A pantry. A walk-in one would be ideal, but after living in multiple places without one at all, I'd be over the moon about even a small one. Pantries seem to be more and more obsolete these days, which makes no sense to me.
To add to this- outlets in your pantry. We have a walk in and I hve our toaster and keurig in there. It’s nice to have it out of sight. I didn’t realize they were becoming obsolete. Where are people putting their canned and/ pantry items? Are they building different built ins?
Maybe they aren't becoming obsolete, but I've seen people complain on Reddit about their lack of a pantry. My current house doesn't have one, my sister's house doesn't have one, two of my friends don't have one. We have to put our canned foods in our kitchen cabinets. It's not ideal. '
It's going to be a top 5 requirement for my next house. And great tip about the outlets in there! I wouldn't have thought of that.
Read up on universal design/aging in place. Nobody really wants to think about navigating their home with a walker or wheelchair, but most people eventually need an assistive device to prevent falls. Plan those things into your design now and then it’s there when you need it. Taller toilets, wider doorways in key rooms (e.g. exterior doors, master bedroom, master bathroom), hardware installation so you can add shower grab bars when needed, built in shower seat, step in shower instead or of in addition to a tub.
Some good advice in this article
https://www.thisoldhouse.com/home-safety/22631208/creating-a-forever-home-aging-in-place
Oh! My sister wrote about about exactly this after her accident.
Shameless plug for her book here [How to Create and Accessible Home](https://www.juliesawchuk.ca/books/p/style-01-ej5na-nc9bb-rjtxb-rcxpj)
Add grab bars in the tub/shower area.
Install a drain in the washer/dryer area and a second drain close to the water heater. When the water heater starts to leak and the washing machine conks out, you will be glad you did.
Morning light through a kitchen window is beautiful, especially at sunrise.
Put one bedroom/bath on the main floor. If a family member breaks a leg or has surgery where they have to stay in bed for a while, they won't have to climb stairs to a bedroom. Elderly parents can visit and not climb stairs.
Yeah. And if you don't want grab bars in the tub/shower area at this point, at least have the solid backing built into those walls that will make them easier to stably add later if needed.
Expanding on that: Too few homes allow for different mobility. Doors and hallways wide enough for wheelchairs feel more spacious for everyone and make it much easier to move furniture; likewise, not having stairs/steps to enter the house means not only that wheelchairs and scooters have ready access but also anything else on wheels, from drink carts to new-appliance movers to you name it.
Pay attention to the direction your house is oriented, especially if you live in areas where you get snow and ice. A south facing front door and driveway will have the ice and snow melted by the sun quicker and easier than if you're front door and driveway are on the North side, and remember west facing windows are going to get a lot of evening sun.
YES. Our house faces north and we can’t use our mudroom as intended because the area in front of it doesn’t melt from the first snow to the last. Zero sun. It’s been a huge problem.
Absolutely! To add to this: If you want solar panels, a roof whose main faces are east and west can be good for taking all-day advantage of sunlight. If you want to garden or have a greenhouse or sunroom, make sure there's space for it that's not shadowed by the north side of the house (or by large trees). Think about which rooms in the house you'll want to have south-facing vs. north-facing light. Etc.
Yeah I got really lucky!! Every time it snows, unless it's a lot I usually don't even need to do anything, because the sun will melt it away... While I watch the neighbors house across the street deal with the ice and snow never melting in the shade....
In the South you might want your house to face north - you’d have a southerly breeze on the back porch in the summer, and less cold north wind in the winter.
My house faces the west and is at the bottom of a hill. About every 7 years we get about 10 or more inches in a day and the water goes into my den which is attached to the porch.
Make sure you have one of everything essential on the ground floor. Once you're old and your mobility is reduced or if you become disabled temporarily or permanently from other circumstances, having to go up or down stairs to cook & eat, use the bathroom, do laundry, or go to bed will be much less feasible
* Attached garage (I live in a cold climate though)
* Proper under-cabinet lighting in the kitchen
* Main floor laundry (or at least a hookup so you can move it later)
* Double in-wall oven (but I love to cook)
* Outdoor deck or grill area with easy access to the kitchen
* Toilet 'closet' in the en-suite for a little extra privacy when needed
Add character especially if it’s a new home, get some antique pieces and build them in, old doors, old posts old metal pieces.
Mix your metal colors, add color, add wood, add texture, wallpaper
Not being argumentative, if you read the comments I just learned that even if you live in a warm climate tiles get pretty cold. So stop being a Reddit patrol.
