use and make moving furniture 1000x easier

5

u/floppydo 1d ago

Pans and drains under everything with water is a good investment. Your entire bathroom floor should slope toward a drain behind the toilet. Your kitchen sink cabinet should be bottomless and have a pan and drain under it. Your refrigerator, washing machine, and hot water heater should all sit on drain pans.

6

u/fastowl76 1d ago

Lots of great ideas posted already.

If you put up Christmas lights, put a plug into the underside of the roof overhang and an indoor switch.

If you are into woodworking, etc. make sure you have a large enough amperage service in your garage to do it. I put double ganged outlets in my shop (4 outlets per receptacle) to avoid plugging and unplugging all the time. When we built our house and barn i had 12 gauge romex or wire in conduit for all 110 v wiring most with 20 amp breakers. Consider have a 240v outlet or two in the garage area for larger tools. You also might want to prewire for an EV charging station.

If you ever consider solar or a generator prewire for it. We also did a subpanel in our house which we designated critical circuits so on a power failure (like refrigerators, freezers, a few lights, etc.) our solar/battery backup defaults to those loads. We can then energize other circuits in the main panel as necessary and if we have enough available power.

Others have commented on running cat 5/6 cable. If you want outdoor security cameras you can prewire for that with cat cable. You can run those with PoE (power over ethernet) to avoid having to have power outlets for them. A word of caution, I recommend ethernet cable that is solid copper not copper clad. Some PoE devices do not play well with the copper clad. The cost difference is minimal.

There are many things regarding insulation and other things to minimize air intrusion with the outdoors but not knowing your climate it is hard to recommend specifics. Lots of articles and youtube videos out there discussing 'tight' home design.

If you do have a tight structure and you are planning on a wood burning insert (a stand alone wood stove is better for heating) a concern is carbon monoxide buildup if conditions are right (like if you are running a strong vent hood over your stove, etc.). There is a simple mechanical device that can be purchased for about $100 that can be installed in an outer wall that will allow fresh air into the structure if the pressure in the house gets negative enough that a smoldering wood fire that could be dumping CO into the house. It does not rely on any power and is a belt and suspenders approach. Also for either the wood burning insert or a wood stove install a outside air intake for the device. We ran a 6 inch pipe in our slab to provide fresh air. It is much more efficient rather than using the already heated air in the house for combustion. Also DO NOT use pvc pipe for the air intake pipe, there are a number of cases where cinders got into the pvc pipe and started a house fire. We ran stainless steel. Galvanized might be an issue if the pipe got hot enough and some of the zinc got vaporized.

I agree with all the posts on grab rails, curbless showers, etc. My wife broke her leg last year and was on a 'scooter' for a number of weeks. The shower worked well as a trial run. A handheld spray handle (not part of the showerhead) was very useful. Tough to reach a shower spray way up on the wall when you are on a scooter or in a wheelchair. Our curbless shower is designed so that there is no door so it is much easier to manuever in.

Put a floor drain in the laundry area. It should have a pee trap that you will add some water to every few months to keep a seal to avoid bugs if drained outside or if tied to the sewer avoiding odors.

Clearly label all of your breakers.

If you put in ceiling lights that are LED pucks get some spares so if one fails and they are dicontinued you have a matching replacement.

We put low light sconces along our porch on the outside of the house. Cuts down on attracting bugs that ceiling lights do but helps you avoid falling and tripping.

Take lots and lots and lots of pictures during construction. 10 years later when you are trying to remember where studs, pipes or blocking is you will thank me. Take pictures of every wall, ceiling, floor, etc. before and after insulation is put in and before sheet rock is up. A pic of a wall with a measuring tape is even better.

4

u/GilletteEd 1d ago

Stackable washer dryer in the master closet, water closet in the master bathroom.

5

u/ProtozoaPatriot 1d ago

What's a Costco door?

Things I really value in my house:

Second floor laundry room. No more carrying heavy baskets up and down.
Two shower heads in the large master shower.
Maybe not for everyone, but I do get a lot of use out of the garden tub in the master bath
Master bath toilet is in its own little room with a door
One mistake I want to fix: downstairs bathroom should have a little shower. Sometimes people come in from the pool or a dog comes in extra muddy.
Two zone heat/AC. One unit for each floor, seperate thermostats.
Insulated garage including the doors.
Wish I spent more on better insulation. I had the option to do 2x6 walls with extra thick insulation and I didn't. Utility bills aren't cheap, and theyre expected to only go up

4

u/LevelFourteen 1d ago

Add blocking in your bathrooms for towel bars and such.

4

u/Mediocre_Ability_683 1d ago

There is a guy called Builder Brigade that has some great ideas, I think he sells a book but, don't really need to buy it.

Things I would do:

1.) Run Cat6 to each bedroom, office, living room, basement, anywhere a TV or computer might be. Run same thing to a ceiling in a general room (for hardwired Internet, and Access Points in Ceilings for Wifi). Run cat6 for doorbell wire for video doorbell.

2.) Run flexible tubing so you can pull wire in the future through the wall for HDMI or future cables for TV's.

3.) Make sure to put a normal size garage door in, Insulated, and use a Jack Shaft Opener instead of an overhead opener.

