New House Build (What I would do different after a year of living in it)

[JasperFrank]

I would have put in a 500 amp service panel on the garage with more 220 V outlets.
Would have tripled the underground water storage cistern and routed all the down spouts of the garage to fill these over the winter.
Would have worked with a professional landscape designer.
Set the house further away from the easement road for privacy.
Paved at least 400 feet of the easement road, with permissions of the owner, up wind from the house.
Staked the survey line with a neighbor's property with permanent markers right after it was blazed and done.
I would have used an electric only sub-floor heating system, instead of a hydronic electric boiler, Plex tube system.
Should have placed the septic system in much earlier so the temp construction trailers could be plumbed in to that.
Should have just hired out heavy equipment to get rid of the rocks very early on.

Had no idea I'd be digging out and moving rocks for the next 30 years. And I should have started the terracing earlier in a more thought out overall landscaping plan.

Wasted so much time in the late nineties wiring the house for twisted pair Cat 3. That never got used. We didn't get DSL till 2011. Buy then, all the DSL Modem/ Routers were N wireless. Good enough for a home network.

Glad I didn't invest in a windmill. The first five years here had wind potential, all the time, but after that five years, its been a dead calm, for the next 25 years, and I can't even fly a kite.
The solar system, I should have set up to be entirely off grid and smaller and have it set up to just move water around. I done working with the local utility over this, and their requirements for inter-tie. So after putting everything in place, and running for a short time, they change the rules, and added some extra service charge, upped the Bond and after the last ice storm, a 100 year event as they say, knocked it all down, it all has to be re-certified $$$, by one of their accepted contractors. Hell with that.

Metal Roof.
More mud room areas.
More closets.
Cork flooring was not a good idea if you have dogs.

Metal clad wooden windows are not a good idea in the
Pacific Northwest.

And don't ever build a wooden kit Geo-Desic Dome. Those now, 30 year old, triangular sky lights, are not made any more. If they get broken, or the shell gets cracked, you have to have one custom made for thousands of dollars.



Glad I stayed away from any wood decking. No one is happy after 10 years in our climate.

 

[ultrarunner]

I would have put in a 500 amp service panel on the garage with more 220 V outlets.
Would have tripled the underground water storage cistern and routed all the down spouts of the garage to fill these over the winter.
Would have worked with a professional landscape designer.
Set the house further away from the easement road for privacy.
Paved at least 400 feet of the easement road, with permissions of the owner, up wind from the house.
Staked the survey line with a neighbor's property with permanent markers right after it was blazed and done.
I would have used an electric only sub-floor heating system, instead of a hydronic electric boiler, Plex tube system.
Should have placed the septic system in much earlier so the temp construction trailers could be plumbed in to that.
Should have just hired out heavy equipment to get rid of the rocks very early on.

Had no idea I'd be digging out and moving rocks for the next 30 years. And I should have started the terracing earlier in a more thought out overall landscaping plan.

Wasted so much time in the late nineties wiring the house for twisted pair Cat 3. That never got used. We didn't get DSL till 2011. Buy then, all the DSL Modem/ Routers were N wireless. Good enough for a home network.

Glad I didn't invest in a windmill. The first five years here had wind potential, all the time, but after that five years, its been a dead calm, for the next 25 years, and I can't even fly a kite.
The solar system, I should have set up to be entirely off grid and smaller and have it set up to just move water around. I done working with the local utility over this, and their requirements for inter-tie. So after putting everything in place, and running for a short time, they change the rules, and added some extra service charge, upped the Bond and after the last ice storm, a 100 year event as they say, knocked it all down, it all has to be re-certified $$$, by one of their accepted contractors. Hell with that.

Metal Roof.
More mud room areas.
More closets.
Cork flooring was not a good idea if you have dogs.

Metal clad wooden windows are not a good idea in the
Pacific Northwest.

And don't ever build a wooden kit Geo-Desic Dome. Those now, 30 year old, triangular sky lights, are not made any more. If they get broken, or the shell gets cracked, you have to have one custom made for thousands of dollars.



