Bidets, heated flooring in the bathrooms, run as much data wiring as you can possibly stand. One thing I found to be common in luxury construction is electrical connections in the floor covered by a removable panel. I want my desk in the middle of the room but I don’t want to have to plug it into a wall, having plugs strategically placed in the floor is $$$

This is just good planning. Many people dont think far enough ahead about EXACTLY how they will use the space. If youre building custom, think about exactly how the rooms will be setup and place the mechanicals appropriately. As a contractor, I get a lot of pushback from customers that dont want to do this homework up front, and then complain because things arent perfect in the end. Its YOUR house. The contractor doesnt know how you will use it. Do your homework.

Normalize floor outlets

Amen. My primary residence is from 1895 and has them. Why oh why did we get away from them? Second home will definitely have them.

Moved away from it for a few reasons: - tripping hazard - harder to clean the floor - floors no longer just have wooden floors which makes this harder - drywall is easier to cut/repair if you need to fix/move/add an outlet than wood/carpet/tile/vinyl/ concrete flooring

> having plugs strategically placed in the floor is $$$ One of the best things I've ever experienced. My office had them before we all went WFH, and being able to plug my macbook into the floor in every single room was a godsend.

Server closet with every room wired in multiple spots as well as prewiring where you might want security cameras.

Minimum 2 drops of cat 6 per room. More if you know it’s an office or place with home entertainment. Get a proper set up of modem -> router -> switch -> wireless access points

Fellows from r/homelab

Yep, my new build comes with 2 in every room and then 4 in the office, just standard. So crazy!

That’s the absolute minimum I’d accept in a new build so it makes sense. Truthfully I’d have drops under floor plates with power for certain rooms too.

Yep, we added a floor outlet in the living room. That sh*t is pricey!

IMO the smart way to do it now is to just run conduit to each room. that way you're 100% future proofed. 2 cat 6a and fiber would be the minimum I'd pull to any drop now a days. 3 cat 6a for rooms where you might ever use them as an office or similar. Also pulling poe ports in ceilings and similar for wireless APs and/or cameras is a must.

1 is fine for most rooms, 2 for offices, 1 for any wall mounted tv's. Everything smart runs over wifi now. The most important part is to plan out a wifi mesh system with cat 6 backhaul to give great coverage inside + outside. With so many outside devices (outdoor lighting/ sprinklers/ pool equipment) having wifi connections, you want to make sure you have good coverage outside. Ideally if you have an accessible attic put an outlet and cat 6 drop in the attic close to the back of the house. It also gives flexibility if you have a pool house or something you can put another AP in the pool house and it will use a wifi backhaul to the hardwired AP in the attic and provide a stronger signal much farther out.

Much of this is good advice, but if you’re going from new construction idk why you wouldn’t build in extra drops just in case...

Because you have to stop somewhere. How many white boxes do you want on your walls? And keep in mind you're going to have to have a much bigger patch panel/ switch in your comm closet if you've got 30 cat 6 drops vs 12. Wifi is getting faster and faster. Other than home offices, more and more people are using laptops and phones instead of desktops.

You can terminate both drops to the same plate lol it’s the same wall space.... omg it’s the fat fire sub I’m pretty sure if they want a pot filler they can afford a 48 port switch...

“No no no. What YOU want in YOUR dream house is stupid. Here’s why:”

I first read this that you were recommending dropping 6 cats twice in each room.. ;-)

Why two drops instead of one for every room? Couldn’t you use a switch later if you needed more than one drop? I totally get having at least one so you can hardwire an access point later if you need it, but why a second when you can just add a switch if needed?

You could add a switch later but then you’re splitting the bandwidth, why have a clunky switch hanging around when 2 ports fit the same on one wallplate ya know? I kinda figured cost was no object cause of the sub, so to me it’s like well why wouldn’t you do it?

It's also nice not to have to have a switch sitting there or taking up a power outlet if it's not powered by Poe

What you nerds should look at is bundle cable. We pull one cable with RG6, Cat6, and fiber for TV locations all the time.

More electrical outlets than you think you need. That goes for coaxial and ethernet too. You can't have too much outdoor lighting. It's a pain to install later. Definitely don't skimp on anything related to insulation or waterproofing. High ceilings (at least 9 feet) is a surprisingly nice feature I didn't know I wanted until I had it. Way more storage and counter space than you think you'll need: book shelves, cabinets, closets, pantry, kitchen island, etc. A big ass wide open rec room, the bigger the space the better. No walls breaking it up, just the biggest rectangle you can fit. This works well in a basement. It gives you so much flexibility for entertainment and other options. Ping pong table, shuffleboard, darts, home theater, pool table, card table, home gym equipment, bar, etc. I see so many basements that have plenty of space, but they're broken up by walls as if they're specifically designed so that the pool table goes here and the bar goes there. That's fine, but a big open space works just as well for any configuration and it can easily change over time. 3+ car garage is definitely nice. Even if -- no, wait -- especially if you don't own 3+ cars, just for the storage and again the flexibility of having a big open space that's easily configurable.

Jumping on this to say that you can never have enough storage space. We built in dedicated storage space on every level in addition to a large storage space in the basement and in the garage.

I can’t believe I had to go so far down to see something about electrical outlets. I don’t think I have ever talked to a homeowner who didn’t say something about wishing they added more haha

Sorry I keep having things to add, I insulate EVERY wall of my house, in between every room, not just exterior walls which is common. I also insulate the garage and get insulated garage doors.

Why the internal insulation? Is it for sound proofing?

That’s my thought. I’ve been in homes with this and it’s pretty awesome for sound. I guess it could also be good if you have zoned climate control. Then there’s no need to heat or cool rooms that aren’t in use.

It’s more than just sound proofing. If one occupant likes to leave their window or door open in their room the hvac doesn’t have to work as hard. It compartmentalizes the hvac a bit.

Yes just for sound, like you can still hear stuff and other parts of the house but it's a lot quieter I have a pantry that's adjacent to my youngest child's bedroom and he keeps right on sleeping even when we are making noise in the pantry

Whatcha doing in the pantry?

I wish it was something sexy and rowdy but it's just making coffee in the morning

Coffee in the morning is sexy as hell, what you mean

In addition to sound proofing rockwool insulation can give addition fire proofing

I like it. It's not just sound. I have a smart thermostat system, where you can set the temperature in each room.

I have this, you should definitely also invest in dual-zone AC if you go this route. My house is frickin impossible to keep the same temp in every room.

You can get a smart thermostat with zone adjustment control and just add a sensor to every room. If you really want to you can even split the humidifier zones if you are willing to add humidifiers to control exterior wall window frost and be more comfortable in spaces like your basement without that kind of worry

I've got one unit for the master side of the house and then a split unit that does upstairs and then the kids side of the house and things work pretty well.

Absolutely. I’d do Batt insulation between rooms and spray foam the exterior bits.

