We’re in the beginning process of building a second house. It will be a vacation home in the mountains, but we do believe we’ll be there about 4 - 5 months of the year. It does have to meet certain requirements of the area that it’s in, they tend to look like mountain lodge homes and loose craftsman styles.
As we’re making our spreadsheet as we’re starting to meet with architects we figured we should start making a list of what it must if at all possible have, and what I’d like it to have. I’ve only built one other time and it was a neighborhood that you chose the builder and from a certain amount of floor plans. This will be custom. I’d love to hear ideas as I don’t know what I don’t know.
The goal - make a house that will be super functional and comfortable and to be able to be resold easily - so no over building or over customization.
My musts include -
First floor master
Home office over the garage
No formal living room
No bathtub in the master, but a steam shower
Separate vanities in bathroom (I hated sharing space with hubby)
No carpeting
Fireplace in great room
Double oven
island - but no stove top or sink on island
place for spices to be organized and accessible in the kitchen (a huge issue for me now)
What I’d like to have
Screened in porch with fireplace
heated bathroom floors
each bedroom to have sufficient closets and own bathrooms
pantry in kitchen
laundry near master
I love my central vacuum. Separate walk-in closets in the master bedroom.
Also, I don’t want my office upstairs, so I would not buy your place with the office over the garage. First floor office. Actually, would probably build a ranch.
For spice organization, DS2 and DIL have a deep drawer where they keep theirs. The jars are labeled on the caps, so it’s perfect upright storage right next to their oven. DIL’s idea.
We love our radiant floor heating throughout the house. I’m terribly catty when looking at listings for some multi-million dollar homes and see baseboards. DH just laughs at my snotty rants about where they put their money and where they didn’t.
Depending on the climate, upgraded windows would definitely be a selling point for me. Flowing from that, insulation upgrades. Operating costs.
You said mountains, do they lose power often enough for a generator to be a draw?
We loved building our (admittedly overengineered) home. Enjoy your adventure!
My number one requirement for any dwelling, new or old, is a high quality gas range or rangetop with a hood over it that vents to the outdoors, and has a STRONG fan.
I also need a tub deep enough to soak in.
Powder room.
No carpeting.
My list of musts for a totally new house would be really long.
My daughter has a house with a great room with the kitchen as one end of it. She also has a silent dishwasher (put in by the previous owner).
In my next life, I would LOVE to have a silent dishwasher, especially if there’s living space connected to the kitchen. I hate having to time my use of the dishwasher around people’s desire to watch the nearby TV.
My musts would be:
2 car attached garage
1/2 bath (powder room) on first floor
laundry on first floor
basement
probably first floor master or ranch style
My likes would be:
large solid island or peninsula (with no sink or stove)
walk-in pantry
walk-in shower in master
no banquet seating
no fire place
never heard of silent dishwasher, but Ima add that to my list
@eyemamom: Do you already have the land picked out? Because for me, that’s really the most important. Anything else can be accomodated or changed later. And for me, the land must include:
Minimum half an acre
Flat and dry – no wetlands
Not on a road with double yellow lines
Privacy from the neighbors
House location on flat land or only a slight knoll – but definitely not on a slope coming down from the road
Regarding the house: The direction the house faces would be important. I like sunlight coming into the kitchen in the morning, not in the late afternoon, so I like my kitchen facing east or southeast.
I’d also want an entry way with lots of room and two decent closets – one for family and one for guests.
Some really great “upgrades” don’t really cost that much extra if they are planned in from the beginning: Doorways large enough for a wheelchair. Barrier free shower entries. Exterior door that could be made adaptable to a wheelchair if possible. Excellent insulation, including in interior walls that are not normally insulated (they make this stuff that’s shredded blue jeans that is amazing for sound as well as heat/cold). Would be great if you imagine using the house for multi-generational gatherings eventually. A whole house fan. HEPA filter on HVAC unit (for those with seasonal allergies who are visiting).
