New home build

[SWOHTR]

Insulation in every interior wall and 5/8” Sheetrock throughout makes a custom home feel and sound like a custom home.

Every custom with uninsulated 1/2” rock on the walls, I make the comment the walls remind me of low income housing, because they do and are no better. Often the installation labor cost of 5/8” rock is no different from 1/2”, the added material cost is reasonable and it changes the feel of the house. It requires door and window jams to be sized for it, but that’s common.

I bet you’re a real peach on a job site. I can just see it now, the client doing their walkthrough, loving it, and you come along with a comment of “wow these walls, low income housing!”

It’s actually funny, I’m not picking on you.

 

[TaperPin]

I bet you’re a real peach on a job site. I can just see it now, the client doing their walkthrough, loving it, and you come along with a comment of “wow these walls, low income housing!”

It’s actually funny, I’m not picking on you.

Lol I do enjoy pointing out the obvious.

We had a remodel on a multi million $ house our clients just bought and ended up with the original painter that personally finished all the trim and paint. I couldn’t not make the comment directly to him that the original owners must have been really old (they were) and nearly blind since the original painter got away with not caulking any of the baseboard. He didn’t like me after that.

After our job he was headed to Ben Affleck’s and Jennifer Garner’s - again, I couldn’t not remind him to remember to caulk their baseboard.

 

[SWOHTR]

Lol I do enjoy pointing out the obvious.

We had a remodel on a multi million $ house our clients just bought and ended up with the original painter that personally finished all the trim and paint. I couldn’t not make the comment directly to him that the original owners must have been really old (they were) and nearly blind since the original painter got away with not caulking any of the baseboard. He didn’t like me after that.

After our job he was headed to Ben Affleck’s and Jennifer Garner’s - again, I couldn’t not remind him to remember to caulk their baseboard.

I love this. That is the type of honesty missing in today’s world.

 

[Crghss]

Walk in showers, without doors. Feels luxurious

 

[TWoch]

If you live in a cold climate, hot/cold exterior hose bibs.

 

[Fullfan]

50 amp service in the garage, more lights that you think you need in the garage. If doing a basement, make sure you have outside access.

 

[Oldrifle]

Build a basement and install all of the utilities.

 

[riversidejeep]

Walk in showers, without doors. Feels luxurious

And you will NEVER have water spots all over the glass and moldy black crap on the bottom of the frame.

 

[Jskaanland]

Lol I do enjoy pointing out the obvious.

We had a remodel on a multi million $ house our clients just bought and ended up with the original painter that personally finished all the trim and paint. I couldn’t not make the comment directly to him that the original owners must have been really old (they were) and nearly blind since the original painter got away with not caulking any of the baseboard. He didn’t like me after that.

After our job he was headed to Ben Affleck’s and Jennifer Garner’s - again, I couldn’t not remind him to remember to caulk their baseboard.

I painted for a bit, one home I worked on was the complete opposite. The homeowner would steal what felt like a full role of our blue tape every weekend. Calling out the smallest things. This guy paid for crown molding in all their closets, wainscoting and chair rails. My journeyman made us carry halogens everywhere we went.

I learned the GC we were working with was the second, the homeowner was suing the first… and the framer and the plumber… all I know is I’m glad I wasn’t the one trying to get paid by this guy.

To the OP, think about tech. I know most stuff is wireless but running some cat6 now to what could be a network closet is easier now than later. I run a small media server and have a 3d printed network rack. Run extra conduit to your shop for networking access points. If you’re in a no cell zone get a few access points on the outside to extend your range. Finally, motorized blinds… you can go wireless or hard wired. At this point run the wires if you like the idea.

 

[kherbstreit1775]

Insulation in every interior wall and 5/8” Sheetrock throughout makes a custom home feel and sound like a custom home.

Every custom with uninsulated 1/2” rock on the walls, I make the comment the walls remind me of low income housing, because they do and are no better. Often the installation labor cost of 5/8” rock is no different from 1/2”, the added material cost is reasonable and it changes the feel of the house. It requires door and window jams to be sized for it, but that’s common.

Unfaced fiberglass bats are dirt cheap and labor is minimal if the insulation contractor is used to doing it. Rock wool or wet blown cellulose is a much better sound insulator than fiberglass, but more expensive.

I’ve been a gc in nicer homes and spent most of my years as a lead finish carpenter in nicer homes and remodels so I’m a little biased, but nice trim installed and painted well really makes a house pop. Perfect door reveals, casing reveals that are consistent, moderately wide case and base installed straight and inline with the walls, scribed base to the floor, etc.

Solid core doors are standard in nicer houses, but there are often 3 different weights available.

