Wish List - for a new home

[Divided Attention]

All bathrooms, laundry room and the kitchen (at times I think the kids rooms as well) would have tile at least to chair rail level on the walls and a drain in the center of the room. hose it out and let 'er dry! Stainless counter tops in the kitchen. double, wall mounted ovens. Double paned glass on all of the many windows for natural light. A foyer/ante room where boots, coats and yuk could come off before coming in the house.

[PBratton]

Find a place away from the outside walls that you can build a secure storage area. Install racks for your rifles and sliding shelves for your pistols and storage for you ammo and other goodies.

Figure out the space you need for your current needs and add 30-50% for growth.

I would also do more tile and hardwood now days than carpet.

I would consider a steel roof instead of shingles.

I might talk myself into using 2x6's for all of the outside walls.

Water softener and whole house filters.

Network drops in every room and next to every cable TV drop.

Make space for a network switch/router area & cable/telephone drops.

Additional power next to every TV drop, at least a quad outlet.

Exterior Perimeter lighting.

Look into ZWave lighting controls.

CCTV cameras.

Zoned AC.

[rwg3]

Some things might depend on your age and stage in life. Is this a house for kids/family or one for a transition into or out of that stage? If you are looking at a long term stay that takes you into your more adult years , consider a single story house that handles potential accessibility issues. Also you might consider zoning the house so tHat sections can be shut down when it is just two of you and opened up when family/company comes. Also think of using wider entry doors to facilitate moving things in and out, a couple of inches can be a great thing when moving in the big ole lazy-boy.
I would start with the best foundation design you can find. Then I would definitely use 2x6 wall as and spend money on high quality windows and foam insulation. A hail resistant roof and you are dollars ahead over the long run.
Inside I would use many of the suggestions already given, but would add things like providing both gas and electric options for cooktops and oven. A serious kitchen exhaust hood with a roof mounted motor makes it a much easier place to cook in. There is never enough space for pans and lids and the counters need twice as many plugs and circuts as you might think to operate all the neat kitchen gadgets that exist today. Make up air is a must in a well insulated place. Gas lines to the fireplaces provide options for wood or gas logs, and if allowed fire starters in the wood fireplaces. Gas lines outside to the barbecue area gives options for girls and or heaters for those cool evenings.
Given the lack of basements in Texas, I would plan for a large storage area. Every man needs a shop/gun cleaning/man cave. Extra garage space for toys and cars.
Have I got you up to 10000 sq ft yet?

[RX8er]

Here are some of what I have added we built out house and didn't think about. Some of these are still on my to do list.

Think about what rooms need dual light switches - for example, at each end of the room
Media closet wired to handle all your A/V
Outlets high on wall for LCD TV
7.1 Surround wired
Tornado room / shelter
Pull out drawers for pots and pans in kitchen
Faucet over the stove top
Commercial grade stove top
Granite counter tops
Ceiling fans for every room - I had them wired and then added better ones for cheaper than the builder
Garage that can fit "today's" SUV and trucks
Outlets in the garage
Air handler / air exchange system for the HVAC
Multi Zone HVAC system
Outside vented hood over the stove top
Tankless water heater
Hot water circulation system
80 PSI minimum water pressure
Large shower with multiple shower heads

[MrsFosforos]

It would be at least a story and a half. I would build the kitchen on the east side of the house so the afternoon sun doesn't hit it. Ours is on the west side and it is so hot to cook in the summer time.

I would place a walkin pantry between the garage and kitchen, so when unpacking groceries from the car - the dry goods could be left and stored directly from the car. Conveyor belt from garage into kitchen counter to carry cold stuff to the fridge.

I would place the laundry room in the center of the house with ajoining bathroom for kids or guests and layout doors that open into kids closets, so laundry can be hung up go directly back into drawers when washed. The master bedroom and bath and closet match layout and would be directly above with chute to laundry room below and dumb waiter back to closet. Or alternatively have a second, stackable washer and dryer in master bedrom closet.

