Home Building Tips

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Weasel
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Home Building Tips

Post by Weasel »

We're about to start the 'process' of building a home in the next couple months. I would love to hear from those that have been through this, things to consider, things you would do different, etc.

Some things Ive been contemplating:

-How to 'future' proof garage for potential electric cars. Seems like standard 240v should do the trick

-I want to avoid 'dead' wifi spots as much as possible. The place Im renting now is like 1600 sq ft and we already have this issue. Seems like a mesh network is a potential solution, Google WiFi being an option. Anyone with experience using any of these?

-While Im not going to finish the basement right away, I do eventually want to have a golf simulator/home theater area. Anyone w experience setting up or using a simulator? Are 9 ft ceilings high enough? 10 ft throughout is cost prohibitive, another option could be 8ft throughout with a 'step down' into the simulator area to 10 ft

-Hydro-seed vs sod
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GeorgesGoons
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Re: Home Building Tips

Post by GeorgesGoons »

Are you going to set your house up for networking? That would be an easy way to eliminate dead spots.

And the one recommendation I got from someone that built their home. Park your cars next to each other and open the doors all the way so you know the measurements you need to have an actual 3 car garage. And make sure it's deep enough for any future expansions in there as well (work bench etc)
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Re: Home Building Tips

Post by Cnasty »

Are you using a builder with fixed phases/layouts or a free lance builder?

Reason I ask is if a builder, walk one of their houses of a layout you are choosing and really take your time. Picture where couches would be, side tables, mounting spots for TVs, etc.

You can never have enough plugs. Put them in the floors, multiple spots outside, eaves for Christmas lights, specific spots in the garage for needs. One of the biggest things to think of.

Yea 240v charging outlet for the car in the garage placed as close to where the car will be parked the most. Assume a Tesla so drovers side tail lights but the cord is pretty long but still think about it.

Go big garage if you can. Minimum 3, 4 is even better. Have them lay plywood in your attic for storage.

Take your time and really look at multiple lots. Think of traffic flows for kids playing in the street, corner lots, how big of a backyard you want, slope for rain, privacy among other things. Go walk the lots. Don’t pick from a paper.

Yea I have google fi and it’s fantastic. I prefer 1 story homes and don’t like stairs so ours is very spread but we have zero dead zones including back patio for streaming for football. Get 3 minimum but may need 4 or 5 depending on square footage. Make sure they use the highest possible wiring for speed as possible and put it behind every single spot you’d want a tv as well as a plug as mentioned.

Can’t help you with basements :)

Can’t stress enough to walk a model or a current home being built by the same owner and spend a good hour or 2 in there walking, sitting, and envisioning where you would like your stuff.

Check the schools and grades of course, bus drop offs, traffic in the morning etc. .

Excited for you guys!

we are approaching 1 year already from our new build and it’s a great experience and so happy we chose the lot we did as well as street as we have 9 houses on the entire street into a cul de sac and zero traffic on the street and the kids just use it as their personal playground including a 5 acre green belt in front of the house that will never be built on. Choose that lot wisely!!


There is a lot more but I will add as you ask and think of something else but those are the biggest
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Weasel
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Re: Home Building Tips

Post by Weasel »

GeorgesGoons wrote:Are you going to set your house up for networking? That would be an easy way to eliminate dead spots.
Pardon my ignorance, but what exactly does this mean?
Cnasty wrote:Reason I ask is if a builder, walk one of their houses of a layout you are choosing and really take your time. Picture where couches would be, side tables, mounting spots for TVs, etc.
Already bought the lot last year, last spot in a mid sized development. Great schools, 15 mins to downtown yet a little more rural. My college roommate is actually going to be 2 doors down.

