What's the issue with pex? I thought it was gtg?

I can't remember exactly what it's called, but pantry access from the garage.

Water spigot on every side of the house.

Epxoy finished garage floor.

220 volt outlet in the garage.

Heated bathroom floor.

Tall kitchen counters and shower heads.

Security lighting.

We are almost 3 years into our build and these are the things that have been mentioned and other add ons that I am glad we did:

240 outlet in the garage

Cat6 in every room and on every corner of the house for PoE cameras

Server rack installed in utility room for onsite video storage, networking equipment, and Sonos units

Speakers wired into all bedrooms, master bath, office, dining room, loft, family room, and outside rear patio

Gas lanterns out front

Recessed lighting in every room

Sitting room on the master bedroom

His and her master closets

Walk in closets in every bedroom


The things that I wish I would have done in the beginning so I am not doing them now:

Outward swinging, solid wood exterior doors

Full bath off of the office

Full bedroom and bathroom on first floor for aging parents and in-laws

Staggered studs with insulation between bedrooms to reduce sound transmission

Recessed lights in the garage

Ceiling fans in the garage

Whole house water filter

Security film on all windows

Insulated garage doors

Exterior outlets on switches for party lights

Interior wall insulation
Outlets and lighting in closets
Outlets under eaves controlled by interior switch
Package pass through in garage
Hose bibs and hot water on all sides of exterior
Bury gutter drainage away from home
Under cabinet lighting
Blocking for towel racks
Master closet large enough to not have dressers in bedroom
Security film on windows
Drainage in garage

This AND you can never have too many outlets in your basement or garage. I even spec'd an extra outlet (in addition to the one for the garage door opener) on the ceiling.

Makeup air if your vent hood is >400cfm.

2022 energy code requires a "whole home exhaust fan" and all rooms must communicate with the vented area.

Etc, ad nauseum

There are probably 1000+ things you haven't thought of.



H

They have a cool YouTube channel too.

skip the trashy microwave over the stove/range and get a real vent hood. every look at the fancy homes in the magazines? they never have a microwave over the range.

if you have a large family 2 dryers per washer as the dryer takes longer.

3 car garage BARE ASS MIN. preferably 4.

Thread is relevant to my interest - am in the begging stages of a build, starting with site prep and working with a designer.  We started with off the shelve plans.  They had most of what we wanted in the main house - with a pantry, laundry, 1/2 bath, and mud room connecting it to a 3 car garage (with storage above - enough for an indoor air gun range).  I had the designer change the pantry from 6x12 to 10x12 to add counter depth cabinets to both sides.  Should have room for essentially a 2nd kitchen (butlers kitchen) with all the  counter clutter appliances out of the main kitchen.  Also added 3' to the laundry room to add a counter opposite of the washer/dryer for folding - but honestly, probably room for a chest freezer as well (will see if the extra space ends up being more pantry).  The designer took the extra space on the other side and put in a shower in the 1/2 bath that was next to the mud room (so I can shower before entering the house, not exactly a bad idea).  

I also added 4' to the garage so there would be more room between it's bays and the house.  I do want a masonry heater, but it might be a pie in the sky thing - NOBODY builds them where I live.  I will have to fly in an installer...  A masonry heater will cost me 20k+.  Other than that, while I don't want to be off grid - I do plan to put in everything to allow it.  Well, backup generator, solar, and at least some batteries.  Honestly I will probably skimp on the batteries - the prices have been dropping so fast I can not but hope that they will actually become viable in a few years.  As it is, the main reason for batteries will be to optimize generator output (allow it to run at it's fuel efficient level, then turn off for a few hours).  Off grid, not exactly, but prepping for grid failure - part because of grid overload, part because I am end of line for power and will be last in line for repairs.  We have been right at rolling blackouts for several of the last summers, and we have had multi day blackouts 2 of the last 3 winters.  Batteries can cover the rolling blackouts.  A masonry heater and the generator can cover winter blackouts.  Hopefully the solar can handle most of my peak load - AC is generally needed the most when solar is at it's peak.

Other than that, most of the changes were "cosmetic".  I have worked as a roofer for a short time - so we removed every bit of bullshit out of the roof design.  Less seams, less problems.  Not as pretty, but got rid of the master bathroom and master closet windows - just problems.  Plus they were on the South wall, so that much less glass heating the house.