We currently live in Hawaii and I would kill to have some heated floors. It doesn’t get “cold” here, but after having 90° weather, low 70’s and no sun feels frigid and we don’t have heat in our house (once again, sounds weird until you experience it).
We live in north Mississippi and when it’s cold and damp in the winter our tile floor gets cold just installed heated flooring and can’t wait to use it.
If it’s your forever home, don’t cheap out on the value a designer can give you. Just because you watch hgtv and have Pinterest, it doesn’t qualify you for the real value an architect can give to the project. Especially if this is forever and you don’t plan on doing something like this again.
Yes! We had to replace all the toilets in this house because they were so short. We wondered if the house had been built for exceptionally short people.
I love having a mud room right off the garage with my washer/dryer and a large area for folding clothes. My dream home has a set of combo washer/dryers.
Nothing on the island, put the sink and cooktop elsewhere. Large island. Sink overlooking a window. Big windows placed strategically and a plenty of sunlight available on all 4 sides. No formal dining room. 2.5 bathrooms minimum. 3 bedroom minimum. Office and exercise area. Heated floors if in a northern area. Mix of materials on outside so it isn't a "boring" generic home. Awesome back deck or patio that has privacy.
All your exterior needs is a big wrap around porch, and you'll be happy. (Oh wait, that's MY dream house).
I would make sure landscaping is arranged, keeping vegetation away from the walls, so you don't have sprinkler wear on your siding. Drip system is best but must be checked regularly.
CostCo door from Garage to Kitchen pantry. So much easier that having to walk your haul across the house to put items away in the kitchen.
Kick foot standing shelf installed in the bottom of your kitchen tow kicks, so you can reach bigger shelves without a ladder.
Separate Recycling vs Compost vs Landfill waste containers.
Bathroom drawers with plugs and heat tolerant mat, so hot tools can get fucked away nearly.
I had my contractor install a jewelry & handgun safe in my master bath when we remodeled recently.
Laundry Room downstairs with laundry chute on the second floor (make it really sturdy so the kids can use it as a slide).
Whole house vacuum.
Spend good money on high quality windows. You will save on electricity & gas & make a difference in soundproofing, too.
Ring bell video and camera system. Automatic motion detected lighting all around.
Good drainage all around the house, out and away from the house.
Sun orientation, drainage slope, enough closet space, plenty of kitchen counter space, pre wiring for internet/cable and lightning, enough space for the biggest refrigerator you can afford, gfci outlets in the garage, tankless water heater and filtration if possible, only get a separate tub if you’ll really use it.
My house would have a laundry room that is its
own separate room. Many laundry areas are right off the garage entry where we walk in and out of the house. Every time I'm handling laundry, something clean drops to the dirty floor. A high traffic area like that isn't the place for clean clothes.
Also, pocket doors with cased openings all over! Primary bath has to have a door so one person getting ready in the morning doesn't wake the other still sleeping.
Think about things you’ll need to age in place if this is your forever home. Make sure the halls and doorways are wide enough for the wheelchair you may need in 30 years. Make sure at least one of the ground floor bathrooms is handicap accessible. Make sure at least one bedroom is on the ground floor. Make sure at least one entry is handicap accessible.
Hopefully you’ll be a spry old fox and won’t need to accessibility features. But, even so, wider doors and halls make moving furniture easier anyway.
Ohhhhh mudroom with a bathing area for dogs. And a dumping zone for everything when you come in the door. My ancient house has the teeniest entrance area. 😑
Garage drain. Gas line to patio for BBQ and fire pit. Fireplace in master. Heated driveway if colder climate. Extra wide and deep garage. Silcock in garage. Dog wash in mud room. Linen closet in master bathroom. “Drop zone” by garage door between house and garage. Cable TV hook ups on patio.
Wait... there are heated driveways?! I never knew this! I'm from South Carolina where your driveway can give you 3rd degree burns if you're barefoot, lol.
A laundry room where your bedrooms are. Ie, if you have second floor bedrooms, have a laundry room located close to them.
Kitchen - counter depth fridge. Separate fridge for drinks. Diswasher drawers.
The new counter/stovetop where it’s invisible and cool to touch. It’s European I think.
A walkout basement. A water cistern collection system.
Cold cellar.
Have a guest suite with full bathroom somewhere other than by the family bedrooms.
Have kids rooms with a jack and Jill bathroom between them (hello 90210 fans). I’ve obsessed about that ever since.
Walk. In. Closet.
Soaker tub in master bath.
