First Home Build Suggestions/Advice?

Djewell87 · Jun 25, 2012

I'm going to be building my first home shortly. I'm building a 100'X40' metal building with 10'x100" overhangs off the front and back. 45'x40' will be living area and the rest will be my shop. 3 bedroom/2 bath, open living room/kitchen area and a utility room. The ceiling in the living room/kitchen area will be a cypress cathedral style so I will have a lot of wall space for mounts. I'm going to do stained concrete for the flooring. I plan on living here for a long time but plan on building a traditional home in front of it one day down the road and I will still have my shop/mancave. I'm going to start picking out lighting and plumbing fixtures this week. I am going to be building a walk in gunsafe and plan on using a tankless water heater. Those are just two sugesstions made to me by other people, so what are some other suggestions that you wish you would have done when building your home or that you are glad you've done? Thanks

jasonj5313 · Jun 25, 2012

Something I didn't do, but will do. (A contractor built my house)

Outlets everywhere, even if you say you won't need an outlet somewhere, put one. This includes high on a wall as well.

People may think I'm dumb, but I hate running 50ft extension cords when an outlet could have been put somewhere more convent.

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LACamper · Jun 25, 2012

Yep. But I think code has fixed that now. But more on the outside also.
Same thing with exterior faucets.

Gas powered generator on a raised platform. Quieted (sound surround) if possible. RV power and sewer hookups for guests.
Cable hookups outside.

car lift on the back porch?
stained concrete doesn't seem to hold up as well as advertised. Laminate isn't very expensive and looks nice.

3fifty7 · Jun 25, 2012

If you are going to put a flat screen tv in the den move the outlets and cable up to 5ft so they will be covered by said tv.

Put a urinal and water fountian in the shop/garage.

Spray in foam insulation.

Barry J · Jun 25, 2012

If you have natural gas, put an outlet on the back porch for a barbecue pit. I put a quick connect on mine and can roll it into the garage when needed, and I don't have to mess with tanks. And I decided where I wanted to hang the tv's in the bedroom and strengthened the walls. I also put the outlet and cable up there so it was easy to hook up.

Hitman · Jun 25, 2012

3fifty7 said:
Put a urinal and water fountian in the shop/garage.
.

Been on my list for quite some time

As well as a DEEP STAND-up SINK.
Similar to this;
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_2LEpdIYU6j4/S0o6o0xN8XI/AAAAAAAAA5k/FvTKlAkvgrM/s400/sink-ac.jpg

CavalryJim · Jun 25, 2012

Old Coke machine filled with beer.

Leonidas · Jun 25, 2012

I've had stained concrete 7 years. Love it. The key is a good solvent based sealer. Acrylics require more maintenance. If it is subject to wear, periodically mop on a sacrificial layer of something like Mop n Glo. Should be good to go.

Tell your concrete finisher that you want tight trowel, not burnished. That is optimum for staining.

One other option to consider, since you're pouring a new slab: Admixture. The concrete die is throughout, the color will never wear off. You can also incorporate powdered dye as it is being troweled. Also more permanent.

If you score the concrete for the illusion of tile, then grout the grooves just as you would tile.

Always wondered why folks who have enough land don't put doors on the back of their garage also. Drive thru, no backing.

Ball valves on exterior water outlets. Faster, easier on and off.

Friend of mine insulated all walls in his master bedroom for privacy. Incredibly quiet in there, (at least when he's sleeping).

jmeng · Jun 25, 2012

If it's going to end up being a man cave in the future, are you sure you want to chew up a bunch of space with 3 bedrooms? I'd do the biggest kitchen/living room you can. At the very least I'd design it so that when you build your house you can come back and knock down the walls between the bedrooms and the living room to make one big party area.

drumz2129 · Jun 25, 2012

3fifty7 said:
If you are going to put a flat screen tv in the den move the outlets and cable up to 5ft so they will be covered by said tv.

Put a urinal and water fountian in the shop/garage.

Spray in foam insulation.

Tvs belong at eye level, not 5 foot up.

Djewell87 · Jun 25, 2012

The front porch is more for looks than anything and to keep the rain off the cypress on the front and the back porch is going to be for storage of lumber, metal material, and other things that I don't want in plain sight. I plan on putting a car lift inside the shop. I would love to be able to drive through the shop but the land behind my 3 acres isn't mine yet it's family land but will be mine in the future and there is a drainage canal behind where the shop will be. If I move the shop forward enough to drive through then it would make my future house too close to the road. So what I plan on doing is putting a dyke across the drainage and making it drive through down the road when the land behind is mine.

jmeng said:
If it's going to end up being a man cave in the future, are you sure you want to chew up a bunch of space with 3 bedrooms? I'd do the biggest kitchen/living room you can. At the very least I'd design it so that when you build your house you can come back and knock down the walls between the bedrooms and the living room to make one big party area.

Its going to have a big open area but I may be here for a while and if I end up having kids before I'm ready to move out of it I need the room. I also am going to use one of the bedrooms for my reloading/hunting stuff room.

I'm going Post my home made floor plans this evening and maybe yall can see how I'm going to lay it out and maybe make some changes or suggestions.

Thanks for the help everybody keep them coming.

Splat · Jun 25, 2012

I'm thinking about building or buying also. My house is big enough but I have an open floor plan and don't care for it. My mom has been living with us for almost a year now because of the economy and when you have the kitchen and living room open to each other it can be very loud while trying to watch your favorite episode of Guns and Ammo, football, etc.

gbundersea · Jun 25, 2012

BOTH electric AND gas outlets at location of stove(s) and dryer(s).
Soundproofing insulation in interior walls.
In-wall pest preventatives which may be recommended by those with more knowledge about that than I.

Djewell87 · Jun 25, 2012

Splat said:
I'm thinking about building or buying also. My house is big enough but I have an open floor plan and don't care for it. My mom has been living with us for almost a year now because of the economy and when you have the kitchen and living room open to each other it can be very loud while trying to watch your favorite episode of Guns and Ammo, football, etc.

I see how that can be a problem, but if I don't leave it open the room won't really work out for my mounts but maybe when y'all see the layout y'all might be able to tell me a better way or that it's all wrong lol. I'll post it later

shroom14 · Jun 25, 2012

I have a friend that is a plumber he has told me stay away from tank-less/ instant water heaters. They have more maintenance issues

Dave328 · Jun 25, 2012

When you think your master closet is big enough, IT ISN'T!

Take what you have designed and increase by at least 50%. +11ty billion on insulation on interior master bedroom walls. I wish I had used double acoustic sheetrock as well.

Leonidas · Jun 25, 2012

Dave328 said:
When you think your master closet is big enough, IT ISN'T! Take what you have designed and increase by at least 50%. +11ty billion on insulation on interior master bedroom walls. I wish I had used double acoustic sheetrock as well.

That reminds me. A solid core door, too.

dantheman · Jun 25, 2012

Make a secure room for your gun related stuff . 2x6 's on 6 inch centers . 3/4 inch plywood screwed to the studs and drywall over that . Commercial metal framed door .

glimmerman · Jun 25, 2012

Commercial ice maker.....

Djewell87 · Jun 25, 2012

dantheman said:
Make a secure room for your gun related stuff . 2x6 's on 6 inch centers . 3/4 inch plywood screwed to the studs and drywall over that . Commercial metal framed door .

I'm going to be using cinder blocks with rebar and filled with concrete and a safe door. Thanks though

First Home Build Suggestions/Advice?

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