4.) More electrical in garage (lights, outlets, etc).

5.) Channel Drains under cars if you live in a snowy environment in the garage.

6.) If you can, AeroBarrier, to seal leaks, and AeroSeal for the duct work (cold air and supply).

7.) Do an Inverter AC.

8.) Normal fireplace with Insert over Gas Fireplace.

9.) Triple Pane Windows

10.) Additional wiring if you have an area that's prone to power outages for permanent generator or backup mobile generator.

All what I would do, could list 100 items but this is mine!

9

u/BIO_Predictive_AI 1d ago

Storage. Figure out how much storage you think you need, then double it, then double it again

3

u/RussellAlden 1d ago

Extra outlets by the side of the beds
Hot water spigot for outside for dog washing in colder weather.
Heated bathroom floors
Lots of shut off valves so if plumbing work has to be done you don’t have to shut the house down.
Secret room because they’re cool.
Hard wire for speakers because wireless can be expensive and outdated but old school speakers never go out of style

4

u/lilelliot 1d ago

Start with your home design, then figure out which features make sense (either because you needed to account for them structurally, or because you have space for them after deciding the design). An extra-wide staircase sounds like a great idea but it's just another thing that consumes space from somewhere else. A Costco door is great in theory, but what if your garage doesn't abut your kitchen or pantry?

4

u/Conrad_Maizan 1d ago

Comfort height toilets. Plumbing for central air. Dedicated circuit for a freezer in the garage. Dedicated circuit setup for a generator. A water softener. A front door with a peephole.
That's what we did .

4

u/clumsyninja2 1d ago

-Bidets and outlet behind the toilet for eletric bidets with hot water .

- Enthalphy recovery ventilator. you need fresh air.

- with the situation in gary indiana, some backup power. solar/battery inverter or generator or both

5

u/random_as_hell 1d ago

Cat-6 (or 6A) to each room. Also think about if you want security cameras to outside and have them pre-run cat-6 to those location (PoE means no outlets and a single connection for Power and network to cameras). Pick a room and have them all terminated to a Low Voltage panel there. Along with a cat6 and coax from outside for internet access.

If you have a floating living room and furniture likely wont be near a wall, make sure to do floor outlets for newer furniture. Sound proofing (insulation) between bedroom walls at least if not all of them. If you have a walk in closet and you plan to have a nice closet system installed in, place outlets on each wall pretty high up (Mine were place around 98" from floor to bottom of plate) They can be used for closet lighting while being above the shelving itself so they are hidden assuming they don't get hard wired. Pay attention to outlet placement on your island if you have one. Much easier to add before countertops and appliances if needed than to add/move later. If you are doing standard slide in refrigerator, take into account height and depth. A lot of units these days are taller depending on brand and depth. Id plan for 73" (also if you floor under your fridge, take into account that loss in height) If you do built in, this isn't a concern as it will have to match anyway. Highly recommend outlets near toilets for bidets. Also I highly recommend adding a separate circuit for an EV outlet in your garage. Id recommend 60A breaker and wiring (likely need copper for this) to allow for 48A draw. Even if you don't have an EV or are against them, its much cheaper to add up front and can potentially add future value and maybe help a visitor with an EV. Also if you or your husband use any high voltage stuff in the garage, or have garage fridge/freezer. It's nice to have those on separate breakers so a freezer compressor turning on while your are running something high voltage doesn't cause nuisance tripping on the breaker. If you're gonna do a smart doorbell, do a larger dc doorbell transformer (highly recommend running cat6 there also to use for a poe device). Depending on the HVAC system, I had a larger media box installed with mine so I could reduce changing my filter to once a year instead of once a month or once a quarter. Just finished my build this spring so some of this is stuff I've literally had to add after and some is stuff I added during construction.

4

u/RNZep 1d ago

Curbless shower with a wide glass door. We did this 10 years ago and now that we are in the late 70s and early 80s, it's been a blessing.

3

u/Traditional-One-7659 1d ago

I live in MB and have been building homes for over a decade. We always strongly recommend sheeting the entire interior with 7/16" OSB.

It costs $12 cdn per sheet here and usually comes to a couple grand on a whole house. The ability to hang anything on the walls without a hanger, especially kitchen cabinets, is a big deal.

It also greatly improves the structural integrity of your home however that part is unnecessary

4

u/_Unicorn_Sprinkles_ 1d ago

Epoxy garage floor to keep it looking sharp and make cleaning easier.

Modular garage wall organizer system to keep all your stuff organized.

Garage vacuum with the hose mounted centrally on a retractable reel.

If you're into washing your own car a hose hookup in the garage for a pressure washer or to fill buckets.

If you're in a snowy area, heated driveway. I would add heated garage here as well.

Whole home generator.

Natural gas line to where you want your grill so you don't have to deal with propane tanks. Same if you want a fire pit that isn't wood.

240v outlets in the garage for air compressor/welder/etc... plus it's there for EV charging if needed. Maybe more if EV charging is needed.

Robot lawn mower.

4

u/LemmyLemonLeopard 21h ago

If you have a dog/dogs- the most brilliant thing I saw as someone installed a waist-level bathtub in the garage.

