Things you wish you could change about your house (Dallas: roofing, living)

[pinipig523]

I had a good conversation over DM today about how we should try our best to minimize mistakes when building a house, especially since my wife and I have never built a home nor owned a home.

As some of you know, we are looking to build a home shortly. Now, it is unlikely that we will not make mistakes. Chances are that I'll end up choosing options which I'll end up disliking.

That said, for those more experienced than I am... What were some mistakes that you made in your house (options, location, pool, floor plan, 2nd floor masters, flooring, lack of a living room, too large, too small)?

Thanks.

[lpepping]

Don't go all electric, specifically for heat.

[FalconheadWest]

I don't like how my utility room is not connected to the kitchen, because I have to either walk through the family room or the play room to take leftovers to and from the second fridge. If I drop it, yikes!

[fndmom]

We didnt build our home so we didnt get to make choices but one of the things that limited us was the placement of phone jacks and cable outlets. The built in shelves have also limited the size of our TV.

[Squirl]

I don't like having a formal living room. I don't like having the garage under the house, meaning we must walk up stairs with groceries. Our house is in a hilly area and its all about the view. So when you enter you have the open living room with a wall of windows. Love having a view but that meant building the house on a hill with rear entry garage underneath. The house was designed for the terrain so I think its a beautiful house but not so easy to live with as far as having a hugh open living room we do not hang out in, and dealing with steps and groceries is very difficult.

Suggest you plan your house with easy unloading of groceries from car to kitchen. I hate formal living areas. I love large laundry rooms and extending the living with a natural flow to the outside....we have those things with our house. Of course, in Dallas, you really can't hang outside much of the year because our weather is too hot or too cold so much of the time.

[Eric Fred Norris]

too big. too many bedrooms. too much square feet. thank god the mcmansion is dying.

[compSciGuy]

Outside, there are only two water faucets, one in the backyard, the other in the front left side. There's another side yard without a water faucet.

Would be nice to have more sound proofing underneath the flooring.

[SouthernBelleInUtah]

For granite, go with the densest you can find so it doesn't need to be sealed and re-sealed. I have a premium black granite that after 6 years still looks as new as the day it was put in. Never been sealed, even when installed.

I like my pantry area but it is not big enough for all my cooking and serving pieces. I have some that I use infrequently and it would be nice to store them out of the way.

Get the closet systems with the built-in sections, not the wire shelving. The wood or particle board, whatever it is, looks much better and is easier to arrange things on. Make a section of shoe-sized cubbies so your shoes are off the floor so your wife can find what she wants!

As Squirl mentioned think long and hard about formal rooms. Some people like a formal dining room (I do) as they entertain and don't want to do that next to the kitchen.

[Fawnee]

If the master is on the first floor make sure nothing is above it.

[pinipig523]

These are great points... Keep them coming.