It should end up with a 2k+ sq foot drive in basement as well.   I hope to put in a safe room, home gym, and probably more pantry storage in about 1/3 of that.  The other 2/3 can be room for horse shit and other ranch transportation.  Honestly still not as much storage as I need - but will see what the budget leaves for new barns and sheds latter.
---
Perhaps I should see just how much changing the 3 car garage to a 4 car would cost...  I have 6 cars already.  Initially, I am planning on putting most if not all the solar over the garage.  Solar on the house roof is more of a damn it - I need more panels option.

Corrugated galvanized tin, that is what my FIL used back home in Guatemala.

But for real, a nice metal roof, may save some on insurance rates, and they really do last a long time, also fire resistant.


Towel warmer
Floor heat in master bath, yes I guess I am racist.
Outlets should be up a bit higher, than standard. As you get old and your back and knees are shot you will appreciate it.
Under mount sinks
A big garage is nice, but I would take a separate shop.
Solid doors throughout
more lights than you think you want, on dimmers
more outlets than you think you need
generator ready, transfer switch

That's mostly going to be a waste of money. Cat6 will backhaul everything in your lifetime that won't be supported by wireless.

Dig your garage foundation down to basement level and use prestressed concrete panels for the garage floor. Gives you very cheap basement space since you are already digging down at least 48”, that is nearly soundproof (Theater) and/or secure with a vault door.

Something like this.

I’ve always thought hidden spaces in cabinets near front and back doors to keep a long gun handy would be nice.

Think of a spot by the mud room you’d hang charts and take off shoes

A hidden spot to keep a pistol, shotgun or rifle, medical, flashlight and restraints that only family members know about

Shear wall the bathrooms with 3/4 plywood. Hard back where towel rods are and where grab rails woy be needed.

36" doors on bathrooms and bedrooms

My wife has MS and was in a wheelchair by 45

I broke my back at 40 ( still walking )

Breadboardsbare out of style in kitchens. Fuck style add a few for extra counter space

Most counters are 24"?  If I was going to do my kitchen over again I would add 4" or 6"

Toe kick cabinets for pans etc

Hidden outlets under the upper cabinets and lights

Pot filler,  48" stove!

Mini split in the garage

Plum air lines from the air compressor to several points in the garage

Several outlets at all heights in the garage

-soft water hose bib for car washing
-plumb drain for steam oven (most used appliance behind a coffee maker)
-a control closet with ventilation
-If you'll ever put powered shades in, RS-485 wire and 16 ga pair for power
-limit any automation/smart devices to areas you use, not guest beds and such
-spray foam insulation with conditioned attic
-the best low-e windows you can afford
-10 volt dimmer switches for lighting

Starting my second new build in the last five years.

Make sure the driveway is wide enough that people don't have to park perfectly to avoid door dings.

And by saying Southern Lake Michigan area, no sane person would build in Illinois, leaving Michigan and Indiana. That would mean you'll be close enough to this place.

https://lowerysmeatandgrocery.com/

The Brats are outstanding.

A urinal in the garage

Basement with 9' ceiling.
Direct exit / entrance to garage.

Floor drain in garage.

CAT 6 runs for NVR cameras.

Zoeller sump pump with backup , larger sump crock.

Large gas meter ( if you have NG ) to run anything you will add later including standby generator.

60 AMP / 220 in garage.

My plumber friend did a hot water bibb in the garage with a floor drain to wash his cars and motorcycles in the rain. Genius!

I think having a broom closet on each floor or in each major zone of the house is a superior solution to a central vac.

Have your contractor run every one of your low voltage lines (e.g., CAT6) through conduits from the A/V closet, so it can be easily replaced.  You'll thank me later.

Birdhouses full of tannerite and nails strategically placed every few feet in the treeline.

One more
-conduit for solar wiring

A floorplan that works well for robot vacuums.

Cat6, not cat5 everywhere and a few fiber runs to various locations.

Cat 6 camera lines to your vault.

Specify in contract blower door test with spec requirement.  

Make sure they seal up all the holes necessary for utilities before the siding.  It should be integrated with your barrier.  

