Replies

1. 
   ctirish | Jan 15, 2007 11:47am | #1

   I know little about the actual building but some things I wish I had thought about before building my last house:
   Which way will the house face: E,W,S,N
   Which way do I want the bedroom facing?- why?
   Which way will the kitchen face - do I want it in the front or back of the house? why?
   Do I want a sunroom or part of a family room to be glass?
   An oversized garage - I did a 25 by 25 garage - it was great.
   Storage - can I create easy access storage areas with the house design
   Bathrooms and closets - these can make your life easy or make every morning a nightmare - walk through everything you do every morning
   Put in more outlets than you think you will need
   Wire for phone,cable,speakers in every room - it is so easy now
   Recessed lighting - really think about all the places you can use it - it is so much cheaper than fixtures
   Watch the show Divine Design - she likes lighting.
   If you have kids or hope to have kids remember that in every decision
   If you are married, really listen to each other and try to see the other person's point of view.

   Good luck, jane

2. 
   Danno | Jan 15, 2007 05:30pm | #2

   You might try asking your question at Breaktime--if you go to the top of this page in the green box, you just click on "Breaktime" right after the words"Other Taunton Sites". It's kind of a broad question, so you may get some flak, but if they deign to answer, they usually have some pretty good thoughts.

3. 
   peachgrove | Jan 20, 2007 06:54am | #3

   I have heard many horror stories from people who have had houses built but I seemed to have advoided all of the problems.  Here is how I began the contractor search...

   talk to people in your area who have recently built,  (dont just ask who built their house but also indirrect questions as to if they are totaly satisfied with both to building process and the final product)

   find a small family owned lumber yard, hardware store, or contractor material center.  ask them if they would recomend any contractors.   seeing how these folks often supply to smaller contractors their materials they know who does what type of work.

   Have finalized blueprints in hand before talking to your first contractor.   Let several contractors bid on the project from the blueprints.  be upfront about what you want, the amount of work you want to do yourself, finish materials, ext.

   One you get bids in and have talked initialy with the contractors pick 3 or 4 to follow up with.   with the narrowed selection have them show you some of their past work and if at all possable have them walk you through a current project in process.  

   while the contractor is showing you his past and current projects look at the workmanship, have them explain the process used on that project.  One reason I liked looking at a under construction project is it allowed me to a) observe the contractors employees working and b) see the structal components of the house that are not visible in a finished job.  I also liked being able to see a finished project because it allowed me to see the quality of the finish details.

   the contractor I finaly chose for my house was one recomended by a local small hardware store, was mid range in bid price, and was willing to work within my specs.  I have been in the house a little over a year and have been completely satisfied and found the entire construction process to run very smoothly.

4. 
   Sadie | Feb 08, 2007 09:49am | #4

   Begin by selecting a house plan that will enhance the lay of the lot.  Visit the big box stores to learn what is generally available to builders & decide if those are adequate or might you want something more & be prepared to identify those, attend home shows where new materials are being introduced but do check out those good "tried & true" materials from companies who have existed for just that reason.  The more you can identify up front to a builder/contractor that you desire (ex: wood windows vs vinyl, etc.) the better satisifed all of you will be with the end result.

   What to look for in a builder that will let you help?  If plan calls for areas the builder truly does not like (ex: pocket doors & your builder does not like to do these, settle issue or seek another builder).  I mention as 3 doors were planned in our home; only builder talked hubby out of 2 doors.  So now we must live daily with the "doors in the way".  I view pocket doors as the best use of extended usable sq. footage in a home. 

   Back to your helping - unless you are experienced, perhaps it might save money in the end if you allowed them to work at their speed rather than slowing them up while explaining what needed to be done.  As our builder explained, "it only costs "x" dollars per hour & I would like to move to another job next week".  If you have no experience, just allow them to work at their pace. There is always a need to sweep & clean-up in order for them to work more efficiently; get your broom & move the trash out for them.

   p.s.  Just completed home last year; subbing out all work & depended upon framer, who was very reliable to recommend others in the trade who did quality work to finish each & every facet remaining.  And yes, hubby did assist with plumbing & wiring; his handy man labor & knowledge came cheap!  Worthwhile for us!    