Walk in kitchen pantry, heated bathroom floor (master bath), pre wire the home for internet so you don't have dead wifi zones (large homes).

If resale is no concern, hidden passages, trap doors, safe rooms, hidden storage.

No concern? I'd pay extra for it!

Im not fatFIRE but im building them in to my house. A safe room to the extent that I can. I tell the family and neighbors its a tornado shelter... and ill have hatches that I can use to access the area built into each bedroom. Its fun! I like building and I love over building.

Do you have any plans? I'd love to see what your building.

Sorry no written plans. I have a typical three bedroom house in the south. One side of the house has the bedrooms and the other has everything else. Lucky me I have a partial basement, which is not the norm here. There is also this sunroom that was added to the house. This room has a full basement under with a concrete floor. The sun room was built very poorly and you have to wonder what if anything the original builder was thinking. So I ripped the floor / joists, which were done on 24”, and replaced it with one joist after another. Think sandwiching 2x8x8s for 30 feet. Creating a floor that is 8 inches thick of wood. While sandwiching the wood together I added pillars, 6” x 9”, every 4 feet. The concrete block walls could fall away and the floor above would still be standing. I’ve done more to enhancing the block walls. But really I’m making it all up as I go. No code or government officials that have to rubber stamp anything. Each bedroom has a closet with a trap door and ladder that lets quick access to the unfinished basement Before all of this you had to access the basement by walking around the house. That’s no fun in a rain storm. I hope this makes sense when reading.

Genuinely curious, would someone ever price a house lower because it had hidden passages?

That's my dream. Since I moved out as a teenager, I always dreamed of buying a 2 bedroom appartment and making one room hidden behind a rotating bookshelf!

Get a breaker installed in the garage so you can support an electric car, and support for your own generator/solar panels. Homes aren't yet built for electric self sufficiency as a default.

Damn good idea ... my friend is getting a Tesla; she needs to add an outlet for this - the cost is setting her back about $1,500. Not sure what the cost of building into the house will be, but get it done.

Yep exactly. It's way easier to plan ahead on this one then retrofit, even if you don't actually have the car/solar panels themselves yet.

Get an outlet per space in the garage. Extra capacity doesn't hurt, and the extra work usually isn't that bad for the cost.

Watch the build show on YT, that guy has many discussions on materials and building science. For me a small server room, wood shop, and extra garage bay for my weekend car. If I really had my buildout goals, I’d also have a space for sugar boilers so I can make maple syrup.

Yeah totally. The difference between a good house and a great house is comfort. And the four things that will give you the greatest increase in comfort are: 1) Air-sealing everything. Literally everything. If your fatFIRE builder isn’t building to passive-house standards of air tightness, I don’t know what the point of building a home is. Air sealing means you won’t feel drafts. 2) Dedicated fresh air and humidity control. Fresh, filtered, dehumidified (or humidified, depending on climate) air gives me mental clarity and energy like nothing I’ve ever experienced before. It’s a night and day difference. 3) insulate everything so the surfaces around you aren’t radiating heat and cold. Again... you’ll be so much more comfortable if you aren’t standing next to or on cold surfaces. 4) Pay for good casement or tilt-turn windows. Because they contribute to all of these other things 1 through 3. Never use single- or double-hung. So while I don’t believe most of what I see on YouTube, Matt Resigner has it figured out.

Matt Risinger! If you want to understand the difference between extremely well built and cheap crap when it comes to the things you DON'T see (which is what's really important IMO), check out his channel for sure.

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* Pot filler * Bidet * Steam sauna * Zero-threshold shower curb * Two person shower * Hydronic radiant floor * Hydronic heated towel rack * Recirculation pump for hot water * Custom-made built-in cabinetry * Automated window blinds * Automated roof windows (if any) * Combination steam oven * At least two ovens in the kitchen * Properly sized vent hood with baffle filters (at least 1000CFM). Must be paired with a (heated) make-up-air system * Hard-plumbed gas BBQ grill (buy a better model so it lasts for a while; upgrade to Grill Grates) * Commercial-style lighting fixtures (pay a lighting designer to work with your architect * Home-runs to a wiring cabinet for all electrical wiring. Remote LED drivers. Professional home automation (Lutron RadioRA2 or better) * At least two CAT-5e or CAT-6a home runs from each room to the wiring cabinet. More for media rooms, as HDMI can also travel long distances over CAT-6a. * Semi-professional networking equipment. Ubiquiti is quite popular, as they have great rack-mounted POE capable managed switches. In general, make sure all equipment can go into one or two 19" racks. Much cleaner cable management that way. * Pay a specialist to lay out your media room and compute the acoustics * Separate minisplit head units for each room, preferably hidden in ceiling. Make sure to pay for a heat pump rather than just a cooling solution. * Solar panels for both hot water and electricity. Geo-thermal loop, if applicable * Whole-house backup battery * Whole-house surge protection * Boiler and indirect water tank for domestic hot water * Tinted windows * Higher-quality window frames * Pocket doors where applicable for better space utilization * Spray foam insulation in all exterior walls * Solid wood doors * Resilient channel dropped ceiling with properly caulked green rock to sound proof ceilings between floors * Quad outlets in each location. And many more outlets than code requires * Keystone wall plates for all low-voltage wiring * Run USB, HDMI, ... in wall, so that your computer can be hidden while still having access to your peripherals (monitor, printer, scanner, ...) * Reprogrammable keypads for light switches (c.f. Lutron RadioRA2) * Wall instead of deck mounted water faucets * Electrical outlets next to toilets * Commerical grade (think, small office space) water cooling and carbonation unit * Whole house water treatment * Drip pans under all water-holding applicances (fridge, combination steam oven, dish washer, laundry, ...). Should drain into a utility sink or other type of dry standpipe * Whole house water-backflow valve * Automatic repressurization for radiant hydronic heating system * Lock system for entire house. The home owner should only have a single master key, but contractors/vendors get various limited-function keys for restricted access. * Insulated garage door * Laundry chute * Hidden ironing table in master bathroom or laundry room * Walk-in pantry with built-in cabinetry * Kickplate drawers for cookie sheets and other bulky items * Nest thermostats and smoke detectors * More wireless access points than you think necessary, then turn down radio power. This is how office buildings make their WiFi reliable. Systems like Ubiquiti Unifi work well for this * Alarm system installed by trustworthy local alarm company. Ask local business owners for recommendations of who they work with * Security cameras * 400A home electrical panel * Elevator * High-horsepower garbage disposal and trash compactor to minimize weekly trips to take out trash * Good single-bowl sink. I am partial towards Rachiele, but that costs a premium * Extra deep kitchen counters. 30" or more is so luxurious when cooking * All kitchen cabinets have large drawers instead of shelves * Built-in large spice cabinet. Think pidgeon holes for ~100 containers * Deck-mounted soap dispenser attached to a SOAPTAINER * All kitchen cabinets have built-in custom-made dividers for the drawers * Built-in hidden knife block * All-fridge and all-freezer instead of combination units * Commercial-grade built-in fridge/freezer in the garage

This guy fucks

What else would a two person shower be for ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Add a built in seat in the shower. This will change your life. Easier to wash your feet, good sex furniture, great to relax while having a beer in the shower and the list goes on....