Fun stuff:  Ventilation for it. Place to poopy, groundwater source with hand pump, lots of room for storage, bunks.  

Right now it's basically pretty cheap to rough in a spot for a toilet, sink, etc.  can always add to it.

Fireproof room for batteries and inverter for solar.

Radio antennas that reach outside.

Separate way out where you can dig out if necessary and pop up out in the yard.

Bonus for a tunnel that is build in with a place to pop out.

Blower door test requirement with a tough standard is good. I’d want passive house style whole house ventilation.

• Electrical outlets in places you wouldn't think. Closets, each side of bed(not just on in the middle), under the eves for Christmas lights, around the island in the kitchen, dedicated 20 amp anywhere you think you might have something that would need it.
  At least one outlet and lights in the attic
  Wire for generator
  Cat6 for TVs, access points, work stations, camera locations, server/security camera station
  Go ahead and deck the attic now, way easier
  hose bibs on each side of the house at a minimum
  More closet space than you think
  outdoor lighting, not just one or two shitty motion lights


• Item 2

Good point.  OP is in MI so he may want more south-facing windows to get a lot of natural light into the house during the winter.

@sixnine

I’ve never walked out of that place for less than $200.

I’d go 12’. Shoot for 30’ in living room.

H, W, L should be 1x1.6x2.56 technically.

We must be up to at least $800/square foot, plus the land by now.

I have an addiction when it comes to their Jalapeno/cheddar brats and the Hawaiians aren't far behind. It's an hour away so I go early and take a cooler.

ETA: If Cedar Lake in Indiana isn't too far you should try the pork Dragobobs.
https://dragobobs.square.site/

More like $550/ft but 12,000 feet.

- 8’ tall garage doors (standard is 7’)

-externally venting cook range hood/fan

- triple stud the exterior door frames so you have more to screw into when you reinforce them (standard is two)

-slop sink in garage

-extra wall switches for ceiling fan, ceiling fan light, wall receptacle in all rooms (so no fan remotes)

-extra ceiling lights in the garage, especially over work areas, you cannot have too much

-230V in garage

-run multiple, 20A circuits in the garage or high use areas.  Normally they put ALL the receptacles on a single 15A which is fucking retarded.

-have them install an interlock and external hookup to your panels for a generator (even if you have a whole house)

-heavier door with deadlock for the master bedroom closet for panic room for wife, maybe reinforce the walls with plywood instead of just drywall

-if you’re a radio guy, think about coax runs and put conduit there

-cat6 for POE security cameras inside and outside

-a single switch that turns on ALL of your exterior flood lights

-receptacles under front facing windows for Christmas lights/candles

-walk up attic

-radiant barrier the attic

Rafters rather than trusses.

Have your HVAC done by someone who really knows what he’s doing. No rules of thumb, do the calculations and get it right. Get a guarantee of performance in writing.

I’m in the process of building a new home, this is the second house I have had built. These are some changes/upgrades I have made compared to my last house I built.
2x6 exterior walls. This is a cheap upgrade compared to 2x4’s which will allow you to have better insulation.

Zip system sheathing for roof/walls. This is the second time I have used this system and I definitely recommend it.

Rockwool R23 in the walls and R51 in the ceilings. The more you can fit, the better.

Rheem Marathon electric water heater. Has a 25 year warranty so it should be a while before I need a replacement.

Rocker switches with screwless covers. Look and feel nicer than the standard switches.

I went with Andersen windows. I didn’t have an unlimited budget, but you should buy the best windows you can afford.

The front of my house faces north, and I have porches along the front and back covering all windows.

Mini split AC system installed with traditional ducts. Mini splits are variable speed and run throughout the whole day using a lower energy level, which should help lower your electric bill.

Backup heat – I went with the biggest gas stove I could find, the Lopi Greenfield, for when the temps get really low. The backup heat strips for a heat pump use a ton of electricity.

Whole house generator. I went with the Generac 24KW.

Solid core interior doors

Wood for trim and baseboards. Don’t do MDF, it will only cost a few extra hundred dollars to do pine.

Good quality floors. I went with Coretec LVP since it seems to be the best brand LVP flooring.

Good quality cabinets and countertops. I went with maple cabinets and quarts countertops.

