You jest, but are probably closer.  People are very unrealistic with some of these must haves.  

I have an additional 5/8” insulation board on my home. Makes it having custom windows and doors but I don’t care. Electric is just $111 a month on budget (even using a window unit in the attached garage) and propane gas has me paying $460/year (furnace/gas logs/grill connections). My cooling/heating is electric unless the temp drops below 27*F then the gas furnace kicks on.

ETA: Gas logs aren’t used much (mainly on Christmas Eve), only used for power outages in winter if needed.

You said a drive in basement, so a sub basement that is a hidden so it would be a good place for extra storage or a hidden safe room for survival supplies
The video system centered and powered from the vault
Hide the vault and put in a cheap gun safe with junk guns for a home break in to spend time on
a emergency hidden exit from the vault to the outside, tunnel that you crawl through
Pull cat5 or 6 cables everywhere including to spots outside the house, so you can have a gate control and video and audio to the place a gate would be good to be located if needed in the future
If the cell phone signal is weak then a cell repeater
The heat wire under the drive way, walk ways, steps for ice removal without salt.
Heat wire in the places under the roof where ice dams form

Garages should be 30' deep. Allows for a full size truck with some room behind to pass and for cabinets/shelves etc.

Electrical recepticals under the eves, I did this but wish I had more than just the four corners. I also wished I added them at the top and bottom of stairs as well as the landings. What you have planned for out side recepticals, double it.

Attached File
Attached File

The Arfhaus is more like $600sf but it’s 11,000sf.

4' wide staircase.

Architect told us we'd love it... At the time we kinda just nodded and smiled, but after living with it for 3 years it's awesome. I start feeling claustrophobic in "regular" 3' staircases now.

I am just finishing up my retirement home in TN.  I went R30 in doble stud walls R60 ceiling all rockwool. ERV, Whole house Dehumidifier, Concealed Duct heat pumps.

You mentioned Euro windows. We were going that route but changed our mind last minute.  We settled on Pella Impervia fiberglass frame triple pane windows. I am very impressed with them. I installed them mid wall with provided metal clips just like euro windows.  I highly recommend them. The price out about the same as vinyl euro windows

Good luck

rookie numbers.gif

If you have water going into a room, have a drain going out of it.

Simple and fairly cheap to do during construction and it is often overlooked.

I will say look at T-Stud construction.  We went with the 8” T Studs,  Zip sheathing and Hardiboard, ended up with about 10” thick exterior walls, solid foam.  

We can’t hear shit outside, we are in the country, but it makes for a quiet interior.  

I’d also went with standing seam metal roof.  

With taxes, insurance, energy costs and crime going up, I’d look for energy efficiency, ease of maintenance (keep things simple) and security before lots of high tech crap.

I'm on extra meds today and when I saw OP's title I swore it said Building a Whore House.

My attention focused and I read the title clearly. Carry on OP and congrats on wanting to build a new house. It ain't an easy thing.

We built three years ago and here are some things I’m glad we did:
Insulated interior walls
Solid interior doors
Switched outlets under eaves
Blocking for tv mounts
Outlets for tv mounts
Real bathroom exhaust fans
Ceiling fans in all bedrooms
Hose bibs on all sides of house
Outlets on all sides of house
Buried gutter downspouts
Double oven
Under cabinet lighting

Things I wish I did:
Pot filler
Outlets in closets
Hot water hose bibs
Bigger kitchen
More closet space

This x10000. Especially if you do any work on your own vehicles or ever plan on buying a boat or the like. My garage is only 21’ deep and I’m always wishing it were bigger.

Make make your basement ceiling a concrete slab. Instant bunker...

In southern climates I wouldn’t even bother with insulation in the walls.

All concrete.

10ft concrete apron tapering from foundation.

NO gutters.

Rooftop terrace for plants/porch.

Great suggestions relative to additional space, no-step shower with seat, wide entry and doorways.

I like having the laundry room off the master bedroom which is accessible from master closet and hallway.  

CAT wiring in all family, bedrooms, office, etc. anywhere you’d have a TV or computer

I’m in the middle of relocating my AC (putting in heat pump) to north side of house where it will get least amount of sun.

If you have indoor pets, upgrade on flooring for durability.

Recessed lighting in all rooms so that you can easily change the bulbs with a pole as opposed to getting on a ladder.

Put motion sensing light switches in rooms like pantry, closets, small half baths, garage, hallways, laundry room etc. I’m super spoiled and love having the convenience.

Large sink in laundry room. Upper cabinets, counter, and lower cabinets and or drawers across from w/d. I found an antique buffet that I repurposed for uppers and has a cool charm at a fraction of price. Also like having hanging area on either sides of it. (Motion sensing light under upper cabinets is nice. I ended up installing light bar with plug and a motion sensing outlet. Not ideal, but if you could wire up front, that’s best.