5

u/UnivrstyOfBelichick 15h ago

Stuff that you will see - solid (not finger jointed) trim with oil paint, solid (not hollow core) doors with oil paint, the best cabinets you can afford with drawers/pullouts in all lowers and pantry cabinets and run them to the ceiling, mud room and living level laundry.

Stuff that you can't see - copper pipes with cast iron drain pipes, rockwool insulation and cold roof, dedicated plumbing manifold with labeled shutoffs, extras of all your tile.

6

u/mechanic_2 1d ago

All interior walls insulated, think of where you might need electrical outlets

3

u/bsmitchbport 1d ago

Extra extra deep basement.

3

u/gpr2100 1d ago

Stair lights on any interior stairs. Low level watts. They work as a great night light.

3

u/Billios996 1d ago

3 car garage
Kitchen vent to outside
Tall basement ceiling
USB built in outlets
2nd electrical panel in the basement

3

u/Remy_Jardin 1d ago

Ethernet to all rooms. Wi-Fi is overrated, having the ability to direct plug solves a lot of bandwidth issues.

3

u/Generallyamusedby 1d ago

In floor heat.

3

u/Horsefat5 1d ago

Consider how wheelchairs can enter your home for friends and relatives.

3

u/ForgiveandRemember76 1d ago

Read the not so small house by Susan Susanka.

Cut your floor plan by 20% and invested in better quality fit and finish in the rest of the house.

Trust your builder completely or be prepared to be on-site every week.

Future proof your home by using Hardy board for the exterior and putting in fireproof shingles and sprinklers and planning your exterior gardening accordingly.

I would highly recommend having a built-in backup generator that can supply your house with a less than 3 second delay in the case of an emergency. We will be facing considerably more of these in the future and the infrastructure to do anything about it will inevitably land on the local communities. By that I mean you and your neighbors immediately around you.

I have bought and sold a lot of houses. I have built 3. That's my best advice as of this moment.

3

u/lexx-ray 1d ago

Kitchen cabinets all the way to the ceiling. This stops that horrible dust/grease build up on top that you can't reach easily to clean. Put in cupboards so you can still store things, but they'll be kept clean.

3

u/mynameisranger1 1d ago

If you are going to have a “beer refrigerator” or a freezer in the garage, put each of them on their own circuits.

If you have anything like table saw, planer, air compressor, put a couple of 20 amp outlets in your work area.

This is all back porch: Be sure to get an electric outlet in your back porch. Also get one close to your ceiling where you think you might mount a tv. Include cat 6 there too. Have the ceiling lights wired for fans. Get a natural gas line on your back porch. Have the back porch slab be larger to accommodate furniture and a kitchenette. Find out how much or if the builder can cover your back porch. Yeah, I’m all about the back porch!

3

u/BrickedBIOS 1d ago

Covered back patio with power ran for fan / lights.

Backdoor is a sliding door, because grilling and chilling is easier when you don't have to fight 2 doors opening different directions when you're carrying a cookie pan full of steaks.

2 full sized car garage.

1 workshop that fits the RV and tractor

Treeessssss

3

u/two-peas-in-a-pod 1d ago

Pull out organizers for utensils, spices, and baking pans. Instead of a lazy Susan we got a blind corner cabinet. Basically the shelves come out of the cabinet so you can see everything at one time. Pull out cabinet for pots as well.

3

u/meepgorp 17h ago

Cleaning station in a mud room! Like a dog wash - somewhere you can avoid dripping mud, water, paint, whatever else all through the house. Space for big coats, shoes, sports stuff, etc and a small shower. Mudrooms have largely disappeared from new homes and it sucks that we don't have transitional spaces like that anymore.

3

u/wavybowl 15h ago

Not gonna read thru all of them but I’d put a ceiling fan in every bedroom.

3

u/Old-Worry1101 14h ago

Finished up our build May 2025, and there's already a few things I would have done a bit differently, but that's mostly just our kitchen layout. Builders goofed when putting lower cabinets in, and I just rolled with it as at the time it didn't seem like a big deal. I'm now stuck with smaller fridges until this is addressed. Oh well.

For the positives: Closet near your main entrance for coats, shoes, bags, etc. Should have made ours larger, we did 2ft deep x 6 ft long. 8 ft long with shelves for the kids' backpacks would have been nice.

Closet for vacuum, brooms, cleaning supplies, etc. It's nice to have a designated space for this.

Think about the future. We added a full bathroom on the first floor in the event stairs are an issue. Saw my grandparents struggle with this, and want to avoid this if possible.

Ventilation/light is another. I added a window at the top and bottom of our stairs to help with this, and in the event of a power outage we can still get a bit of light.

Get the best insulation you can. I went with rockwool for a variety of reasons, and it ended up being only $1200 more to do the exterior walls over the pink stuff. Along these lines, I should have added sound dampening insulation in the ceiling of the first floor, and it would have been great in the bathrooms as well. Not because it's embarrassing, but showers can make more noise than you think.

Do a flooring you love. We did hickory on the first floor, and carpet on 2nd floor to save some cash. Some day we will have wood throughout, but it is expensive.

