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Building a house. What would you love to have?
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amother


 

Post Mon, Dec 22 2014, 2:21 pm
B'h I am building a house soon. I have a large lot, leaving me plenty of space to play with. I am coming from a tiny apartment (in a more expensive city) so am very excited but inexperienced with this.
What details would you love to have in your home? What have you regretted? I am looking for all the advice I can get!
Based on our budget, our outlook is not to compromise on size, but leave the detailing to a later time. I can always redecorate, but its but harder to renovate.
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saw50st8




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Dec 22 2014, 2:26 pm
Large closets
Mud room with space for cubbies for the kids and stroller storage
Laundry near the bedrooms and another off the kitchen (for linens and towels soiled nearby and for anything dirty from outside).
At least a powder room on every level
Main floor should have an access with no stairs to accommodate for wheelchairs for aging family and a bathroom with shower to accommodate the same.
Large dining room with washing station
Large kitchen with at least 2 of everything
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musicmom




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Dec 22 2014, 2:35 pm
bigger bathrooms/ bigger vanities
larger closets
more places to put bookshelves
coat closet in entryway
more kitchen storage
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nomilessthan




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Dec 22 2014, 2:36 pm
my own bathroom!!! separate from my DH
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amother


 

Post Mon, Dec 22 2014, 2:45 pm
I'm also starting to build soon. My wish list:

1st floor:
2 car garage
Large dr/lr
Eat in kitchen
Small sitting room off kitchen with bookshelves
Peach kitchen off of regular kitchen
Mudroom
Guest suite with w/c accessible bathroom, for older parent, or me when I'm old.
Study

2nd floor
5 bedrooms
3 bathrooms
Laundry room
Little reading niche in hallway

Basement
Playroom
3 bedrooms
2 bathrooms

Attic
3 bedrooms
2 bathrooms

I hope to rent out basement for income.
I'm looking into a lot of energy efficiency tips to reduce costs and maybe even get tax credits where applicable (not sure if they're still offered

I may leave attic unfinished to save $$$ now and do it later when my kids get married.

I'd love to do cool things like warming plates under sidewalk and driveway so no snow shoveling, indoor Succah roof, skylight...but all will depend on cost...we'll have a budget so that will help prioritize what we do.
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amother


 

Post Mon, Dec 22 2014, 2:52 pm
Is this about our fantasies, too?

I'd love a heated outdoor pool a.

And a heliport!!!

Silly

Amother because the heliport is a standing joke in my family.
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gittelchana




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Dec 22 2014, 2:55 pm
Self clean Smile
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nyer1




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Dec 22 2014, 2:55 pm
in a fantasy world:

a movie theater
indoor bowling alley
indoor and outdoor heated pools with hottubs and sauna
tennis courts
commercial kitchen
pesach kitchen
maid's quarters
guest quarters
my own bathroom


hmmmm what else? there's no end Wink
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Iymnok




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Dec 22 2014, 3:13 pm
Play room
Family room
Pesach kitchen off of the main one.
Laundry room with space to hang fold and iron.
Entrance- I've always loved an entrance in the front center opening to a large staircase worth banister to slide down.
Large deck off the kitchen for succos and barbecues.
Guest suite in the basement with the extra washer/dryer.
Large master bathroom with a double shower and Jacuzzi.
A nursery off of the master bedroom for little babies.
Intercom.
Secret passage-that's my biggest dream.
Room for the live-in.
Somewhere private I the main floor to nurse the baby and give a nap.
Mud room
Porch of the master bedroom for a sleeping sukka.
Swimming pool
Play house with slides, bridges and swings.
Climbing wall
Breakfast nook
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studying_torah




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Dec 22 2014, 3:13 pm
More closets
Laundry on the same floor as bedrooms
A well thought out spacious kitchen with good lighting and ample counter space
A pantry w pull out drawers/shelves
A walk in coat closet w shelves for hats, gloves and hooks for breifcases
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Dolly Welsh




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Dec 22 2014, 3:18 pm
In kitchen, a separate hot-water spigot that makes boiling water. Useful for tea and in cooking.

Remember that a mudroom has a raw brick floor. It's right where you come in. It's where you leave your boots, in boot-trays to catch the melted snow. You will need a seat there to put on your boots. And storage.

I think hot plates under driveway and walkways is a very good place to put money, if they really work. I have no experience with that.

I favor skylights all over, including in the garage. It's free light. Windows in the garage door and at the back of the garage serve the same purpose. Skylights don't have to open.

I favor a lot of glass walls and doors. Just because something's a door doesn't mean you can't see out of it. Free light. But there may be security considerations however.

I favor large overhangs in the south direction, and small ones in the north direction. That's passive solar.

Do NOT put any trees right near the house. Put a tree at the front of the house on the south-east side for shade. Get a lot of professional advice about exactly what species of tree. Think about what its leaves do in Fall and what its roots do to your foundation. No willows anywhere near the house; they are water thirsty and may clog your drains. You don't want a tree shedding leaves onto your roof. The leaves get into your gutters.

You don't want a lot of vegetation right at the foundation of the house. You don't want bushes someone can hide behind either near the house.

You never want wood touching the ground. Termites. All fences and steps should be some other material than wood.

Double pane all your glass. Make sure the corners are welded.

Figure out what direction the rain blows from. On that side of the house, have awning-style windows. This keeps the rain from blowing in. Awning style windows open from the top frame, with the glass sticking outward at an angle. They are opened with a winch that goes round and round from inside.