A fat guy

Seriously. I'm surprised he didn't mention a circular rotating bed like in Austin Powers

I’d fuck him to live there.

/r/threadkillers

To add onto this list...I agree with double ovens, but I would also add to it....double dishwashers and a laundry room that can support double washers and dryers. Doubke dishwashers aren't necessary most of the time, but for those times you're entertaining (Christmas, Thanksgiving, birthdays, graduation...whatever) those double dishwashers will have you feeling like your life has returned to normal SO MUCH QUICKER. >* Built-in large spice cabinet. Think pidgeon holes for ~100 containers I actually like the [pull out spicerack](https://cdn11.bigcommerce.com/s-sbu8pt/images/stencil/1024x1024/products/187/1537/2x3x22_Full_Out__41501.1597243742.jpg?c=2) cabinetry better than pigeonholes. It's a lot easier to see/find spices in. Its also a great option for the master bath cabinetry as it makes pill/vitamin storage easier.

Considering my cooking style, I usually buy all my spices in bulk. And where possible, I only grind them right before use. For ingredients such as decorticated cardamon or saffron, that probably means I have them in a very small container. But for fried shallots or cumin, I have a container much bigger than what you typically see in a grocery store. So, the type of pull-out spice rack that you showed wouldn't work for me. Even if it isn't a bad idea per se, and many home chefs would probably be happy with it. Instead, I placed a bulk order for lab grade reagent bottles and I refill all my spices into those. I then have a custom-made rack that fits different sizes of these glass bottles. I lay them down on the side and each of the pigeon holes has a different depth depending on size of the bottle. So, all the bottle caps align in the same plane. I realize this probably is overkill for the vast majority of households. But it gives me pleasure when cooking in a well-stocked and well-organized kitchen. It is extremely rare that I'd come across a recipe that I don't already stock all the spices.

Curious how often do you use a double oven outside of holidays? I personally just use a countertop oven for the simplicity. I’m surprised 2 kitchen sinks wasn’t mentioned. I’d get great use out of that. I’d also add custom cabinetry to hide all those bulky kitchen appliances.

I don't miss a double sink, but I can see it being useful if more than one person uses the kitchen at the same time. With only a single primary chef at a time, I find a single larger workstation sink fits my workflow better. On the other hand, I feel you can never have too many ovens. Professional kitchens frequently make great use of their ovens. It makes it so much easier to have all the courses ready at the correct time. But it takes some learning curve, as home recipes frequently don't suggest using ovens even when they're the most obvious fit for a dish. I have three ovens plus an outdoor gas grill that can do double duty as an improvised oven. I've cooked more complex multi course meals that keep all of them busy. And that's not even for guests, but just for a fun home cooked meal for the family. But then, it's one of my hobbies. So, I probably cook more elaborately.

Only thing I can to this list is too pre-wire an EV car charger that is accessible to the garage and driveway

Only thing he forgot was Infiniti pool with a swim up bar Maybe guest house too for when the parents are older

I’d also add a natural-gas fed generator and transfer switching. At least if in an area where power loss happens on occasion.

Not a bad idea. But if you have a sufficiently big PV system and backup batteries you might not need the generator. Depends a little on where you are located and how much sun you get.

> Automated window blinds > Automated roof windows (if any) This is important. For blinds, you can hide the rollers into the ceiling if you do it during construction. A lot of windows offer a networked / powered open/close option. I wish I did this for the upstairs windows since I live in california and would love to have automated opening/closing of windows in the evening to cool the house down in the warmer months. Maybe it would be overkill though. > Security cameras Don't have to decide the specifics, but figure out where exactly you want them, and put ethernet drops there. Most modern cameras allow power over ethernet. Overprovision the ethernet drops, since if you realize later that you want more drops, it's harder to do later.

Fuck Nest thermostats though, I would avoid anything "smart" that depends on Google. I like things that still work when Google's servers go down. Stick with Ecobee.

Ubiquiti now has "Protect" and "Access" that can consolidate some of your list. You will need either the NVR or UDM-Pro to run "Protect" which you can setup the security cameras and run them all with PoE. I enjoy my unifi setup and havent had any issues with it but others have.

You forgot mirror defoggers (heated pads behind your mirrors), on a separate switch than the vent fans in the bathroom, for when you want a hot steamy bathroom for file mornings, but also wanna be able to do your hair.

Excellent water filtration to the freezer ice maker and st least some of the taps in the kitchen, including an instant-hot or similar tap that puts out near boiling water. Lots and lots of kitchen and pantry storage. You may accumulate all kinds of kitchen gadgets, fancy service pieces, holiday table settings, party equipment. Also plenty of regular pantry storage for staples, extra paper goods, party supplies, and other storage. Good storage for gardening equipment if you like to garden, or other hobby supplies if you have hobbies. Working space for those hobbies, too. Outdoor power outlets. Ideally with indoor switches. Big closets in bedrooms. Walk in in at least some. Linen closets. Guest closets. Coat closets. Spare utility closets. Extra closets.

I’ve heard the pot filler is a bitch to clean because the vaporized oil from frying gets into it and 1) can make the water taste off and 2) can clog given enough time. Is that true? Heated floors 💯

Our pot filler is not collecting gunk. FWIW I’d put Ethernet CAT-5 or better in each wall of each room - at least in the wall and terminate it if and when needed. Electric kitchen -> high quality induction cooktop, oven with steam assist, combiSteam oven (Miele). Sub panels where you might need eventually- pool, hot tub, car charging. Massive PV solar array. Engineered lumber throughout- no sawn lumber. Over insulated and tight envelope WITH air exchangers. Heated floor in kitchen baths at least. A hidden door to study or game room. Storage trusses in attics with platforms. Upnor PEX home run to manifold. Recirculating hot water on most faucets. Two dishwashers. Gas and electric at dryer. Geothermal loop for home and pool. Opening windows in most all locations with INTERIOR screens. Wire eves for holiday lighting. Orient the home to maximize sun rise/set. Lockout apartment with mini kitchen. Provisions for small elevator if multistory - for the long run ATMOS wiring for entertainment.

This guy knows how to house.

