New house build: ideas and advice

[rjacobs]

My wife and I(more me than her) have been in the planning stages of building a new home since June or so. We are finally contracting on a house this week. Looking for any tips or advice on stuff I should include, things you did and are glad you did, things you did and regret doing, etc... I had/have a big thread on Garagejournal and got a ton of great advice there. I will eventually build a 30x40x12 shop on the property and we will be also doing a pool at some point.

This is the floor plan we chose from the builder as a point of reference. It sits on 1 acre with no HOA.


We will be removing the door from the master bath to the laundry and eliminating the small linen closet that sticks out into the bathroom. We had thought about making the walk in closet bigger, but the fee to do it was stupid($2500 at least was the estimate just to move that wall)...dumb... its free to remove the door and the linen closet so we are going to do that and figure out later what to do with the added space.

I will try to post a run down of things already on the list:
3rd garage bay
media room
full bath off of "bedroom 4"
turning "bedroom 3" into a study

doing concrete only on the "optional covered patio area". Will be putting my hot tub there and the builder will be wiring for it. The "covered" part was ridiculously priced, the concrete only was reasonable.
upgraded electrical to 400amp with 2 panels and a Generac ATS wired into the main panel
-4x dedicated outlets in the soffits for Christmas lights
-1x dedicated 110v/20a circuit in garage for 4 post lift
-dedicated circuit and switch in landscape bed(just a stub out)
-50 amp circuit for hot tub
-50 amp circuit stub out for pool
Spray foam(open cell) the attic(underside of the roof deck/rafters)
Commercial style gas cook top and hood
-Builder is offering Kitchenaid 36" 6 burner gas range top and Zephyr Tornado 1 hood insert. I wanted different stuff but this was the best they offered. End of the day it will work for us. I wanted Wolf or Bluestar cooktop and a more powerful hood(this one is 600cfm, I wanted 1200). Rest of kitchen is top line Whirlpool electric.
250+ gallon propane tank(no gas on the property so a tank is the only way for me to get gas). Going for bigger than 250 gallon, but they had to research the larger tank price. Will be running gas cook top, outdoor grill and Generac generator only. If builder doesnt install the tank, they will not run any gas lines in the house.

Stuff we are planning, but have no definite pricing for(have "estimated" pricing only):
-full wall from game room to theater room. Still trying to decide on a door, thinking a solid core pocket door, although I understand its not the best choice. Trying not to impinge on the theater room since they will only do an inside swing door and I plan to put speakers on the wall the door would swing into.
-adding a window or two into the living room wall to make it a full wall of windows.
-swapping the swing door in the nook out to a slider(would like to get a triple slider panel if the cost isnt out of line).
-will likely insulate the garage(they finish the interior of the garage so needs to be insulated by the builder).
-high clearance/lift door tracks with liftmaster 8500 openers.

I am planning a full Ubiquiti wifi/camera network. I get 5 runs of Cat6 from the builder. I need at least 10 runs if not 12. Their price is stupid(like 150 per run) so I will run it after the fact myself. Im going to run 4(or 5) NanoHD AP's in the house/back patio/garage. Ive got 6 camera placements planned. I have the plan to run fiber out to the shop between the two switches then run another AP and 3 or 4 cameras out at the shop. I will also be wiring the theater room after the fact as they want way to much money to wire it the way I want($1000+ and I can do it for around 200 bucks).

I have a few other miscellaneous things on the list like extra hose spigots and a few AC outlets in certain places in the house. The builder builds a really nice house so some things on my big list of stuff I started with got removed from the list because they are already included.

We havent decided on much on interior finish out because we decided to spend our money on the physical structure and stuff that wasnt easily changed. We have a decent chunk of change we can spend in the design center. I think our biggest want is wood floors in the entry/living room. I gave the dimensions to my buddy whose dad does wood floors and I have a price from him to do it after the fact. We will see what the builder wants. Im guessing his price is 75% less than what the builder will want. Might do upgraded carpet in the bedrooms. Have a few pendant lights and undercabinet lights on the list and maybe an upgraded sink. The standard finish out in the kitchen and bathrooms is pretty nice(granite and quartz options). We may do upgraded tile and a few things in the master bathroom(the shower is full tile including the pan).

So my list, I think is pretty thorough, but still looking for advice and ideas on things I am not thinking through or might have missed or whatever.

 

[BoilerUP]

Plan for your shop to be 36x48....nobody has ever said "I wish my barn was smaller".

 

[MK20]

If you are going to be running a wood stove for heat, plan for efficient movement of wood into the house.

 

[Maggot]

A dedicated, poured concrete with steel door, gun room with dehumidifier.

 

[MK20]

also, since you ARE a hide member, plan for copious amounts of storage for guns and ammo.
If you are going to do a safe room type storage, hit me up. I have a friend who builds doors really cheap.