Some people like to have their own back-up generator in case of power failure.
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Pandabeer




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Dec 22 2014, 3:19 pm
playroom, on main level, kids don't like to play in the basement
laundry room, with place for always open iron, sewing table & place to cut fabrics etc.
big closet near door for coats, briefcases and extra space for seasonal stuff
kitchen with big windows that has a nice view
sitting room for the kids where they can read
big size front porch
huge backyard with space to plant vegetables/flowers etc
a room for the clothes that are put away
2 toilets on main floor
big cabintes in kitchen to be able to fin everything

a girl can dream....
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m+m




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Dec 22 2014, 3:41 pm
Think long term. IYh when your children are married and come for shabbos you want them to have their own private bedrooms and bathrooms.

What I think is important:

A playroom off the the kitchen which can be closed off when company comes.
A large mudroom which can accommodate strollers, etc.
An office area (I hate when mail piles up on kitchen counters, table, etc)
I large front porch (would be nice to sit outside on shabbos afternoon and have a"private" sitting are that is covered.
A large dining room
1st floor bedroom and private bath. Great for a new mom who can't run up and down the stairs, or for an older family member.
Large upstairs laundry room!!
Sitting area in master bedroom.
Large master on-suite
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animeme




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Dec 22 2014, 3:41 pm
Mudroom with cubbies is at the top of my list by far. Have an extra cubbies or two for guests and or new additions. And definitely a bench for putting on and taking off boots and shoes.
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Raisin




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Dec 22 2014, 4:37 pm
if you decide to have your laundry room downstairs (which is quieter since not near the bedrooms, and also easier to pop in out and throw in loads) you can install a laundry chute.

and indoor gym/playroom would be amazing for cold climates. Or a covered deck area where kids can ride bikes even when its raining. But otherwise a huge playroom adjacent to kitchen with space for toy cupboards, bookshelves, lots of comfy seating, and lots of floor space and tables to play on.

guest suite with separate entrance, and kitchenette. Great if you ever have to have long term guests, even family members.

think of practical things like hardwearing, easy clean flooring...
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Dolly Welsh




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Dec 22 2014, 4:46 pm
Right. And a separate suite like that would be even more independent if it had its own laundry machines.

"Gym finish" is supposed to be the hardest floor finish.

I think a small master bedroom is more romantic than a huge one. There can be adjoining dressing room(s) for clothes storage. A study should be separate, if it can be. I think people feel safer and more focused and enclosed in a small room. If it has a small separate balcony, not a big deck, to drink coffee, and muse, on, with a glass door, that's nice too.

Remember, bigger means more to heat and more to clean.

LED lighting is cheaper to run than any other kind, I hear.
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Scrabble123




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Dec 22 2014, 4:51 pm
I personally believe that large dining rooms lack taste and are a waste of space. A tight dining room is the real definition of a dining room unless you like that dining room/living room feel. I definitely don't and wouldn't want couches and open space in my dining area. That definitely varies from person to person though. His and her sinks, his and her closets, present closets, a library with a game table in the center (not pool: but a a table to play scrabble, chess, backgammon, cards, etc. on with comfy round chairs), and not just a playroom for children, but a study room as well (each kid has their own space/desk/depending on the space) are things I would go for.
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Ema of 5




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Dec 22 2014, 5:04 pm
We just bought a house and had to redo A LOT of it. The two things I regret not doing in the kitchen are bookshelves in the island and a faucet over the stove. It's not a long walk to the sink, but pots get heavy and I hate when they spill.
We have the laundry on the same floor as the bedrooms, which is awesome. I don't really see the need for another one.
Mud room is a huuuuuge plus.
The one thing we have that I don't like is tile all the way up the walls in the bathrooms, so I can't hang anything (toys, toy holder, shaver....) That wasn't our house though, that's just the way the guy did it.
Now that we bh have space for it, I'm so excited to have three sinks!!! The contractor thought I was nuts, but I love it. We also have a lip on the island where we will eventually put stools so te kids can eat there.
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Ema of 5




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Dec 22 2014, 5:20 pm
Scrabble123 wrote:
I personally believe that large dining rooms lack taste and are a waste of space. A tight dining room is the real definition of a dining room unless you like that dining room/living room feel. I definitely don't and wouldn't want couches and open space in my dining area. That definitely varies from person to person though. His and her sinks, his and her closets, present closets, a library with a game table in the center (not pool: but a a table to play scrabble, chess, backgammon, cards, etc. on with comfy round chairs), and not just a playroom for children, but a study room as well (each kid has their own space/desk/depending on the space) are things I would go for.

I don't know what a big dining room is, but our table opens to 13 feet, and we can fit 20 people around it. Our dinning room is big enough that everyone can fit and there is room to walk around the table without people having to move in.
I wanted his and her sinks, but our contractor didn't put in new sinks. One day :-) we have our own closets. What is a present closet? Our play room is not next to our kitchen, and I prefer it that way. We have a reading room upstairs. It's a converted crawl space. There are some comfy bean bag chairs, and lots of books!!! It's our quiet space :-) no table in there, it's just for reading. A study room sounds too intense for me, but if that works for you, enjoy!!
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amother


 

Post Mon, Dec 22 2014, 5:36 pm
A connection to the wall that you can connect the vacuum hose with Very Happy
and not schlep around the whole vacume
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