Convenient house details

voiceofreason

Mon, Dec 13 2021, 12:15 pm

Hi-
I'm in the process of building a house and am looking for suggestions for the little details that make life smoother.
For example:
- Light switches near beds
- Tap near the stovetop
- Kitchen door to take out garbage
- shabbos clock
- usb wall ports
- sink in laundry room
Does anyone have any details/features that they love for making life convenient? Specifically want a practical house. Would love input.

lkwdlady

Mon, Dec 13 2021, 12:44 pm

Insulation
If you are building a house in Lakewood most houses are insufficiently insulated. There’s always a chill in the air unless the heat is raised high. Also the plumbing needs insulation. People downstairs do not need to hear when the water is running through the pipes and the toilets flush so loud.

ShishKabob

Mon, Dec 13 2021, 12:57 pm

momof2+? wrote:

A laundry chute? Which floor are you putting your laundry room?

I would do 2 laundry rooms, one upstairs one downstairs. That way the laundry doesn't have to travel all that much.

mfb

Mon, Dec 13 2021, 1:06 pm

I think water tap near stove lord of times have issues and aren’t so good. They can leak…. And it’s hard to fix.
I wish I would have a mud room entrance for all the wet things that end up laying all around by me.

tsc3

Mon, Dec 13 2021, 1:15 pm

I put in light fixtures along the wall of the hallways, low down and one near each toilet that stay on at night.
You can also do this in kids bedrooms instead of nightlights. Or wall lamps next to the beds that already have the shabbos lamp feature.

Master bathroom was a must for convenience.

A special nook for shabbos candles

If you have the need - a large bathroom counter with a large sink for bathing infants.

3 ovens

Again if you have the need - there is a cool kick panel for the kitchen or bathroom that comes out and it is a step/stool for kids to reach the sink.

I'll add if I think of anything else.

Good luck!

Chayalle

Mon, Dec 13 2021, 1:34 pm

I absolutely love the pantry cabinet in my kitchen. It has two pull-out shelf units in front of the back shelves. Hard to explain, but the back wall is lined with shelves that are not massively deep, and in front, there's two shelving units that swing out. So everything stays so organized. You don't have to go hunting thru layers of stuff to get to what you need.

Layout of home also helps alot. I love that my garage is just off the hallway near kitchen, and I have extra freezers and storage in there, making it easy for me to get to what I need. I love laundry room right behind the kitchen, so I can keep an eye on cooking and laundry at same time.

Chayalle

Mon, Dec 13 2021, 2:40 pm

I also love having spotlights over our beds. It's so nice for reading in bed, having light exactly where I need it. I never use the over-the-bed switch, but DH likes it.

I love ceiling fans in the bedrooms. I need air and cross-circulation.

There's a switch in my master bathroom that heats up the bathroom more than the rest of the house. I sometime switch it on before taking a shower in the winter, so I don't come out shivering. It has an automatic shut-off after a certain amount of time, so I don't have to worry about turning it off.
(there's also something for turning the shower into a sauna of sorts. We never use it.)
I love that the pull-down shower heads are magnetic, and they snap back on to the base. You don't have to wiggle it into some sort of ring....

geemum

Mon, Dec 13 2021, 4:17 pm

I love the insinkerator. So easy to clean up dinner and breakfast (think bowls of soggy cornflakes and milk). And keeps old food scraps out of the garbage, reducing smells and flies. Use it for veg peeling too.

Mud room for kids to come through at side of the house, with space to keep shoes, coats and school bags.

Hot (and cold) faucet in the yard.... So easy to fill the kiddie pool. Also a (waterproof) electric socket in yard so useful.

Dusk to dawn sensor for external lights. We did in front yard only.

7day digital timer for lights, so no need to switch on "shabbos clock" on Fridays. Still need to adjust for chagim though ( it's a tough life;) )

Lights in bathrooms that stay on over shabbos/chagim.

Timed watering system for front yard/flower bed.

Good luck and enjoy the endless decisions (!!!)

ra_mom

Mon, Dec 13 2021, 4:27 pm

Lights installed inside each closet, with a separate switch. Works great as a nightlight for shabbos- just close closet door when it's time for bed.

Sconce lights and switches over master beds.

Kitchen under cabinet light and above cabinet lighting- gives great light when preparing at the counter and makes the entire kitchen looks better.

Shabbos clock installed on dining room light switch.

If using HVAC for heat (instead of radiators), install humidifiers into the system so you're skin is not so parched.

Build a full size pesach closet just outside of the kitchen (there will be no boxes to take up and down and you can access the closet to see what you have at any time).

Purchase oven and fridge with shabbos mode. Try to get a dishwasher that doesn't light up when you open it.

Build a nook straight into the shower tile wall for shampoo and soap bottles.

Install many drawers instead of bottom cabinets in the kitchen. Keeps everything neat and accessible.

Water access in front of the house and at back of the house for hoses and kiddie summer fun.

I'll see if I have time to post more.

Amarante

Mon, Dec 13 2021, 4:31 pm

Have your lights use the Lutron Caseta smart technology so you can turn your lights on and off from the App. Who wants to have to stretch when comfortably in bed in order to turn a light on or off. LOL

On a more practical note you can set schedules for lights so that they turn on and off automatically based on your set times.

But seriously - I think you are putting the cart before the horse.

To get the most convenient house concentrate on the flow of the home and how the various spaces work for you.

Concentrate on the layout of the kitchen as you picture yourself actually working in there.

The stuff you are considering are minor details and you would probably be well serve hiring a designer to help you with these kinds of functional details as well as aesthetic decisions. The enormous number of decisions that have to be made that you never even considered - placement of towel racks; how high do you want the shower fixtures and bars. And on that subject make sure that you install safety grab bars while it is being built because they need to be attached to the studs which is done before the tiling is done.

Living Princess

Mon, Dec 13 2021, 4:33 pm

Chayalle wrote:

My mother had this pantry plus it had small shelves on the doors which cold hold things like small cans. It's a great pantry!

voiceofreason

Mon, Dec 13 2021, 8:14 pm

Thank you all.
Our plans are complete, so we really are looking at just details.
I like closet lights.
Floor-level lighting.
Hot and cold outdoor taps.
7 day timer.
Pantry sounds cool- will ask the kitchen designer if possible to do that.
Is an insinkerator scary with children?

Thanks for suggestions. Please add!

imamazing

Mon, Dec 13 2021, 8:25 pm

X sure if someone mentioned these, x read thru all comments ..

Love smart switches everywhere. Can control lights from my phone. Can also set them in timers.

Also built in book cases and nooks into the walls- did it for books and sfardim and smaller books in shower to hold : display bottles . Can do the same in bedrooms for Knick knacks pictures etc. you can paint it accent colors.., so many possibilities !

liveandlove.ima

Mon, Dec 13 2021, 9:14 pm

imamazing wrote:

I know it's a typo - funny tho LOL

If you have the space get 2 washer/dryers in the laundry room. I know someone that has it (just another washer) its like going to a laundromat....