Deep drawers instead of lower cabinets in kitchen.

Large spice rack in pantry, install on a dead space wall if possible. Mine is like 3’ x 5’ and can fit the large spice containers too.

Make the HVAC air filter convenient to change. Mine is in ceiling, which is yuck. Yours is prob in the basement.

Would recommend fortifying large master closet like tornado shelter when you or elderly family can’t easily make it down the stairs.

Build electric in garage to support multiple fridge/freezer.

Shop sink setup in garage.

I’ve built hundreds of millions of dollars of uninsulated walls. If you manage your air exchanges and don’t have much of a heating or cooling load to start with it’s no big deal. Insulate the roof heavily. You’ll have a structure that lasts many times longer than something with all sorts of modern building science built into it.

Double the outlets.

Every bedroom/living room etc has a ceiling fan on its own switch.

Where are you putting the grill? Make sure it's not on the south/west side of the house.  I fucking hate grilling in the hot sun.

Along with the rv slab/sewer, don't forget a 30 and 50 amp circuit.

Dream house needs a dream shower.

If you live in a colder climate that gets snow, a heated driveway and front walk.  Never shoveling again would make me damn happy. Also heat tape permanently installed on valleys of roof so ice dams are never an issue. Deck that has water drainage built in. In ground sprinkles.  Strong vent over stove properly vented outside. Natural gas line ran to outdoor grill and never worry about propane again.

Same way the ancients did. Eaves, shutters and vegetation.

Cooling from 90 to 70 is nothing. Or even 100 to 70. You know those houses with fancy double pane windows along a whole wall? The most efficient windows you can buy are less effective than a masonry wall.

After the framers leave for the day go in with 3" deck screws and go over their half ass fastening.

You want regret a walk around porch.

Make wall outlets about 2 feet off the floor.  

Make your house one that is as SMALL as possible while still meeting your needs.

We built in 2018 and love our house but there are a few things that we didn't do that I wish we did.

1.  Walk in attic, and have the whole thing covered with OSB.  There is not such thing as too much storage.  Love ours.  

2.  Outlets in water closets (if separate from test of bathroom) and closets.  Dedicated outlets anywhere you can think of having TVs, routers, etc.  

3.  Do irrigation, I could kick myself in the balls for not doing it.

4.  Do foam insulation if an option.

5.  If on city water, add a water powered backup sump pump with an independent drain line.  CHEAP insurance.  If you can have two WALL sump pumps in two different pits, that's a big plus too.  

6.  Uninterrupted line of sight in basement (via opening a door or two, if needed) for at least 40 ft...  for science.  

7.   Nice deck with outdoor living plumbing and electrical.

8.  Quiet garage doors.

9.  BIG pantry.

10.  Have a real fireplace(or at least, provision for adding wood stove) if you are anywhere that gets cold.  I wish I would've had the foresight to do that.

11.  Plugs where SIDES of bed are, not just in the middle of it.

If I think of anything else I will post.  Good luck, hopefully you have deep pockets

Bidet in master

Heated tile floors in master bath and closet at a minimum

Shower built for two

Down wash floor level lighting on motion detector in bathroom and stairwells

Smart light switches are awesome, we used Lutron Casetta and it rocks.

Touch sensitive kitchen faucet (touch, not motion), recommend Trinsic by Delta.

Kitchen trash cabinet opens with a tap of the toe

Definitely plan ahead for networking

I wouldn't put the basement under the home, I would have it off to the side, unless you are going to have a slab between the two. I'd have an escape hatch too, well hidden. Shit, put it under the yard and have one of those hand pump hydraulic deals.