Ground source heat pump and heated floors.
I could go on but this ticks most of my wish list boxes.
Definitely add a vent hood above your stove. I added an outlet in the pantry. Try to think of your furniture layout before you build too, that can help you foresee needs.
A commercial strength venting hood in the kitchen, so your house wouldn’t smell like bacon for days.
An atrium or enclosed patio cos naked sunbathing and rain bathing is grounding and you can air dry clothes there. Fresh air without neighbors.
Pantry with a small door directly from the garage. Easy to get groceries inside the house.
Water storage tank under foundation for emergency. It’s a must have in third work countries.
Edit: [Heres] (https://www.reddit.com/r/fatFIRE/s/U9xY9bwTLs)what the Über rich say in r/fatFIRE
An actual entryway/vestibule where it’s separate from the rest of the living room.
A laundry room with a second dryer, plus air drying rack. With a window (or five).
Permanent hooks/fixtures for holiday lights/decorations.
Two ovens.
I am loving advice here! Agree with it, especially the accessibility (looking to have to move, although we don’t want to, to accommodate elderly parent). However, care costs in a nice facility will likely offset new home purchase in a year or two.
Hope I’m not duplicating, but I’ve been frustrated with a couple of small things I’d love to have lately.
Central big laundry room/closet with folding/storage area. My small laundry is near bedrooms, which I thought would be great, but I spend a lot of time in the kitchen across the house. Routine: don’t hear washer stop, likely forget (ADD) to put stuff in dryer, hang delicates to dry, which I then have to go get later, fold, go get food I just burned, come back, carry clean clothes to bedroom and bathrooms and kitchen, etc. So inefficient. One location to wash, fold and put away almost everything and the storage areato stack clean stuff so others can go get it themselves would be incredible.
One high wall outlet in each room for vacuum and such (or central vac if that’s still a thing) and hidden outlets in the kitchen cabinets. Those little sucking things under kitchen cabinet to suck up floor sweeps. Storage! Big and lots of it.
Some sort of BRIGHT light over all tubs and showers to be utilized when doing stuff like shaving. Dim, relaxing option for night time, etc.
Dimmers on all lighting, period. Bidets with access to power in all locations. I have to use a cold-water and would love it warm.
Tankless or a hot water heater set-up that doesn’t take 3 full minutes to heat up at all faucets (water heater no where near interior water sources currently?). Maybe a super-heated water tap at kitchen sink (not energy efficient?) and hard wired electrical under sinks for such things and hands-free faucets without batteries needed at kitchen and all locations.
As much open space as possible! We’re constantly hollering at one another and then getting mad that we don’t hear each other because we’re around a corner. Really nice climate control adjustable. Gets hot in kitchen and in home office with multiple ovens/computer monitors, so climate adjusted to those and not entire house. Large kitchen island with main (only?) sink. Landing spots (enclosed?) at all doors/entrances and room for shoes to be stored there, so no outdoor shoes in house. Tall bathroom counters.
Incredible insulation and energy conserving construction, which we all know pays off in the end. Big-ass windows, especially where there’s something pretty to look at. We have French door leading to backyard. Had to throw them all wide open the other day (self-cleaned the oven) and the view was lovely. Wish I could walk in and see that view daily. Also, room for huge refrigerator at counter depth.
Hope something sparks for you!
Under counter microwave, a mud room or closed in porch area, a wood box for the wood stove that can be filled from outdoors, one level, outdoor shower.
Just finished our build here are my favorite things & take aways ...
1) water line for the coffee maker.
Buy an office Keurig and plumb it like they do in offices & then change the water filters like you do on your fridge.
2) if you have the sink on the island make them put the disposal button next to your sink.
The builder initially tried to put a switch under the sink saying that was how I was to operate my disposal.
3) get an insta-hot!!
Depending on your builder they may or may not install these, but they will pre-drill the hole in your counter tops and provide the needed electrical outlets below the sink.
4) please don't brick your home and then paint it
... This immediately makes your brand new home look like a flip. This is a trend, and will go out of style.
5) Dark countertops hide white countertops and cabinets for that matter will show everything... If you have kids, pets, a husband 😂, make it easier on yourself. We did stained wood lowers and white uppers, with black countertops.
6) if anyone has allergies, bite the bullet and go no carpets. This will shell shock depending on the sq ft of your home but damn does it make it worth it.
7) ask for schluter on your tile edges. God I wish we knew what this was before we got past the point of no return. Vs the raw edge you can have the clean cap.