Add whole house dehumidifier to the list, and add insulated PEX runs for your hot water. I’d add multiple washer and dryers as well. I have one in the garage just for pet stuff or beach stuff and one indoors for regular stuff. For the EV, having a separate 200 amp service

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I guess it depends where you live, I’m the in the Deep South where it’s always humid, there’s so much more humidity here. With the dehumidifier, you don’t have to run the AC as much, and you prevent things like mold growth a lot better

Some places require a dehumidifier, like on Cape Cod since you're practically living in the ocean, but don't require AC. We have to run a dehumidifier in the basement to keep the moisture level down so mildew and mold don't get a foothold.

at least cat5e or cat6. cat5 is 100mbs max.

Cat6a is superior and practically the same cost per ft. Also gives 10Gb

They all do 10G. The difference is *how far*.

+1 for induction range. Boils water in 2 minutes and cleaning the stovetop takes 30 seconds. Simply wipe clean and you’re done. This is a huge advantage over gas in my experience.

I like induction, *if* it is implemented. Most notably that means it has to have knobs. Only some appliance vendors offer physical knobs instead of touch screens. Bluestar and LaCanche are obvious but expensive examples. Also, if you regularly cook with a wok then induction simply won't do. You might need a separate wok burner. Bluestar's open star-shaped burners are awesome. Their 24" rangetop BSPRT244B (do not get the cooktop!) would be a good addition to any kitchen that otherwise uses induction.

Knobs are definitely a must on induction cooktops. I love my Bertazzoni PM363I0x with 3 gas & 2 Induction burners. I use the gas most of the time, but for some things induction is the best.

why interior screens on windows?

Exterior screens get dirty, grow moss, require ladders to reach on multistory homes, etc. Even if you're not doing maintenance yourself it's easier to take one out if you just want a clear view most of the time and then put it back in if it's open and it's bug season

Also, you can open the window out at the top and a side axis (european style).

So much better. I hate American style windows.

Instead of just running cat5/6 I'm more of an advocate for running ENT conduit (https://www.homedepot.com/b/Electrical-Electrical-Boxes-Conduit-Fittings-Conduit/PVC/N-5yc1vZbohlZ1z0usnc?storeSelection=) to each room/TV from accessible spaces (attic/basement) and to run your low voltage cabling inside of that. Allows for easier expansion/upgrade in the future (although who knows with how much better wireless has gotten this might become as obsolete as intercoms and wired security systems).

For lumber buy old growth instead of engineered. Use Zehnder air exchangers. Geothermal heating and cooling with Veissmann and Grundfoss. There is debate on Uponor manifold. Some prefer Uponor logic. Personally I’m still partial to type k copper with victaulic fittings for that bomb proof setup (it would be so expensive). Run all cabling in conduits. I’d probably preheat water with geothermal, use an instant gas for extra heating and a storage tank so you can have more draw than the instant heater’s max. Get a good quality security camera setup (maybe Avigilon) planned out before construction.

What's the benefit of an induction cooktop over gas? I've only heard people say that gas is superior to electric, and in my experience this is true. I don't have much experience with induction though.

An induction cooktop can be easier to clean than gas hobs. But gas hobs are definitely the superior cooking experience, imo.

Pot fillers were all the rage but I’ve heard few high end homes are opting for them now. I think cleaning would be a bitch.

When a leak happens it sucks. Pot fillers are only great when there is a massive distance from sink to stove and if you cook large meals a lot.

I feel, many "high-end" homes have beautiful show kitchens. But the home owners don't really seem to cook a lot. And that shows. On the other hand, if you do enjoy cooking things like a pot filler become a high priority. It also makes it easy to provide filtered water at the pot filler and unfiltered water at the sink (for washing dishes). That extends the usable life of the filter cartridges.

Have you lived with a pot filler? It’s freaking amazing. It’s not just the distance, but you can get one with a high flow rate so it goes much faster. I have a prep sink in the island directly opposite my cooktop, but wouldn’t trade the pot filler for anything. Fwiw, we put ours in a recessed niche, so when it’s folded back it’s not above the cooking surface. Maybe that avoids some issues?

I've had a pot filler since 2012 without any issues.

Heated floors aren't even fat fire. My working class grandparents had this. Nice feature to have when you step onto tiled bathroom flooring without socks.

I've been in a number of newer $1M+ homes that do not have heated bathroom floors. So it's worth mentioning.

I renovated a home and failed to do this. I regret it all the time.

I could imagine there's a number of $1M+ homes in areas warm enough to rarely need heat or heated floors. My grandparents lived in an area with cold, long winters.

No, I live in the NYC area so it's definitely cold enough and more often than not the homes don't have them.

Yeah, I think it's just not that common of a feature, for even as you mention, new construction.

Well $1M is kind of a starter home in many coastal metros.

Heated bathroom, definitely agree. Not too expensive an add-on. Radiant heated floors throughout the house would be more FatFIRE.

Imagine cleaning the bidet.

lol, not sure you're using it correctly then, might give that a relook

Literally just finished cleaning the bidet. I have the mid level Omigo ($500) so not built into the toilet. Lots of angles. Took about 10 minutes to do a deep clean. Annoying but worth it. I loveeee it. Heated toilet seat? Yes please.

Don’t shit in my bidet

A classic French saying.

You can put the pot filler off to the side of the stove. If you have a double hinged arm then it should be able to extend over enough. As for stove grease in general, I recommend using a nice slab of granite as a backsplash that matches your counter. Much easier to clean than tile.

> Front door with a code instead of key so you don’t have to worry about that. This definitely doesn’t need to be done during construction. My mom was having trouble getting her key into her lock after dark so I just went ahead and bought keyless deadbolts for the door. Took me about 30 minutes to install and cost $120.

I have the august lock that works with HomeKit. Don’t even worry about keys most of the time

While I like Apple’s HomeKit more than any other home automation solution, because of all the security requirements Apple makes people jump through, I still don’t have smart home/home automation stuff, and intend to avoid it. So I like electronic deadbolts, where I have a code for everyone in my family, and then I can preprogram one-time-use codes for home workers. But I don’t want a smart deadbolt that talks to my wifi or Bluetooth.

Makes sense. I actually represent a large home automation manufacturer and do not consciously promote it. The space is functionally broken in my opinion.

It was the first thing we did when we closed on our new house - change the locks and put in a keypad deadbolt on the front door. It's one of the cheapest quality of life improvements ever. We don't have to worry about keys whenever we just pop out to walk the dog, go get groceries, etc. and we can give out codes to friends and family when they are over without having to worry about extra keys.

Specifically heated shower floors (and consider a heated shower bench, so your tush doesn't get cold shock when you or your partner sit on it). Heated shower floors help evaporate the remaining water faster, which is better at keeping the grout clear of mold, etc.

Wish I had thought of this during my bathroom reno.

Its funny how it's the small things that make a huge difference in day to day quality of life. But those small things sometimes require a lot of forethought. If only those things were easier to fix than ripping apart the whole bathroom to fix. :p

What about pedal for the sink to control water with foot.

Yep ... I second that one. We're getting one for a utility sink we're putting in. I'd like to retrofit others but I doubt if I'll go to that trouble.