All the doors inside doors would have gates intalled that can slide in to hidden pocket in wall when not in use. We have pets that need to be blocked into out of rooms depending on the circumstance.

I would install a pet door in the floor beside the backdoor that has a chute tunnel that exists under the deck for dogs to use to go in and out, hidden from obvious display to outside view. Inside, i would install water faucet in tiled area to use for filling water bowls, drain in floor to catch spills.

Central vaccuming system.

Garage would have doors that access entry through front and back. Plenty big to store cars and motorcycles. Extra parking area in back. Storage space for workshop, lawn and garden tools, riding lawnmower. Mudroom sink for messy cleanups. Walkin shower with platform available to wash dogs. .

Covered screened in patio deck with windows for wintertime use, misting system for summer. Include outdoor kitchen and ceiling fans.

Sauna room with attached half bath and shower.

Outside security system with cameras and motion detection. Kids rooms would have multidirectional webcams.

[Pawpaw]

Lots of good suggestions, so far. Some of those ideas are incorporated into my house which was just completed this past August.

I'll mention the doors again. Those 36" wide doors will come in handy if someone winds up in a wheelchair, even temporarily. That was one of several changes I made to the floorplan before the house was even started. Don't forget about bathroom & closet doors, too.

My laundry room is right beside my garage entry. I like that location, but I wish it was bigger. I also wish I had a drain in the floor and a utility sink in there. Then it could double as a "mud room" and any mud, dirt, etc. could just be washed down the drain.

Stained concrete floors are excellent for entryways and the laundry room. Anything that gets tracked in is easily cleaned up.

When they were pouring the driveway, I had them pour a large patio out back and a concrete pad so I could install a whole house emergency generator later. Having those done later would cost a lot more. I paid for that separately, so it wouldn't add anything to the mortgage.

[SewTexas]

if it's a 2 story, you will want the master downstairs, even if it's not your "last" home, if one of you has surgery, or if one of your parents need to stay with you for a time, you'll be glad of this.

a great/or not, depending on how you look at things, place for ideas, is pintrest, look at the category for home, or dream home, something like that.

another thought.....think about what you want for your backyard area, do you want something that will require cement poured? can you get that planned and approved now? can you get that poured by the builder? it will may be a whole lot easier to do now, and cheaper. you wouldn't have to finish it off, but anything that requires cement typically has to go through the city and the HOA, after the initial build.

[tbrown]

Also you might consider zoning the house so tHat sections can be shut down when it is just two of you and opened up when family/company comes.

When us kids went to visit grandparents during the Summer, my parents put a window unit in their bedroom and spent most of their time at home there. Zones would have been better but the retrofit cost was higher than any savings.

if it's a 2 story, you will want the master downstairs, even if it's not your "last" home, if one of you has surgery, or if one of your parents need to stay with you for a time, you'll be glad of this.

I agree with having a bedroom downstairs but maybe not the master. I wouldn't mind staying in a downstairs guest bedroom temporarily while recovering from surgery or a broken leg, and I like that idea much better than giving up my bedroom for guests with limited mobility.

[SewTexas]

my daughter's best friend is in a wheel-chair, I was thrilled to have her visit us and for us to be the first people she'd ever been able leave home to visit, a few years ago. I'll give up my room any time she wants to come visit.

I bought this house with the idea that it would be our last home, but also with the idea that my in-laws could move in if ness, although their home is a mile away and there are several other options. Their house has steps up to it; ours does not, also on purpose.

[JustMe]

a laundry room that is a ROOM! counter space for folding-rods for hanging-built in ironing board-sewing machine

[Syntyr]

+1 on everything above but add turrets and a defensible moat. Oh Drawbridge as well!

[MotherBear]

Circulating hot water. My in-laws have it in their new house and it's awesome.

[GrillKing]

Circulating hot water. My in-laws have it in their new house and it's awesome.

What is circulating hot water? Thanks!

[psijac]

I want a false front door. Zombie and SWAT proof maybe it should open up to a room full of bees