An entry door way with a ledge just tall enough for you to forget to clip your foot on.
A bathroom window right by your front entrance to let visitors know you're pooping.
Install only one lock on the front door with a turn latch and place a window right next to it, just in case you get locked out.
A/C unit and compressor on the south side of the house so it stays comfy and warm all year.
Sliding glass doors that are as heavy as possible so the bearings wear down quicker.
White carpet.
Popcorn ceilings.
Keep the windows as low as possible.
1/16 inch glass to save weight.
Keep the washer and dryer as far away possible from an exterior wall.
Whole body length windows next to stairs for a more open feeling.
Shiny gold hardware on doors, windows, and cabinets.
Pocket. Doors. Everywhere.
Skip on the interior insulation, sometimes you don't want to get up to talk to someone across the house.
Skip base boards, let your guests see your white carpeting skills.
A half bathroom right by your dining area to let gets know your scent is stronger than theirs.
Interior closets in the bathroom so towels maintain that fresh mildew smell.
Exhaust fans are loud in bathrooms, you don't need them.
VERY tall trees, closer to the house the better. Have them hang over for shade.
Have the living room or dining room have a random step down a level.
Double doors for your master bedroom - make sure to allow a gap between the two doors so guests can sneak a peak.
Place your master bedroom above the guest bedroom so you can let your guests hear your porking skills.
Contractor's wiring is a must, no need to waste energy with bulkier wiring.
Place outlets on the bottom of the wall touching the floor, no one wants to see those things.
Keep outlets only one per wall. One per room to save energy.
Install spiral staircase to the second story so nothing can be lifting up.
Install a builtin house vacuum system and never use it so future owners can figure out this ancient piece of equipment.
Install return vents for your A/C on the top of your raised ceilings. You will need a 20 foot ladder to get to them. Keeps them away from kids.
Make sure your hot water plumbing needs are as far away from the hot water heater as possible.
Instead of one large two-car garage door, go for two one-car size garage doors.
Make sure your garage door is flush with the exterior level, skip the lip.
Don't label your breaker, you don't want burglars to know which switches turn stuff off.
Build a shower stall just wide enough to walk into. Make sure if you move an inch, your ass touches cold tile. It will save space, energy, and wake you up faster in the morning.

Did I miss anything?

If doing a two story, put a master with a bathroom in downstairs. If you get hurt or whatnot, stairs will be your enemy.

Receptacles can have the top and bottom plugs wired separately. We used to wire the top plug on all the receptacles near windows to a single switch. All holiday decorations would be plugged into the top plug, and could be turned on and off by that switch. The bottom plugs would stay hot like normal.

If I build another house it will have...

1. Solar and Battery for every day use
2. A small generator (propane)
3. Walk in gun safe
4. Wine cellar
5. Hurricane shutters

A plumbing manifold so you can turn off a single room if repairs need to be made.

Alternatively, use main lines with a valve to shut off part of the house.

A switch in the master bedroom that turns on every light inside the house except for bedroom lights.  Another switch that turns on your external 360 degree lighting.

Make sure the bathrooms have some plywood spacers set between the studs so you can hang towel racks etc wherever you want.

Insulate the bathroom walls so you can't hear everybody take a piss

Is there a way to do that without an obscene amount of wiring? I see it mentioned a lot.

I accomplished the same thing via my Lutron app and caseta smart switches. There are a list of widgets on my home screen for all exterior lights on, all off, and other "scenes" that are useful and would require multiple switches in different rooms to accomplish.

Large is important.  My last house was 1,000 sf three door garage.

For me a large wrap around porch is a must. 10-12 for deep all the way around.

If the garage is starched put a 4ft wide staircase from the garage into the basement.  I would consider not putting a a staircase inside the house if I did this.

Standing seem metal roof.

You’re on the right track with a heat exchanger for the geothermal in a pond.

Networking cable to every room, and two sets to every core we of the Josie at the Eves for cameras.

Power plugs in the eves for Christmas lights.

Pot filled in the kitchen.  

Concrete floors with radiant heat is something I’ve always wanted.

If you don’t install a generator from the getgo put in a whole hose transfer switch between the meter and your panel.  I have a manual switch. This slows me to plug my generator into the house and flip a switch and power everything. I can limit the load with the circuit breakers.

Laundry room and master bed closest stretched with a door. Or put the laundry in the master bath.

Two dishwashers.

A tankless hot waster heater if you have gas/propane. Realistic if all electric. Especially solar.

If you’re going Solar consider solar water heaters on the roof may not get the temps you want but will reduce water heater load.

Don’t skimp on gutters. Drives me nuts when gutters get over run.

Before drywall and wall finishing in the bathrooms, kitchen and living room. Cover the walls with 3/4” plywood. You’ll never have to worry about finding a stud.

I’m a huge fan of manifold pex systems. Every appliance has a dedicated home run to the manifold. No connections except at the manifold and the appliance.

If you like grilling. An outside slop slink with hot water is a godsend.

Storm doors on every door.

Exterior hot water valve for outdoor shower/dog wash.

We built ICF 12 years ago and LOVE it.

DO NOT invest in a high efficiency HVAC you won't need it. Geo is also a waste.

We keep the whole damn house HOT with an old wood burning stove.

If your your slab is poured INSIDE your ICF walls, you should not need an insulated slab.

Skip R60 and just spray closed cell foam. This is the way.

Always.

What is your budget (not counting the land)?

$$$/sq foot is ridiculous still.  When I moved to this community, I figured I could build my forever home for $250k.  I had figured due to inflation it would now be $500k.  Because I am a pessimist - I feared it might end up being $750k.  Builder originally said it would be 1.3, but since we are having soil issues - I will not be surprised if the final price is not 1.5.  We got the final plans last week, so have not talked with the builder on budget change due to the soil issues.