 

[Backcountryguy]

If you live somewhere cold where you’ll want heat in your garage, I would personally do a heated floor.

I’ve had lots of time playing with a corn stove in a garage, a wood stove as well, and wall mounted electric heaters.

In my opinion, floor heat is the way to go. I’d maybe toss a wood stove in there that CAN be used if needed, but in the meantime unless it was needed just make a decoration out of it.

 

[pmclaine]

we put the laundry on the same floor as the bedrooms - huge convenience.

Pocket doors are great for space saving in bathrooms/areas that requiring the swing space take away utility.

We used Solatubes to introduce natural light where possible - love them.

 

[rjacobs]

Plan for your shop to be 36x48....nobody has ever said "I wish my barn was smaller".

Not sure what I will end up doing. Thinking on 30x40 with a 10 foot lean to(20' will be enclosed, 20' would be awning. I was hoping to build the shop at the same time as the house, but I think thats on the back burner for now. I dont want to get to big and then its out of proportion with the house. My main plan with the shop is car storage and maintenance. The enclosed lean to will be for reloading and air conditioned work.

If you are going to be running a wood stove for heat, plan for efficient movement of wood into the house.

no. All electric. Will have a wood fireplace, but not for heat.

A dedicated, poured concrete with steel door, gun room with dehumidifier.

impossible to do with this house. Im planning something for my gun room, but I wont disclose that.

also, since you ARE a hide member, plan for copious amounts of storage for guns and ammo.
If you are going to do a safe room type storage, hit me up. I have a friend who builds doors really cheap.

ive got some things in my brain, but I wont disclose them publicly.

If you live somewhere cold where you’ll want heat in your garage, I would personally do a heated floor.

I’ve had lots of time playing with a corn stove in a garage, a wood stove as well, and wall mounted electric heaters.

In my opinion, floor heat is the way to go. I’d maybe toss a wood stove in there that CAN be used if needed, but in the meantime unless it was needed just make a decoration out of it.

Dallas, TX. Doesnt get cold enough for in floor heat. I'm planning a mini split for the garage eventually, thats why I am going to have the walls insulated.

 

[rjacobs]

we put the laundry on the same floor as the bedrooms - huge convenience.

Pocket doors are great for space saving in bathrooms/areas that requiring the swing space take away utility.

We used Solatubes to introduce natural light where possible - love them.

Laundry is on the main floor.

I like pocket doors in certain places, but this design doesnt lend itself to pocket doors in many places.

I actually looked at this, but in places where we would want it, its impossible. Above the living room and kitchen is the media room and game room, so no way to pass light down. Only place we could do it would be the breakfast nook as the ceiling is vaulted with the roof line so its ideal for them. Im going to ask the builder about doing maybe 2(one on each side), but in the nook we are already planning to add the sliding door and it has 2 windows already. Lots of light.

 

[MtnCreek]

Think about what you might want to park under the open portion of the barn/shop. A tractor or utility trailer won't fit in 10 ft.

 

[rjacobs]

Think about what you might want to park under the open portion of the barn/shop. A tractor or utility trailer won't fit in 10 ft.

I dont want to park anything under it except my ass while smoking a cigar. Im not planning to pour concrete to join it up with the driveway(only concrete will go to the main shop overhead door.

 

[Zeroit]

Look into purchasing a 500 gallon propane tank new or reconditioned. That will enable you to shop around for the best price and i bought one 30 some years ago paid for itself many times over. I let it go when I sold it with my last house I built regret having to sell (both) . Good luck with the build stressful on the family.

 

[rjacobs]

Look into purchasing a 500 gallon propane tank new or reconditioned. That will enable you to shop around for the best price and i bought one 30 some years ago paid for itself many times over. I let it go when I sold it with my last house I built regret having to sell (both) . Good luck with the build stressful on the family.

larger than 250 is already on the list. The builder quoted me on a 250, but said they could do 350 or 500 for just the cost difference in the tank, maybe 500 bucks over the cost of the 250. Thats the way I am leaning is 500 gallons.

 

[oneshot86]

400 amp service?????

you growing dope in the garage?

small house, big shop is the way i go

 

[rjacobs]

400 amp service?????

All electric house.

dual HVAC, dual hot water heaters, 50 amp hot tub, 50 amp pool, 100 amps to the shop, electric oven, etc... Im also doing dedicated circuits for a few things(soffit outlets, 4 post lift in attached garage, etc...).

Will I ever run that much juice at once, probably pretty unlikely. I just dont want to ever worry about it. To upgrade costs big bucks down the road to have the POCO come out and re-lay line from the transformer to the house, swap out meters, etc...

