If you are planning to cook, replace the undercabinet mounted microwave with a range hood that vents to the outside, not just recirculating inside. So the odors vent to outside. Also get a farmers sink than sticks towards you. Get dark granite rather than white as it doesn't show stains. Get WATTS hot water recirculating pump so you have instant hot water. Gas connection for water heater and heat. All aluminum metal roof so you don't have to worry about hurricanes in FL and it lasts 50-100 yrs.
If possible, don't use gas, use electric for your water heater and heat. It's better for you and your environment. I have a gas furnace, it was only a few years old when it broke, and I almost died from carbon monoxide poisoning. And electric is probably going to be less costly than gas in the future as the government starts imposing taxes on gas in an effort to reduce global warning.
@Basic Truth I redid my kitchen and 2.5 baths. I did it 10 yrs ago thru IKEA. They have a software that you plug in the room dimensions and which cabinets you want and it'll make the list for you. The cabinets came to $5500 in parts. They had certified installers and they charged $100 a cabinet. I bought 2 slabs of granite ($1400) and had a granite company fabricate it for $25 a sq ft. The cabinets have a 25 yr warranty, but now it maybe 10 yrs. Sometimes IKEA have a big sale on them and I think you can get it up to 50% off. They also have the soft close drawers and other features that's found in high end european kitchens. I love it after 10 yrs it still looks new. Even if I build a $1 mil house I would still get these. Get a nice vent hood that has high cfm so it can suck out the kitchen cooking odors. I think my vent hood connects to a 10 inch tube to the outside. Make sure you get high cfm bathroom exhaust fans like a panasonic and they need atleast 6 in tubes to vent out side. Also just recently installed a Rinseworks handheld bidet (rinseworks.com/) with a thermostatic valve (www.amazon.com/SharkBite-25686-Compression-Thermostatic-equipment/dp/B085WSP3W9/ref=sr_1_3?crid=15RBY17JUMX62&keywords=thermostatic+mix+valve+cash&qid=1682354935&sprefix=thermostatic+mix+valve+cash%2Caps%2C109&sr=8-3) I have it connected to the bathroom faucet intake and have it set on warm temp, so I get warm water in the bidet. And now with the WATTS hot water recirculating pump I get warm water quick in 2-3 secs in the bidet.
@@Matthew_Loutner I have Kashmir White Granite. It has stained in certain areas especially near the stove. The oil penetrates it and discolors it. So if you cook a lot I don't advise it. It may not affect other types of countertops like quartz, but I'm not sure. In my case I would have gone some thing dark or black. You want it to look good, but also be practical.
My thoughts: 1. Go with solid core doors internally. They are more secure and likely sound dampening. 2. Don’t scrimp on insulation. It saves on energy bills. Whether you go foam or bat or blown or some combo of the 3, it is way easier to do during the build. 3. Try to put the AC unit someplace both aesthetically pleasing and where it doesn’t get a lot of abuse. 4. If you can orient the house it will save a lot in energy bills (ie face windows south and west in cold climes and vice versa in hot climes). Sorry, I didn’t know I had so many opinions.
I have many suggestions for making a home clever regardless of the size but I think by far my favorite trick in the kitchen is to do a 6" recess in the wall behind the fridge. This allows you to do a full size refrigerator but have the flush look of a cabinet depth fridge. Don't forget to soffit the area above the fridge recess so the finished look shows a uniform wall without the Jog in it.
A few things specific to this house that could have been done better are: 1. If the cabinets have a shaker door detail, use a coordinating craftsman-style interior door that has single or multiple panels with straight edges. The arched detail of the doors shown belongs to a French country style. 2. Do not install black asphalt shingles. These become a heat sink in hot climates and in summer months in colder climates. There are so many other choices for shingle colors and textures that blend into the landscape and reflect heat better. Consider options with green tones. They are much more attractive. 3. Always provide a garage. Having two or three vehicles parked in front of the house kills good curb appeal.
If you're building your own home you're probably planning on staying there a long time, so I would recommend design the home primarily around your own preferences. Don't let anyone tell you you have to do everything the trendy way. If you just want the trendy way, by a home from a volume builder and save the headache of building your own.
Don’t forget about getting old, ha, wheel chair ability is important. Cause you never know what might happen. My husband & I were young, I was 26 and had a brain bleed & burst. Thank God I survived. We had to go to a hotel for me to shower.cause my wheel chair could not pass the door way. We had to move to a place where I could get around.
I like having a door separating the crapper room from the rest of the bathroom. Others can use the shower and sink while someone is doing their business.
I agree to not go cheap in the laundry room, which is exactly why I would always add cabinets above where the washer & dryer goes. I’m not a fan of the cheap metal shelf racks shown. Otherwise, you did a great job in detailing some important factors to consider when building a new home. 👍
Those racks are great for hanging up clothes to dry on a hanger. I prefer that. I usually dry shirt partially and finish drying on a hanger, fewer wrinkles. I don’t iron.