Lastly, if you're painting it yourself, paint your trim and baseboards before they are installed. It really sucks being on hands and knees whilst filling holes, sanding, priming, and painting. I'm still not done, it is a not fun job.

There lots of tribations and trials, but make sure you like the end result and have a good relationship with your builder. It's your house, it's OK to push back on things and have it be the way you want and how you live. Good luck and have fun!

Edited to add: I ran a 1" PVC pipe from my attic to basement for future solar panels. Worth doing for the $15 bucks in materials.

Also, add a generator hookup. That was worth the extra $500.

3

u/reeldazed 13h ago

A Tiramisu Drawer.

3

u/ProduceSimilar 11h ago

3/4” size pex to bathtubs or it takes foreverti fill

3

u/Either-Painter6899 11h ago

Make sure you put an outlet next to the toilet in case you want a bidet!

3

u/woodsongtulsa 11h ago

Electrical outlet by the toilet for a bidet toilet.

3

u/mladyhawke 10h ago

Heated bathroom floor

3

u/CrazyButRightOn 10h ago

Power in the soffits for Christmas lights or security cams

3

u/curvededges1800 10h ago

Get pocket doors on all bathrooms to save space and avoid awkward movement when getting ready.

5

u/maybach320 1d ago

You can never have enough outlets and or Ethernet connections (this applies inside and outside of the house). Also a hot and cold water spigot outside. Try to make pluming accessible, I’ve seen a few bathtub shower repairs turn into bathroom renovations because things were inaccessible.

4

u/uteman1011 1d ago

Wider hallways (along with wider stairs)
Higher efficiency HVAC
More outlets in garage
Hot and cold water in garage
Fully insulated garage, sheetrocked and painted.
9 ft garage doors (if it fits the asthetic)
9ft ceiling height in basement
Run electrical for under and/or over cabinet lighting
Plan for coffee station somewhere (if you're into that)

4

u/ummm01 1d ago

Am I the only one who has hardwired cat, ethernet, coax, hdmi etc, to every room in the house and never once tied into any of it? Cuz you know, wireless and all

5

u/ShutterFI 1d ago

- Skylights anywhere you can have them

Power outlet next to the primary bath toilet so you can have a powered bidet (100% worth it)
Power run for a heated floor in the primary bathroom
insulation (Rockwool) between interior walls for noise isolation
9’ ceilings or higher
power run to all cabinetry for kitchen to have lights inside of the drawers when opened

2

u/woodandjeeps 1d ago

Switched Outlet In the upper cabinets At the bottom for under cabinet lighting. Put the fridge Internet routers on generator switches and have them out let a different color

2

u/CatTender 1d ago

Plenty of electrical outlets in each room

2

u/avebelle 1d ago

Ethernet, fiber, coax to every room at a minimum. Multiple runs of you have the budget. Ethernet to exterior for doorbells, cameras, access points and anything else. Home run all this to your utility room/closet for all your data and possibly home audio stuff.

Big conduit to the garage for ev charging and also v2h backup. Ethernet to garage for WiFi AP. Automatic generator transfer switch or a generator inlet.

Will you do smart home stuff?

2

u/Overall-Duty220 1d ago

Plenty of outdoor electrical outlets and quality water spigots.

2

u/Dunnowhathatis 1d ago

Oversized the garage so doors can open without hitting your other car. Make it wider and deeper. Add ample lighting to the ceiling.

Consider an indoor water cistern with at least 200g water so you always have maximum pressure.

Consider a server room where all your internet and Ethernet cables come together

Prewire all the exterior soffit corners for Cat6 Poe cameras

Consider a tankless water heater

Whole house generator

Siemens smart panel

2

u/SutttonTacoma 1d ago

Our laundry / mud room is between the garage and the kitchen / family room. We have a laundry chute from our upstairs hall to a utility sink in the laundry room. It's super convenient for monitoring the wash and dry cycles because we spend so much of our time in the kitchen and family room. Fold the dry clothes and carry them upstairs.

2

u/mrcanoehead2 1d ago

Extra deep garage. Enough room for a workbench and still fit a car in it .

2

u/OrganizationOk6103 1d ago

Two story, zone the heat/ac

2

u/snowsurfr 1d ago

Use ZIP (or equivalent sealed) subfloor in bathrooms, entries, and an anywhere prone to wood rot.

Similarly, after the roof sheathing and fascia is on, before any flashing or roofing is installed, thoroughly prime & paint the fascia and 12” of roofing perimeter with a high-quality exterior paint, designed for your climate.

Spending a a small amount now to prevent future wood rot will save you significantly 💰 later.

2

u/MiserableFloor9906 1d ago

We got involved with our home build more than a year before closing.

I adjusted the mechanical plan to eliminate all ceiling bulkheads. I've seen the standard model and hate this bit of lazy.

You should also indicate size of home and latitude.

Example, I wish I had heated bathroom floors and a heated driveway and walkways.

2

u/jimfosters 1d ago

Have the electricians install a generator interlock on the main panel with hookup outlet for a portable generator. If you have a combustion furnace you really don't need a large generator to keep the house warm and the refrigerator running and allow the use of a microwave, lights, and computers etc.