The floorplan we decided on is relatively new for the builder (a ranch as well), thus there arent a ton of them to walk through. That being said, there is one in production that we went through a couple weeks ago while in the roughed phase. Planning on going back through it once its into the trim phase to better visualize things.
Cnasty wrote:Go big garage if you can. Minimum 3, 4 is even better. Have them lay plywood in your attic for storage.
Going 3 car. TONS of unfinished storage will be avail in the basement, ideally wont need the attic for that but definitely something to consider. If it gets to that point I would hope to start getting rid of shit
Cnasty wrote: Make sure they use the highest possible wiring for speed as possible and put it behind every single spot you’d want a tv as well as a plug as mentioned
Are you talking about ethernet cables? Is the point of this for smart TVs? Currently use Chromecast dongles on the TVs so nothing to plug into a port
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Re: Home Building Tips

Post by Cnasty »

Yes Ethernet for internet needs. This way you can hardwire all your TVs for streaming and not depend on Wifi all the time. Put it behind every spot you may mount a tv.

Brick I assume? Make sure you decide between clean or messy for the mortar and don’t be surprised.

Cedar garage? Make sure they seal it before staining.

Another big one I just thought of, pour as much concrete as you think you will need...EVERYWHERE.

-plats for garbage cans on the side of the house
-extend your driveway wider
-pour in the backyard for any outdoor kitchen spots, seating, extending a patio. Soooooo much cheaper for them to do all that while they are pouring the concrete early on in the process then after the house is built

Pay a bit extra for the double padding under any carpet, huge difference on softness and comfort

Take pictures of the piping, water shut off, wiring and all that while your walls are wide open during the build. Easy to see where it all is during a leak or a wiring need

Pay for the builder to paint your walls the colors you want. Easier, cheaper and not something to worry about down the road

More will come as I think of anything. Let me know if you need anything.
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Re: Home Building Tips

Post by Uuaww »

like MINIMUM 4 quotes from contractors. Ask them a lot of questions. If it doesn't feel right, it probably isn't.
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Re: Home Building Tips

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Corey is really nailing this, so I may duplicate some stuff.

- Practical over style. Example of this, we went jetted garden tub in the master... it's now the kid's bath tub. Was a great idea in theory, horrible in practice.
- If you're going to do something in the future, just do it now. Unless the cost is a major issue, finish the basement. If you don't do it now, the odds of actually doing it later are really low.
- I'm also considering the simulator in my next build. 10' will be my min height in my basement. I'm actually going to explore even taller. My brother-in-law went 12' and it's the most glorious basement I've ever seen. :-) His workout facility down there is incredible.
- Concrete. C said it, but can't stress it enough. I've made 2 additions to my first build already.
- You asked about seed / sod. Go cheaper method with better quality grass for your region. You're likely going to overseed and spend a lot of time building it up in the first few years anyway. Sod tends to a lighter mix that doesn't thicken as well. But seed will require a little more effort and not look as good in year 1-2.
- More important than seed/sod, is ensuring that the yard is graded properly and cleaned up. I nearly filled up the bed of my truck with rocks that should have been removed. Also, when I build next time, I'm going to ensure that if I'm on any kind of slope, that it's stepped, so I have more flat land to work with.
- Agree on extra padding for the carpet, also avoid light colors in high traffic areas.
- Same with paint, lights and whites look great... that also look like shit with a couple of kids or pets.
- Whatever you're doing with your garage, bigger is better. Whether it's 3 car when you only need 2 or getting a 2'-4' extension in any direction. Most standard garage sizes fill up quick. Build more than you think you need.
- Finish and insulate your garage if you are still living in Michigan (forget where you are!). You can do this cheaper after the fact, but it goes back to my principle of do it now.
- Run network cable and electric everywhere that you can. Don't skimp on cost here. You'll thank yourself later. We did our initial layout and took our present furniture and ideas and put outlets strategically to save money (hey, we were young and dumb!)... since then I've installed 3 more ugly ass outlets. Should have did it up front.
- Calculate the furnace you need... then buy a bigger one. Never fails, but most people I've talked to that have built regret not having a better HVAC system.
- Make sure you have enough light fixtures in the ceilings. Even if you're not going ceiling fan, etc... have the drop in.
- Layout tip... where is the laundry room, bathroom and main TV room relative to bedrooms? Laundry should be convenient, but you probably don't want it in a spot where you'd easily hear it when you're trying to sleep. If you're spending a lot of time up late watching TV or working/gaming on a computer/console, you don't want that area adjacent to your bedroom or kid's bedroom.
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Re: Home Building Tips

Post by dakshdar »

I would avoid sod. There is a plastic mesh with the sod squares and if you ever end up needing to rework part of the yard that shit is annoying as hell to get out.