One thing that drives me NUTS is that it seems no modern construction comes with medicine cabinets in the bathroom. They are GREAT for storing small and commonly used bathroom stuff. That can leave the vanity for the larger items. It seems in the 70s and earlier pedestal sinks were common and medicine cabinets were the only storage option. Then in the 80s and 90s houses came with both. Then sometime in the 00's people started deleting the medicine cabinets and only having the vanities. Why cant's we still have both???? Another thing I pretty much never see is wiring the home for telecommunications. Placing a CAT 6 or CAT 7 wiring to every room running back to a central switch that has the cable outlet and a place for your modem is great and much faster and more reliable than wifi. Especially for PC gamers and smart tv users who get most of their content through internet instead of cable tv. (The picture quality you receive from a wired connection to your smart tv is noticeably better than what you get with wifi 6 when the video does not need to be nearly as compressed while streaming).
One thing I think is going to change is the open floor plan. People living with them are finding there is no quiet space or private place, When you have guests over or children there is a lot of noise making phone calls and conversations difficult. My parents converted a bedroom into a combination office TV room. I see enclosed rooms being added in (what people used to call a parler) It's great having a big open kitchen/dining room but you also need some private space that's not your bedroom.
Nah, people always demand "open concept". Old style parlor houses and kitchens with doors have some advantages but having a party or family over with a cut-up house never works: everyone always ends up in the kitchen. Convert an extra bedroom to an office/den for peace and quiet
I agree. The open floor plan was basically marketers convincing consumers that "less is more". Open floor plans were less expensive and faster to manufacture than homes with many rooms. Similar thing goes for all white cabinets and a white / grey color scheme throughout. Allowed building companies to make a tidy profit while people didn't realize the issues until after moving into an open house. Can work for empty-nesters and single people quite well though. Also good if you are a billiard fan and have a table at home. Those take up a ton of room around the table itself.
Exactly I love the old traditional closed room style homes! A lot of the newer floor plans online are all open. I ended up drawing my own because I couldn’t find one I liked that was closed.
If you put lighting in a closet, you need a way to know if you left the light on. They make switches that light up when they are in the on position or you can use a motion detector. Even a small window in the door.
Put water house hook ups in the front and back Exterior plug outlets put those in a few areas Less stairs make it a one step on back entrance for easy move in and ease of bringing in groceries
I see something in new or newer houses as in this one, the cabinets aren’t deep enough. I rented a house with those size cabinets and my plates wouldn’t even fit and have the door close. They also don’t have enough cabinets. I realize they have the pantry which is good, but I need storage for all my dishes and Tupperware etc.
This is exactly why when I built the cabinets for our kitchen I made the uppers 15" deep. It's so nice to actually be able to close the doors on your cabinets. Not sure who decided 12" was the right size for cabinets.
We were told to add insulation to the inside walls when building - especially in large open areas which would tend to have an echo effect - as you can hear in the video. We did and it works well. When you are building its a great opportunity to use universal design features for when you get older. Extra blocking for grab bars in the bathroom, just a few inches higher on your outlets and maybe lower on the light switches. 36 inch wide doors instead the the standard 30 inches for wheelchair access. You may want to look at some utube videos for other suggestions. Most cost none or a little extra on the build. We built a standard 2 story colonial but I now regret not figuring in a space for a future elevator. It needs about a 5' by 5' space and you can go ahead and frame it in and add what you need for the electric work in advance. It is suggested that you could use it as closet space (with a removable floor) until the time comes when you may need the elevator installed. It is expensive - I understand that they could go from about 25-50K for a really good one. However, how much is assisted living or the nursing home where you live? Easily north of 10K/month. How much would an additional 50K add to your monthly payment? $316/month over 30 years at 6.5%. So if you see this possibility in the future it may be good to have it roughed in at build, use the space for storage, and add the elevator when needed. And you should be able to recover your investment when the house is sold. The best thing is that you get to stay in your own home, in a familiar environment, as long as possible.
8’ garage doors! Low voltage conduits from where fiber, cable, or satellite comes in so wires can be installed now and later, good point on electrical for a wall mounted TV…also make sure you run Cat 6 Ethernet and COAX back there so your smart TV can plug in…also, don’t just do this in the main living room…also look where TVs will be mounted in bedrooms and basement rec area, a proper sized garage you can actually park two cars in along with some storage and walk around room, strategically placed trees away from house and sewer runs, quality screen doors, 2” of taped rigid foam board under your slab or basement floor to prevent not only a cold basement but Radon also.
Looks like a solid house Wayne, one thing I would def add would be gutters on that house. Keeps rain off the siding and foundation and potential water/mold issues.
---- only if not properly installed and maintained ( something that maybe 5% actually are ) gutters are guaranteed to cause expensive repairs shortly down the road -
@@stephen5147you don't have gutters? I never heard of that. We finally got ours after 2 years trying to finish this house and it's been a godsend. My husband had five gallon buckets all around the house and they would fill up with every rain which was often in Delaware. Like ten buckets maybe.. He's so glad the guy finally came and put the gutters up.