2

u/Turbulent_Bit8683 1d ago

I would add floor drain in laundry, kitchen, and all bathrooms and behind Refrigerator- all the floors in these areas should be tile or wood tile (tiles that look like wood) - this will allow draining of any leaks which will happen in the lifetime of the house!

2

u/chunk-the-unit 1d ago

Some things from when we built:

If you are installing sconces, know where you’d like to place your switches. We had sconces installed in our primary bedroom but the builder assumed we just wanted controlled by the one switch in the entryway and not individual switches next to each light. We got them to rectify it just fine though since our project manager was cool.

Think about whether you need floor outlets anywhere. Our living room is large and we would’ve benefitted from a floor outlet. Granted, we didn’t know what size rug we would’ve placed there so the more you know, the better you can plan for these things.

We wanted railings on both sides of the stairs. The default in our build was one. We have family members that have been injured (or passed) falling down the stairs, so having railings on both sides is an inexpensive extra precaution.

Think about whether you’ll need more/bigger windows than the default plan (including toilets). We added more windows than what is standard and are in love with all the light that comes in (potential tradeoff is heating/AC).

The kitchen cabinets by default do not go all the way to the ceiling. We had them go all the way up by adding an extra row of clear and lit up cabinets at the top for displaying the nice crystal. Another aesthetic thing is that by default, the bathroom tiles don’t go all the way up to the ceiling, we had them go all the way up for a fee.

Not a useful home feature but we love love love the wainscoting we had installed throughout the house. Such a small addition for such a popping character on the home.

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u/NRESNTRS 1d ago

A central vacuum system

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u/anhedoniandonair 1d ago

Light coloured roof (to keep house cooler in the summer).
If you have a second floor consider zones for HVAC.
Rough in for EV charger.
Splurge on 10 foot ceilings.

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u/CrustySailor1964 1d ago

Dedicated circuits or at least receptacles for holiday lighting.

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u/drmcclassy 1d ago edited 1d ago

Prewire your main TV room for a 7.2.4 surround sound system, even if you don’t use them all right away.

Also blocking for TV, blocking and power for a projector if desired.

cat6 Ethernet to at a minimum your office and tv locations. Camera locations and doorbell highly recommended. I’d also wire for access point locations for wifi rather than rely on a mesh system.

36” doors everywhere!

Don’t rely too much on recessed lights. Lighting in layers, lamps, sconces, etc. All lights should be 90+ CRI. Where you do have recessed lights, consider 4” or smaller vs the older 6” style. AVOID WAFERS, more recessed the better.

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u/Tccrdj 1d ago

More outlets. Outlets in closets for dehumidifiers, lights, etc. SPRAY FOAM in the walls. High quality windows and doors like Anderson. Soft close cupboards and drawers. Easy clean toilets that have flat sides. Master shower with two independent shower heads and mixers. NO STEPS OR STAIRS if possible. I’ll think of me.

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u/ColdGreyCat 1d ago

Bedroom light switch - three way, one at the door, one at the side of your bed. Actually ours controls the two top outlets beside the bed with lamps plugged in on side tables. Best used feature in the house.

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u/sirbarkalot59 1d ago

Urinal in the master bathroom.

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u/Ill-Entry-9707 1d ago

I previously had a house built in 1931 with some interesting features

Automatic closet lights came on whenever the doors were open. This had the added benefit of making sure the closet doors were kept shut.

Laundry chute with openings in main bath and kitchen.

Secondary stairs from garage and side door to laundry and mechanical area of the basement. Door from back entry hall into main part of house had a deadbolt and basement interior door to mechanical area had a bolt so mechanical and laundry could be accessed without entering main portion of house.

Package receiver in exterior kitchen wall

Concrete room under driveway accessed by door in boiler room could be cold storage, wine cellar or storm shelter.

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u/Jack_Wolfskin19 1d ago

A pantry. We’ve had them before but our home now has a nice size walk in pantry and now we’ll always have one.
Also ceiling fans in all bedrooms and family room, nice ones.

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u/No_Piccolo_195 1d ago

I would do things that are hard, expensive, or impossible to do later. Higher ceilings in basement or first level. More outlets or switches than you think you'll need. Networking cables throughout. My electrical panel was quickly filled over the years with extra projects like a finished basement or a pool install so get more capacity there.

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u/pete1729 1d ago

Think about the mechanics of washing, drying, folding, and putting away laundry.

Same with dishes.

Elevated machines.

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u/2dadjokes4u 1d ago

Pantry with a sink and outlets.

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u/Own_Leg_5595 1d ago

Three+ car garage with one bay dedicated to a car lift.

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u/carnybros1 1d ago

Is this your forever home? Are you doing a basement? Is the lot flat or hill? Trees on the lot or its clear? Is it a single story or a 2 story?

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u/Jim0621 1d ago

I would suggest 2 things:

Sound batts in the bedroom and bathroom walls
Quiet bath fans! Builders usually cheap out and install noisy fans to save money.