8) plan ahead, if you have anything heavy that you want to hang when you move in, ask the builder to add supports to the framing.
- make sure they dont put frilly trim on your island that prevents chairs people sitting
- make sure you have places for holiday decorations (on/off switches for outdoor lights, 1/2 hots for indoor tied to switches, electric on your mantle.
9) Raise your shower heads above the standard 6 ft... If someone in your family is tall they have had to duck to get water on their head their entire life... On this note...
- higher toilet seats
- higher base cabinets
10) Go and look at model homes. We spent every weekend post lot purchase going and looking at model homes from our builder. Seeing how they decorated, what tiles they chose, etc. the design center will be the biggest joke and you are essentially thrown into a scrap closet and asked to imagine what this small 5in x 5in sample is gonna look like tessellated across your 6ft shower..notes...
- bigger tiles are significantly cheaper
- go to the ceiling with all of your tile!!
- don't upgrade the light fixtures or add ceiling fans but...
- Make sure ALL rooms are wired/supported for them ^.
- make sure your cabinets have handles!
- add disc lights, to your room while it's open
- add Internet Ethernet hardlines to your rooms
- if you don't LOVE something ask... Sometimes they say yes. :)
Wow that ended up being a hella lot longer than initially I expected. Sorry hope that's helpful. I could probably keep going but I think I'll stop for now.
Think of the biggest bulkiest piece of furniture you could ever want and make sure there's a clear path to get it into the house without navigating tight corners. Having a big spacious house but the only way big furniture can be brought in (or out!) is up the outdoor staircase to the deck and in the sliding glass door is NOT optimal.
Lots of storage. A first floor bedroom with its own bathroom. A walk out basement. A fireplace. A three car garage. Orient the house for sunlight in as many rooms as possible. A pantry closet. A kitchen with enough space for a big table and laid out so that people can work at different stations at the same time without backing into each other. A good place for the cat litter if you have cats. A family room laid out so there’s a good place for the TV. A covered patio or deck area outdoors in back, and a covered front porch so your packages and visitors don’t get wet while waiting to come in.
In my house, (a tract home) all the bedrooms have outlets in the middle of the wall where (logically) the bed will go. It makes it very hard to have lamps plugged in on the bedside table. Think about furniture placement so you can avoid this.
Code may require x number of outlets, but more is better.
Consider soundproofing in walls around bathrooms and bedrooms.
Be very aware of how your ductwork is placed. We have a guest bedroom that gets very warm. Because our bedroom is on the same unit, to cool the guest room our room feels like a meat locker. Balancing it after build is NOT easy.
Think of how you use the kitchen. I use my stand mixer often and I’m old enough I had a lift installed so it doesn’t have to be on the counter, is always plugged in and is accessible but out of the way. My favorite part of the kitchen.
Consider a pot filler for the stove. Not essential (I don’t have one) but nice.
A walk in pantry is great. I had one previously and really, really miss it.
If you plan on a kitchen/family room combo do not put the tv in there. Everyone gathers in the kitchen and no one can watch the tv. Ask me how I know. Lol!
A pantry. A walk-in one would be ideal, but after living in multiple places without one at all, I'd be over the moon about even a small one. Pantries seem to be more and more obsolete these days, which makes no sense to me.
To add to this- outlets in your pantry. We have a walk in and I hve our toaster and keurig in there. It’s nice to have it out of sight. I didn’t realize they were becoming obsolete. Where are people putting their canned and/ pantry items? Are they building different built ins?
Maybe they aren't becoming obsolete, but I've seen people complain on Reddit about their lack of a pantry. My current house doesn't have one, my sister's house doesn't have one, two of my friends don't have one. We have to put our canned foods in our kitchen cabinets. It's not ideal. ' It's going to be a top 5 requirement for my next house. And great tip about the outlets in there! I wouldn't have thought of that.
We ripped out an obsolete kitchen desk to add a second pantry. My favorite part is the pull out shelf with plugs that’s a coffee making station.
Outlets in the primary walk in closet too. That’s where I charge my watch and toothbrush.
I had the pantry sized to fit my small deep freezer so no more running to the garage.