In a place like Louisiana you definitely want to keep the water away from the foundation. Not such a problem with the home shown as it is on a raised foundation but having water around a slab is sure to attract termites.
@@KARENboomboomROXX we removed our gutters about 10 years ago, and it’s one of the best things we’ve done. If you have at least a 1.5 foot overhang, you don’t need them. Ours is more than 2 feet
Yes, coaxial cable is kind of a thing of the past. Cable that used to be coaxial is now ethernet. If possible, use fiber optic so it can handle any speed they come up with in the future.
That was awesome. I’m getting ready next year to buy a piece of land and was going to have a modular brought in, but I think I might do a stick build after watching this. This was extremely helpful.
Loads of good sense tips from Wayne! It may seem plain as day to make these wise choices - but an amazing number of people have no sense of style and design, and then later wonder why they don't get any buyer excitement when it comes time to sell.
We’re building a vacation home right now on the Jersey shore and we included everything on your list except the pantry I pushed for a pantry, but my wife said we have too many kitchen cabinets with two Lazy Susan’s. We don’t need a pantry but I agree with everything on your list because I did the same thing.
I have just got into real estate. i am on Renatus. have learned so much from your you tube videos thank you for the knowledge. You rock i live in Colorado just bought some land. great deal with all the rights. you rock
You say all the right words, walk in pantry, utility room...i can't tell you how upsetting it is to find a deal on food items that i have no space to store them. I could go on with my long list of issues just with these two little topics. UGH!
Single basin sinks do look better but I just don't understand how you're supposed to do dishes lol I'm used to washing them on the left side and renting them on the right side and then putting them on the dry rack
Where I live I can't afford to build a home despite having higher than median household income, the housing market is that out of control. The closest new housing project to me (1 mile) starts at $1,000,000 because no one is building housing for the middle or lower class. Your tips are good to help shop around for houses much further out.
i hate to break the news to everyone, but a home is an individual preference per the individual living in it, just like clothes, it all depends on the person(s) wanting to live in it, that's why it is hard to sell a house that is too personalized, most homes should be standard plain jane to start with, open floor plan, closed more quiet individual rooms, 8ft vs 9ft vs loft ceilings, patios or patios with covers, flooring, paint, cabinets, small vs big closets, roof styles, big yards vs small yards right on top of each other, pool vs no pool, etc., etc., etc., ,,,,, it goes on and on. i hate the big open kitchen with living room attached, had one, neat at first, later on, hated all the noise from the kitchen, hated my 9ft ceilings which made the utilities higher and harder to heat and cool all the rooms of the house, loved my vinyl flooring that looked like actual wood floors very beautiful and easy to clean pets stains, odors, no risks of any pest infestations really great but not very sound insulating with loud echoes and if you or pets become disabled it's harder for them to walk on it and if you fall could bust your head open or break something so i am back to carpet, sprinkler system kept busting up because of texas soil so that was a pita, flower beds are not worth the extra effort and money to keep the never ending war on weeds and grass, bushes are bug nests especially for mosquitoes and yellowjackets/wasps, outdoor flood lighting was a waste of electricity and it sure did drain the electricity in huge amounts, too many windows are not good insulation- they are basically holes in the walls with only a thin layer of glass or two or 3 pending on which kind you have and they still draw in the sun's radiating heat-good up north not good in the south, most homes today are really too big, people did just fine with 800-1500sq.ft homes back in the 40-50's, i live in one now and most happy i got rid of that 2002 model i had with all that i just described that i end up hating. homes are a racket if you let it.
Still looking for the right property in middle Tennessee. If we find it after we do our due diligence for buying it we are going to start with finding a home builder that has experience with building with ICF from the foundation to the roof.
I like my future house looks rustic and industrial, no white paint , no white curtains, but bare solid wood and bricks or stones exposed everywhere in the house.
What's your opinion on modular homes? Is it better to buy one of those homes from a reputable company rather than paying at least $300k for a decent home?
Can I ask something if I may? A long time ago, my first husband got a house with a bad foundation that did not settle right. How can you tell is the Foundation. Can go right or wrong. Is there a new proven message to this dilemma, or is it just pray that it settles correctly? How can I get over my fear of buying a house that is under 3 years old. That will have a beautiful foundation and last for years to come. Please help I am totally lost
When I rented a house many years ago I was a "tenant." But when I bought my home, the real estate contract stated that I was the "tenant." If I buy another house or land, I want to have an allodial title which states I am the actual legal owner, with a "land patent." How can that be done?
Just discovered your channel (about to take real estate exam here soon - Texas), and love your videos! Totally agree with all of these points! New subbie!!
I would add get Asphalt shingles with a UL2218 rating of Class 3 or Class 4 because they are highly resistant to hail. Sure, an insurance company will pay for repairs for damage to a roof caused by hail. But that will just "ding" your insurance, which could increase your premiums....possibly having your insurance cancelled.