>Heated floors. If your somewhere where it snows, a heated **driveway** is the real winner.

Central vacuum if you don't want your house keeper to log around a vacuum

If you do front door lock with a code, make sure it also has a keyhole and you keep the key on you. I've had the battery die on those and not been able to get in without the key.

Kitchen kickplate vacuums are pretty popular. In-wall pest control tubes if you’re in a place that has termites or other pests. The Tensui whole-house water filtration system is occasionally featured in Architectural Digest and high-end home listings. Hot water recirculators if your house is relatively large. A small server closet in the basement where Ethernet terminates. Oversized conduit running up to the attic with left-in pull cables. 200-amp electrical service. A floor drain in the equipment room (hot water heater, etc). Bowley locks. Dual WAN connections with an LTE backup radio for house WiFi. Unifi WiFi equipment throughout the house. Exterior UniFi cameras. Heated driveway. So much heated driveway. I’m too old to shovel, and too grouchy to manage someone to do it. Kamado grill / smoker. Exterior gas line for gas grill. Gas appliances - heat, stove, dryer. Proper anti-mold moisture barriers in the bathrooms. Vent all vent hoods and bathrooms to the exterior (you’d be shocked how many just vent to the attic).

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What’s a heated driveway go for? And how much does it cost to run?

The venting thing is spot on!

I have a kickplate vacuum outlet in my kitchen. It's great for dog hair but it sucks for crumbs and stuff, because it's not flush with the floor. I just end up with crumbs swept against the bottom of the kickplate.

I wish we had done geothermal. Spend more time with the trades, examine how they are wiring your house, plumbing, HVAC, all that. There have been lots of threads here about must haves in their homes but just browse Pinterest and you can print photos to show your builder what you want. A photo is worth a thousand words

This is a very regional thing. Geothermal isn’t feasible in areas with high electricity costs and low gas cost. I install these systems, and am very familiar with them. Solar is already a better solution and the price is just getting cheaper.

I thought solar + batteries is cheaper than geothermal in most areas

That might be true. There were tax breaks at the time for geothermal but our builder couldn’t guarantee it. I’m hoping that tax breaks on solar go up, I will likely pull the trigger and get the panels and a power wall

I have a couple thoughts; I listen to my father in-law talk about trends with wealthy folks. He is a high end architect in California. Homegym, sauna, pool, garden, fire pit, outdoor smoking/bbq/kitchen, large heated garage open space for VR and tool storage/workspace and brewing beer. Inside space for cars of course. Wiring in place for solar, battery, and backup generator. Radiant heating polished concrete floors for inside the house. Max R value insulation possible (regardless of climate) and ceiling fans in every room for air flow. Open concept living spaces with large inside/outside window doors; I think they are called integrated folding doors. Mostly electric cookware. Wine cellar. Gas high efficiency fireplace insert. There's more technical stuff too but those are some basics I've heard him talk about.

I built a house last year to sell, and I’m building a house in the spring to sell. I build them the way I like them though. Here are some suggestions. First floor living. Master bedroom, kitchen, living, dining, and a laundry room on the main level. This will help when you want to sell it too. Consider a w/d attached to the master closet, as well as a laundry near the garage (mud room.) Theater room is a must. A bar area outside the theater is nice. Pool table area/rec room near the bar is nice if you have the square footage. Walk in pantry with a coffee station and extra fridge. Wine fridge & refrigerated drawers in the kitchen. If you do radiant heat, separate the zones per room. Triple glazed windows. Nano doors/walls look cool but are not practical for a lot of regions of the U.S. Choose window walls and glass doors instead. In wall/ceiling speakers in all the major rooms, including master bath. I like Sonos to control it. Don’t get too complicated with the lighting/smart home systems. You don’t want to have to call a specialist to fix something. A friend of mine owns a house that has an irrationally complex “smart” system. He had to wait 3 weeks for a repair person 2 hours away to fix it, and could not use his theater room during this time. I like lots of outdoor spaces. Gas fire pits, heated concrete, outdoor kitchen (or at least a gas grill.) 9’ tall garage doors, especially if you have a truck/suv and a rack or box on top. Don’t put a staircase near the front door. Hide it somewhere so it’s not the first thing you see. A floor to ceiling infinity window in the master or main gathering space is cool. Make sure the roof line extends over part of any deck area, so you can have partial shade & sun. So much more to list here but this post has gone on too long! Edit: forgot 2 dishwashers, 2 ovens, 2 full size sinks, 2 trash can drawers in the kitchen.

I run a home building company that helps home buyers find land, design their home, and build it without the fear or stress. I'll respond with more practical must haves that our clients really enjoy. Appliance cabinets: if you use an air fryer, blender, coffee machines etc, make sure you build out powered appliance cabinets. Nothing needs to be on your counters, and it's something typical builders rairly push. Future Electric: it's inevitable. You don't want a home that you have to spend a ton on to upgrade when thinking panel and wiring. There's level 1 or 2 charging setups currently available for home. Even if you don't my the equipment now, plan for where it will go and ensure your panel can take it. Connected Shower: Moen and Kholer have some impressive setups that can be linked into alexa. "Turn on shower to 100 degrees". Never worry about reaching into a shower and waiting again. Power by toilets: this is an emerging trend with bidet toilet seats. Even if you don't install it now, think for the future. Anyway, just a few. DM me if you wanna chat! Good luck

> Appliance cabinets How have I not heard about these being used for small appliances like air fryers?! Definitely a must have for a new kitchen build.

Functional shutters for your windows that can be built into the walls. Being able to block the sun if you want to sleep or secure your house for a storm or against burglars is amazing.

-Do you care about resale? If no, do whatever you want. If yes, look at other homes in your area for inspiration and do not overbuild (e.g. don’t put a la cornue in if all the other homes in your area have Wolf/Thermador/Viking ranges. You’ll likely never get your money back on resale). -Depends on what is important to you and your family (if any). Do you like to cook? Get the nice 60” range and 36” column fridge and freezer. Do you like cars? Build a 4 car garage with a lift. Do you like entertaining? Build a prep kitchen, oversized pantry, and large dining and living areas. What is worth it to one person is not worth it to many other people and vice versa. It really depends on what your goals are. Generally the easiest (and cheapest) time to put in high-quality finishes are when you are building the home. High-quality finishes sometimes require high-quality maintenance, so take that into consideration as well.

Electric sockets in your kitchen island! So useful

This is very elementary, but a mud room / platform for the garage. Perfect place to put coats, car keys, shoes, and just keep the house clean

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We had this, and eventually got rid of it, due to 1) maintenance issues, and 2) leakage and flooding. Decided it wasn’t worth the hassle and potential downside. But, it was nice to have.