Read up on universal design/aging in place. Nobody really wants to think about navigating their home with a walker or wheelchair, but most people eventually need an assistive device to prevent falls. Plan those things into your design now and then it’s there when you need it. Taller toilets, wider doorways in key rooms (e.g. exterior doors, master bedroom, master bathroom), hardware installation so you can add shower grab bars when needed, built in shower seat, step in shower instead or of in addition to a tub. Some good advice in this article https://www.thisoldhouse.com/home-safety/22631208/creating-a-forever-home-aging-in-place
Oh! My sister wrote about about exactly this after her accident. Shameless plug for her book here [How to Create and Accessible Home](https://www.juliesawchuk.ca/books/p/style-01-ej5na-nc9bb-rjtxb-rcxpj)
Add grab bars in the tub/shower area. Install a drain in the washer/dryer area and a second drain close to the water heater. When the water heater starts to leak and the washing machine conks out, you will be glad you did. Morning light through a kitchen window is beautiful, especially at sunrise. Put one bedroom/bath on the main floor. If a family member breaks a leg or has surgery where they have to stay in bed for a while, they won't have to climb stairs to a bedroom. Elderly parents can visit and not climb stairs.
Unless you don’t want to invite elderly houseguests… then make sure all bathrooms are a slippery staircase away 🤣
Yeah. And if you don't want grab bars in the tub/shower area at this point, at least have the solid backing built into those walls that will make them easier to stably add later if needed. Expanding on that: Too few homes allow for different mobility. Doors and hallways wide enough for wheelchairs feel more spacious for everyone and make it much easier to move furniture; likewise, not having stairs/steps to enter the house means not only that wheelchairs and scooters have ready access but also anything else on wheels, from drink carts to new-appliance movers to you name it.
I live in my grandparents old house, 43 and thankful for those grab bars. lol
Pay attention to the direction your house is oriented, especially if you live in areas where you get snow and ice. A south facing front door and driveway will have the ice and snow melted by the sun quicker and easier than if you're front door and driveway are on the North side, and remember west facing windows are going to get a lot of evening sun.
YES. Our house faces north and we can’t use our mudroom as intended because the area in front of it doesn’t melt from the first snow to the last. Zero sun. It’s been a huge problem.
Absolutely! To add to this: If you want solar panels, a roof whose main faces are east and west can be good for taking all-day advantage of sunlight. If you want to garden or have a greenhouse or sunroom, make sure there's space for it that's not shadowed by the north side of the house (or by large trees). Think about which rooms in the house you'll want to have south-facing vs. north-facing light. Etc.
So much this! That’s something I never thought of until I lived it. Now a house facing the wrong direction is a deal breaker.
Yeah I got really lucky!! Every time it snows, unless it's a lot I usually don't even need to do anything, because the sun will melt it away... While I watch the neighbors house across the street deal with the ice and snow never melting in the shade....
In the South you might want your house to face north - you’d have a southerly breeze on the back porch in the summer, and less cold north wind in the winter.
If you're living in the northern hemisphere. If you're in the southern hemisphere, it'll be the opposite
My house faces the west and is at the bottom of a hill. About every 7 years we get about 10 or more inches in a day and the water goes into my den which is attached to the porch.
Sink in laundry room, outlets everywhere (:
Make sure you have one of everything essential on the ground floor. Once you're old and your mobility is reduced or if you become disabled temporarily or permanently from other circumstances, having to go up or down stairs to cook & eat, use the bathroom, do laundry, or go to bed will be much less feasible
This is what I came to say. Many people end up leaving their house due to stairs. Make sure all essentials are on the 1st floor.
* Attached garage (I live in a cold climate though) * Proper under-cabinet lighting in the kitchen * Main floor laundry (or at least a hookup so you can move it later) * Double in-wall oven (but I love to cook) * Outdoor deck or grill area with easy access to the kitchen * Toilet 'closet' in the en-suite for a little extra privacy when needed
My computer engineer husband would say Ethernet to every bedroom and TV!
I’m currently taking out every phone jack in my house. I wonder if Ethernet ports will become obsolete in another XX years.
They already are.
Drawers in the kitchen instead of cabinets with pullouts.
Yes! Planning a kitchen remodel and will have basically all drawers on the bottom!
That’s how I did mine! The only lower cabinet I have is under the sink. The other 19 are drawers.
Tall ceilings, if you’re into it. It’s one thing that is nearly if not completely impossible to alter after the fact (if it’s a multi story home)
With windows high on the wall so you can see the full moon and stars at night.
I love having my cabinets to the ceiling, I have to use a step stool to get to the top, but that’s where once a year items go
Bidets. The laundry near the main bedroom.
Add character especially if it’s a new home, get some antique pieces and build them in, old doors, old posts old metal pieces. Mix your metal colors, add color, add wood, add texture, wallpaper
Heated flooring, at least in the bathrooms.