Of the doors I’ve seen most are over priced and poorly constructed. I made my own from 2x4 2x6 2x8 learned after the first one to dowel them and glue together. Sand down and stain the color I wanted.
I don't like a microwave over the stove. I want a real hood vented to the outside. Build your home with wider interior doors for accessibility. Injuries and diseases turn into disabilities at any age and at that point it becomes much harder to move, due to physical abilities, and finances, so plan for the future from the start. I've seen a gorgeous handicap bathroom with grab bars and roll-in shower that looked like a resort and it didn't even look like what you'd expect. I would also go with a universal kitchen for all users.
--- when you build a porch: build a porch large enough to actually use - that one is barely beyond a stoop and way too tiny to be used - it won't be : it will be a catch-all or , at best, a plant depository - same with that back porch - it is simply going to end up at a place to throw things slightly out of the weather --- that's not a pantry: that is a closet with a 1/3 space use - if it had been made as double sided pull-outs you would have doubled, and perhaps tripled, the actual usable pantry area - plus you'd be able to see what you have ----- and of course make the living room tiny and ensure the furniture will not fit by clever use of too many and too large windows
Great video and I am ready to build my own custom home upon permit approval. What about financing on construction for retirees like us? We have excellent credit with passive incomes from investment equities like stocks and rental properties.
Congratulations on ALL YOUR SUCCESS..... I wonder if you can help me. I'm thinking of adding a dormer and a master bedroom to my home. What's a ballpark estimate for this project.
You need dimmable lighting in various places, which add mood and accent and save on energy. You need a fireplace with bookshelves for cozy evenings and reading. You need a two-and-a-half car garage. You need your new car inside the garage if you want it to stay like new. You will be getting lawn mowers, tillers, and atvs. They can go in the garage. You can change your own oil in the garage. You can set up a hobby work bench with saws and drills and do projects, painting and staining in there. And you need a place to store your bicycles and kayak. Do not forget an automatic dishwasher. You need a game room which will hold either a piano or a pool table or a slot car race track. You need to plan your backyard garden, greenhouse, or shed. Place to store garbage can. Backyard fence. Attic to store Christmas ornaments. Basement or root cellar for homegrown food and tornadoes. Barbecue area in back yard. Doorbell and peephole.
If you are planning to cook, replace the undercabinet mounted microwave with a range hood that vents to the outside, not just recirculating inside. So the odors vent to outside. Also get a farmers sink than sticks towards you. Get dark granite rather than white as it doesn't show stains. Get WATTS hot water recirculating pump so you have instant hot water. Gas connection for water heater and heat. All aluminum metal roof so you don't have to worry about hurricanes in FL and it lasts 50-100 yrs.
What else?
If possible, don't use gas, use electric for your water heater and heat. It's better for you and your environment. I have a gas furnace, it was only a few years old when it broke, and I almost died from carbon monoxide poisoning. And electric is probably going to be less costly than gas in the future as the government starts imposing taxes on gas in an effort to reduce global warning.
@Basic Truth I redid my kitchen and 2.5 baths. I did it 10 yrs ago thru IKEA. They have a software that you plug in the room dimensions and which cabinets you want and it'll make the list for you. The cabinets came to $5500 in parts. They had certified installers and they charged $100 a cabinet. I bought 2 slabs of granite ($1400) and had a granite company fabricate it for $25 a sq ft. The cabinets have a 25 yr warranty, but now it maybe 10 yrs. Sometimes IKEA have a big sale on them and I think you can get it up to 50% off. They also have the soft close drawers and other features that's found in high end european kitchens. I love it after 10 yrs it still looks new. Even if I build a $1 mil house I would still get these. Get a nice vent hood that has high cfm so it can suck out the kitchen cooking odors. I think my vent hood connects to a 10 inch tube to the outside. Make sure you get high cfm bathroom exhaust fans like a panasonic and they need atleast 6 in tubes to vent out side.
Also just recently installed a Rinseworks handheld bidet (rinseworks.com/) with a thermostatic valve (www.amazon.com/SharkBite-25686-Compression-Thermostatic-equipment/dp/B085WSP3W9/ref=sr_1_3?crid=15RBY17JUMX62&keywords=thermostatic+mix+valve+cash&qid=1682354935&sprefix=thermostatic+mix+valve+cash%2Caps%2C109&sr=8-3) I have it connected to the bathroom faucet intake and have it set on warm temp, so I get warm water in the bidet. And now with the WATTS hot water recirculating pump I get warm water quick in 2-3 secs in the bidet.
I prefer white countertops, I can see when they are dirty. With dark countertops, I would never know. (Hint: single guy)
@@Matthew_Loutner I have Kashmir White Granite. It has stained in certain areas especially near the stove. The oil penetrates it and discolors it. So if you cook a lot I don't advise it. It may not affect other types of countertops like quartz, but I'm not sure. In my case I would have gone some thing dark or black. You want it to look good, but also be practical.
