Things you wish you could change about your house (Houston: hardwood floors, custom home)

[RockyJoe817]

After seeing that multi-million dollar home burn down in Dallas a number of years ago.

I would suggest if your going to have a high attic that you invest in a
1.) fire sprinkler system.
2.) cable tray/ladder
(for the electrical or networking cable. Anything to deter fire hazards
behind the walls or ceilings. Have the Electrical, cabling, wiring
prepped for future growth.)
3.) Extra Electrical distribution box wired up for future growth.
(ensure you have enough electrical outlets for your power equipment.)
4.) Centralized Utility room
(One where all the Electrical, Water Heater(s), Pump units, Networking,
Heating and Air conditioner apparatus, Burglar Alarm systems can be
wired to or located.
I disliked having the Air condenser unit being right outside my bedroom window.
I would wake up at times it kicked on nights.
5.) Also include a mud room with faucet.
(a central location to keep the cleaning utilities, etc.)

[Keepforgettingpw]

Double stair cases are really a must have for fire safety, easy access, privacy and keeping front stairs clean.

[Annie53]

Don't know if this has been mentioned, didn't read the whole thread.

Put a small walk in door next to the garage door. A real PIA having to open the big garage door everytime you want to go out to get the mail or when casual friends drop by.

Most of the time it is just more convenient to come in through the garage instead of the front door. {and keeps your home cleaner too}

OH! I just remembered something else.

I had a laundry tub spicket installed on the back of my house.....so I have hot and cold water......I originally had it installed to make it easier to give the dogs a bath with the hose.{One of them was a big Malamute mix with long, thick hair.} I no longer have to snake the hose in through the basement window to the laundry tub to get warm water for their baths. Real easy to get all of the soap out of their fur with the spray from the hose. I can give them a bath in just a few minutes and no mess to clean up. {I tie them to the rail of the deck with a rope and a clip, line up the bath towels and shampoo on top of the rail}

And......I found out I like the warm water out there for me too. When I am doing cleaning jobs outside, I like having warm water in the bucket I am sticking my hands into! Don't have to lug a bucket from inside the house anymore!

Yea, it's not pretty.....but a well placed bush takes care of that!

[katefrisco]

1) I want a one story. I hate climbing stairs.
2) Smaller square footage BUT with bigger kitchen and living space. Less bedrooms.
3) Utility room near the Master Bedroom. I want it to be the size of a small bedroom however I want counter space, sink and plenty of storage.
4) I would hire a registered Interior Designer to plan out my kitchen and master bathroom. I am more practical so kitchen would have to be designed for cooking and not just show.

5) In my master bedroom closet I would want drawers, enclosed storage for all hanging clothes to help keep dust off. I want my closet to look organized so that I clearly know what I have.
6) No pool.
7) My yard would be nothing but drought tolerant plantings. I hate mowing so I would spend the money to have it professionally landscaped/hardscaped.

[LQQKOUT]

Originally Posted by katefrisco

1) I want a one story. I hate climbing stairs.
2) Smaller square footage BUT with bigger kitchen and living space. Less bedrooms.
3) Utility room near the Master Bedroom. I want it to be the size of a small bedroom however I want counter space, sink and plenty of storage.
4) I would hire a registered Interior Designer to plan out my kitchen and master bathroom. I am more practical so kitchen would have to be designed for cooking and not just show.

5) In my master bedroom closet I would want drawers, enclosed storage for all hanging clothes to help keep dust off. I want my closet to look organized so that I clearly know what I have.
6) No pool.
7) My yard would be nothing but drought tolerant plantings. I hate mowing so I would spend the money to have it professionally landscaped/hardscaped.

Amen to all the above- makes me want a new house already

[MaryS80]

that I was hooked up to the city gas lines and not on propane

[pinipig523]

Question -

Would you guys hire an interior designer prior to the house being built completely?

[RockyJoe817]

"Would you guys hire an interior designer prior to the house being built completely?"

That is a loaded question.

I personally would not want to, I want to feel comfortable in my own home with wall coverings, furnishings, that I choose right or wrong.
Just the opposite can be true to have someone else do the road work for you. You will feel that
your in a luxurious home right out of Better Homes and Gardens. Unfortunately, would you feel
like Home.

[galore]

Previous house, I would have changed:
Location.
Energy efficiency.
Style/architecture.

[loves2read]

I think hiring an interior designer would confuse the issue and be waste of time/money at this stage
you would be worrying about things like furnishings for specific rooms when you were having to visualize how large that room really is--
most people can't read a blueprint for traffic patterns or decide on how big a 80in couch really is--meaning they usually deal better with real vs imaginary choices

plus until the walls go up and are painted you won't really know what the light in any room is going to be--makes a difference on how you might choose furniture, window coverings, carpet

choose your builder and decide on an architect
most builders have someone who works with them--sometimes a wife, sometimes a consultant who deals with issues of color choice, types of flooring, tile, lighting choices to help you with those decisions if you don't already have idea of your color style/finishes

the problem is that most people like too many different styles/colors/finishes
they might like beadboard in the kitchen and something more "classic" in the master bath
you don't want to mix styles--IMO--it is bad fung shui or creates jumbled look

big problem I used to see with people who moved here from back east 20 yrs ago was that they were not used to a unified look--when they had house built, they often used different carpet in bedrooms/living rooms/family room and painted rooms different colors w/o having a unified look--
maybe they just let their kids pick their own colors
but it was kind of jarring to go into those houses

If you are walking through spec homes that are open you get sense of what finishes are popular
and which you like--
the Tuscan look was big in $$$ homes for decade--I think that has faded somewhat for more Southwest look and also for some Arts-Crafts style...we saw one house at the new home show this summer that had a distinctly Nantucket look--everyone who walked in it was saying that it did not look like a CA or FL beach house but one on Cape Cod or Nantucket--and that was very different look from the other two houses at that show...

ORB fixtures are popular and nickel is more the satin look vs polished that was hot about 5 yrs ago...

if your builder has done spec homes, he has someone making those color/finish choices for him or he is capable doing it himself--admittedly most builders do spec homes that resemble each other but that is usually because they are doing what people want/expect to see--not necessarily their personal favorites
find a house where you and your wife feel comfortable, like the finish out, colors--and just ask the builder who made those choices...

some people on the GardenWeb site say that you need a kitchen designer at the initial stage before you actually firm the footprint/blueprint--to avoid mistakes in planning the kitchen
but I think that some kitchen designers are not that good about listening to people--
and frankly some people don't spend any time in the kitchen except to make coffee or open up takeout
if you have never spent time in large kitchen you probably don't know how you will cook in one--so a designer can't build on your habits...
some people don't like to shop in large portions and stock up--they want to buy/cook fresh--
so their kitchen might look different from someone with large family who is Costco habitual shopper