Custom Home - Must Haves?

[MuleyFever]

I think a lot has been covered.
Dog wash in the mud room.
Outlets in the bathroom under sink cabinets to keep cordless shavers charged off the counter.

 

[zion zig zag]

Lot's of good ideas but unfortunately I did not win the lotto last night. So I'm probably staying put. This thread makes me jealous of some of you guys, I've never built a home, always buying older homes. I think the process of being able to tweak stuff would be cool.

Current home does have all radiant in floor heat with a cast iron stove to supplement and it's great. No duct work in the house taking up room, no noise, less dust, and even heat throughout.

 

[Mighty Mouse]

This is a minor detail but I don't think it has been mentioned yet: a showerhead with a flexible hose (instead of rigidly piped to the wall) makes it much easier to get water exactly where you want it when you're cleaning the shower. Also makes it easier to bathe a dog.

A 240V circuit in the garage/shop would be a must have for me to run large tools such as a welder, air compressor, etc.

A storm shelter may not be a consideration depending on your location, but it is where I live. My current home has an in-ground concrete storm cellar just off the back porch and a smaller aboveground steel shelter in the garage anchored to the slab. They're certainly better than nothing, but both still have their drawbacks. The ideal storm shelter in my opinion would be a "safe room" inside the house with enough space for the whole family to sleep inside it on nights when tornadoes are predicted. I'm planning to build a custom home within the next few years and intend to designate a corner of the basement as a kids' playroom that can also serve as a storm shelter when needed with reinforced ceiling/walls and enough floor space for small cots/air mattresses and maybe a Murphy bed.

 

[BRTreedogs]

Light switches inside the closet. So you can shut door turn on lights and less likely to wake othe up.
My retirement shop will have in inside wash station, aka catch basin and hot water.
And an overhead crane for game.

 

[DenverCountryBoy]

Straight stairs to the basement unless you have a walkout. Turns suck for getting big pieces up and down.
If going with forced air for HVAC, make sure to pay special attention to the amount of return airs used. Half the problems with uneven comfort is lacking return air.
Consider zoning the ductwork by floor or areas...can be done with zone dampers or possibly multiple units depending on the size of the house.

Design the laundry room location so the dryer vent isn't running a long ways.

Multiple hose bibs for outside. One in the front and back or sides. Better than dragging hoses all around.

Plenty of outside and garage plugs.

Hate to say it but with the way things are going, perhaps pre-wire for electric vehicle charging in the garage.

If you don't use it for EV charging, you can always take up welding.

 

[DenverCountryBoy]

... -I wish I would've added a staircase from the garage to the basement.

...

Not allowed by the building code. Fumes can build up in lower areas.

 

[Phaseolus]

Under those vaulted ceilings you need an Isokern gas/wood burning fireplace with a natural stone veneer and a big stone slab hearth and mantle, definitely. It's a necessity for any modern custom home, and we install TONS of them in our company. They really take a custom home to the next level. They're not super cheap, but well worth the investment if you'll have the home long term. Seriously, check them out. They're legit and they will go great in any rustic themed home or modern home!

Make sure to build your shop and garage door tall enough to get anything you ever buy in it. My shop is 16’ ceilings with a 14’ door. I hang canoes, kayaks and other stuff up and out of the way in there. Build a couple of reinforced spots into your trusses to hang elk and other heavy things.

 

[DenverCountryBoy]

Lots of people recommended spray foam. The higher R-value is great. But it also reduces the air exchange. I'd recommend getting an ERV or HRV if you are going to have a super tight building envelope.

Hallways are dead space. Try to exclude them from the design as much as possible.

Solar tubes are a great way to bring natural light to interior spaces. You can even extend them down to lower levels.

Regular pocket doors suck. If you want pocket doors, build a double wall like the photo.

 

[Yellowknife]

Lots of people recommended spray foam. The higher R-value is great. But it also reduces the air exchange. I'd recommend getting an ERV or HRV if you are going to have a super tight building envelope.

I'd think build tight and ventilate correctly would be a given with a custom home. I know it's not though.

A few other things I appreciate in a custom home besides a tight building envelope:

Triple pane, low E windows. Not only do they reduce cold spots and drafts in the winter, they can also significantly reduce solar gain on hot summer days and reduce sound transmission noticeably. Handy not only for areas with traffic, but also windy places. Although readily available in Alaska, I'm told they are hard to find in some states.

Energy Heel trusses. Standard in a lot of northern areas, these help eliminate the "thin spot" of insulation where the attic meets the wall. A major area of heat loss in a lot of houses. I'd also upgrade the attic insulation because it's cheap and effective.

For areas with a significant thermal hot/cold cycle, high winds, or street noise I really like ICF construction. The lower half of my house and one of our offices is built this way and in the right conditions it's a dramatically better envelope than tradition stud frame. The sound blocking is amazing and the thermal mass effect smooths out temp swings. It's fast and simple, but different enough from traditional construction that you really want to find a contractor experienced in the system.

 

[DenverCountryBoy]

I'd think build tight and ventilate correctly would be a given with a custom home. I know it's not though.

A few other things I appreciate in a custom home besides a tight building envelope:

Triple pane, low E windows. Not only do they reduce cold spots and drafts in the winter, they can also significantly reduce solar gain on hot summer days and reduce sound transmission noticeably. Handy not only for areas with traffic, but also windy places. Although readily available in Alaska, I'm told they are hard to find in some states.

