What would you have changed?

[AndyM]

I mentioned the following in an earlier post--
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The trouble with building a house is you learn from your mistakes, but since you're only building a house once, you don't get a chance to do it the right way next time!

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Let's help some people out today.
If there's something you could change or do over again on your house, what would it be?


Someone gave me the idea of nailing scraps of 2x4's on each side of the tops of the windows before the drywall gets hung so that you have a solid surface to screw your curtain rods into.

What else? [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

[Inspector507]

Do the same for towel bars, grab bars in the bath and closet rods in the bedroom closets. Same for stair railings.
Make sure, if you build it to live in forever, that you can turn one of the bedrooms later into the laundry. When we get too old and feeble to navigate steps, I can turn one bedroom into the laundry and almost forget the basement, except for the mechanicals. Of course that all is changed if you put the laundry on the main floor to begin with.

[Stoneheartfarm]

Run only 12/3 and 14/3 wires for overhead fixtures. Later if you want to add a ceiling fan, you already have the wire.

Steve

[Pat]

ALWAYS HAVE A USEFUL PLACE FOR CONCRETE!!!

Concrete contractors and others ordering concrete, AT MY EXPENSE, get a little generous but make no plans for the probable overage. Form up some sidewalks or something in segments so that whatever overage there is will be a fair fit to something.

A/C pads, sidewalks, steping stones, something so it isn't wasted.

[img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img] pat [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

[AndyM]

We tried to anticipate all of our electrical needs. Our goal was to eliminate ALL extension cords.

We have three duplex outlets in a row behind our entertainment center. We have switched outlets above and below our wall cabinets for hidden rope lighting. Unforunately, we didn't think about putting switched outlets under the soffits (for Christmas lights) until it was too late!

Run wires like speaker wires and phone jacks anywhere you might need them someday in the future. A phone jack by the TV is handy if you plan on having a dish.

[JazzDad]

Thanks for your post, Andy. I've already written down some of the answers for my house. We have seen some horror stories here about their builders, eh?

[GaryM]

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A phone jack by the TV is handy if you plan on having a dish.

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I ran the speaker wires, but forgot about the need for a phone jack. [img]/forums/images/icons/mad.gif[/img]

[fivestring]

How about an easy-to-get-to main water shutoff valve?

Mine (well water) is under the house and 3/4 of the way at that!

Folks with city water should have one located at the house, not at the meter which is next to the street.

Don't ask me how I know.....

[Richard]

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I ran the speaker wires, but forgot about the need for a phone jack

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I put about 6 phone jacks in the master bedroom alone...wife STILL thinks I'm nuts

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[Jaeger]

Great thread guys! [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img] I'm writing all these tips down. I'll be breaking ground in 2 weeks!

How about installing PVC pipe between walls from the attic to the basement for future wiring runs??

Please more tips, need tips....... [img]/forums/images/icons/wink.gif[/img] .........J