The main issue is running out of breaker space. Typically a panel has 30 breaker stations, but you can get some with 42(which is probably more common now than 30). My current house has a full panel(cant think right now if its a 30 or 42 panel) after I added my 50 amp hot tub circuit and 50 amp welder circuit. With the 400amp service you get dual 200amp panels.

 

[oneshot86]

please dont use 400 amps, your bank account will not like you

 

[pmclaine]

All electric house.

dual HVAC, dual hot water heaters, 50 amp hot tub, 50 amp pool, 100 amps to the shop, electric oven, etc... Im also doing dedicated circuits for a few things(soffit outlets, 4 post lift in attached garage, etc...).

Will I ever run that much juice at once, probably pretty unlikely. I just dont want to ever worry about it. To upgrade costs big bucks down the road to have the POCO come out and re-lay line from the transformer to the house, swap out meters, etc...

The main issue is running out of breaker space. Typically a panel has 30 breaker stations, but you can get some with 42(which is probably more common now than 30). My current house has a full panel(cant think right now if its a 30 or 42 panel) after I added my 50 amp hot tub circuit and 50 amp welder circuit. With the 400amp service you get dual 200amp panels.

Alexandria Ocasio Cortez blames you for her not having children.

Never enough power.

Pisses me off when I fire up my home owner grade Campbell Hausefeld and it trips the breaker.

Shit when processing brass on the S1050if I have the shop vac running to collect swarf, and the recessed on than switch the trimmer on the trim motor start up boost pops the breaker. I have to sequence my operation correctly......dont use my electricians.

 

[sjoliat]

Don't eliminate MBath linen closet - rotate to face sinks and move toward the shower, then expand walk-in closet into that unused part of the bathroom. A wide open expanse of bathroom is pointless to me, but as with guys and garages, no woman ever said her closet was too big.

 

[2ndamendfan]

Commercial grade 4 post lift is 220v. The hobbyist ones that run on 110v are lacking in areas.

 

[fdkay]

Have you looked into on demand water heaters? Instead of paying to heat water as it just sits around, you only heat the water you use. They take up far less room as well

 

[MarinePMI]

Have you looked into on demand water heaters? Instead of paying to heat water as it just sits around, you only heat the water you use. They take up far less room as well

And requires a 1” gas line to run efficiently.

 

[2ndamendfan]

And requires a 1” gas line to run efficiently.

Correct!! You might not be using resources storing heated water but when the instant water heaters do turn on, damn they use some gas.

On a new build and planned for extra cost might not be much. But as a retrofit to an existing home the costs pile up.

 

[SuckitTrebek]

I build homes for a living (for a company). It's comical how many things new homeowners have no clue about.
Or just plain old misconceptions. misdirected priorities. etc

Advice:

1. If you are going to get a 3rd party inspection (and most of those guys are half retarded anyhow)
get it in the frame stage, right before insulation goes in. Getting one just at the end is worthless.

2. don't use a real estate agent. people think that builders pay closing costs. fuck no, that shit is built in to the price of the
home. so if you show up without an agent, guess what, you have more room to negotiate.

3. most inspections throughout the process are pass/fail in many places. and they can pass even if a certain amount of
things are still wrong with that stage. find this shit out.

4. the only guy that knows shit about whats going on is the project manager. don't go asking the sales people anything, they don't know shit about construction.

5. And perhaps most of all. ALL DATES GIVEN TO YOU ARE FLEXIBLE. Shit happens, it's construction. So don't expect a concrete finish date two months out.

6. Fuck all the little bullshit options. That is where they make a ridiculous amount of money. Including on those appliances you wanted.
Spend money on the structural options that cannot be changed later, not the $500 garage door opener.

7. get the most basic carpet and even linoleum. Then have it all done after close for a fraction of the cost. Builder costs for flooring is ridiculous. After having the builder put in the basic stuff. I would tile and wood out the entire home. no carpet except for maybe closets.

8. on demand water heaters still suck. they are a novelty.

Lastly. If you have ANY issues with the home at the end. DO NOT CLOSE. Once you close yes you probably have a warranty. And maybe they have a great reputation. But you have lost all of your bargaining power.

9. media rooms are fucking stupid. literally it's just another bedroom. no sound deadening material, inadequate wiring.

 

[2ndamendfan]

4. the only guy that knows shit about whats going on is the project manager. don't go asking the sales people anything, they don't know shit about construction.

That statement fills most cases on almost everything.

 

[rjacobs]

please dont use 400 amps, your bank account will not like you

Explain your reasonings... because having the ability to use 400 amps is no different cost wise than having 200 amps.

Don't eliminate MBath linen closet - rotate to face sinks and move toward the shower, then expand walk-in closet into that unused part of the bathroom. A wide open expanse of bathroom is pointless to me, but as with guys and garages, no woman ever said her closet was too big.