Energy Heel trusses. Standard in a lot of northern areas, these help eliminate the "thin spot" of insulation where the attic meets the wall. A major area of heat loss in a lot of houses. I'd also upgrade the attic insulation because it's cheap and effective.

For areas with a significant thermal hot/cold cycle, high winds, or street noise I really like ICF construction. The lower half of my house and one of our offices is built this way and in the right conditions it's a dramatically better envelope than tradition stud frame. The sound blocking is amazing and the thermal mass effect smooths out temp swings. It's fast and simple, but different enough from traditional construction that you really want to find a contractor experienced in the system.

Energy heel truss is also called a raised heel truss.

West Fraser - Integrated Forestry Company

If you are stick framing the roof instead of using trusses, you can create a similar effect by framing the top floor walls taller, then hanging the ceiling joists from a ledger board.

 

[yojo.3]

More outlets than you think is even necessary.
Seperate laundry room with cabinet/hanging space
A closet or 2 in your garage(great for keeping all you heavy winter coat and bibs during the summer)
walk in pantry if space is available

 

[2sticks]

I have read this entire thread. Many great suggestions.
I work in the construction and maintenance business. I have seen lots of damage due to cost - saving shortcuts.
I would make sure that load bearing walls had a joist directly under them. Maybe even doubled. I would also add an extra row of piers and a beam. If the builder says it only needs 2. Put in 3. And insist on 2x12 joists. Be on site to reject crappy lumber. Laborers will use what ever is next in the stack.
If I had no budget I would have a garage that was 30' deep that I could drive through. Under that garage would be my gun vault with racks on the walls and a work table in the middle. THIS IS WITH NO BUDGET. I would also have a shooting lane under my driveway that would double as a second way out of my basement. (I live in tornado country. I keep my chainsaw in the basement in case I have to cut my way out) Just 24"concrete culvert pipes for 30 yards with a garage door opener set up for target set-up and retrieval.

 

[DudeBro]

I forgot in my massive list above - reinforced concrete for the driveway. I assumed my last one would be reinforced, but it wasn’t because code didn’t require it. Cracks within a few months - the downspout emptying on the high side the driveway contributed to the problem, which is why I recommended putting in the corrugated pipe for a few bucks before pouring the concrete.

 

[Cbrick]

Built an underground reinforced concrete bunker, for lack of a better term, for a dude when I used to work with brick masons. Had a 100’ underground corrugated tunnel to another block structure under a flowerbed with a manhole that slid away. James Bond style.
I’d just like to not have any neighbors in eyeshot though...


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[MNTELKHUNTER]

So many great ideas, I'm building a 2nd house and in the planning stage now, thanks for sharing, I have 11 new ideas and counting. Time will tell if I get them all past the Mrs. Great thread guys!

 

[MULEPACKHUNTER]

In the process of designing a custom home and trying to think of anything we've missed in the design aspect before we finalize. MrsBadJohn is understandably getting to handle most decisions, thank goodness. What the guest bathroom layout looks like' is WELL down my give a shit list. Topping it is a 36x40 shop with a 12' full length leanto on each side. That pretty well solves all my wants and desires. I may build out a office/trophy room in it at some point but it will be the gear and processing headquarters immediately. Anyhow, now is the time to add anything to the house / shop plan that we can think of.

Is there anything yall wish you had at your current place? Anything that's not thought of normally but comes in handy often?

A couple things Ive thought of:

• Wire house panel to be able to tie in a portable generator for freezers
• Prewire for internet to most rooms. Hookups for wall mounted TV's
• Run gas to the patio
• While we're at it run gas & structured wire to shop for shits & gigs. Water is a must.
• Large garage to fit full size vehicles easily
• Storage, where to put gunsafe etc, im not sure, WIC maybe? Built in? In the shop makes me nervous
• eave outlets for christmas and patio lights
• Vaulted living ceiling in case I ever get a monster elk

Interested to see if there are any cool ideas out there.

Thank yall

I am 47 years old and have been in a custom home for 16 years and I can tell you for sure if it was me I would save my money and build a 1000 sq ft simple square ranch house with nice outdoor kitchen and zero maint landscape and pay cash. All the stuff and add ons and bling I was for sure was important to me when I built is pretty much just a selling point now and I could easily do without any of it. I would much rather have the money and time to roam rather than be a slave to the 3000 sq ft empty nest.

 

[MULEPACKHUNTER]

Didnt read everything.
Tankless water heater must have for me.

Spray foam is awesome if you actually plan on honestly for sure staying 10+ years. Otherwise with the cost now its a waste if your going to move in 5 years. 2x4 walls is fine for spray foam. 2x6 doesnt get you any better honestly and increases your door cost.

tankless is good until the power goes out

 

[NB7]

Everything mulepackhunter said above, but I would say these 3 must haves...

1- Sprayfoam it all. If I could rebuild my house, I would spray foam it no matter the cost. Seals everything far beyond what normal insulation and other methods can ever do. A bi-product is it binds everything and adds a little structural strength.
2- if you're putting water out to the shop, do yourself a favor and install a floor drain in your main bay.
3- see #1. I can't stress spray foam enough
*edit* the closed-cell kind

 

[Phoenix13]

We did spray foam insulation, closed and open cell, I highly recommend it makes a heck of a difference. Upgraded gauge of electrical wiring, Double sump pumps with battery backup. Laminated studs in kitchen

 

[Phoenix13]

9 ft walls in basement = no bulkheads, insulated and heated garage with dedicated area for 2 dogs