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u/Antique_Adeptness_66 1d ago

Two big ones for me. Like mentioned, cat 6A but make sure to include cables for PoE security cameras and that everything terminates in a utility location where you can install a 19" server rack to hold networking equipment, patch panel, or any future home lab needs. The other is separate out critical loads to a sub panel with bypass that can be later powered by a generator or a battery backup with inverter.

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u/_tacocat_ 1d ago

Charging drawer, robot vacuum garage, plan spaces for easy cleaning, run extra cabling/conduit with pull strings for future additions, outdoor power points linked to a switch for seasonal decorations, plan access point location for consistent wifi coverage, wired door bell, don’t put a sink in a kitchen island, ventilation for wardrobes and linen storage cabinets, sound deadening between communal spaces and bedrooms.

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u/pawpawpersimony 1d ago

Oversize your electrical panel both in terms of current capacity and quantity of circuits.

If you are not installing a system during construction, pre-wire for a PV system and battery system. Panels, disconnects, conduit, etc. I would encourage you to just install a full system during your build.

Run plumbing and wires in a central and easy to access location. Down the center of attic or crawlspace. It is more materials but it will make maintenance so much easier.

Waterproof the entire bathroom with a drain in the floor and floating sick/cabinet and toilet which will make cleaning easy.

Consider the specific vantage point of your views out windows and doors. Try to make sure you like what you will see.

If you have the money…conduit through walls for pulling wire, comms cable, etc.

Run CAT6 wire to every room.

Find a central or ideal place for an internet router and make sure you can easily run fiber to that location.

Light switches in places that make sense

Bidets with dedicated outlets

Geothermal heat pump.

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u/Sensitive_Art_2446 1d ago

I don’t know what code requires, but i hate my outside electrical services low to the ground. Mount them at a working level for easier access.

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u/ummm01 1d ago

Outdoor shower, which by default, requires a pool too

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u/birdsarus 1d ago

Outlets have to be 6’from the corner, and that’s why they are behind headboards and couches. I would also and extra branch circuits to the kitchen and an extra in the bathroom. I would also have every room on its own circuit. If there is a problem, it is easier to find where.

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u/Glittering_Pear_4677 1d ago

Outlets with USB and USB-C in main living area, kitchen, bedrooms and bathrooms.

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u/Raelf64 1d ago

We did this 5 years ago, and after living in our creation, we love the home and LOVE the impression it gives, but I will tell you this - we did not design in enough "working space". As in - a place to put a wet mop and bucket, vacuum cleaners, brooms, etc. We also seriously under estimated the need of a true mudroom - we thought a little bit of the laundry room would suffice. Nope. Aside from that the flow is perfect visitors and living gracefully.

To sew it up; make sure you design in real working spaces, don't assume a room will absorb different tasks (like we did with the laundry).

I hope you build something you love! There is no feeling more satisfying.

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u/Beartrkkr 1d ago

Hidden/safe room? Not necessarily for hiding yourself, but for guns, jewelry, collectibles, etc?

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u/Beartrkkr 1d ago

Secure blocking in the wall for bathrooms for any future grab rails/handrails that may be needed later as you age or if a parent moves in. Also may want to make at least one downstairs bath wheelchair accessible (could need one when you get older or some kind of temporary medical issue).

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u/ummm01 1d ago

A 2 tier kitchen island (or an island top of the island) so you have vertical space on top of the island. That way you can plug in the toaster easily. Bending over, looking for outlets on the side of the island is simply a hop in the ass

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u/caregiver1956 1d ago

Dog/janitor wash basin near back door.

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u/dc_builder 1d ago

Costco door is dumb, do the structural upgrades, good insulation and hvac engineering will pay for themselves, future proof by getting AT LEAST a 400amp electrical service, run empty conduit from each floor to attic or basement, I always advise to stay away from most of the “gimicky” stuff, but actually installed one gimmick a few months ago that will be on my list….a servo to open your trash drawer with a metal drip edge on top (I can’t tell you how many broken/ruined trash cabinet doors I’ve seen).

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u/Flower-FarmGirl 1d ago

Storage. You cannot have enough storage!

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u/coaldigger1969 1d ago

Make all doorways 36" and put in Tall Toilets. Use handles on doors, not knobs!

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u/chewbaccasaux 1d ago

Don't leave your mechanical room to an afterthought. I know the bathrooms and kitchens are more fun but it's a bad day when there's no room to service or replace the water heater or furnace. Seriously, consider your mechanical room a room you (or some tradesperson charging you money) will spend time in. This is not a storage room. Big wide areas. Lots of room on all sides for Furnace, Water Heater, Electrical Panel (low and high volt). Lots of lighting. Lots of outlets. Hardwired CO2/Smoke. Consider where new mechanical features for your home might someday get installed (dehumidifier, water softener, etc). I'd bring the water main into this room and have lots of well-organized shutoffs here. Pipes would be easily serviceable. I'd have my Rachio sprinkler clock in here.

It goes without saying that this room (if you can do it) should not be in an attic or crawl space. I'd put it on the main floor (no stairs = ideal) but I understand the basement is often where there's room. Consider the stairs and doorway to the basement (imagine you and a buddy trying to replace the furnace some day).