A separate toilet room in MB and a large MB tub;
Steam oven;
Gas cooktop and a separate wall oven (so no bending to get stuff in and out of the oven);
Covered deck with a fire table (outdoor fireplaces are less useful for providing heat for a group);
Covered area for outdoor grilling;
A garage with ample space to store all of the Mister’s tools!
Definitely agree on the gas stove w/external vented hood exhaust (an actual hood, not an over-stove microwave). Full-extension lower drawers instead of doors for the lower cabinets. Soap dispenser (or cutout for it) at the sink. Gas hookup for backyard bbq - you can always have the actual bbq island built later if you don’t want to do it up front.
Foam insulation and low-e windows. 2x6 construction instead of 2x4. Minimum 9’ ceilings, preferrably 10’. Sill plates sealed w/caulk (to keep out bugs). And a window flashing and general waterproofing review by a 3rd party expert during construction (incorrect window and roof flashing is the cause of many leaks). Soft water loop for a water softener that includes all interior water sources (some plumbers/builders omit the hot water line to the kitchen). Hot water recirculation pump. Outlets in kitchen and garage on 20A circuits instead of 15A.
Have a mud room adjacent to your garage or wherever your main entryway is located. Include a bench so people can sit down to take off wet, muddy shoes. Lots of hooks on the wall to hang wet coats. Outlets and floor space to have several boot dryers for all the boots, hats and gloves. Cubbies or other storage to corral the gloves, hats, scarves, etc into that area. This strategy helps contain the winter outer garment mess so that your bathrooms don’t end up looking like drying racks for the whole season!
If guests will enter in a different location, have at least a small chair and a coat rack for the same purpose.
Quite minor compared to what others are mentioning but outlets inside cabinets and drawers. One of my favorite things from a remodel is having my blowdryer and flat iron in my drawer and plugged in. Just open the drawer and use.
We also have heated floors in our master bathroom which we love. However, think about where your heat/AC vents will go because, in that room, the vent is by the floor so, during AC time, the heat from the floor and the AC coming in so close compete with one another. We definitely did not design/build this house.
@HouseChatte - my husband is loud, and with our office arrangement now I feel like I live in the company shop. If we put a bathroom in the office over the garage it could be thought of as an extra bedroom down the road. What do you mean about the baseboards? That they don’t have them or that they do?
@Gourmetmom - I’m jealous of your steam shower. I have a chest cold right now and a regular shower just doesn’t cut it.
@VeryHappy - yes, we picked out the lot. Actually we’re buying 2 side by side and joining them. To me the lot was the most important piece of it. I completely agree with everything and I believe we accomplished that. I live on a private lot now, I can’t imagine going back to seeing neighbors backyards and all. I think I’m better in small doses - lol
@BunsenBurner - I’m getting mad just reading your list - hubby insisted we get a steam oven in this house, guess how many times he’s used it? None. We don’t even know how to turn it on or use it.
I need a generator in this house first! For whatever reason we still have above the ground power lines around here and every strong wind it seems trees are falling on them and knocking out our power.
I was just looking around online and found the basic floorplan for the first floor I want.
We didn’t include a mud room when we built our house in 1996 - what a mistake! We made sure to include it in our 2008 addition.
We also couldn’t afford a garage initially. SO thankful we added it! It’s ridiculous not to have one in Maine - wiping snow off the car isn’t too bad, but chipping ice off the windshield is!
I agree strongly with @ccprofandmomof2 about allowing for wheelchair access. Designing a bathroom with things like a grab bar in the shower, or pocket doors that don’t swing into or out of the room can make a difference in someone with special needs being able to live independently, but comfortably, for a while. Who knows what the future brings. Allow space for a wheelchair, walker, or scooter access ramp in the garage to the main living area (whether it opens to mudroom, kitchen or den, etc.)
I would also add to the “must have” list would be built-in shelves in the garage, and the garage doors must be wide enough to accommodate a large vehicle without having to fold the mirrors in.
Nice to have would be an electric vehicle charging station in the garage.
Absolute must to have would be either large window sills, or box windows that will accommodate lots of houseplants.
If you are building from scratch it is super easy to install soundproofing around the office. Also, if you are putting a room over the garage, be sure to put in extra insulation in the flooring.