Glad I stayed away from any wood decking. No one is happy after 10 years in our climate.

Tell us what you really think...

Excellent post and enjoyed reading...

Grid Tie keeps changing so it's like a moving target and generally every change is a win for the other side as compared to saving their bacon and the grid during hot summer afternoons when the grid would crash without existing solar input...

 

[2LaneCruzer]

We built our house in 1972, and are basically happy with it, although I wish it were bigger and had an upstairs walk in attic. One thing I did later (our garage is a nice 2 car garage) was to build a floor-to-ceiling cedar lined closet on the far side of the garage, with some storage shelves, all covered by doors, nothing open. We store Winter clothes in there in the Summer, and vice versa. When we remodeled, put the old cabinets in the front of the garage, above my workbench.

With a little time and forethought, I would have built more such storage, all matching. Oh, one other thing, I would have made sure our wiring was able to handle more heavy appliances, with more outlets through out the house. I would also been more circumspect with the placing of our outdoor faucets, and even though I couldn't afford it at the time, I would have put in a sprinkler system (we're on a well).

 

[tom3]

I really like the design of the OP's house. The keys over the windows is a nice touch too. In today's climate I would have put a metal roof on though, too much mold/alga, black streaks in shingles. When looking for our first house we looked at a place, I went in the detached garage and said "we'll buy it." Can't live without a garage, now we have two and a large storage shed. But if doing it again I'd forget the basement. One big junk hole in the ground and constant worry in my area.

 

[East30]

Nice build! I Recently finished a new build of my retirement home. Put two refrigerator's in the kitchen. We entertain quiet often, and have always looked for extra space. One has become a purely beer/Seltzer/pop fridge, the other is strictly food. Nice to not have to walk to the garage for a second beer and bait fridge. Also built a gun room. No more safe, now a locked walk-in room with bows/guns/ammo with A/C and heating.

 

[WVH1977]

I really like the design of the OP's house. The keys over the windows is a nice touch too. In today's climate I would have put a metal roof on though, too much mold/alga, black streaks in shingles. When looking for our first house we looked at a place, I went in the detached garage and said "we'll buy it." Can't live without a garage, now we have two and a large storage shed. But if doing it again I'd forget the basement. One big junk hole in the ground and constant worry in my area.

I really wanted a metal roof but again it was a money thing when I was worrying to death about the appraisal. I should have added to my list if I do it again I will more than likely put a metal roof on. I wanted green like my door and shutters.

 

[K5lwq]

If I could build anything I want it would be a very large climate controlled shop. I mean big enough to pull a DC3 in if I want. Then in a corner just a modest living area. But afraid I would lose a wife in the process so it will never happen.

 

[Torvy]

If I could build anything I want it would be a very large climate controlled shop. I mean big enough to pull a DC3 in if I want. Then in a corner just a modest living area. But afraid I would lose a wife in the process so it will never happen.

Maybe get her a GPS so you don't lose her in you giant shop.

 

[CalG]

Just a note:

The wife and I bought the only house we could afford. Raised our family here and still reside in the same place.

When we moved in, We made a ten year plan. (tore out the wall to wall carpet the first day in ;-)

Well, the kids are grown and out. We are about at year 3 on the 10 year plan (it's been 30 years)

I'm ******* deep in a tile bath redo at present. (curb-less shower , opened the walls and re-studded , lowered the floor.. etc. etc..)

There sure are a lot of decisions and choices that need to be made. I'm just glad I got the SHOP built in the first years!

 

[tom3]

If I could build anything I want it would be a very large climate controlled shop. I mean big enough to pull a DC3 in if I want. Then in a corner just a modest living area. But afraid I would lose a wife in the process so it will never happen.

I was telling a buddy that my dream 'house' would be a huge shop with a single wide house trailer behind it. He said why not built it big enough to put the trailer inside? Probably not practical but would sure make for a quiet place with no leaking roof.