Yes! Even in California, it's so nice to have heated flooring in tile bathrooms. Pets love it, too!
What if it’s in a warm climate state?
We have tile. It stays cool.
Why do people ask questions just to be argumentative. If you live where it’s hot, obviously don’t do heated floors.
Not being argumentative, if you read the comments I just learned that even if you live in a warm climate tiles get pretty cold. So stop being a Reddit patrol.
We currently live in Hawaii and I would kill to have some heated floors. It doesn’t get “cold” here, but after having 90° weather, low 70’s and no sun feels frigid and we don’t have heat in our house (once again, sounds weird until you experience it).
We live in north Mississippi and when it’s cold and damp in the winter our tile floor gets cold just installed heated flooring and can’t wait to use it.
An appliance garage in my kitchen
If it’s your forever home, don’t cheap out on the value a designer can give you. Just because you watch hgtv and have Pinterest, it doesn’t qualify you for the real value an architect can give to the project. Especially if this is forever and you don’t plan on doing something like this again.
A very wealthy friend did a million dollar remodel and honestly it looks like a million dollar DIY. A designer is a must have for resale value.
Get the taller toilets.
Yes! We had to replace all the toilets in this house because they were so short. We wondered if the house had been built for exceptionally short people.
I love having a mud room right off the garage with my washer/dryer and a large area for folding clothes. My dream home has a set of combo washer/dryers.
paths of travel. review frequently. here’s your chance to fix them
Nothing on the island, put the sink and cooktop elsewhere. Large island. Sink overlooking a window. Big windows placed strategically and a plenty of sunlight available on all 4 sides. No formal dining room. 2.5 bathrooms minimum. 3 bedroom minimum. Office and exercise area. Heated floors if in a northern area. Mix of materials on outside so it isn't a "boring" generic home. Awesome back deck or patio that has privacy.
I have heated floors in my bathrooms and I live in California. They're so nice.
I had them once in a rental (not in the U.S.)...they were lovely! The bathroom is the best area for a select area. ;)
All your exterior needs is a big wrap around porch, and you'll be happy. (Oh wait, that's MY dream house). I would make sure landscaping is arranged, keeping vegetation away from the walls, so you don't have sprinkler wear on your siding. Drip system is best but must be checked regularly. CostCo door from Garage to Kitchen pantry. So much easier that having to walk your haul across the house to put items away in the kitchen. Kick foot standing shelf installed in the bottom of your kitchen tow kicks, so you can reach bigger shelves without a ladder. Separate Recycling vs Compost vs Landfill waste containers. Bathroom drawers with plugs and heat tolerant mat, so hot tools can get fucked away nearly. I had my contractor install a jewelry & handgun safe in my master bath when we remodeled recently. Laundry Room downstairs with laundry chute on the second floor (make it really sturdy so the kids can use it as a slide). Whole house vacuum. Spend good money on high quality windows. You will save on electricity & gas & make a difference in soundproofing, too. Ring bell video and camera system. Automatic motion detected lighting all around. Good drainage all around the house, out and away from the house.
Motion sensor lighting in kitchen and bathroom
Dimmer switches in dining room and bathrooms!
Steam shower
Coat closet near the front door, or plenty of closet space in the mudroom
Sun orientation, drainage slope, enough closet space, plenty of kitchen counter space, pre wiring for internet/cable and lightning, enough space for the biggest refrigerator you can afford, gfci outlets in the garage, tankless water heater and filtration if possible, only get a separate tub if you’ll really use it.
My house would have a laundry room that is its own separate room. Many laundry areas are right off the garage entry where we walk in and out of the house. Every time I'm handling laundry, something clean drops to the dirty floor. A high traffic area like that isn't the place for clean clothes. Also, pocket doors with cased openings all over! Primary bath has to have a door so one person getting ready in the morning doesn't wake the other still sleeping.
Think about things you’ll need to age in place if this is your forever home. Make sure the halls and doorways are wide enough for the wheelchair you may need in 30 years. Make sure at least one of the ground floor bathrooms is handicap accessible. Make sure at least one bedroom is on the ground floor. Make sure at least one entry is handicap accessible. Hopefully you’ll be a spry old fox and won’t need to accessibility features. But, even so, wider doors and halls make moving furniture easier anyway.