I second nice trim. Seeing cheap trim in home's always stands out to me and just makes the whole home feel cheap

 

[Preston]

I would check into insulated concrete forms for your frost walls and exterior walls. We built our house with Logix blocks and have been very pleased. They are huge on energy saving, seismic proof, fire proof, bullet proof and fairly easy to install and pour with the correct bracing and window/door bucks.

 

[EdP]

Regardless of what you decide to do, take photos of every wall in every room after the wiring and plumbing is in but before insulation. They will be very useful in years to come.

 

[lifeisgoodsteve]

Orientation/Window Design & Insulation

This is huge and super simple if done in the design phase. I oriented my recent build south and used google sketchup to calculate the ideal window overhangs to get shade in summer and let the sun's heat in during winter. It makes a massive difference to the interior comfort, without undue reliance on HVAC.

Certainly you have to work with the site (street, views, driveway access, etc.), but highly recommend trying to optimize for a south facing exposure and windows, then investing in very good insulation.

s

 

[displacedtexan]

Sink in the garage.

If your kitchen has an island put the cooktop in it, not the sink. You do more cooking with people around than cleaning.

If you're unsure if you have enough outlets, you don't. Have them put more than "enough to meet code".

Cup rinser and instant hot water at the kitchen sink.

Especially if you're child free, laundry in/accessible from the master.

Do not cheap out on doorknobs.

 

[KurtR]

If I ever build again it will be icf to the roof line. I don’t have a single register open in the basement and it is 68 year round. Doesn’t matter if it’s 100 or -20 so consistent and easy to finish.

 

[displacedtexan]

I’ve been a gc in nicer homes and spent most of my years as a lead finish carpenter in nicer homes and remodels so I’m a little biased, but nice trim installed and painted well really makes a house pop. Perfect door reveals, casing reveals that are consistent, moderately wide case and base installed straight and inline with the walls, scribed base to the floor, etc.

Solid core doors are standard in nicer houses, but there are often 3 different weights available.

My career/business are high end remodeling... But this is so true.

The little things make the biggest difference.

Frequently for minimal cost increase.

 

[Yellowknife]

Big things:

1. Quality over quantity. Pretty easy to end up with a cheaply built sprawling McMansion when you start adding a room here, and a few sq ft over there. Keep it tight. Scope creep is real.

2. Consider the exterior design the entire time the floor plan is coming together. Just because your designer CAN cover your dream floor plan with a multi-hipped roof, doesn't mean it's right. I pass a few "custom" eyesores on the way home every day.

3. Lots of natural light. High quality and well placed windows are a big difference between custom and production homes. If you are in a cold climate, consider triple pane.

4. Unless you live in a very moderate climate, I've of the opinion that more insulation is nearly always better. Even if the "pay-off" might not technically pencil on your heating or HVAC bill. it will make your indoor air temps much more stable year round. And your mechanical systems can be minimally sized and live a long happy life.

Minor things:

1. Add outlets in the closets and pantry. EVERYTHING is cordless now, and it's nice to charge them out of sight. "Charging Drawers" in kitchens are also popular to keep the cord tangle down. We added one, and like it.

 

[5811]

A lot of good suggestions so far. I'd say spend a massive % of your budget on the kitchen, it's always worth it. My wish list would be:

-Outdoor vented range hood, not recirculating filter
-Solid core doors, huge difference in sound and feel
-Real HWF, not laminate
-Water filtration/treatment if needed
-Backup generator or at least pre-wired for a generator
-Heated bathroom mirror and floors.

After the kitchen, bathrooms are where you can add the luxury feel. Don't skimp on fixtures.

 

[riversidejeep]

Regardless of what you decide to do, take photos of every wall in every room after the wiring and plumbing is in but before insulation. They will be very useful in years to come.

I second this, now if I could only remember where that flash drive was.

 

[NRA4LIFE]

A couple things I miss from our first house:
1) Mud/laundry room directly off the garage. Keeps other parts of the house cleaner.
2) Exterior door off one of the bathrooms. It was nice to tear all your dirty, stinky clothes off and jump directly into the shower.
3) Basement with 8 ft ceilings minimum. I would not build a house without one.

A few more:
1) Oversize garage, 3 car minimum with an over height door.
2) Massive kitchen, don't buy cheap appliances either. Countertops can be upgraded real easy in the future.
3) Washing tub in garage with hot & cold water.
4) Numerous outdoor power outlets.
5) Fiber optic and/or ethernet cable everywhere.
6) Enormous breaker box, 1.5 times what you think you will ever need, trust me. (2X if you have an EV)
7) A good, secure location for a large gun safe.
8) It's been mentioned, but a propane spigot on the deck from the main tank is THE BOMB!
9) Good quality, solid core doors with not el-cheapo hardware.
10) It is code out here, but 2X6 exterior walls, well insulated.