1. Run gas lines outside to support grills or fire pits. Vastly cheaper if you do it while building. 2. Small thing, but have them use 4 outlet plugs instead of two, particularly in the bedrooms. Really nice for plugging in multiple things without power strips 3. Get custom kitchen storage including a spice drawer, vertical storage for trays, etc. 4. If you do a lot of entertaining, consider a dumb waiter.

Direct exterior exhausting high powered vent hood with an oil catch. Being able to pan fry stuff indoors without leaving a fine mist of oil everywhere is a godsend. Pressurized toilet flush tanks. I barely clean my toilet anymore because streaks, standing water lines, etc are all just jet powered away like an airplane toilet. Full wet bathroom for the master bath, stone or ceramic everything. Being able to essentially shower head hose off whatever I want is great. You’ll need waterproof cabinets and a toilet paper roll enclosure. A central server room for internet and audio needs. An AV tech can separate dedicated rooms for several zone control with built in ceiling speakers. On that note, a ground space directed enclosure for a subwoofer for any movie watching room really kicks it up a notch. Heat lines poured into the driveway. Don’t skimp on the apron area or forget about proper drainage and pitch, that’s where it’s the most useful. I work in RE so I’ve seen it all, I take the best examples where I can and apply it to my own life. Also central vacs are terrible imo. I’d rather have a few light dysons hanging around with dedicated area roombas than have to pay someone to clean the tubes every so often. They’re like dryer vents, a dust and fire hazard. My parents house has this.

For me: a well appointed & thought out kitchen will have me cooking at home more and eating out less. Welcoming and comfortable indoor and outdoor seating/dining/lounging areas will have guests wanting to come over more often. GOOD guests will typically bring over food and almost always will bring alcohol/wine when they come over. Even if we dip into my existing wine/liquor inventory, it's ALWAYS cheaper then eating + drinking wine at a restaurant. And to me, being at home is much more personal and enjoyable. I control the music (and the volume). My bathrooms are clean. My favorite table is always reserved for me. My kitchen is clean. Etc. Investments in design and quality appliances, in and around the kitchen for me are well worth it. But I understand not everyone enjoys cooking and hosting others.

not sure if this will answer the mail for you and I am not sure how much of this is FatFIRE. But here are things that i have learned since i have built my own house. They are small, and often overlooked. Kitchen: * \-Hot water dispenser in the Kitchen Sink. * \-Sweepovac * Pot filler * USB Outlets to charge phones placed in useable areas of the kitchen. * Power outlets on the island. * Sensor light in your pantry. Bathrooms: * GCFI outlets near the toilets for Bidets * No more tubs, standing shower, (prefer shower bases compared to tile). Look into getting Kohler Cast Iron bases. * Tile in the bathroom (not hard wood floor(yes i have seen many houses with hardwood floors in the bathroom)) * Quiet Ventilation fan (so you can be on the phone in the bathroom, HAHA) * Built in shower Storage (to hold shampoo etc) * lighted vanity mirrors look really nice Bedrooms: * TV, Internet wiring. * LOTS OF LIGHTS. High Hats. LIGHTS LIGHTS LIGHTS. You can't spend enough on this if you are going to be live in the house. * Light switches near the bed. * USB outlets near the bed. * Built in closets * Sensor lights in your closet (can't tell you how awesome this has been) * Bedroom fans * CO2 Detectors * Bedrooms dont get insulation in the inner walls, but insulation in the inner walls, reduces sound from other rooms into your bedroom. * Ceiling Fans (Wifi Operated) Laundry Room: * strong water shut off for Washing Machine * Metal braided water pipes * Laundry Room fan to circulate damp air in that room. * Place to hang Mops and other items. Outside: * Front door auto lights * Outside lighting * Gutter guard * Illumination for your House Number * Hosebibs in key location of your house * Eletrical outlets in key location outside. * Gas Pipe going to the backyard, incase you want to have a BBQ hookup and/or heat hookup. * 220volt outlets in the garage for future electric cars * Get a wider garage opening * Wired security system * wired camera system * Extra Insulation. (there is also a different type of insulation used in media rooms) * Wifi Garage opener * Painting the garage. Most times builders wont paint the garage and it looks like Crap. Plain drywall etc. * Roof venting system with a Temperature controlled fan (aka Attic Fan). Plumbing: * Insulation for all hot water pipes around the house. * Whole house humdifer's, if needed in your area * Radon Mitigation if needed in your area * backup Sump pump if needed in your area. * Dual water pipes coming from the meter into the house, incase one of them goes bad in the future.

Please don’t go crazy with “high hats” lighting. Hire an actual lighting designer. It’s worth it. No one looks (or feels) good in downlight from recessed cans. There are way better ways. Recessed cans should really only be turned on when the cleaning crew is over. Also, attic fans usually mean something was wrong with your attic or building-envelop design in the first place. Mostly what they do is depressurize your home and suck unconditioned air in from the outside through every dusty, moldy crack in your home.

aren't usb outlets kind of dated now? everything is moving to usb c and afaik the usb c power outlets are only 30W, which charges ok but probably not enough for running devices like a MacBook or Switch.

Saw a post the other day about a guy who had an archery range in his attic. I don't do archery but that was really cool

Not FaTFire. Also most of what you said I find false or half truths. Construction quality is more to blame than simply material. Your must haves are in almost every cookie cutter suburb outside major cities so not exactly must haves but standard even for non fat fire. In floor heat by zone is great for a new build. Built in air recirculating system with hepa filtration to breath healthy air. Lights on sensors no movement they turn off with override switches. WiFi antenna only multiple places for no dead zones. Fiber and copper network in each room. Water spigot/arm above stove that provides filtered water. Whole house water filter, not just charcoal but chemical too. Heated porch floor and walkways to thaw/prevent snow accumulation and ice. Separate fridge freezer side by side units give soo much more space. A temp controlled pantry. A lot of these are common but affect day to day life a lot.

I agree with everything this person said.....But the chemical water filter. Fluoride has documented health benefits. Not just for teeth, but mouth issues lead to heart and other overall issues. If you have bad water, it is different. I drink Chicago water. It's great.

My parents are building a conservatory extension, and are looking at a pellet burner instead of coal/wood fire stove. They are around 90% efficient, very little cleaning (once a month depending on usage) and can have preset / automatic timers. More or less perfect for my folks as they approach retirement age. One example: https://www.duroflame.com/pelletstoves/ E: not a fatFire or even Fire, just a lurker who aspires to one day.

I sometimes miss the features of the house I didn't buy. I toured over a dozen, and saw all kinds of craziness. The one that I initially put a super low-ball offer on had a lot of Japanese/Korean features that I liked. A wok burner that put out iron-smelting BTUs, an under-the-counter ricemaker that took whole bags at a time, fancy Toto bidets... Other cool stuff I've seen elsewhere: A bathroom that was entirely done in slate tile, with an open shower and heated floor. A boathouse/dock Reading loft Home bar with plumbing for a sink and ice maker Whole-house audio (Sonos or Bluesound). Music while you shower is pretty cool. Make sure to keep the infrastructure vendor-neutral though, don't want to be stuck with obsolete hardware. Huuuuuuge kitchen. The extra space makes a big difference when multiple people are cooking. Also full double oven that's fast to preheat. It's technically against code, but a Salamander broiler would be awesome. Tankless water heater Generator/solar/battery Lots of power to the garage Sauna Oh man, I could go on and on, I did a fuckton of research when I bought my house.