My thoughts:
1. Go with solid core doors internally. They are more secure and likely sound dampening.
2. Don’t scrimp on insulation. It saves on energy bills. Whether you go foam or bat or blown or some combo of the 3, it is way easier to do during the build.
3. Try to put the AC unit someplace both aesthetically pleasing and where it doesn’t get a lot of abuse.
4. If you can orient the house it will save a lot in energy bills (ie face windows south and west in cold climes and vice versa in hot climes).
Sorry, I didn’t know I had so many opinions.
Don't be sorry. You are right on it💪😎
These are great ideas.
I have many suggestions for making a home clever regardless of the size but I think by far my favorite trick in the kitchen is to do a 6" recess in the wall behind the fridge. This allows you to do a full size refrigerator but have the flush look of a cabinet depth fridge. Don't forget to soffit the area above the fridge recess so the finished look shows a uniform wall without the Jog in it.
I couldn't agree more with that! Great tip!
A few things specific to this house that could have been done better are: 1. If the cabinets have a shaker door detail, use a coordinating craftsman-style interior door that has single or multiple panels with straight edges. The arched detail of the doors shown belongs to a French country style. 2. Do not install black asphalt shingles. These become a heat sink in hot climates and in summer months in colder climates. There are so many other choices for shingle colors and textures that blend into the landscape and reflect heat better. Consider options with green tones. They are much more attractive. 3. Always provide a garage. Having two or three vehicles parked in front of the house kills good curb appeal.
If you're building your own home you're probably planning on staying there a long time, so I would recommend design the home primarily around your own preferences. Don't let anyone tell you you have to do everything the trendy way. If you just want the trendy way, by a home from a volume builder and save the headache of building your own.
Don’t forget about getting old, ha, wheel chair ability is important. Cause you never know what might happen. My husband & I were young, I was 26 and had a brain bleed & burst. Thank God I survived. We had to go to a hotel for me to shower.cause my wheel chair could not pass the door way. We had to move to a place where I could get around.
I want to build wheel chair excesable duplex.
Good point.
Valid point 👏
You’ve officially changed my 8 Ft ceilings to 9. Building a mother in law house in a few months
I like having a door separating the crapper room from the rest of the bathroom. Others can use the shower and sink while someone is doing their business.
I agree to not go cheap in the laundry room, which is exactly why I would always add cabinets above where the washer & dryer goes. I’m not a fan of the cheap metal shelf racks shown.
Otherwise, you did a great job in detailing some important factors to consider when building a new home. 👍
thanks!
Those racks are great for hanging up clothes to dry on a hanger. I prefer that. I usually dry shirt partially and finish drying on a hanger, fewer wrinkles. I don’t iron.
One thing that drives me NUTS is that it seems no modern construction comes with medicine cabinets in the bathroom. They are GREAT for storing small and commonly used bathroom stuff. That can leave the vanity for the larger items. It seems in the 70s and earlier pedestal sinks were common and medicine cabinets were the only storage option. Then in the 80s and 90s houses came with both. Then sometime in the 00's people started deleting the medicine cabinets and only having the vanities. Why cant's we still have both???? Another thing I pretty much never see is wiring the home for telecommunications. Placing a CAT 6 or CAT 7 wiring to every room running back to a central switch that has the cable outlet and a place for your modem is great and much faster and more reliable than wifi. Especially for PC gamers and smart tv users who get most of their content through internet instead of cable tv. (The picture quality you receive from a wired connection to your smart tv is noticeably better than what you get with wifi 6 when the video does not need to be nearly as compressed while streaming).
One thing I think is going to change is the open floor plan. People living with them are finding there is no quiet space or private place, When you have guests over or children there is a lot of noise making phone calls and conversations difficult. My parents converted a bedroom into a combination office TV room. I see enclosed rooms being added in (what people used to call a parler) It's great having a big open kitchen/dining room but you also need some private space that's not your bedroom.
Nah, people always demand "open concept". Old style parlor houses and kitchens with doors have some advantages but having a party or family over with a cut-up house never works: everyone always ends up in the kitchen. Convert an extra bedroom to an office/den for peace and quiet
I agree. The open floor plan was basically marketers convincing consumers that "less is more". Open floor plans were less expensive and faster to manufacture than homes with many rooms. Similar thing goes for all white cabinets and a white / grey color scheme throughout. Allowed building companies to make a tidy profit while people didn't realize the issues until after moving into an open house. Can work for empty-nesters and single people quite well though. Also good if you are a billiard fan and have a table at home. Those take up a ton of room around the table itself.
I 💯% agree with you. I despise the open floor plan. There is no quiet place.
Exactly I love the old traditional closed room style homes! A lot of the newer floor plans online are all open. I ended up drawing my own because I couldn’t find one I liked that was closed.
@@YourCasey how did that work out?
Did you have to build it yourself?