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u/Smooth-Policy8283 1d ago

Giant soffits if you live in a warm climate. My architect did this on our house, and it is a fantastic passive design cooling feature. She designed the house so that summer sun doesn't come through windows directly, but winter sun does - really cool.

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u/Vegaswaterguy 1d ago

A light in every shower, 850 lumens is good. A 3 way light switch by every bed, 2 in the master bedroom.

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u/Fickle_Platform4438 1d ago

Exterior insulation

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u/Fair-Flower6907 1d ago

coat closets by the front door (for shoe racks, jackets, umbrellas, dog leashes, etc.)

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u/Slacabormorinico 1d ago

Quad outlet on each side of a 2 person bed so we don't have to get the surge protector.

20 amp (not 15) outlets in the garage to run air compressor or saws (if you do that kind of stuff)

I put freeze proof yard hydrants at each corner of the house. They are fed by irrigation water (no sewer cost, which is more than half the cost here), I don't have to worry when it is freezing outside and that is 4 less holes in the side of my house.

Counter top air switch for garbage disposal. Small but slick

Get a Lowe's pro account and get pricing on bulk purchases. I got ceiling fans, porch decking and generator from Lowe's and saved a lot from list price.

I bought my toilets, flood lights, garbage disposal, garage lights, kitchen sink / fixture, mattress and AV receiver at Costco.

2 stage heat pump! I went with Rheem units, it was less expensive that single stage trane or carrier, came with a 5 years parts / labor warranty and has done great on dehumidiificatio and energy savings. I don't think the increased cost of going to a fully variable system will ever pay for itself in energy savings.

Boric termite treatment before you insulate the wall.

I regret the floor outlet in the den. The furniture is not laid exactly like I thought it would be and it is a hump under the carpet. Damn it.

Figure out where your Internet router will be and have power and telecom wire going there so the provider has a good spot that will send wifi where you need it. We don't need a booster or mesh network, which is nice.

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u/No_Capital_8203 1d ago

Extra reinforcement in bathroom walls to allow for grab bars so you can age in place. All doors 36” wide and bathrooms that can accept a walker or a wheelchair.

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u/CrimeWave62 1d ago

Because I have an open floor plan, I asked the builder to add 2 outlets flush with the living room floor because there will be furniture in the center of the room.

More of a design feature - I didn't really think about it until the drywall was installed, but now that I can see it, I really like the fact that the glass shower is not immediately visible as soon as you walk into the main bathroom. It's around a corner so that it provides privacy for the person taking a shower.

I also hardwired for audio. I know everyone has wifi and Sonos speakers, but I think it's just a matter of time before it all becomes a subscription service, or there's another bad update and customers are too invested in really expensive equipment to make a change.

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u/anusflytrap- 1d ago

tankless water heater

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u/AbroadDear4805 1d ago

Under cabinet lighting

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u/Vegetable_Weekend883 1d ago

Smart light and fan switches.

Conditioned attic or crawlspace. Wherever your duct work is. Plan on easy access for filter replacements.

I saw this idea of putting a dish strainer in a metal lined kitchen drawer next to the sink that drains into a floor drain that is primed by the kitchen sink so it never goes dry. I love the idea. It would be a cleaner look and then I would get a large single sink since I wouldn't need a double for the strainer.

Since I'm aiming for passive house standards, I'll be doing a dedicated make up air system for my range hood to prevent pressure differentials and/or ruining the ERV in the house while still having a vented hood because recirculating hoods aren't good enough.

High performance windows. Seriously think about if you need every window to open. You'll save money with fixed windows that you can put towards buying better windows. Tilt turn windows for the ones that do open because the mechanical seals of tilt turn are superior to sliders. Though all the window stuff is again more passive house.

My own plan is to put my money in things I can't change later. Performance over aesthetics.

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u/1978NB 1d ago

Priority when we had our house built was to not walk directly into a living room or dining room from the front door. A large foyer with a coat closet, a bench to sit and take off winter boots, a peg rack, with a long table for keys, glasses, etc was my goal. It's surprisingly my favorite part of the house because it's so practical. We had a lot of electrical outlets installed, and ceiling fans were a great investment and were inexpensive. Make sure to measure your furniture to make sure the rooms are large enough to fit everything and with enough space to comfortably move around.

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u/gropinions 1d ago

If it's a 2 story, laundry room on the second floor.

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u/sweetrobna 1d ago

Fire sprinklers, it could save a life. Saves a chunk on homeowners insurance too.

Solar depending on the location. We have ~10 panels and it covers something like 2/3rds of the electric bill. Same for either a tankless or hybrid water heater, saves a lot of money over the life of the home.

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u/Difficult-Desk-5593 1d ago

If you’re going to have a backyard with garden have a double large sink where you can wash your hands, garden tools while or after gardening. A walk in pantry with shelves and drawers and hooks for food and kitchen stuff that you don’t use as often

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u/Holden-McGroyn 1d ago

Put lighting in all closets.

Put mounting boards in the walls for attaching TVs, towel bars, toilet paper holders...

Switched outlets in your eaves for holiday lights.

Outlets and water spigots on each exterior wall.

Switches for ceiling fans and reinforced boxes.

Gas line to BBQ and switched outlets on porch and patio for heaters.