The re-draw fee's were fucking stupid...to move a damn wall. Were not doing it. I could do it after the fact relatively easily on my own and just have to hire out the wall texturing(the knock down texture or whatever its called in Texas). Im not paying this builder to do that. They want $1500 UP FRONT to re-draw the bathroom. I asked what expanding the closet would physically cost and they said "oh like 500 bucks"... MAYBE the actual builders and not the sales people will have a different answer for me.

Commercial grade 4 post lift is 220v. The hobbyist ones that run on 110v are lacking in areas.

I could care less about a commercial grade 4 post. Im planning on getting an Advantage Lifts SS-9000-HD. I have a couple sports cars. It will be a storage lift, not a heavy duty work lift. Im ok if it takes 1 minute to lift instead of 30 seconds.

Have you looked into on demand water heaters? Instead of paying to heat water as it just sits around, you only heat the water you use. They take up far less room as well

And requires a 1” gas line to run efficiently.

Correct!! You might not be using resources storing heated water but when the instant water heaters do turn on, damn they use some gas.

On a new build and planned for extra cost might not be much. But as a retrofit to an existing home the costs pile up.

Looked into them and the electric ones suck ass. And im not running gas lines for gas tankless. The cost gets astronomical and the gas usage is stupid... I bet the return on investment is measured in decades...

The house will have dual electric hot water heaters. I'm planning on having them install a 30 amp switch on one of them as well as some shutoff/bypass valves so I only turn it on to use when I know I will have a large demand. I dont believe my wife and I would ever use the full capacity of one let alone 2.

 

[mercracing]

Run Cat 6a everywhere. Multiple lines to the common areas. Pick a spot for your internet stuff and do all your runs to a switch. What’s the title of your thread on GJ? If your gonna do some theater stuff, I highly recommend doing a thread on AVS.

 

[rjacobs]

I build homes for a living (for a company). It's comical how many things new homeowners have no clue about.
Or just plain old misconceptions. misdirected priorities. etc

Advice:

1. If you are going to get a 3rd party inspection (and most of those guys are half retarded anyhow)
get it in the frame stage, right before insulation goes in. Getting one just at the end is worthless.

2. don't use a real estate agent. people think that builders pay closing costs. fuck no, that shit is built in to the price of the
home. so if you show up without an agent, guess what, you have more room to negotiate.

3. most inspections throughout the process are pass/fail in many places. and they can pass even if a certain amount of
things are still wrong with that stage. find this shit out.

4. the only guy that knows shit about whats going on is the project manager. don't go asking the sales people anything, they don't know shit about construction.

5. And perhaps most of all. ALL DATES GIVEN TO YOU ARE FLEXIBLE. Shit happens, it's construction. So don't expect a concrete finish date two months out.

6. Fuck all the little bullshit options. That is where they make a ridiculous amount of money. Including on those appliances you wanted.
Spend money on the structural options that cannot be changed later, not the $500 garage door opener.

7. get the most basic carpet and even linoleum. Then have it all done after close for a fraction of the cost. Builder costs for flooring is ridiculous. After having the builder put in the basic stuff. I would tile and wood out the entire home. no carpet except for maybe closets.

8. on demand water heaters still suck. they are a novelty.

Lastly. If you have ANY issues with the home at the end. DO NOT CLOSE. Once you close yes you probably have a warranty. And maybe they have a great reputation. But you have lost all of your bargaining power.

9. media rooms are fucking stupid. literally it's just another bedroom. no sound deadening material, inadequate wiring.

1. Im not planning to get any 3rd party inspections. My old man, my uncle, and myself have done enough DIY and owned enough houses to do the various walkthroughs ourselves. I agree on the 3rd party inspectors being mostly worthless.

2. I already have an agent. This builder doesnt negotiate on new builds really from everything I know, most builders in North Texas dont negotiate right now since the market is screaming. Maybe if I was doing an actual custom build things would be a little negotiable.

3. I will be inspecting this house before certain things are done. This builder is a pretty high end builder(not that this makes them infallible) and im in one of their houses now so I know the quality of work they do.

4. Once we contract we will have a meeting with the site manager(they called it some kind of team, im sure its electrics, plumbing, etc...) and thats when we nail down the more "in the weeds" type stuff.

5. Yup, im good on the dates. They are saying 7-8 month build which I am good with. Im even good if it goes a little long.

6. This is where I am trying to figure things out. The appliances(gas range top/hood) I want/am able to select, are actually a decent deal from what I can tell. They certainly arent over priced and I am actually getting credit for the electric cook top. I feel like on some of the other options they arent giving any credit for what they arent using, the spray foam is an example. But yes on lots of things, I will see where they are price wise vs. what I know I can do things for myself after the fact. Ive already determined that I will run my own network cables in excess of the 5 they allow, unless they are willing to do them for way cheaper.