Double garage, but with two single bays, as opposed to the one large bay that barely fits two cars.
If you put lighting in a closet, you need a way to know if you left the light on. They make switches that light up when they are in the on position or you can use a motion detector.
Even a small window in the door.
I don’t see any gutters, I prefer 6 inch versus 4 inch,but Wayne you’re the Man… thanks for great insight and information…
Put water house hook ups in the front and back
Exterior plug outlets put those in a few areas
Less stairs make it a one step on back entrance for easy move in and ease of bringing in groceries
How about a hood that vents to outside. I don't cook often, but that is needed. Put the microwave somewhere else. I agree about the pantry.
I see something in new or newer houses as in this one, the cabinets aren’t deep enough. I rented a house with those size cabinets and my plates wouldn’t even fit and have the door close. They also don’t have enough cabinets. I realize they have the pantry which is good, but I need storage for all my dishes and Tupperware etc.
This is exactly why when I built the cabinets for our kitchen I made the uppers 15" deep. It's so nice to actually be able to close the doors on your cabinets. Not sure who decided 12" was the right size for cabinets.
We were told to add insulation to the inside walls when building - especially in large open areas which would tend to have an echo effect - as you can hear in the video. We did and it works well. When you are building its a great opportunity to use universal design features for when you get older. Extra blocking for grab bars in the bathroom, just a few inches higher on your outlets and maybe lower on the light switches. 36 inch wide doors instead the the standard 30 inches for wheelchair access. You may want to look at some utube videos for other suggestions. Most cost none or a little extra on the build. We built a standard 2 story colonial but I now regret not figuring in a space for a future elevator. It needs about a 5' by 5' space and you can go ahead and frame it in and add what you need for the electric work in advance. It is suggested that you could use it as closet space (with a removable floor) until the time comes when you may need the elevator installed. It is expensive - I understand that they could go from about 25-50K for a really good one. However, how much is assisted living or the nursing home where you live? Easily north of 10K/month. How much would an additional 50K add to your monthly payment? $316/month over 30 years at 6.5%. So if you see this possibility in the future it may be good to have it roughed in at build, use the space for storage, and add the elevator when needed. And you should be able to recover your investment when the house is sold. The best thing is that you get to stay in your own home, in a familiar environment, as long as possible.
Also, make sure the toilet is on the other side of the vanity. Don't put the toilet next to the tub/shower .
never seen it done that way i dont see why u would
If there’s space. That makes sense.
8’ garage doors! Low voltage conduits from where fiber, cable, or satellite comes in so wires can be installed now and later, good point on electrical for a wall mounted TV…also make sure you run Cat 6 Ethernet and COAX back there so your smart TV can plug in…also, don’t just do this in the main living room…also look where TVs will be mounted in bedrooms and basement rec area, a proper sized garage you can actually park two cars in along with some storage and walk around room, strategically placed trees away from house and sewer runs, quality screen doors, 2” of taped rigid foam board under your slab or basement floor to prevent not only a cold basement but Radon also.
Looks like a solid house Wayne, one thing I would def add would be gutters on that house. Keeps rain off the siding and foundation and potential water/mold issues.
Yeah, but gutters can be a huge PITA, especially if the roof is under a bunch of trees.
---- only if not properly installed and maintained ( something that maybe 5% actually are ) gutters are guaranteed to cause expensive repairs shortly down the road -
@@stephen5147you don't have gutters? I never heard of that. We finally got ours after 2 years trying to finish this house and it's been a godsend. My husband had five gallon buckets all around the house and they would fill up with every rain which was often in Delaware. Like ten buckets maybe.. He's so glad the guy finally came and put the gutters up.
In a place like Louisiana you definitely want to keep the water away from the foundation. Not such a problem with the home shown as it is on a raised foundation but having water around a slab is sure to attract termites.
@@KARENboomboomROXX we removed our gutters about 10 years ago, and it’s one of the best things we’ve done. If you have at least a 1.5 foot overhang, you don’t need them. Ours is more than 2 feet
I will never not have a one basin kitchen sink now…so much easier to soak pans!
Run Ethernet cable along with coaxial cables.
Yes, coaxial cable is kind of a thing of the past. Cable that used to be coaxial is now ethernet. If possible, use fiber optic so it can handle any speed they come up with in the future.
That was awesome. I’m getting ready next year to buy a piece of land and was going to have a modular brought in, but I think I might do a stick build after watching this. This was extremely helpful.
I am a new home builder your information have save me thousands,your advice have given me ideas that added value to the sales, thank you very much
just an FYI the outlet on the island that you showed is now against the electrical code 2023
Loads of good sense tips from Wayne! It may seem plain as day to make these wise choices - but an amazing number of people have no sense of style and design, and then later wonder why they don't get any buyer excitement when it comes time to sell.
You are so right about the pantry and 9 foot ceilings.
