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Things I wish I had done when building?

Villain

Mods if you feel this isn't a good idea please delete.

I had an idea for a sticky thread that would allow people who have built houses or extensions in the past and then when it was finished or even many years after say "I wish I did X,Y and Z when I was building, if I was ever to build again I would ......"

The reason I think it might help is that many people on here will have gone through the process of building and in hindsight seen things that people who are now building can't see, be it things like I wish I had dry lined the external walls of the house or I wish I had put in zones in the heating system or even things as simple as I wish I had put a tap down the bottom of the garden or ran ducting for power to the front garden etc.

Just an idea?

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sydthebeat

JuniorB wrote: »

A topical future proofing addition would be a connection to charge my electric car on the side of my garage??
Anyone any idea what sort of connection this is?? Are they standard or different for different makes/models?

as muffler says, perhaps contact the DOEHLG,

perhaps also contact the ESB

there are two type of connection and standard domestic connection and a 'fast charge' connection.

I would assume simply bring the power cable to the end point and capping it would be sufficient.

[Deleted User]

I think you would be better off just putting in a duct in case the fast charge system uses non-standard cable.

JuniorB

Looks like a std 3 pin plug ..:)
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2010/0326/breaking20.html

Leadership

Three pin plug is for the "Slow" charge, there is another connection which is based on a 3 phase supply for a "fast" charge.

mullingar

99.9999999% of houses do not have 3-phase power

3-phase power is at 415v and has 3 Live power leads and 1 Neutral. This is reserved for industry.

All domestic settings have 230v single phase.

I would just run a 6mm2 cable from the fuse box to a sealed all weather box to potentially where the car charging port would be and fit the "to be determined" socket afterwards

2.5mm2 cable is for domestic sockets, max 3kW power
6mm2 cable is for electric ovens, max 7kW power
10mm2 is for thirsty power showers, max 14kW power

newhouse

fantastic thread for anyone building a house - tanx:D

muffler

newhouse wrote: »

fantastic thread for anyone building a house - tanx:D

We aim to please

Oh, if you read the forum charter you will find that the word is "thanks"

We are very "proper" around here.

newhouse

my A2 in hons English has not stood me in good stead!!

badgerhowlin

Great thread. Picking up some handy tips on the DO's and DONTS on building a new house.

Keep them coming!

AckwelFoley

3 things i would do when building my next house.

1. Bigger ensuites

2. Bigger ensuites.

3 Bigger ensuites

Im 6'4, and im near as wide as i am tall. Who ever decided that 1200mm wide was big enough for an ensuite needs to re evaluate their degree

homewardbound11

Dont pump cellulose in the attic.

It goes everywhere and if used is better suited to the first floor for insulation and excellent sound proofing..

mrshappy

Storage storage storage.

On 3 house now so putting in many of the 'I wish I did this in last house' things

Outside tap & also hot tap if budget permits
Garage & trees planted as house is being built
Garage to be wired & also plumbed for sink for the messy jobs:D
Ulitity room with sink and clothes pulley that attaches to ceiling.
Large windows in kitchen/dining to make most of light
Outside sockets and alot of 'extras' inside
Cupboard to fit tall objects - ironing boards, hoover etc
Cloakroom
Where hot press is put a walk in on oppostite side iykwim to even out wall rather than having a 'corner' taken out of bedroom
French doors instead of patio doors - open up area better

Had a list of over 100 things must route it out but that is what I can think of for now.

For anyone doing up room from scratch it is so well worth doing a mood board. Don't have to be an interior designer but put pictures in of whatever furniture you have on the board and built around it - will save a fortune in wasted time and money - worked well for me last time

grainnek

a bigger utility room.....all are rooms are nice a big but the utility room , for the size of the house, is way too small...i can put up close horse but its difficult to get around.
Would have added plumbing for a dryer.....those ones you have to empty arent as good
Outdoor socket for crimbo lights...last year we had to run extention lead from garage
Plumbed sink in garage for messy jobs like cleaning paint brushes!
Phone socket for sky tv
more sockets in office...you would be suprised at how many you use
bigger walk in wardrobe.....not enough space for more wardrobes.we dont have any in bedroom so we really should have made the bedroom smaller and walk in wardrobe bigger
bigger hot press..its quite big already but as we have no attic(as we converted it) we are stuck for storage for things like suit cases and spare duvets etc
we went with a pellet burner.Hopper is in garage and can get very dusty in there....should have had a seperate house at back of garage to store the pellets (might move this yet!)

thats all i can think of for now

Zilog

grainnek wrote: »

Would have added plumbing for a dryer.....those ones you have to empty arent as good

You can get condenser dryers (i.e. no connection to outside) which you can connect to drain and never require emptying. I have a Beko dryer set up like this.
Another advantage of this type of dryer is that no heat is lost to outside, seeing as dryer tends to get used on colder days

randombar

mrshappy wrote: »

Storage storage storage.