Carpet is a personal choice. We tore it out of the place we bought and put in engineered flooring instead. Works better for us with pets and kids. I realize in a colder place carpet is nice though.
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Re: Home Building Tips

Post by Weasel »

Great feedback thus far, thanks! Part (majority) of the reason we're not finishing the basement right away is cost, the other reason is bc I still dont know exactly what/how I want to finish it.

Layout is solid, where laundry/TV noise shouldnt be an issue.

How has the engineered wood held up Joe? My brother has it but 5 or so years later its warping on him (young kinds and dog). We're going to try and do some sort of hard flooring throughout, everywhere but the bedrooms. 3/4" hardwood is pretty expensive, looking at engineered vs some of the vinyl options out now. Im impressed with the aesthetics/durability of the vinyl these days to be honest
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Re: Home Building Tips

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Im glad yall have mentioned the sod. I was firmly in the sod camp but think Im getting talked out of it.

Along those lines...landscaping? We'll be moving in during the winter months so itll be on hold until the spring. I dont mind getting my hands dirty, DIY?
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Re: Home Building Tips

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Have them put their standard landscaping package in as we also moved in during the winter and then they came in and did a whole spring refresh for anything that didn’t grow/flourish.

Also check on the warranty and what it covers. Keep a running list throughout your first couple years (ours is a 2 year warranty vs 1).

Also go to the lot when it rains. Check to see if you need to have the builder install French drains strategically anywhere and reign nailed it with the grading. They did ours a couple time and it came out great but if I didn’t say anything there would be problems.

Not sure the conversation with sod as we got it installed in the winter and we had an area that didn’t come back from dormancy and they came and redid that entire area.

I had hard wood in our old house and I really didn’t like it at all. Again, Floridian here and used to tile and carpet and we did the “wood look” tile throughout all living areas and upgraded pad and carpets in bedroom and very happy. The wood look tile is a nice look and so easy to care for and durable with the kids. We love it. It’s a very personal preference though but I wouldn’t do wood again but like the look. Just takes a bit more maintenance.
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Re: Home Building Tips

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- Mesh wifi is the way to go with wifi, but as these guys mentioned, hardwire as much as you can.
- Same with home theater or speaker installation, if you are going to do anything like that, some builders will let you go in, on a weekend, once they have the studs up and run your own speaker wire, etc. Just depends on the builder.
- And they are exactly right with the plugs and lights in ceilings, etc. You can never have enough. Even if the drops are not used, have them ready so if/when you decide, they are there.
It may seem like a lot of extra $, but it is way easier now to do all of that compared to later.
- Reign is exactly right with the furnace. Think about even 2 units instead of 1 big one, depending on if your house is a multi/split level home or a ranch.
I wish we had 2 units, one for upstairs where our bedrooms are and one for downstairs where it is always chilly.
- The other thing is, if you can do it, great, if not, ask them what it would cost, but you may want to put insulation in some of your inner walls too.
If you have a room that will be a home theater room, put insulation in those walls, so when you crank it up, you can't hear it throughout the house.
In my aunt's house, they let us go in and do it on the inner walls and a huge difference when we are watching a movie in her living room. Someone can be in the bedroom and sleep with no issues.
- Extra padding for carpet is a must. We did it and I am so glad we did.
- And with the garage, my dad did that to my aunt. He painted out the garage space on the ground and had them pull their cars there, then he showed them to pull their cars there and open their doors, now have them build the garage around that. So they ended up with a 3 car garage, that has 3 doors, but it is really 4 cars wide.
But it is great to pull in and be able to open your doors and not fight to get out of your car.
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Re: Home Building Tips

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Weasel wrote:Great feedback thus far, thanks! Part (majority) of the reason we're not finishing the basement right away is cost, the other reason is bc I still dont know exactly what/how I want to finish it.

Layout is solid, where laundry/TV noise shouldnt be an issue.

