Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
A friend of mine is currently building a new house. Some things that he mentioned to me is plenty of electrical outlets in all rooms, extra built it shelving/storage in appropriate rooms, hot and cold water at the outside spigot, every room wired for internet, most rooms wired for audio/video/entertainment equipment (just in case), and extra wide stairways.
Was already mentioned, but a 240V outlet capable of charging an EV for every garage bay and one outside.
Hot and cold running water in the garage, ideally with a big stainless sink and a hose to allow one to spray themselves, boots or equipment off if particularly muddy.
If feasible for the lot, a pull through garage (one that has a door on front and back.) Makes boats/trailers as well as lawn equipment a breeze, as well as cleanout of the garage.
I don't have an EV but have passed on a couple of great deals on powertools that required 240.
Solar panels. I think they make sense if you're building new, along with a host of other (mostly mentioned already) energy saving measures.
Easy-to-access shutoffs for every bathroom in the house, and a convenient and easy whole house shut-off.
I fell in love with one of these next town over. On a corner lot and the house was positioned to make it ridiculously easy to drive through and come out on either street.
If you plan on needing more electric power over time... like a pool, spa, outbuildings, EV outlets... consider 400 amp service instead of the standard 200 amp.
You realize the automated vacuums have taken over central vac as the popular choice/cheaper/less hassle.
Certain places it still benefits. Many people use their garage as a work space. Put the piping it the wall and hook up your shop vac. Simple, efficient, convenient. Wood working? get the dust, cleaning your car? cvac the carpet/insides, clean rugs, easy in the garage and just like most shop vac's you can reverse the air and turn it into a low speed blower. Very little cost during the construction phase with many uses.
In the house I am in right now, it has continuously circulating hot water. I absolutely love it and would not want to ever be without it again.
I have good insulation and so I don't think it adds much to the power bill, but whatever it costs, it is worth it to have hot water at every hot water faucet instantly, no matter how far that faucet is located from the water heater. If it costs a few pennies, that is balanced out by the reduction in water bill from not having to have many gallons run down the drain while waiting for the water to run hot.
Mostly it is the cost of running a tiny pump because as the water goes around and gets put back into the tank, it is hot water going into the tank, not triggering more heat to come on, not like refilling with cold water.
Geothermal systems take advantage of the Earth's constant temperature (72 degrees in Florida) to provide very efficient heating and cooling. In the summer, heat is extracted from the air in the house and transferred through the heat pump to the ground loop piping.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.