On 3 house now so putting in many of the 'I wish I did this in last house' things

Outside tap & also hot tap if budget permits
Garage & trees planted as house is being built
Garage to be wired & also plumbed for sink for the messy jobs:D
Ulitity room with sink and clothes pulley that attaches to ceiling.
Large windows in kitchen/dining to make most of light
Outside sockets and alot of 'extras' inside
Cupboard to fit tall objects - ironing boards, hoover etc
Cloakroom
Where hot press is put a walk in on oppostite side iykwim to even out wall rather than having a 'corner' taken out of bedroom
French doors instead of patio doors - open up area better

Had a list of over 100 things must route it out but that is what I can think of for now.

For anyone doing up room from scratch it is so well worth doing a mood board. Don't have to be an interior designer but put pictures in of whatever furniture you have on the board and built around it - will save a fortune in wasted time and money - worked well for me last time

Stupid question, eh mood board??

[Deleted User]

GaryCocs wrote: »

Stupid question, eh mood board??

as described by the OP.

Don't have to be an interior designer but put pictures in of whatever furniture you have on the board and built around it - will save a fortune in wasted time and money - worked well for me last time

It avoids (most of the time) the risk of colour clashes in the final room design.

skywalker_208

Build garage first to store stuff/keep the place tidy rather than thinking about building/trying to budget for it afterwards!

Great post idea!

galwaytt

Great idea for a thread !

lanod2407 wrote: »

Wish I'd a concrete first floor (kinda hard with timber-frame I guess!!!!).....
Wish I'd asked the timber frame company to design the attic space so I could have converted it

Actually, not hard. I have conc upstairs in mine, but, conversely, I'd never bother doing it again - better ways/materials out now for a 'dry' system. Would be cheaper, too. As for the Attic, don't know why Attic trusses aren't more common - they're not that dear, tbh....

Do-more wrote: »

Next build I will make sure to order all the external doors to open with the same key.

btdt, good idea, didn't cost that much, either. But don't do it until AFTER your house is finished - get the mobile fitter to call out and change them -that way you can be sure no 'errant' keys in builder's van's etc floating about ........;)

dunie001 wrote: »

5. Triple the size of the utility room...no space at all for storage.
6. Build a basement for even more storage...
7. Yet more storage...

5.- how big is 'enough' ? Ours is 5m x 3m and we're still chockablock...

6. - btdt, only issue is cost......
7. - you see, junk/stuff, obeys the same law as gas: Boyle's Law - it expands to fill all available space.......!

Look how the Dutch manage.!

WarrenpointPat wrote: »

...that proper high quality satellite cable is used etc., not cheap high loss TV cable ...don't let an electrician install your TV system cabling...get the job done by someone that actually understands what they are doing.

You can sing that. In stereo ! damhik.........

Chipboard wrote: »

Everyone I know who has done a self build says they would do it better the second time - excellent thread..

Agreed. But I've done it twice, someone told me it takes 3 goes to get it right !

fitzie79 wrote: »

changed the location of the front door. When it's windy the wind blows directly into the front of the house.

...indeed, moved mine to the side of the house, for that reason.

auzworld wrote: »

Other ideas i'll be doing are ...
Build in a lundry shute directly to utility room if you can

We've done two house for clients lately, with this in it, and I had planned to put one in mine, but.... 2 snags: 1. You need a childproof door.......and 2. Well, laundry follows gravity you know, i.e., you still have to carry it back up ! Which is why in the US, some houses have their laundry on the 1st floor.......why can't we do that ?

afrofish wrote: »

If building a garage consider adding an inspection pit when doing the foundations.

Have an Audio Visual cupboard in a room adjoining the living room ..you have easy access to the back of the components.

Forget the pit. Dangerous (fall hazard - it will happen...). Dangerous (fire hazard - fuel and gas fumes collect in it.....loves to spontaneously combust....)..Dangerous....(CO collects in it, and you'll pass out...).Liability....you find no-one will insure your house with it in it. Cheaper, easier, and removable: buy a car lift. You can one for 1k and bolt it the floor. If you don't use it, sell it and get your €€ back. Can't do that with a pit.
+1 on the AV thing........it was on my 'to do' list, but I got overtaken by events.......

Variation on the security theme..........put in cable for CCTV......it's getting to that stage now, unfortunately........

randombar

galwaytt wrote: »

Which is why in the US, some houses have their laundry on the 1st floor.......why can't we do that ?

Would prefer to bring dirty clothes downstairs to the wash rather than wet clothes down and out to the line myself.

ThePiedPiper

I really wish I'd remembered to put the cages on the chimney pots!! We've been tortured with birds living in our chimney since late spring. I've had them waken me up at 5 in the morning because the chimney comes through the master bedroom!! Torture!!

Qualitymark

My mother told me: "Whatever number of sockets you think you'll use in the kitchen, double them." I got 8, and could have used 16. Would also have loved a 'garage' for all those appliances like mixers and juicers and coffee grinders and slow cookers and rice cookers.

