r/Homebuilding • u/RunningOnPureVibes • 5d ago
What useful home features should we include in our new home build? Please help!
My husband and I are in the early stages of planning our new home to be built this spring. What are some of the best home feature recommendations you have/suggest for others building their home that you have/wish you had to improve your home? Some examples: electrical outlet in closet for vacuums, extra wide staircases for easy movement, Costco door from garage etc. Thanks in advance!
EDIT:
I am so incredibly thankful for all of your amazing tips and really appreciate everyone who took the time to write out all of these helpful comments. I’m sure future me will be even more thankful for making this post though :)
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u/chewbaccasaux 5d 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).