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We even bought new appliances even though the house came with a stove and dishwasher....they were the cheapest low grade pieces of junk you could get. The new appliances came with us when we moved though.
We replaced many light fixtures and a faucet after we moved in. The builder had a few upgrade packages, but nothing we liked or it wasn't worth the money. So we put in our own chandeliers and beautiful ceiling fans...who really wants a $29 ceiling fan in their great room?
ITA, even the "upgrade" appliances on a production bldr house are usually terrible quality, low end POS's. So either know that or budget to replace. We are keeping the stove for now cuz we're just happy to have gas again, but def have to replace the DW. And yes, the lighting fixtures are usually total cheap azz junk! Usually not worth it to "upgrade" those, you'll get more for your money choosing your own fixtures after the fact (that have some personality) & installing them yourself.
Location: Finally the house is done and we are in Port St. Lucie!
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Originally Posted by Hollytree
Surprised no one has responded about building with energy efficiency- such as wind or solar power, geo-thermal, etc.
I'd be interesting in reading....
I wonder if our builder was more of a higher end builder. Yes we upgraded to the highest for appliances but they are really nice. The dishwasher is stainless inside and extremely quiet. I never notice when it is on except when it is quiet in the house.
As to solar, the only thing solar are the attic vent fan. They had just gotten them and we were the first house from the builder that had them installed. There's a thermometer attached to the vent. When it reaches a certain temp, the vent fan kicks on. It is powered by a small solar panel that you can see on the roof. There are two up there. Very quiet.
We are looking into solar for electricity. We're going to wait until after we've been here a year to find out if it is even cost effective to even do. This house and builder is definitely into energy efficiency. All lighting is LED, windows and doors are double pane and tinted. Before we go ahead with solar, we need to have a year with AC that we can compare against. We don't know what our bills will be when it really starts heating up.
We did meet with a couple of solar companies and were given what our payment for install would be per month. If we run the pool heater all the time, yes, the monthly payment would be less than our electric is now. We won't be running the pool heater in the summer and not even in the winter (Dec-Feb at least). We really need to have that year to see how our house is realistically. That is for us to be able to make an informed decision.
From when we moved in (Dec 30) till now, the only energy hog is the water heater and the pool heater. Pool heater was on 24/7 for 1/2 month in March and then another 1/2 month in April. Now that the days are getting hotter, we've left it on during the day but it really is only working for a few hours in the morning. When it hits the target temp, the heating shuts off. When summer actually gets here, it shouldn't kick on at all. But that's when we find out how well our house keeps cool.
Unless the builder is very high end, I can't see where a solar install would be an option at this time. Maybe in a few years as more people get into solar...
Rule of thumb, if it is inside the walls or ceiling, involves wiring or plumbing, have the builder do it. Other than that, let him put in builder grade and then after you own the house, do the upgrades. You will save a lot of money and get exactly what you want.
One thing in the last house that ended up greatly appreciated was that insulation was put into the inside walls of the bedrooms and hallway. That is one quiet house.
I would have liked to have more outside faucets and the house needed more electrical outlets in the garage.
Yes, the standard builder grade appliances are pretty bottom of the barrel. But at least in my experience, when I choose to upgrade, I could get whatever level I wanted to buy. They had a limited selection of brands, but within that brand, it was pretty much the full range of products. And since the price of the basic unit was baked into the base price, I got a credit towards whatever I chose, several hundred dollars. I couldn't come close to price matching what I paid to buy as an upgrade through the builder vs. getting the base model and replacing on my own.
re: solar
Interestingly, my somewhat lower end tract builder used to offer it as an option but I guess it wasn't popular enough so they discontinued it, at least in my area.
I put in a gas range too, so happy I did. And also love that I had the gas line run outside to the yard and have the grill hooked up to it. No lugging those gas tanks or running out in the middle of cooking. I use my grill all year round here since even in the middle of winter we get nice enough weather some of the time.
Our house is under construction now. I would suggest adding anything that would become costly to add after the build.
Here are some of the things that we added.
Extra outlets, with so many electronic devices there never seems to be enough.
Prewiring for a sound system. (audiophile in the house).
Internet security system wiring.
More insulation, might help with the Florida heat.
A pest system, built in pest control tubes that allow pest control treatment from the exterior without having to spray in the house.
Have fun with your build!
What sort of thing is this pest system? I've never thought about it, but that might be a good thing to have.
We're just starting to plan a new house, but it will be 100% custom and we will be 'owner-builders' so we will get to be the contractor, more or less. We may hire a contractor, but we will be overseeing the work. A pest system hadn't even been in the plans, though!
What are in the plans so far:
1. Rooftop solar electric with dedicated circuits for the refrigerator & freezer that stay on during grid outages. (At least, during the day when the sun is out).
2. Loads of electrical outlets on the kitchen counters
3. Loads of electrical outlets in the workshop area
4. Loads of storage areas spread throughout the house
5. Loads of light & ventilation
6. Rooftop solar water heating
7. No stairs
8. Wheel chair friendly
9. Durable (no trendy things & stuff that should be good for a minimum of fifteen years)
Specific to Hawaii things:
1. Huge roof overhangs to shade the sides of the house to keep it cool.
2. Cross ventilation
3. Huge plate glass windows (solid glass & no screens) with louvers alongside, above and/or below for ventilation. Louvers are 100% ventilation, but not as good to look through for the view.
4. White roof to keep down the heat
5. Orient the house to collect the tradewinds to keep it cooler
6. Easy transition from interior to exterior since we spend so much time outside
7. Raised bed gardens so we can garden easier as we age
8. Water spigots on each corner of the house and some out in the yard as well
9. Yard lights
10. Storage for specific things such as the vacuum cleaner and a true broom closet.
I'm not sure if we would build a cookie-cutter house or not, but if we were going to, I'm not even quite sure what we'd do. Generally cookie-cutter houses are in groups of identical houses, so there's not many upgrades you can do which will make them worth more than the identical one next door, is there? Adding in high end fixtures aren't really going to make a difference ten years down the road when the house sells, does it?
Au contraire, many prefer induction, which is hugely popular in restaurants and upscale homes in Europe and Australia. We're lagging behind here in the US.
Au contraire, many prefer induction, which is hugely popular in restaurants and upscale homes in Europe and Australia. We're lagging behind here in the US.
I've used induction, I prefer gas. Easier for me to adjust temps when I can see the flame and I can use all the different cookware I want, not have to buy new things that work on induction.
I've used induction, I prefer gas. Easier for me to adjust temps when I can see the flame and I can use all the different cookware I want, not have to buy new things that work on induction.
Me too, And it DOES NOT boil water faster than gas IME.
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