Aquaphor hose bibs. With my house being on a slab, and the walls only having a 6” depth, I couldn’t do the standard 9” “frost proof” hose bibs. The Aquaphor bibs allowed me to install them in my 6” walls and are actually fully freeze proof.

I’m seeing a lot of things mentioned in this thread I’m doing as well, so I won’t add those to the list.

You don’t have to have a half a million to a million-dollar budget to afford these things. If you can do as much work on the house as you can to minimize costs, you can put that money towards upgrades for the house. My house is around 4300 sqft for the living, garage, and porches and I’ll be in it for about $86 a sqft. As you can see, I definitely didn’t spare any expenses on this house as it will be my last. I did a lot of work myself though.

Slant the counter tops on your side kitchen so the water drains off

Vent hood for outdoor kitchen

Filled drain in laundry

Filled drain in garage
220 in garage  in case this EV thing catches on

Accents Lights on your stairs steps

Insolation, Insolation, Insolation

Cat 6 EVERY where
Every place a TV will go
Every where you will place a camera, you can get cameras powered by CAT cable


3mm film on your windows to keep people from breaking in & rocks thrown from the mowers

Garage bigger than you think you need
Wide enough garage that you can open the doors to cars
And deep enough to park a full size truck in it

A spot for a extra fridge close or in the kitchen

Put you laundry near the place, that will make the most laundry

Dog wash or full size MOP sink & doggy door in laundry
( if applicable)

Outlets with regular plug & USB outlets

Generator, if you can not afford it right now go ahead & have the breaker box wired for it

Lif you have a over garage atic, a lift to get stuff up & down like the Christmas tree

Sperate AC/ heat just for the master
No reason to cool or heat the hole house at night
Additional units for each level of the house

Headed floors in master bathroom

Towel warmer

Smaller safe in master for Jewelry & CCW
Wife is more likely to use it everyday, than walk to get into the big one

I have been looking into rubber mulch & fake UV resent bushes, so I will never have to mess with a flower bed again

Wet bar in your main cave

Ice makers are generally shit

Working on house plans myself right now
Major following this thread!!

@sixnine

Just grilled some pork and steak from them this past weekend. Stop N Shop usually has their marinated pork/steak/chicken which is convenient since Drago’s is open for about 3 hours a week. Lol

https://www.howefarmsmeats.com/

and of course my friend Steve has good stuff too! And with that I guess you're up on all the good food then!

That’s a new one for me. I’ll go check them out sometime next week. Thanks for the tip

We built semi-cudtom 6 years ago and have started a list for our next home already.  Threads like this are great for ideas.

The funny thing is though that some stuff I thought of initially and the builder refused to do add-ons for because it wasn't in initial contract.  They also charged stupid prices for anything extra.  Things like 100 per run cat 5 (take 5 minutes and maybe 10 in cable), charged extra for oil rubbed bronze fixtures vs the chrome even though the price was identifical from supplier.

Biggest thing us get a builder who isn't a jackass

Maybe I missed it but after last night a good safe room. I am not talking about something to protect you from the zombies. Last nights storm had me looking around for a sturdy interior room. The best thing I could find was the bathroom off the small hallway. I miss the basement I had in Hellinois. I am retired and in my forever home. I did make some of the provisions recommended above but gave little thought to storms. I have family ten minutes away and they lost power for about 1.5 hours. Mine flickered a few times. Thought I woukd have family over last night. You might get a battery backup garage door opener. It only cost me an extra $50 bucks but seems worth it. Some people don’t know how to open a garage door if the power was out.

More insulation than code is good but this is overkill and wasted money. I don’t practice in MI, but in the zones where I do, (3A, 3B, 4) over 30-35 continuous insulation (CI)on the roof is a point of diminishing returns and becomes a waste of money.
Research your zone and talk to a real mechanical engineer that has done the math there to determine what that number is for you. Non-continuous will require more than continuous, but don’t waste your money just thinking more is better.

You will need CI on your walls and should get it on the roof too.

Make sure your get a proper air barrier - if you can get a spray applied that is better than house wrap which has lots of opportunities for gaps, misses, and failures at penetrations, edges and openings. Also, make sure your windows  and doors are flashed properly.
None of the above will look good like granite or be something you can show off to the lay person, but will significantly reduce  energy costs by minimizing heat transfer.