5. 
   Nick25 | Mar 07, 2007 02:15am | #5

   If it's your fist home I would say keep resale in mind, because more than likely at some point you will sell. Expect costs to be higher than you think. There are always extra's 10 % would be extremely good. Think of where you want the sun during the day. Try to keep in mind things like where you plan to have youre t.v. so that you don't put it across from direct sunlight. There is increasing pressure to build a huge home right now, there is no need. A good layout, with a combination of spaces that can easily be extensions of the home will serve you well. A front porch is nice to have when there are lots of people in the house some can be out front if the porch is covered even rain will not be a problem. A back deck will have the same effect, at the end of the party you close the doors and you are not responsible for heating or cooling that much more sq. ft. I can tell you I've got sun in my office at the end of the day which makes it much easier to get stuff done, My bedroom doesn't get overly sunny so I can sleep in when I like. I've got all of my homes heating and cooling systems running straight up the center and branching off where needed, saves alot of pipes and bulkheads.
   I wish I got 3/4 plywood glued and screwed with engineered floor joists, floors stay much stiffer and straighter.
   -Hot water line to be a home run system keeping the wait for how water to a minimum.
   -tankless water heater, for the space and energy savings
   -plumbing done with pex so I would get better flow.
   -200 amp service (anything but a stablock panel)
   -20amp to baths or two seperate circuits apparently a hair dryer and a curling iron will trip a 15 amp.
   2nd floor or main floor laundry, by the kitchen or bedrooms is nice.Good luck.

1. 
   Sadie | Mar 08, 2007 01:55pm | #6

   You are so right - "layout" is the key.  Planning for where the sun "rises & sets" as well as from which "direction" the rains usually come makes for a much more usable home. 

   Here, somehow much got lost in planning.  While the master bedroom is located on rear to avoid morning sun, a covered deck on rear lies directly in path of rains which generally blow from that direction necessitating change in location of where to locate seating & type of furniture to be used.  Currently, when a blowing rain appears, one must either exit or move way back toward the wall on a 16' wide deck to avoid getting wet.  Long range, should we ever wish to enclose the deck area, this late evening sun will become a factor to be considered (more costly).  Do plan ahead even if you never complete; the next family may buy your home as enclosure will be good potential.

   We also have a front office/bedroom combination providing too much sunlight glare if one is working there in morning & especially if windows are not yet covered; they are not!  But I truly enjoy the open window-look.

   In essence, important to spend time on your lot to identify where the sun rises/sets and from which direction the weather generally comes; then, build your plan from there.

   What I wish I had done & few things done right: 

   Better Closet planning - identify what/where you wish to utilize storage; depth/height of shelving.  Important to have the rod spaced correctly where clothing hanging (measure your coat hangers & allow sufficient space for garments). I would increase depth by 6" for coat closet from standard width.  Closet planning web sites provide good info for planning so check these out.

   Kitchen (u-shaped) - Within corner areas, install 2 carousels instead of having just one carousel & one with shelving ('twas a compromise as hubby felt these would just become a problem down the road, so we each got some of  what we wanted).  Be prepared for a lot of compromising!

   Kitchen sinks - double with deep bowls - one extra long bowl!  Perfect for long casserole dishes to soak, etc.

   Kitchen - paid extra for drawer stacks to automatically close which is a true problem when one opens the wrong drawer...just have to wait too long to open the next drawer. Would never make this mistake again.

   Kitchen - one thing done right!  Installed a top-drawer spice rack & use it for medications.  Makes it e-z to view; avoids shuffling around in an upper cabinet to find the right bottle.  Down the road, may make it e-z for sight problems, caretaker, etc.?

   Hot water immediately - plan for it;  even if no more than where to locate water heater.  Slow hot water is a pain!

   Kitchen/Bathroom: Faucets - the raised/high faucets truly handy; even in bathrooms when one wishes to wet hair on bad hair day, etc.  Spa tub used once since 8/06; would put money into enhanced shower.

   Electrical outlets - even if you think you don't need one there; chances are you may, so when in doubt, it will be there if you install it when building.

   Helping The Builder - hubby, who is mechanically inclined, did sub out the work in hopes of saving money & it did work out in the end.  From the beginning he learned these folks work like a team in knowing what the other will be doing (they do this every day - not just once or twice in a lifetime).  Found he was not part of this crew & would slow them down by asking questions/getting directions, and at "X" dollars/hour, how much would he be saving?  End result was he mostly stayed out of their way, was on site to ensure workers had supplies & yes, he would pick up things & hand to them occasionally.  Thankfully, the framer was able to i.d. who to use/not use for future work (they have their own networking).    From here on, work continued & yes, costs were less than if contracted; just not less costly to us as we added enhancements and paid the extra costs plus hubby devoted all time for a year around the build process.  Kind of nice to get a few extras & still be under initial contractor bid!

   p.s.  G-Chef, hope you enjoy your new home in the Texas Hill Country; good time for building especially this time of year!