The Japanese have a fabulous custom: in virtually all houses, every room has one wall that's 1-metre-deep cupboards, floor to ceiling, covered with sliding doors, which store *everything*.

Windows: in Irish light, the Georgians had it right - long windows give much more light than wide windows. Those huge Georgian windows seem crazy for a time when they didn't have central heating, but they fill the rooms with delicious, mellow light.

Floors: pale floors bring more light into rooms.

Qualitymark

Another terrible lesson, as I empty out the hotpress: build your hotpress with some of those pull-out baskets on rails (Ikea do them) - but also have a separate, well-aired storage place for spare sheets, towels, tablecloths, etc that aren't in constant use.

cabledude

Deleted User wrote: »

Avoid black PVC-U doors & windows, they expand and contract quite a large amount, I've found that the patio doors stick in the heat and are draughty in the winter.
I have to adjust them twice a year now! The missus got some black blinds to match and they act like solar heaters in the summer as well (help heat the house in the winter though)

+1 Real nuisance

galwaytt

GaryCocs wrote: »

Would prefer to bring dirty clothes downstairs to the wash rather than wet clothes down and out to the line myself.

If you don't have a clothes line, it's moot.

ronan45

my mistake was fitting the kitchen before tiling the room now i have those gaps along the kitchen cabinet bottoms that become a cest pit of food YUKKK. The tiler was too lazy to pull out the kick boards so just tiled up to them.

mendel

Use one of those services that price materials based on plans. We got a quote for 500 euro to do this, didn't and would have been invaluable for the novice builder.

Scotia Major

galwaytt wrote: »

Great idea for a thread !

Actually, not hard. I have conc upstairs in mine, but, conversely, I'd never bother doing it again - better ways/materials out now for a 'dry' system. Would be cheaper, too. As for the Attic, don't know why Attic trusses aren't more common - they're not that dear, tbh....

btdt, good idea, didn't cost that much, either. But don't do it until AFTER your house is finished - get the mobile fitter to call out and change them -that way you can be sure no 'errant' keys in builder's van's etc floating about ........;)

5.- how big is 'enough' ? Ours is 5m x 3m and we're still chockablock...
6. - btdt, only issue is cost......
7. - you see, junk/stuff, obeys the same law as gas: Boyle's Law - it expands to fill all available space.......! Look how the Dutch manage.!

You can sing that. In stereo ! damhik.........

Agreed. But I've done it twice, someone told me it takes 3 goes to get it right !

...indeed, moved mine to the side of the house, for that reason.

We've done two house for clients lately, with this in it, and I had planned to put one in mine, but.... 2 snags: 1. You need a childproof door.......and 2. Well, laundry follows gravity you know, i.e., you still have to carry it back up ! Which is why in the US, some houses have their laundry on the 1st floor.......why can't we do that ?

Forget the pit. Dangerous (fall hazard - it will happen...). Dangerous (fire hazard - fuel and gas fumes collect in it.....loves to spontaneously combust....)..Dangerous....(CO collects in it, and you'll pass out...).Liability....you find no-one will insure your house with it in it. Cheaper, easier, and removable: buy a car lift. You can one for 1k and bolt it the floor. If you don't use it, sell it and get your €€ back. Can't do that with a pit.
+1 on the AV thing........it was on my 'to do' list, but I got overtaken by events.......

Variation on the security theme..........put in cable for CCTV......it's getting to that stage now, unfortunately........

Do build an inspection pit in the garage. It doesn't have to be left open. It can be built with a lip just below the finished floor level so heavy duty planks of wood can sit snugly in it when not in use. Just lift them off when needed.

Fit the house with those suction pipes outlets in most rooms that can be hooked up to a hoover noozle. Dirt then gets sucked to the one bag in the garage or whereever. No need for hauling around a hoover or clearing filters etc.

New build in sight

Amazing thread!

We havent started the actual build yet, we reckon we're days away from comencement notice going in....

However one thing that i wished i had of done, even at design stage was read this thread first.....

I really wished we had the kitchen designed before the house. I think i would of found it much easier to design the kitchen first rather than trying to build it into the space we now have.

Excellent thread though!

cabledude

observer wrote: »

how do you mean your engineer/architect??

There is no limit to the size of windows. I am an architect and you can get windows / doors up to 3m wide! this is so dissappointing to hear as a professional wanting and loving to work for people on their houses and achieving everything they want

My brother in law had to have his sitting room and bedroom windows at the front of the house no more than 1.2 metres wide. We have a similar style of house and have big massive bay windows where he has 3 small one, if you know what I mean, and our light and view is superior. Same architect. Same planning authority. Different area of the county.

muffler

cabledude wrote: »

My brother in law had to have his sitting room and bedroom windows at the front of the house no more than 1.2 metres wide. We have a similar style of house and have big massive bay windows where he has 3 small one, if you know what I mean, and our light and view is superior. Same architect. Same planning authority. Different area of the county.

You've quoted a post from Sept. '09. We really don't need that.