So here is my jokes.  Anything less than a decent sized aircraft hanger (2 planes, 4 cars, tractor, lawnmower, skid loader, and 2 boats) is too small of garage (I mean where are the SxS and golf cart going to be stored).  The master suite should have at least 3 bedrooms - that way 2 can become decent sized closets.  Anything less than 5x the normal residential solar install is a joke.  So make sure you have at least 200kw/h of backup batteries, and at least 1000 gallons of diesel stored for the backup generator (or whatever size truck your residential delivery truck holds - no use in accepting partial shipments)...  That said, if you can build that for less than 10m, you will be under budget.
---
Joking aside - house I am planning on building has a 3 car garage with 30' deep bays - and is too fucking small.  Closets and most bedrooms will be on the small side.  It has 3 extra rooms - that probably will rarely be used, but are too small for what I would prefer to use the space for.  It has a great room (fine - but the acoustics means you can not really put a TV in it), a den, a sun room, and a family room (Ok, one room designed for a TV).  I suspect I will end up just living in the basement anyway.  Ok, the real joke is the house is designed like a barn - because my mother always ask if we were born in a barn.  Now thanks to this forum, I really want a basement to live in.

I would think you could set up an automotive relay, like in cars so you do a single, high gauge wire run to a central switch so you aren't running 12ga wire all over the place.

My current house has a pretty open plan so it wouldn't take a lot.  I could do main lights only and not hallways, bathrooms etc.

The family rental is almost a smart home.  What the co-owner found out (and I could have told him before he spent weeks making it smart) is most renters are uncomfortable with that.  That said, the smart switches are not all that expensive, and everything else is in the programming.  Google smart devices are in virtually every room - and you can control virtually any light in or around the house from them (not to mention the AC).  He also put in a few sensors so many of the lights are simply automatic.  If you are in the room, the light is on unless you turn it off or dim it.  If the room or area is vacant - the lights automatically turn off.  Of course on my ranch - I am sure my outdoor lights would be turning on all night from critters.
---
A pet peeve of my current house is lighting.  It had great lighting before the incan bans.  Without changing all the fixtures - I probably lost over 1/2 my lumens.  New house will have plenty of modern lighting - easier to dim than brighten.  While I think cans are still considered more classy - I expect we will be doing a lot of wafer lights.  Plus I just thought - led's dim with age.  Having additional overhead could help extend the life of the lights at proper illumination for a few extra years (if I start at 70% output, as the dim I can gradually increase the output).

Way mor outlets than required by code.

Pour a rat wall around the hot water heater and AC with floor drain. Water proof it. No need to worry about a bad water heater flooding the basement. Water powered sump pum (assuming you will have a well and solar on it.

Wood stove in the basement.

Spend the extra for a rolling steel garage door.

Roll down hurricane shutters. Great for storms and security.

Keep attic stock of all flooring, tile, brick, etc..

Dual water heaters. Different systems for different bathrooms.

Gas everything.

Real wood trim, no MDF.

Buy your cabinets from an Amish outlet.

Rebar on all your flat work, don’t settle for mesh. 6” thick driveway.

Run your down spouts to your pond.

Staircases 4’ or wider.

Tile way past the sides of the tub, preferably all bathroom walls.

Spend the money for the good powerful exhaust fans in your bathrooms.

Pay attention to layout and have exhaust vents on bathrooms and the dryer with as short a run as possible, with not turns.

Metal ducts for all exhaust vents.

If you can afford it Tesla solar roof.  Even if it stops making efficient power those tiles will probably last 100 years.

Make sure your subfloor is beefy, especially if you're gonna have tile. Too many contractors skimping out there. My neighbors brand new house wasn't quite weathered in and the subfloor they used was not weatherproof-"no big deal" contractor told me when I raised the issue of standing water for days on both floors. Hmmm what's that squeak? Why's it smell strange in here now?. Guess that goes along the lines of don't hire cheap labor and don't skimp out. Buy once cry once. Oh and make sure your GC knows how to schedule crews. That's another f-up I've seen. HVAC in before plumbing, electrical in the way of plumbing or drywallers... when you see the finished product you really start scratching your head.

I bought a ranch and am currently going through the entire thing correcting all the issues. Going on 2 years and the interior is almost completely new as I ripped it all out down to the studs. Still saving a ton due to location and amount of property though. Good luck on the new build- keep a close eye on your material qualities and do your research.

Backup heat

Propane



Mud room



Heated driveway


Thankless water heater



Generator hookup



Solar panels facing south on ground so they can be cleaned