if you were building a new house...

[♥ms.pacman♥]

what sort of "extras" would you want the builder to add in?

we are in the process of building a new house. have picked out the tile/paint/hardwood flooring, next we will be meeting with our builder to go over electrical connections etc and discuss other extra things we may wanr to add. our realtor mentioned some options like outlets outside near roofline for xmas lights and putting outlet in floor of family room (to put a lamp, or something) which sound like great ideas that i wouldn't have thought of otherwise.


We are already getting built-in bookcases in the study, built-in desks upstairs for the kids, and a built-in mudroom bench (with shelves, hooks for jackets, etc). DH had an idea of asking about installing grab bars on the first floor guest bathtub (kind of like the pic below), for when our parents come to visit...as it's probably easier to get them installed from the get-go than trying to get it done later.


http://www.accentondesign.net/Portals/92553/images/shower_over_tub_grab_bars-resized-600.png



Anyway, i'm sure there are other things that would be nice to have but wondering if there are other things i'm not thinking of!

[khm]

Along with the outlets you've mentioned, mentally place your furniture and put outlets nearby. When we did our basement, there is a column near one end of the couch. The couch is not near any wall, so my husband wisely put an outlet in the column, handy for laptops! I wish our living room had floor outlets near the main chairs, but I guess our layout is generic/changable enough that that'd be hard to do with certainty.

Outlets in closets if you have rechargable vacuums, etc. Put cable and phone stuff everywhere too. Such a pain to do later!

Plenty of outlets in the garage, too. We are sorely lacking. Put in outlets that have USB ports built in, so handy for charging. If you have a desk in the kitchen, make sure charging is thought out! Outlets above the cabinets if you are doing lighting strips up there.

Place your towel bars and have the walls behind there have extra studs. Putting those in drywall is setting them up to fail.

If you are doing a central vac, do the kick plate deal where you sweep the crumbs there and they get sucked away.

[JBaxter]

outlets with USB ports!!!!

[hillview]

up high outlet for wall mounted TV, cable and router dropped where you want them, closet light in door jams (Love this for pantry), awesome pantry, LOVE our towel hooks for towels and robes (we have 4 of them and would have done 6-8 if I had thought of it), ample space in shower for stuff (nooks), plugs in bathrooms for whatever you need in the bathroom, dimmer switches, excellent lighting in kitchen, soundproofing where you need it, good storage (for us a good place close to bedroom for suitcases). If water is a concern in basement, drain, pump etc.

[Indianamom2]

The grab bars are a very good idea because, as I have well learned this last year, you don't need to be elderly to need some of those basic accommodations. If you haven't already considered it, it's a good idea to have access to at least a toilet and shower on the main floor so that you don't have to go up or down any stairs to access them.

I also like tons of outlets all over, but especially in bathrooms and master closets, mud rooms, kitchens, etc...

Deep (and plentiful) drawers in the kitchen are nice too.

[cvanbrunt]

Fire sprinkler system, and a central vacuum with retractable hoses.

[indigo99]

I'm not sure I'd want a built-in desk, but I guess you plan on staying in this house so it's only important that you like it.
under cabinet lighting in the kitchen
dimmable lights in the dining, kitchen, bedrooms, and living room
Extra lighting inside pantry, linen and coat closets etc.
I would like a deep drawer under my sink in the bathroom so I could keep all of my stuff there (standing upright) instead of on the counter or way down in the cabinet. It would also be nice to keep the hairdryer plugged in all of the time. I wonder if they can put an outlet inside the cabinet for that.
shelves over or right beside the toilet to keep feminine products and extra TP. (we got ours at Bed Bath & Beyond, but something more built-in would look better.)
If you haven't talked about toilets, be sure you get good ones! We've upgraded 2/3 of ours to Toto so far because the original ones just wouldn't flush enough down and were constantly clogged.
We don't iron, but I've heard of people having built-in ironing boards put in their master walk-in or the laundry room along with an outlet for it. I might iron more if I didn't have to fool with setting up the wobbly board each time.
Motion Sensor lights on each corner of the house. We've added it to 3 of ours, but the 4th is too high for us to DIY.
If you want a security system then it's probably easier to put in before the house is finished.
Wired surround sound. We have speakers sitting on the floor and in front of the tv. I wish it was hidden somehow.
Gas log fireplace (unless you want the mess of a real one). I think most people like fireplaces with an attractive mantle. Ours is direct vented so there's no chimney.
Natural gas grill if you grill a lot and don't want to bother with propane tanks. You have them install a gas outlet to the location you want.

fwiw, be certain that they are venting the bathroom fans to the outside and not into the attic or wall cavity. Lots of new houses do that, and it's a moisture/mold issue. I would like an actual stove hood vent too. Ours has a little fan and a filter to help clean grease out, but it doesn't actually vent TO anywhere.

[mackmama]

Pot filler on stove
Central vac
More outlets and phone jacks than you think you'll need
Extra 240 voltage in case you add an extra fridge
Fridge drawers in kitchen
Motions sensor lights outside
Nest thermostat
Easy access to attic that doesn't require a ladder
Master closet that has disappearing rods that pull out
A built-in tub in master with jets (not a free-standing clawfoot)
Furnace/AC that are extra quiet
In kitchen - all drawers that pull out, including one very tall one next to ovens for all pots/pans

[basil]

- Laundry chute if 2 story house w laundry room on main floor. Ours goes from our master bathroom to the laundry room and I love love love it. We don't have hampers.
- outlet in convenient place for rechargeable vacuum
- charging station for phones/tablets/etc that's not the kitchen counter
- mail drop station that's not the kitchen counter
- under cabinet lighting
- outlets in cabinets for things you don't want to see - ex: we have cabs next to fireplace with outlets for DVR, Apple TV, etc. We have cabs in study with outlets for printer, router, cable modem, etc.
- instant hot water faucet. great for tea, baby bottles, cooking, etc
- kitchen with all drawers
- medicine cabinets in master bath with outlets for toothbrush charging, hiding toothpaste, etc. So nice not to have stuff on counters.

Other advice - make sure you take a lot of time to plan where your furniture will go, what each cabinet or drawer in the kitchen will store, etc.

[willow33]

Not sure if it's already been said, but an outlet on the fireplace mantel is on my wish list!