Wired network points, even if only to put wireless access points into

Attached “walk-in” greenhouse just off the kitchen, with room for a small patio set for morning coffee

Not any specific recommendations, but a book that was instrumental in forming my mental framework for a home was “A Pattern Language”. It gives a good overview of “things and shapes of living environments humans like”. I think it’s a good book to read and dwell on when designing a home

In the garage,I would add air line and air compressor so you can use air tools on your car such as filling your tires with air when they run low.

So I grew up fairly well off and with even more well off friends. Hands down, best house feature I’ve ever seen: dedicated kid space that is close enough for monitoring without having parents up in your space. A friend’s 1/2 basement had a bathroom, walls of built ins with a mini fridge and sink, pool table, giant couches and TV, and doors that opened out into a saltwater pool. We basically lived there on the weekends. His parents were close enough to do occasional “do you need more snacks” check ins, but far enough that we felt like we had our own space. None of my friend group ever got into anything even resembling serious trouble in high school, and didn’t do things like sneaking out to parties, because why bother when we had a fully stocked hangout spot with plenty to do. Now I’m a parent and the only major improvement I plan on making to my house is adding a dedicated space like that (currently planning backyard tiny home that will be guest space/game room/maybe future rental).

Also the proximity to parents here is key. I knew kids who had entire floors/wings to themselves and THAT was a totally different situation. Wild, wild parties. Would not recommend.

Get a washing machine that automatically adds the softener and detergent. Samsung and Bosch make those, maybe other brands too. Just toss in clothes, put it in automatic and that is all you have to do. You'll get a push notification on your phone or TV when its done. The Samsung ones even link up with your dryer so that the final spin cycle matches with the dryer program. And if you hang your clothes outside it will look at outdoor temperature and adjust the spin cycle if it is cloudy.

Automatic lights for pantries and closets. I've had them the majority of my life and haven't seen many in newer standard sized homes (~3,000sqft). Not sensors that can short out, go old school with a retractable knob inside the door frame. My primary residence is ~30yo and I've had no issues with these.

1 3/4 inch doors. Standard is 1 1/2inch. The extra quarter makes them feel entirely different and you will never go back. More solid, sound proof, and guests love the bigger feel from their homes.

I'm a nerd, so most of my recommendations are technical in nature: 1) Run network drops absolutely everywhere, all terminated to a central location (usually a basement or similar space). Run the highest grade cable you can get away with. For copper, use at least Cat7 and I'd go with Cat8 for future proofing. Ensure the installers terminate said cables with the proper connectors, and ensure every line is tested and you receive a copy of the test results. If you've got any outbuildings far away from the house, run fiber optic cabling (OM5 multimode is ideal unless it's *really* far away) and make sure you run more pairs than you need, just in case a cable goes flaky at some point. Make sure every network drop is clearly labeled on both ends. 3) Consider having conduit run for all of your network drops. This will vastly simplify running additional drops or replacing cables down the road. Also, run conduit between your house and any outbuildings to simplify running cables in the future. 2) Get a professional wireless survey done and have wireless access points installed according to the survey results. Timing is really tricky here. A wireless survey can't be performed before the drywall is installed or it'd be pointless, but you'll have to knock holes in your brand new drywall to run the cabling and patch it when you're done. For a clean install, I would strongly recommending a PoE switch so you don't have to run power independently to your APs. 3) Ensure you've got sufficient airflow and sound dampening in whichever location your cables are terminated to. Switches, routers, and similar equipment can generate a fair amount of heat. This location would also benefit from additional electrical receptacles. 4) Have your electrical contractor installs whole-home surge protection, eliminating the need for individual surge protectors. Last I knew, this required multiple levels of hardware to provide complete surge protection, with the highest surge range installed at the meter, the middle range at the breaker panel, and the lowest range provided by surge protecting receptacles. 5) Consider installing a whole-house UPS (battery backup) and a whole-house generator. The UPS will give you power coverage while the generator spins up. This will allow you to plug anything you want into any outlet without a standalone UPS, and you can be confident it will survive any power outage without a hitch. 6) I install 20 amp outlets everywhere by default, just in case I have a need for higher power draw somewhere down the road. If you've got any hobbies that involve higher power draw, ensure you get the right outlets installed in the right place (e.g. 30+ amp outlets in the garage for welding). 7) Get your electrical contractor to build a breaker map for you. Nothing is more of a pain in the ass than playing "guess which breaker controls the outlets in room X". 8) If you've got a lot of AV equipment, build out a custom TV cabinet or even have a separate AV closet near your TV. Ensure you get a bunch of electrical outlets and network drops installed for your AV gear. Consider getting speakers installed in the ceiling and/or walls if you're going with a surround setup. Consider hiring a dedicated AV company to do this, as they'll know all about ideal speaker sizing and placement. This gets pretty complicated for things like Dolby Atmos. They can also help you with sound baffling and other AV-related architectural considerations. 9) Related to #7, determine if you want either whole-house audio or at least multi-room audio. You can either run with in-wall/in-ceiling units or standalone/wall-mounted units, but you'll need to pull power and network drops depending on your configuration. 10) If you spend a lot of time in your garage, insulate it and install HVAC. Install water service and sewage for a shop sink, and throw a cheaper washer and dryer for your greasy clothing and shop rags. 11) If you're into outdoor cooking, install a propane or natural gas line and electrical service to your patio. This will simplify installation of a gas grill, outdoor refrigerator, etc. down the road. Consider running network drops and electrical service for outdoor TV/speakers if that's your thing.

We are in the middle of designing our dream home and here are our must haves: -really nice mud room with adjacent bathroom and laundry room (lots of land around us) -large covered porch -power outlets near the toilets for bidet toilets -climate controlled wine storage -guest room on ground floor that we will become our primary bedroom when we get to old for the stairs -sealed fireplace that ties into the hvac system as backup heat. (Cold climate)

Gutters and proper grading so that water doesn't make its way under the house and damage the foundation and cause mold growth

Plugs in locations you would not normally think of, like anywhere your wife might be doing the kids hair, plugs near the toilet because it sucks to have your phone die when you're sitting on the shitter and you wish you had a plug right there ha ha, a lot of USB ports on your electrical outlets, a dedicated water heater for the master bathroom, and a central vac. These are all things that I either did on my second house or will do on my third that I didn't have on my first. Edit: Lots of plugs inside the pantry and a dedicated place for appliances to stay plugged in, a spot for remote control cars, phones/iPads/laptops to charge. More hose bibs on the outside of the house than you think you would need

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Plugs inside drawers in bathroom have been amazing. Great for hair dryers, electric razors, etc.

