New Build Upgrades You Probably Didn't Think About | Rachel Moore

After building two houses I think I have a good idea of what non-cosmetic upgrades to consider that might not have even crossed your mind! Considering these upgrades during the building process can save you a lot of money versus trying to add them after your home is already built. If you think of any other must-haves, let me know in the comments below!

xo Rachel

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[laurieclarkson]

There were small things I took for granted until I moved in a house without them. 1--No Porch/stoop/elevated doorway. Our door is level with our concrete walkway at the front entrance and leaves blow into our house, insects enter, water collects. Make sure you have something. 2--Overhang over your front door. We get rained on because we don't have one. 3--Wood stoves are super messy so design them in a good place that is easy to clean, store wood and supplies, near ventilation. 4-If you have large families, consider getting two appliances. Two clothes washers and two dryers or Two dishwashers. 5-Consider laundry chutes and dumbwaiters.

[ivannightly]

wider door for wheel chairs and moving furniture, reinforced sections at toilet from hand supports if required later due to sickness, cat 6 for security cameras, water line outdoor box for sink or sprinklers and i ran conduit through floors for things i didnt think of or that come up in the future so i dont need to rip down walls to run stuff and a thing I love hammock hooks out door patio

[unscrewedhorses]

These are good tips! I like that you listed all practical things instead of cosmetic things like some of these lists tend to focus on. I probably wouldn’t have considered some of these, so thank you!

[MrsMom-mggd]

I live in north idaho and we get extremely cold snowy winters. A heated garage is an absolute must up here. I love not having to scrape my windows or wait for the car to warm up. I keep the garage at 50* and it doesn't affect the bill much at all. Totally worth it

[thekirksiffs]

We had our home built 34 years ago, and at the time had to use every nickel to afford it. We went ahead and used builder-basic for most surfaces, knowing those could be changed out easier than construction. In working with our builder, we were able to find space for extra closets and that is something I've never regretted. Of course after all this time, we have indeed changed out surfaces, and we sure love that we have extra closet space too.

[lisawhitecrow]

We did interior insulation as well, for the floors and floors and walls. Best upgrade though was the extra thick carpet padding. Held up with our standard carpet and made such a difference!

[mrchichmagnett]

I’m so glad I actually did all of these. One thing I did add was an air purifier built into the home. ☺️

[EchoOoo-]

Thank you. I am thinking of starting the process of building a new home, and there was definitely some information here that was helpful. I appreciate it.

[jimmyamico]

Very helpful video. I look forward to seeing more of your videos. Thank you so much merry Christmas to you and your family.🇺🇸❤️🤍💙🎄

[laurieclarkson]

Thank you so much for sharing these wonderful ideas!

[claudiahansen]

Excellent video. Some tips I had not heard before, or considered. Thank you!

[stevepailet]

been working on my new house. First things first Double stud the exterior wall so I can add extra insulation. Spray foam is ok but not really a good value when compared to rock wool or cellulose. A true must is air sealing the home to keep in the air that you want to hold in. Building science has taught those who look at this as a great way to clean up indoor air with the use of an energy recovery ventilator ERV. Air sealing makes for a very healthy house to live in. Aerobarrier is a much better way to do the air sealing than adding indoor air pollution via spray foam.

I got to thinking about the cost of kitchen cabinets. Yes one needs a certain minimum but to me, a much better way is to put in a real large pantry with ventilated shelving with good quality casters so that the shelving can be moved even when loaded. The deal with vented shelfing is mainly cost and utility. Putting in $1500 for these shelves harkens back to the early 1900s. Compare that to putting in $50000 worth of kitchen cabinets that are always used and abused in a typical house. Talk about a nice way to expedite cleaning also. Speaking of cleaning one addition that I would also do is installing back wall mounted toilets. Makes cleaning in a bathroom a quick mop and done. Other semi obvious things make the house work better are adding 42 inch doors into your bed room and bathroom. One never knows when one might need them to transit these areas in a wheel chair. Adding plywood in back of bath or shower walls and around the toilet while building sure make life easier when adding grab bars.

[jalkhafaji]

would love a video on upgrades that are not worth it

[Ilovedachshunddogs]

You can add a pump on top of a regular hot water heater to get faster hot water

[InspirationsofStyle]

I have to agree I didn’t think about our shower and I wish I would have added the handheld shower head in at least our master. We are also looking into a water softener but our builder told us that was something that would have to be done after closing.

[arianam]

Heated floors or heated garage if I lived in the north lol

[davidcole]

If you have dogs, you need to find out if fencing is offered, or if you have to put that in yourself after closing. A dog door would be nice also. Your tips are excellent. Well thought out.

[arianam]

Top three places in your house and why

[sharihoffman]

Was anyone watching her dog during the video? Too funny as if he had his on thoughts on what she was saying.

[stephenlacher]

Should have done some research on water treatment systems. Reverse Osmosis is NOT the best option.