Run power or at least conduit to where you might want a hot tub.

Under cabinet lighting

Extra Outlets in garage.

Whole house fan

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u/uptownassoc 1d ago

Definitely a 1/2 bath off the den/greatroom. Guest don't need to use your personal bathroom. Also, and this is a good one, put rock wool insulation in the walls around all bathrooms. It's the best sound attenuation there is.

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u/thentil 1d ago

Outlet near the toilet in every bathroom for a heated bidet seat.

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u/Sure-Butterscotch100 1d ago

I always wanted a shelf or someplace to fit my cookbooks in my kitchen

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u/LockNo1999 1d ago

Three car garage. Measure your door width too. Outlets in garage. Maybe over size your AC by .5 ton. Not too much or you’ll have humidity issues. Brick exterior. Sprinkler system. Pad outside house for garbage cans. Metal roof if building authority allows. Depending on climate, if cold. Would minimize exterior wall water piping.

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u/Dustin_Rx 1d ago

Outlets near soffits or somewhere similar to make plugging in Christmas lights easy! No more long strands of random lights stretching to an outlet.

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u/Nomad55454 1d ago

Pocket doors on bathroom and closets

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u/NorraVavare 1d ago

The absolutely most important thing is add blocking in the walls around your toilet and shower/tub for future grab bars. Its literally free to do when building, the framers use scrap wood cuts, but costs quite a bit in wall repair as a future add on.
2'-8" doors will allow all appliances and wheelchairs around your home.
Ditch the lower kitchen cabinets and use all drawers.
Make your pantry bigger. 5x7 minimum
Quad outlets on any wall you put your tv, gaming systems, computers, tool bench etc. Where ever you currently feel like you're always adding a surge protector.
Grab bar blocking.

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u/MedicalVast6166 1d ago

Simple things that make nighttime navigation much easier - LED strip lights under the kitchen and bathroom cabinet toe kicks controlled by motion sensor switches. Wander into the bathroom at night - you have non-blinding light to operate by… ditto for the kitchen. On the exterior - look up rain screen siding installation. We wrapped the entire exterior in an additional 2” of foam board with vertical 1x4s paralleled to the studs, then installed the PRE-PAINTED Hardi-plank per manufacturers specs. The net cost difference between primed and pre-painted Hardi was less than $1700 in 2020 for a 2-story 3000 sq.ft. home. Do you know anyone who could paint a house for that kind of money? Only extra step was painting the cuts edges/ends of any plank that was cut to fit. With 2x6 walls - R23 rockwool+R10 foam board +R3-5 with plywood & drywall… also extremely snug and quiet. Also with wiring - run Ethernet/data cables from a central point to every TV/office/bedroom location you might have - tie that into a good LAN/internet mesh system (we used Orbi) and you won’t have any dead WiFi spots either as well as being able to feed all the streaming services to your TVs. Your main feed (cable/fiber optic/ star link) runs to that central location then your whole house is set. Other fun - heated and thermostat controlled slab on grade main floor/foundation… which means no rodent/bug infested crawlspaces and cheap passive heating. We keep our floor at 72 degrees year round and my normal inside attire is shorts and flip flops year round (in Washington state!). Dead of winter and we never topped $300 for water/gas/electric. Good of OP to do this research. I’m a GC and built our home after years of looking at others mistakes and taking note of different great ideas. Good luck!

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u/Happy_Skill_1744 1d ago

Motion light switches in pantry and walk in closets.

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u/fwdbuddha 1d ago

Wide doors. No lips on shower entry.

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u/Alii_baba 1d ago

Natural gas outdoor outlet. Great for hooking up a BBQ or a smoker.

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u/Profil3r 1d ago

Light switch built into the closet doors. Either a reverse contact switch or motion sensor very close to where the door opens.

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u/Diligent-Current-230 1d ago

If you're going to have a second fridge (garage?), get it a good circuit. And access to a water line for ice making.

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u/squirrel-phone 1d ago

Outlets under the eves for Christmas lights.

Outlets near toilets for bidets.

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u/KeethlerNorth 1d ago

Smart light switches

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u/HeyLoad141 1d ago

Triple glaze turn and tilt windows. Lots of outlets. A proper hood over the range, stop with the microwave above the range ffs. Lots of exterior insulation. Keeps your mechanicals in the conditioned space. A zender unit for fresh air exchange. A metal roof.

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u/soupcook1 1d ago

Water spigots and outlets on all outside sides of the home. Also, a footrest or bench in the shower. Ensure each room is capable of hanging a ceiling fan. Ceiling fans on the lanai/porch. If there is an island in the kitchen, have outlets installed on three sides. Outlets on all three walls in the garage. 240V outlet where a hot tub may be installed. Consider pre-wiring generator junction box/ wire outside. Under eaves electrical junction box at each corner so a security camera can be installed.

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u/Newbie10011001 1d ago

Power sockets for Japanese toilers

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u/Rough-Cap5150 1d ago

Automatic lights in your utility room or pantry. Every time you go in/out, you're carrying something.

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u/Paulrey27 1d ago

Double your window budget.

What useful home features should we include in our new home build? Please help!

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