7. Thats our plan, but, with everything else, ill get their price and then make a determination.

8. Read my above response... im in agreement.

9. They are basically building the shell only of the media room and I will finish it out. Im not paying them what they want to run wiring. I can do it for 80% less than they want and I know its done how I want it with what I want. And at the end of the day, if we dont build it out into a media room, its more sq. ft. on the house and IMO thats never a bad thing.

And to your statement about closing if there are issues... I understand all that. I went through that with my current house. I walked it like 3 days before closing, found a few small issues, walked it the morning of closing and half of the things hadnt been taken care of. That was a Friday and I pushed closing until Monday afternoon. They got everything done except getting a dead tree replaced which I wanted to wait until fall(it was 105 degrees in August) so it was written into an addendum and in the fall I called them and got it replaced then(still alive today...the other tree that was alive is dead and gone though LOL).

 

[rjacobs]

Run Cat 6a everywhere. Multiple lines to the common areas. Pick a spot for your internet stuff and do all your runs to a switch. What’s the title of your thread on GJ? If your gonna do some theater stuff, I highly recommend doing a thread on AVS.

yea ive got 10 or 12 runs of Cat 6 planned plus 2 runs(1 for backup) from the service entrance. Planning to put it all in the small walk in closet off the master bathroom. Got a 16 port POE switch planned along with the ubiquiti cloudkey+ and firewall gateway thing. Going to stuff it all into a 9 level Tripp Lite wall mount rack.

Thats my thread over there. As usual it devolved a bit, but I got a ton of good information from it.

The Garage Journal Board

The H.A.M.B. is dedicated to spreading the gospel of traditional hot rods and customs to hoodlums worldwide.

www.garagejournal.com

And I have explored AVS forum and have a good idea of what I want to do(5.4.2 system with a native 4k projector), but until I have the room and can start actually building it out, its all just research. I will start with just a 5.1 system because I have everything to do that now, then I will add on as funds allow and the projector will probably be the last item as its high dollar.

 

[mercracing]

yea ive got 10 or 12 runs of Cat 6 planned plus 2 runs(1 for backup) from the service entrance. Planning to put it all in the small walk in closet off the master bathroom. Got a 16 port POE switch planned along with the ubiquiti cloudkey+ and firewall gateway thing. Going to stuff it all into a 9 level Tripp Lite wall mount rack.

Thats my thread over there. As usual it devolved a bit, but I got a ton of good information from it.

The Garage Journal Board

The H.A.M.B. is dedicated to spreading the gospel of traditional hot rods and customs to hoodlums worldwide.

www.garagejournal.com

And I have explored AVS forum and have a good idea of what I want to do(5.4.2 system with a native 4k projector), but until I have the room and can start actually building it out, its all just research. I will start with just a 5.1 system because I have everything to do that now, then I will add on as funds allow and the projector will probably be the last item as its high dollar.

I’ll head over to GJ and subscribe so I can watch from there. I would also start a thread on AVS. Tons of ideas and knowledge. Good idea on the 5.2.4. Also smart on waiting on the PJ, it changes so fast don’t buy it until your ready, and certainly dont hang it until your done or progress will stop quick!

 

[rjacobs]

I’ll head over to GJ and subscribe so I can watch from there.

im not sure if I will be updating that thread or not. I think that particular one lived out its usefulness.

 

[mercracing]

im not sure if I will be updating that thread or not. I think that particular one lived out its usefulness.

No worries. If you start or update one, I would love to see it!

 

[Switchblade]

I only see two things missing:

A loft over the garage for the cigar lounge(darts, pool table, bar)
and in the Master suite, the built in gun safe in the walk in closet

 

[rjacobs]

I only see two things missing:

A loft over the garage for the cigar lounge(darts, pool table, bar)
and in the Master suite, the built in gun safe in the walk in closet

The "game room" upstairs will have those amenities as well as some type of exhaust fan setup and a smoke eater. Also the detached shop will have facilities for said activities as well.

Im not sharing my plans for gun storage in this house online. I have a plan is all I can say right now.

 

[armorpl8chikn]

You sir should be ashamed! Such a terrible waste of resources and money for a ridiculously large house. It's people like you who are destroying our planet.
Do you realize how money homeless could live in s house that size? Do the responsible thing and build a tiny house out of renewable resources. I recommend straw bales building, better yet, build it from recycling products like pop bottles and beer cans.
No one needs a house that big. It's destroying mother Earth!!








?

 

[SuckitTrebek]

1. Im not planning to get any 3rd party inspections. My old man, my uncle, and myself have done enough DIY and owned enough houses to do the various walkthroughs ourselves. I agree on the 3rd party inspectors being mostly worthless.