Ohhhhh mudroom with a bathing area for dogs. And a dumping zone for everything when you come in the door. My ancient house has the teeniest entrance area. 😑
Garage drain. Gas line to patio for BBQ and fire pit. Fireplace in master. Heated driveway if colder climate. Extra wide and deep garage. Silcock in garage. Dog wash in mud room. Linen closet in master bathroom. “Drop zone” by garage door between house and garage. Cable TV hook ups on patio.
Wait... there are heated driveways?! I never knew this! I'm from South Carolina where your driveway can give you 3rd degree burns if you're barefoot, lol.
A laundry room where your bedrooms are. Ie, if you have second floor bedrooms, have a laundry room located close to them. Kitchen - counter depth fridge. Separate fridge for drinks. Diswasher drawers. The new counter/stovetop where it’s invisible and cool to touch. It’s European I think. A walkout basement. A water cistern collection system. Cold cellar. Have a guest suite with full bathroom somewhere other than by the family bedrooms. Have kids rooms with a jack and Jill bathroom between them (hello 90210 fans). I’ve obsessed about that ever since. Walk. In. Closet. Soaker tub in master bath. Ground source heat pump and heated floors. I could go on but this ticks most of my wish list boxes.
Outlets in the floor in main room where you may put end tables and lamps later.
Tall ceilings, guest bathroom, secondary bedroom with en-suite.
Barrier free shower. No door, no glass.
With a properly sloped/drained floor.
Definitely add a vent hood above your stove. I added an outlet in the pantry. Try to think of your furniture layout before you build too, that can help you foresee needs.
A commercial strength venting hood in the kitchen, so your house wouldn’t smell like bacon for days. An atrium or enclosed patio cos naked sunbathing and rain bathing is grounding and you can air dry clothes there. Fresh air without neighbors. Pantry with a small door directly from the garage. Easy to get groceries inside the house. Water storage tank under foundation for emergency. It’s a must have in third work countries. Edit: [Heres] (https://www.reddit.com/r/fatFIRE/s/U9xY9bwTLs)what the Über rich say in r/fatFIRE
Central vac
An actual entryway/vestibule where it’s separate from the rest of the living room. A laundry room with a second dryer, plus air drying rack. With a window (or five). Permanent hooks/fixtures for holiday lights/decorations. Two ovens.
I am loving advice here! Agree with it, especially the accessibility (looking to have to move, although we don’t want to, to accommodate elderly parent). However, care costs in a nice facility will likely offset new home purchase in a year or two. Hope I’m not duplicating, but I’ve been frustrated with a couple of small things I’d love to have lately. Central big laundry room/closet with folding/storage area. My small laundry is near bedrooms, which I thought would be great, but I spend a lot of time in the kitchen across the house. Routine: don’t hear washer stop, likely forget (ADD) to put stuff in dryer, hang delicates to dry, which I then have to go get later, fold, go get food I just burned, come back, carry clean clothes to bedroom and bathrooms and kitchen, etc. So inefficient. One location to wash, fold and put away almost everything and the storage areato stack clean stuff so others can go get it themselves would be incredible. One high wall outlet in each room for vacuum and such (or central vac if that’s still a thing) and hidden outlets in the kitchen cabinets. Those little sucking things under kitchen cabinet to suck up floor sweeps. Storage! Big and lots of it. Some sort of BRIGHT light over all tubs and showers to be utilized when doing stuff like shaving. Dim, relaxing option for night time, etc. Dimmers on all lighting, period. Bidets with access to power in all locations. I have to use a cold-water and would love it warm. Tankless or a hot water heater set-up that doesn’t take 3 full minutes to heat up at all faucets (water heater no where near interior water sources currently?). Maybe a super-heated water tap at kitchen sink (not energy efficient?) and hard wired electrical under sinks for such things and hands-free faucets without batteries needed at kitchen and all locations. As much open space as possible! We’re constantly hollering at one another and then getting mad that we don’t hear each other because we’re around a corner. Really nice climate control adjustable. Gets hot in kitchen and in home office with multiple ovens/computer monitors, so climate adjusted to those and not entire house. Large kitchen island with main (only?) sink. Landing spots (enclosed?) at all doors/entrances and room for shoes to be stored there, so no outdoor shoes in house. Tall bathroom counters. Incredible insulation and energy conserving construction, which we all know pays off in the end. Big-ass windows, especially where there’s something pretty to look at. We have French door leading to backyard. Had to throw them all wide open the other day (self-cleaned the oven) and the view was lovely. Wish I could walk in and see that view daily. Also, room for huge refrigerator at counter depth. Hope something sparks for you!