How has the engineered wood held up Joe? My brother has it but 5 or so years later its warping on him (young kinds and dog). We're going to try and do some sort of hard flooring throughout, everywhere but the bedrooms. 3/4" hardwood is pretty expensive, looking at engineered vs some of the vinyl options out now. Im impressed with the aesthetics/durability of the vinyl these days to be honest
No issues so far, but we're just about a year in. We got what they call "Luxury Vinyl Plank", or LVP, flooring. This one actually: https://www.paradigmflooring.net/20mil- ... -par2003lb

They look more like faux wood tile then they do vinyl plank flooring. No issues with scratches or cleaning up whenever there is a spill so far. I'd be somewhat surprised if they end up warping, but probably haven't had it long enough to see anything like that. There were three boxes leftover from our order that we got to keep so they're stored in the garage at the moment and apparently you can swap out boards if you end up with problems with one. They also have a "lifetime" warranty, whatever that is actually good for.

Our house cost about $10k to re-do (~1600 sq ft) including the removal and disposal of all the prior flooring (tile and carpet).
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Re: Home Building Tips

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Weasel wrote:Im glad yall have mentioned the sod. I was firmly in the sod camp but think Im getting talked out of it.

Along those lines...landscaping? We'll be moving in during the winter months so itll be on hold until the spring. I dont mind getting my hands dirty, DIY?
I'm DIY for landscaping, but that's in the minority for most folks I know at work/around here. But, it was the way I grew up and it's some outdoor "exercise" on the weekend. I can take care of my entire property in an hour or less most weekends including mowing, trimming, blowing off the concrete areas, and probably even a little tree trimming or maintenance for bushes. Weeds in the areas we don't want them are the most annoying and time consuming, even with weedbacker installed in all those locations.
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Re: Home Building Tips

Post by Weasel »

I agree with that, I was more asking about DIY for the installation (shrub planting, establishing beds, etc). Didnt know if its easy to do or how cost effective it is
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Re: Home Building Tips

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Weasel wrote:I agree with that, I was more asking about DIY for the installation (shrub planting, establishing beds, etc). Didnt know if its easy to do or how cost effective it is
Depending on the builder this is all included, no?

They installed 2 trees, tons of bushes and shrubs, laid the mulch, sod, and flowers and stones.

With ours though they mow our lawn, fertilize, and trim hedges and such as part of the HOA cost.
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Re: Home Building Tips

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We went with a similar setup to Corey. We moved in the first week of December as well. They did a basic landscaping package with the option of anything that didn't take being refreshed. From there, I added 2 large flower beds (since removed) to the back and 3 trees across the back (1 removed due to slow growth/poor water retention).

The front was sod, the street side and back were seed. We nearly lost the sod that winter, brought it back, then it struggled the next 2-3 summers and winters. To this day, it's still thinner than the rest of my yard. Side and back are thick and green. (after I spent the first year or so removing shitloads of rocks)

How much you take on really depends on how much time/effort you want to put into it. I don't believe the cost difference was that high. Also, do you have all of the tools you need to buildout a mulched bed?

We have just under a 1/2 acre, full bed across the front, small raised bed with brick around the front tree, full bed the entire length of the street side of the house. Clearing, planting, etc is a pain.

Something not mentioned yet and I'm not even sure it's an option for you... but what about a fence? We didn't have one initially, I cut corners on building our first one and ended up tearing it down and putting in a new one 2 years ago. Do you need one? Do you think you need one in the future?
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Weasel
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Re: Home Building Tips

Post by Weasel »

Good feedback. They do include a particular amount $$ to go towards landscaping, not sure how much itll cover through. Seed and some basics probably, which is all I really need.

No fences, other than invisible, per HOA
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Re: Home Building Tips

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Weasel wrote: No fences, other than invisible, per HOA
So odd but i guess that's the norm in the midwest/rural areas?
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Re: Home Building Tips

Post by GeorgesGoons »

Cnasty wrote:
Weasel wrote: No fences, other than invisible, per HOA
So odd but i guess that's the norm in the midwest/rural areas?
One of the reasons I'd never live in a HOA area. If I want a damn fence I should be able to put up a fence. But then again, in Colorado we wished we had a HOA because we had one neighbor who though his driveway was a mechanics garage. Pro's and Con's. But I'd never live in a HOA
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