We’re building a vacation home right now on the Jersey shore and we included everything on your list except the pantry I pushed for a pantry, but my wife said we have too many kitchen cabinets with two Lazy Susan’s. We don’t need a pantry but I agree with everything on your list because I did the same thing.
I'm getting a 800 square feet house built open floor plan I'm having it built on 2 acres
I have just got into real estate. i am on Renatus. have learned so much from your you tube videos thank you for the knowledge. You rock i live in Colorado just bought some land. great deal with all the rights. you rock
You say all the right words, walk in pantry, utility room...i can't tell you how upsetting it is to find a deal on food items that i have no space to store them. I could go on with my long list of issues just with these two little topics. UGH!
Please talk about handicapped accessible bathrooms and ramps for new home build
Single basin sinks do look better but I just don't understand how you're supposed to do dishes lol I'm used to washing them on the left side and renting them on the right side and then putting them on the dry rack
So many people only use the sink to wash big pots and put everything else in the dishwasher
In a couple of my homes, I put in a kohler sink that had a large sink with a small sink. The small sink had the garbage disposal.
Where I live I can't afford to build a home despite having higher than median household income, the housing market is that out of control. The closest new housing project to me (1 mile) starts at $1,000,000 because no one is building housing for the middle or lower class. Your tips are good to help shop around for houses much further out.
i hate to break the news to everyone, but a home is an individual preference per the individual living in it, just like clothes, it all depends on the person(s) wanting to live in it, that's why it is hard to sell a house that is too personalized, most homes should be standard plain jane to start with, open floor plan, closed more quiet individual rooms, 8ft vs 9ft vs loft ceilings, patios or patios with covers, flooring, paint, cabinets, small vs big closets, roof styles, big yards vs small yards right on top of each other, pool vs no pool, etc., etc., etc., ,,,,, it goes on and on. i hate the big open kitchen with living room attached, had one, neat at first, later on, hated all the noise from the kitchen, hated my 9ft ceilings which made the utilities higher and harder to heat and cool all the rooms of the house, loved my vinyl flooring that looked like actual wood floors very beautiful and easy to clean pets stains, odors, no risks of any pest infestations really great but not very sound insulating with loud echoes and if you or pets become disabled it's harder for them to walk on it and if you fall could bust your head open or break something so i am back to carpet, sprinkler system kept busting up because of texas soil so that was a pita, flower beds are not worth the extra effort and money to keep the never ending war on weeds and grass, bushes are bug nests especially for mosquitoes and yellowjackets/wasps, outdoor flood lighting was a waste of electricity and it sure did drain the electricity in huge amounts, too many windows are not good insulation- they are basically holes in the walls with only a thin layer of glass or two or 3 pending on which kind you have and they still draw in the sun's radiating heat-good up north not good in the south, most homes today are really too big, people did just fine with 800-1500sq.ft homes back in the 40-50's, i live in one now and most happy i got rid of that 2002 model i had with all that i just described that i end up hating. homes are a racket if you let it.
I agree about double vanitys .
Great content. Very practical and useful. Thanks Wayne!
Wow good thing I got Trophy Signature Homes to build mine. They hit 100% of your points in the video. + so much more. 🎉🎉
I love your work. I'm still in the Navy but plan to be a real estate developer post career. Thank You for the information.
Awesome! Thank you for your service!
5:26 - An outlet on a kitchen island cabinet is a Code requirement, so all new homes would have them.
Still looking for the right property in middle Tennessee. If we find it after we do our due diligence for buying it we are going to start with finding a home builder that has experience with building with ICF from the foundation to the roof.
I want to build beachfront property in New England with a nice large deck on the back on the second floor.
I think you're great. Only experience can give you the ideas you present. Love your take on new homes.
The receptacle on the kitchen island is code. It's not extra. It is required It is required.
I like my future house looks rustic and industrial, no white paint , no white curtains, but bare solid wood and bricks or stones exposed everywhere in the house.
What's your opinion on modular homes? Is it better to buy one of those homes from a reputable company rather than paying at least $300k for a decent home?
Can I ask something if I may? A long time ago, my first husband got a house with a bad foundation that did not settle right. How can you tell is the Foundation. Can go right or wrong. Is there a new proven message to this dilemma, or is it just pray that it settles correctly? How can I get over my fear of buying a house that is under 3 years old. That will have a beautiful foundation and last for years to come. Please help I am totally lost
Very helpful Thank you for sharing this
When I rented a house many years ago I was a "tenant." But when I bought my home, the real estate contract stated that I was the "tenant." If I buy another house or land, I want to have an allodial title which states I am the actual legal owner, with a "land patent." How can that be done?
I think that is a nice house--I think you said Linnar is the builder--nice job--nice layout'
open floor plan = higher energy costs and more difficult to shut noise out.
It is a fad that will be gone in 20 years….
Just discovered your channel (about to take real estate exam here soon - Texas), and love your videos! Totally agree with all of these points! New subbie!!