2. I already have an agent. This builder doesnt negotiate on new builds really from everything I know, most builders in North Texas dont negotiate right now since the market is screaming. Maybe if I was doing an actual custom build things would be a little negotiable.

3. I will be inspecting this house before certain things are done. This builder is a pretty high end builder(not that this makes them infallible) and im in one of their houses now so I know the quality of work they do.

4. Once we contract we will have a meeting with the site manager(they called it some kind of team, im sure its electrics, plumbing, etc...) and thats when we nail down the more "in the weeds" type stuff.

5. Yup, im good on the dates. They are saying 7-8 month build which I am good with. Im even good if it goes a little long.

6. This is where I am trying to figure things out. The appliances(gas range top/hood) I want/am able to select, are actually a decent deal from what I can tell. They certainly arent over priced and I am actually getting credit for the electric cook top. I feel like on some of the other options they arent giving any credit for what they arent using, the spray foam is an example. But yes on lots of things, I will see where they are price wise vs. what I know I can do things for myself after the fact. Ive already determined that I will run my own network cables in excess of the 5 they allow, unless they are willing to do them for way cheaper.

7. Thats our plan, but, with everything else, ill get their price and then make a determination.

8. Read my above response... im in agreement.

9. They are basically building the shell only of the media room and I will finish it out. Im not paying them what they want to run wiring. I can do it for 80% less than they want and I know its done how I want it with what I want. And at the end of the day, if we dont build it out into a media room, its more sq. ft. on the house and IMO thats never a bad thing.

And to your statement about closing if there are issues... I understand all that. I went through that with my current house. I walked it like 3 days before closing, found a few small issues, walked it the morning of closing and half of the things hadnt been taken care of. That was a Friday and I pushed closing until Monday afternoon. They got everything done except getting a dead tree replaced which I wanted to wait until fall(it was 105 degrees in August) so it was written into an addendum and in the fall I called them and got it replaced then(still alive today...the other tree that was alive is dead and gone though LOL).

I do this every day for one of the largest builders in the country. My eyes on this industry have been opened, and opened wide. It is fucking AMAZING the absolute retards that are doing the actual work in most homes. No builders actually hire their own people other than the sales and project manager. all the actual labor is companies contracted by them. And let me tell ya, the skill set varies greatly. Just the other day I had some geniuses installing windows with staples around the edges. FUCKING STAPLES (in case you didn't know that pan head screws at a distance of 12 inches from each other around the perimeter and no closer than 2 inches from the corner is the best practice)

1. Seems EVERY buyer has some uncle, cousin, whatever with experience. Most 3rd party inspectors are worthless. However, I have seen them be valuable too. It's always nice to have other experienced eyes on the project. Use those guys to your advantage. But also keep in mind that what is code where you are at is not necessarily code in the town right next door.

2. Too bad you have an agent. Since you are building a home that 3% you are paying for them is mostly wasted. And yes, every builder puts that into the price. market hot or not makes no difference. Don't try to convince yourself it's just in the market at this time thing. ya got screwed, call it what it is. Many people do.

3. don't be fooled by the high end price point. The same actual contractors building the piece of shit home up the road are building your "high end" home.

4. There is one project manager that will handle all of the trades for the home builder.

9. The real value of a media room lies in wire placement (which can be impossible after construction depending on location) and sound proofing. they typically will do nothing extra for this room than every other room. which makes it odd that it is a "media room".


I'm out. Enjoy your home. At least you're are thinking about some of the details hardly anyone out there does.
You have built two homes, they do this stuff every day. Understanding that you don't know shit is step one. Getting the right
help is step two. I have been doing this a number of years and am still learning (and I probably build 40-50 a year).

 

[RyanScott]

Ask for the acoustical details they use in the media room. There are lots of things you can do depending on what you’re willing to spend but at a minimum you want batt insulation and two 5/8 gyp board layers and fire putty on the back of the electrical boxes and switches. There are also materials that go between the gyp and the studs, and if you get fancy you can build two stud walls back to back so no two studs connect the two sides of the wall. Lots you can do for soundproofing after too, curtains, insulated panels, but starting with a proper wall is critical.

 

[SuckitTrebek]

Ask for the acoustical details they use in the media room. There are lots of things you can do depending on what you’re willing to spend but at a minimum you want batt insulation and two 5/8 gyp board layers and fire putty on the back of the electrical boxes and switches. There are also materials that go between the gyp and the studs, and if you get fancy you can build two stud walls back to back so no two studs connect the two sides of the wall. Lots you can do for soundproofing after too, curtains, insulated panels, but starting with a proper wall is critical.

hehehahahahahahahehahaha wow. Yeah none of that will be happening. If you were a buyer and said that to me it would be hard to contain my laughter.

A "media room" to 99% of builders is simply an extra room, in which you can watch media. There is nothing done differently.