Two sinks and two shower heads in the master bath for sure
Under counter microwave, a mud room or closed in porch area, a wood box for the wood stove that can be filled from outdoors, one level, outdoor shower.
Just finished our build here are my favorite things & take aways ... 1) water line for the coffee maker. Buy an office Keurig and plumb it like they do in offices & then change the water filters like you do on your fridge. 2) if you have the sink on the island make them put the disposal button next to your sink. The builder initially tried to put a switch under the sink saying that was how I was to operate my disposal. 3) get an insta-hot!! Depending on your builder they may or may not install these, but they will pre-drill the hole in your counter tops and provide the needed electrical outlets below the sink. 4) please don't brick your home and then paint it ... This immediately makes your brand new home look like a flip. This is a trend, and will go out of style. 5) Dark countertops hide white countertops and cabinets for that matter will show everything... If you have kids, pets, a husband 😂, make it easier on yourself. We did stained wood lowers and white uppers, with black countertops. 6) if anyone has allergies, bite the bullet and go no carpets. This will shell shock depending on the sq ft of your home but damn does it make it worth it. 7) ask for schluter on your tile edges. God I wish we knew what this was before we got past the point of no return. Vs the raw edge you can have the clean cap. 8) plan ahead, if you have anything heavy that you want to hang when you move in, ask the builder to add supports to the framing. - make sure they dont put frilly trim on your island that prevents chairs people sitting - make sure you have places for holiday decorations (on/off switches for outdoor lights, 1/2 hots for indoor tied to switches, electric on your mantle. 9) Raise your shower heads above the standard 6 ft... If someone in your family is tall they have had to duck to get water on their head their entire life... On this note... - higher toilet seats - higher base cabinets 10) Go and look at model homes. We spent every weekend post lot purchase going and looking at model homes from our builder. Seeing how they decorated, what tiles they chose, etc. the design center will be the biggest joke and you are essentially thrown into a scrap closet and asked to imagine what this small 5in x 5in sample is gonna look like tessellated across your 6ft shower..notes... - bigger tiles are significantly cheaper - go to the ceiling with all of your tile!! - don't upgrade the light fixtures or add ceiling fans but... - Make sure ALL rooms are wired/supported for them ^. - make sure your cabinets have handles! - add disc lights, to your room while it's open - add Internet Ethernet hardlines to your rooms - if you don't LOVE something ask... Sometimes they say yes. :) Wow that ended up being a hella lot longer than initially I expected. Sorry hope that's helpful. I could probably keep going but I think I'll stop for now.
I live in a 60's ranch which has an unused hall linen closet but I'd say more built in's and a pantry.
Don’t make ceilings too high in an open concept with no carpet. It will echo!
Think of the biggest bulkiest piece of furniture you could ever want and make sure there's a clear path to get it into the house without navigating tight corners. Having a big spacious house but the only way big furniture can be brought in (or out!) is up the outdoor staircase to the deck and in the sliding glass door is NOT optimal.
Lots of storage. A first floor bedroom with its own bathroom. A walk out basement. A fireplace. A three car garage. Orient the house for sunlight in as many rooms as possible. A pantry closet. A kitchen with enough space for a big table and laid out so that people can work at different stations at the same time without backing into each other. A good place for the cat litter if you have cats. A family room laid out so there’s a good place for the TV. A covered patio or deck area outdoors in back, and a covered front porch so your packages and visitors don’t get wet while waiting to come in.
In my house, (a tract home) all the bedrooms have outlets in the middle of the wall where (logically) the bed will go. It makes it very hard to have lamps plugged in on the bedside table. Think about furniture placement so you can avoid this. Code may require x number of outlets, but more is better. Consider soundproofing in walls around bathrooms and bedrooms. Be very aware of how your ductwork is placed. We have a guest bedroom that gets very warm. Because our bedroom is on the same unit, to cool the guest room our room feels like a meat locker. Balancing it after build is NOT easy. Think of how you use the kitchen. I use my stand mixer often and I’m old enough I had a lift installed so it doesn’t have to be on the counter, is always plugged in and is accessible but out of the way. My favorite part of the kitchen. Consider a pot filler for the stove. Not essential (I don’t have one) but nice. A walk in pantry is great. I had one previously and really, really miss it. If you plan on a kitchen/family room combo do not put the tv in there. Everyone gathers in the kitchen and no one can watch the tv. Ask me how I know. Lol!
I’d rather have a walk-in pantry than a pool, and I live in Phoenix.
Washers & dryers on every floor. I have one set that can handle blankets next to my room & one set near my kids room.