Thanks for subscribing! Good luck on your exam! Reach out to me if you would like to talk about joining my team of agents
I hear so many folks say dual vanities are pointless and a waste of valuable countertop space.
Bathroom cabinet door was not slow-close. Lol. Soft-close, perhaps. 😊
I would add get Asphalt shingles with a UL2218 rating of Class 3 or Class 4 because they are highly resistant to hail. Sure, an insurance company will pay for repairs for damage to a roof caused by hail. But that will just "ding" your insurance, which could increase your premiums....possibly having your insurance cancelled.
Thank you so much for this video and yes it would be nice to more about this type of builds.
Of the doors I’ve seen most are over priced and poorly constructed. I made my own from 2x4 2x6 2x8 learned after the first one to dowel them and glue together. Sand down and stain the color I wanted.
I don't like a microwave over the stove. I want a real hood vented to the outside.
Build your home with wider interior doors for accessibility. Injuries and diseases turn into disabilities at any age and at that point it becomes much harder to move, due to physical abilities, and finances, so plan for the future from the start. I've seen a gorgeous handicap bathroom with grab bars and roll-in shower that looked like a resort and it didn't even look like what you'd expect. I would also go with a universal kitchen for all users.
That outlet on the is;and is code
Thanks for all the good ideas!
One of your best Wayne video very informative
--- when you build a porch: build a porch large enough to actually use - that one is barely beyond a stoop and way too tiny to be used - it won't be : it will be a catch-all or , at best, a plant depository - same with that back porch - it is simply going to end up at a place to throw things slightly out of the weather
--- that's not a pantry: that is a closet with a 1/3 space use - if it had been made as double sided pull-outs you would have doubled, and perhaps tripled, the actual usable pantry area - plus you'd be able to see what you have
----- and of course make the living room tiny and ensure the furniture will not fit by clever use of too many and too large windows
And wjat about a foldable ironing board in the laundry room, attached to the wall?
Dumb
The outlet is no longer compliant with new code.
Do you have any information on the house plan? An a home builder in East Texas for this type of house?
LOVE that Sink
Love that house!!!
Great video and I am ready to build my own custom home upon permit approval. What about financing on construction for retirees like us? We have excellent credit with passive incomes from investment equities like stocks and rental properties.
Thanks for all the videos you do🙏
My pleasure!
Thank you. Your knowledge is helpful.
I haven't seen you do a Barndo video any thoughts?
In Houston tx by the ocean
what do you think of pre fab houses?
That home look beautiful
Don’t place your home in a flood plain or in an area that that had to be highly in-filled or of the such
I would love to see lights come on/off automatically when you open/close the closet doors. That might save a lot of kids' backsides. 😀
Congratulations on ALL YOUR SUCCESS.....
I wonder if you can help me. I'm thinking of adding a dormer and a master bedroom to my home.
What's a ballpark estimate for this project.
It would really depend on your location and local labor and material costs. I recommend getting 3 or 4 quotes from local contractors.
Love your work friend. If I was the homeowner of the house at the 0.42 mark, I would sand those markings off the porch post. Peace, Daxx
Great advice 🎉 Thanks!
Great content!! I just liked, subscribed and set my notification for your page!
Bro looks like twin peaks actor. Luv this face and voice
I want that house, darn!
Throw a Motion sensor on the light in the pantry, hands free
You need dimmable lighting in various places, which add mood and accent and save on energy.
You need a fireplace with bookshelves for cozy evenings and reading.
You need a two-and-a-half car garage. You need your new car inside the garage if you want it to stay like new. You will be getting lawn mowers, tillers, and atvs. They can go in the garage. You can change your own oil in the garage. You can set up a hobby work bench with saws and drills and do projects, painting and staining in there. And you need a place to store your bicycles and kayak.
Do not forget an automatic dishwasher.
You need a game room which will hold either a piano or a pool table or a slot car race track.
You need to plan your backyard garden, greenhouse, or shed.
Place to store garbage can.
Backyard fence.
Attic to store Christmas ornaments.
Basement or root cellar for homegrown food and tornadoes.
Barbecue area in back yard.
Doorbell and peephole.
I like that but maybe some areas you can't do that
Doorbell and peephole on all doors and exercise room?
You are the best Wayne
LVP is the most hideous modern flooring invention
I would like to buy home and,land in Tennessee how would go about it I like find one with no money down
Great job
I hate double vanities, twice the work😂 seriously, i guess most love it, to me personally, it's a waste of space.
LED lights do get warm and they fail all the time.
Carbon monoxide detectors are not for gas leaks.
Great information!👍
Glad it was helpful!
No garage?
Nice little house
Stay within your budget.
36" doorways EVERYWHERE, if it is your forever home, plan for end of life care.
LED twenty years 😅. Likely one year, though.
That's alot of $$ for a small lot with no slab and no garage... I'd never pay that ever... 250k lol. In Texas a can buy 10fold that
location, location , location....
Try your best to get a south facing home
I bought 3500 sqft houses but only 1 in the master bathroom