 

[RyanScott]

Also, get wiring for radiant heaters in the soffits in the covered patio at a minimum, even if you aren’t sure you’ll need/use the heaters.

 

[RyanScott]

hehehahahahahahahehahaha wow. Yeah none of that will be happening. If you were a buyer and said that to me it would be hard to contain my laughter.

A "media room" to 99% of builders is simply an extra room, in which you can watch media. There is nothing done differently.

I wouldn’t know, I don’t play in the little leagues. Last residential contract we had was a $500,000 gate, fireplace and patio.

 

[SuckitTrebek]

I wouldn’t know, I don’t play in the little leagues. Last residential contract we had was a $500,000 gate, fireplace and patio.

That is cute. you thought 500k was expensive or done much differently than the 300k home up the street.

 

[2ndamendfan]

This thread is about to turn into a MOA vs MIls thread.
It would seem you can here to ask for advice only to ignore all that advice.

1: I don't expect you to do heavy lifting/wrenching on the 4 post lift. The hobby lifts are over priced for the car collecting crowd. Here is a lift that will kick the living shit out of that SS-9000-HD, https://www.gregsmithequipment.com/Atlas-412-12-000-LB-Four-Post-Lift

2: move the damn wall. I am going to guess that this a $500,000+ project (2 million+ in some parts of the country) $2500 is going to what, raise your payment like $0.17 a month. Now ovbviously $3000, here, $7000 there adds up and a line has to be drawn somewhere. But the day you move in it should be exactly hoe you want with zero regrets at that point.

 

[rjacobs]

I do this every day for one of the largest builders in the country. My eyes on this industry have been opened, and opened wide. It is fucking AMAZING the absolute retards that are doing the actual work in most homes. No builders actually hire their own people other than the sales and project manager. all the actual labor is companies contracted by them. And let me tell ya, the skill set varies greatly. Just the other day I had some geniuses installing windows with staples around the edges. FUCKING STAPLES (in case you didn't know that pan head screws at a distance of 12 inches from each other around the perimeter and no closer than 2 inches from the corner is the best practice)

1. Seems EVERY buyer has some uncle, cousin, whatever with experience. Most 3rd party inspectors are worthless. However, I have seen them be valuable too. It's always nice to have other experienced eyes on the project. Use those guys to your advantage. But also keep in mind that what is code where you are at is not necessarily code in the town right next door.

2. Too bad you have an agent. Since you are building a home that 3% you are paying for them is mostly wasted. And yes, every builder puts that into the price. market hot or not makes no difference. Don't try to convince yourself it's just in the market at this time thing. ya got screwed, call it what it is. Many people do.

3. don't be fooled by the high end price point. The same actual contractors building the piece of shit home up the road are building your "high end" home.

4. There is one project manager that will handle all of the trades for the home builder.

9. The real value of a media room lies in wire placement (which can be impossible after construction depending on location) and sound proofing. they typically will do nothing extra for this room than every other room. which makes it odd that it is a "media room".


I'm out. Enjoy your home. At least you're are thinking about some of the details hardly anyone out there does.
You have built two homes, they do this stuff every day. Understanding that you don't know shit is step one. Getting the right
help is step two. I have been doing this a number of years and am still learning (and I probably build 40-50 a year).

I basically agreed with you on all counts and then you come back and argue some more...

Im not saying my father, uncle, or myself knows code, but we can spot when stuff isnt right. I dont trust most home inspectors to know code either because the ones I have run into told me something was code when I knew in fact it wasnt...or the house was grandfathered and had proof from the city...

Sorry I do have a realtor. Im not excited about it because I think, in general, they are way to pompous, but they are selling our current home. And wherever you may be, people may be able to negotiate on the sale of a new home, but from other people I have talked to here(not just my one realtor), negotiating on a new build is not really possible except for individual items to a small degree. Its more of a "take it or leave it" on the attitude of the builders because if we dont build, somebody else will. thats the reality in North Texas right now.

And yes I am aware this builder builds to multiple price points. Like I said I live in one of their houses currently. I also understand what I am buying into.

And yes I understand there will be one project manager. Doesnt mean I wont have a meeting that includes them plus the higher ups from a few of the bigger subs... I know the electrical and low voltage sub will be there.

And to the media room, yes its nothing special, just another space. im fully aware of this and what it will take to finish it out.

Ask for the acoustical details they use in the media room. There are lots of things you can do depending on what you’re willing to spend but at a minimum you want batt insulation and two 5/8 gyp board layers and fire putty on the back of the electrical boxes and switches. There are also materials that go between the gyp and the studs, and if you get fancy you can build two stud walls back to back so no two studs connect the two sides of the wall. Lots you can do for soundproofing after too, curtains, insulated panels, but starting with a proper wall is critical.