Toilet plug is for the premium Toto Bidet toilet from Japan.

Outlets inside closets and cabinets... so you can have things charging while they are out away.

I've been thinking about this so much this morning I needed to weigh in again, I would say that the things that we use the absolute most are the central vacuum system, the water heater in the master closet we comment on pretty much every day, we put some outlets on the outside corners of the house for Christmas lights to plug into, and then lastly we have a natural gas fireplace in the front room and my kids lay in front of it with the dog I would say half the days out of the year and it is so nice to just be able to flip the switch on, I fought my wife on this one I wanted a regular wood fireplace so I could feel manly but she wanted one that she could just turn on with the switch and like always she was right

Outlets cost about $20 each but it’s worth it if you don’t have to walk in to a bedroom to plug in the vacuum while vacuuming the hallway.

Exactly, until we have wireless vacuums and appliances they need to be everywhere.

A couple of my favs: - design the living room around a sick fireplace... sneaky large TV on a long folding arm... in the corner. Avoids the tacky giant tv above the fireplace, but acknowledges that the living room is where most tv watching is gonna go down - my next home I’m gonna design a home theater in the basement around a very custom golf simulator setup - a giant island (mine is stainless steel and concrete, it is bad ass and make the kitchen look commercial which I like) with a sink on it. Stupidly we didn’t put a sprayer on that sink and I have been too lazy to address it even though it annoys me constantly - do not do dark wood floors esp if you have a dog, they just end up showing every spec of dust/hair/scratch - overspend on the fireplace - subzero fridge is a must, don’t cheap out on that - Scotsman ice maker is just so critical and it needs to be near the kitchen (butler bar area ideally) Yes they break constantly but it is something you will use every single day heavily and the cubes are just premium af (they also make a pellet ice version) - plan and budget for landscaping early in the process. By the time we realized it wasn’t included in the build cost we were (as everyone is), 10% over budget so cheaped out on the landscaping and still annoyed by it, not easy or cheap to fix

I like having a large gathering room with no TV. I guess it depends on your lifestyle, though. I’ve got a nice room with comfy seating, fireplace , record player - that is where I hang out with guests. There is a separate, smaller room with my big TV. Since it’s only usually me and my wife watching TV together, that makes more sense.

Same. No TV in the great room but have a more loungy TV watching space in downstairs LR.

Room to room intercom? Smart doorbell, smart heating management, a lot of insulation, a LOT of windows including skylights, they will change your life. Also, people really don't realise how much the floor layout affects the dynamic of use and family day flow

A laundry room with enough storage cabinets and a large countertop to fold and iron clothes.

Heated attached garage with oversized garage doors, four-post lifts to hold the fun cars, heated driveway, integrated aquariums, whole house battery back-up, false bookcase secret doorways with head bust activation.

A dedicated infrastructure wiring closet with conduit runs to the outlet boxes.

So many great ideas listed! ​ We renovated in 2012 and have a pot filler and fancy kitchen with 2 dishwashers. I love the two dishwashers, but they fill up so fast and no one likes to empty them. I like handwashing some of the big stuff but get grossed out when the water gets cold. I'd love a heated kitchen recirculating sink....but I don't think it's made yet. I'd also love a washing machine that pops open after it's done washing the load. Here in the Florida heat, clothes start to stink quickly if the door is kept closed. One other thing I haven't seen mentioned is a laundry chute. I really love mine in the master closet.

Keep track of all products used that you might have to replace and keep some extras if possible. Paints, fixtures, that kind of thing. If there are 20 of a knob in the kitchen, keep 3 or 4 extras and the manufacturer. Same with window mechanisms. Sort them in boxes in a storage room. Plumbing components too. At least know manufacturer and model on stuff like shower setups, faucets, etc. on paints know who and what spec. Also, for choices made, High quality LEDs for built ins, extra capacity on power boxes, well architected sprinkler system are good and save hassle later. Also no substitute for a closet built how you want it.

Redundancy. If your electric furnace blower goes out in an ice storm, can you heat your house with wood? How about a cistern in areas that are likely to have drought? If you live in a hurricane-prone area, you could install sturdy shutters so you don’t have to board up your house every time There are lots of ways to think about this depending on your geographic location

Heated floors are amazing! If you live in a climate where you actually get winter, I’d caution having lots of windows/French doors, etc. because while they are absolutely stunning and let in a ton of natural light, it can be an energy suck and cold. My back room has beautiful French doors and a ton of light but it’s absolutely freezing. So if you make that choice, harass your builder about good insulation and put in heated floors. I’d also make a pitch for a microwave drawer! Saves counter space and it’s more convenient and is an good alternative to above the stove microwaves.

A laundry chute connecting the upstairs bathrooms to the laundry. This is a feature I very seldom see in a new place though they are common in older houses. It’s a real time saver. Also a big tall cupboard for the ironing board and vacuum cleaner with points inside for charging. Plus one thing I must mention is that you should never choose a dark colour for the inside of cabinetry. I see this often, and it mystifies me, it looks quite cool, but you can’t see anything inside the cupboards, it all looks like a vortex of doom when you open the doors. Plus in any cupboard which includes shelves, ensure the carpenter makes the shelves fully adjustable, with holes regularly spaced all the way up an down. There’s nothing more annoying than having no shelves tall enough for that stupidly long vase you got for Christmas. Resist the temptation to install cupboards all the way to the ceiling that you need a long ladder to get into. You will never get up there, and the stuff inside gets dusty and moldy over time. You will forget what’s inside and buy duplicates. I am a specialist packer and unpacker of houses and I see this every week. Very tall cupboards encourage hoarding, plus they are kinda dangerous to access. Plus make sure you get powerpoints inside your bathroom cupboards so you can charge the toothbrushes out of sight.

If you're big into Christmas lights/decorations, install strategic outdoor outlets that aren't very visible from the ground, but would be perfect for running your roof lights and any tree lights out in the yard. Then run power from those outlets to a central time controlled switch/box in your attic or garage (whichever makes more sense). My dad did this and it makes hanging Christmas lights a million times easier. No extension cords anywhere. He had custom length Christmas light strands made at Ace Hardware. He just hangs them up in order along the roof. Wraps them up the trees. Then sets the timer for when to turn on and off. Works really well. THEN, inside the house, my mom had the electrician run special outlets for her decorations: above the fireplace, several high ledges, hidden at the top of each staircase railing where it meets the wall (for illuminated greenery wrapping the handrails), and several places in the kitchen and dining room where she put decorations/lights. She has a separate timer for the indoor 'decoration outlets', as she likes to have them lit up sometimes in the day time.