Yea I understand they do nothing special here. The builder will not do anything special here either. Im aware of that. Im not to concerned with it as im not a super high end audiophile or what have you. Just want somewhere to enjoy a movie.

This thread is about to turn into a MOA vs MIls thread.
It would seem you can here to ask for advice only to ignore all that advice.

1: I don't expect you to do heavy lifting/wrenching on the 4 post lift. The hobby lifts are over priced for the car collecting crowd. Here is a lift that will kick the living shit out of that SS-9000-HD, https://www.gregsmithequipment.com/Atlas-412-12-000-LB-Four-Post-Lift

2: move the damn wall. I am going to guess that this a $500,000+ project (2 million+ in some parts of the country) $2500 is going to what, raise your payment like $0.17 a month. Now ovbviously $3000, here, $7000 there adds up and a line has to be drawn somewhere. But the day you move in it should be exactly hoe you want with zero regrets at that point.

Im not coming here to ignore advice, but trying to explain why I chose certain things when somebody brings something up. Ive generally thought through all of these things already so nothing is really "new" or "ground breaking" when somebody brings something up.

Im not set on the lift I am interested in getting, but of the 4 I had researched, they all were setup for 110v/20a. I had not researched a 12k lb lift because its not needed for my cars. That lift is interesting though. Its at basically the same price point that I have been looking at.

My wife and I discussed moving the wall, but decided against it, not only on cost, but that we really didnt think we needed to. The only reason we were contemplating it was to make the closet like 36" bigger, but we are pretty sure we will be ok without that 36" and if it becomes and issue we can do the work ourselves later.

 

[2ndamendfan]

A bigger closet just gets filled with more of her shit. Ask me how I know.

 

[acudaowner]

Your going to need a much larger gun room and reloading factory 30 ton ammo making machines take up a lot of room . do you have a separate building for living space ? not important cots workers can sleep on cots they take up less room than beds . sorry the plans are nice hope the house turns out as you wanted .

 

[Scrubsr1]

Maybe I missed it but you'll be installing an exterior hot and cold-water faucet, correct? I can't imagine building a home without one...so handy.

Good on you for building a dedicated theatre room. We use ours on a regular basis and it's something we enjoy as a family...movies, sports, games, and especially ufc fight nights are big hits with friends and neighbors. Go at least 120" if using a 16x9 aspect screen along with a 5.1.4 atmos speaker config if possible. Good luck!

 

[RyanScott]

That is cute. you thought 500k was expensive or done much differently than the 300k home up the street.

I think you misunderstand. Our contract was 500k for a gate, a patio and an outdoor fireplace. We didn’t have anything to do with the house, which was existing and I presume expensive. I absolutely agree with you that you aren’t getting a quality difference in houses between 300 and 500k, just a size or location difference. That’s my experience as a buyer or occupant, I have no professional experience with housing in that price range. Proper acoustical details are within my professional experience.

 

[rjacobs]

Maybe I missed it but you'll be installing an exterior hot and cold-water faucet, correct? I can't imagine building a home without one...so handy.

Good on you for building a dedicated theatre room. We use ours on a regular basis and it's something we enjoy as a family...movies, sports, games, and especially ufc fight nights are big hits with friends and neighbors. Go at least 120" if using a 16x9 aspect screen along with a 5.1.4 atmos speaker config if possible. Good luck!

Im not convinced on the hot water side... BUT both hot water heaters are in the garage and I can hook a hose up to their drain and get hot water. I guess in my life time I have never wished I had hot water at a hose spigot. I get 2 hose spigots in whatever location I want and I can add on. I'm planning 2 extras so I have spigots on all 4 sides of the house(current house has 2 in the absolute worst locations). I AM contemplating getting a rough in in the garage for a utility sink if its not a huge expense. Im planning when I build the shop to rough in for a bathroom out there and as soon as I do that, I wont be doing any real "work" in the attached garage... so im not sure I want to spend a ton of money getting a sink plumbed in that would rarely get used.

I think I can do a 120" screen with my wall size(12x10), but my room depth of 18' give me a front row(im going to do a 6' deep riser for the second row) at roughly 11'. One short side and 1 long side the very top of the wall slopes into the ceiling following the roof line so im not sure which direction I will lay out the theater. My plan is to figure that out, buy the projector, set everything up(including seating, etc...) and buy the screen as the last item after projecting on the wall and testing a few sizes. The projector im contemplating will throw whatever size I want at 15' throw(thats my estimate projector installation location).

 

[Snipe260]

Built in ma2 on each end and corner of house with 4 inch thick steel sliding openings also enough belt fed hangers !

 

[Smallcalshooter]

Put in 8 ft garage doors

 

[1moaoff]

please dont use 400 amps, your bank account will not like you

I have 400 at home