TooFarFromFenway

Hey fellow Forumites!

My wife and I have decided to have a new house built, and would like any and all advice you could give.

Yes, the company I currently work for, is the EC. Yes, I will be paid for working on my own house. (So, would that make me an employee, or a homeowner??? )

It is going to be a modest house, nothing extravagant, but certainly not a "Out of the book" house. Meaning, we're having it custom designed, and not going to pick from a model, and have it customized.

We have a 2 acre lot, and the biggest requirements are that we must have a 3 car garage, and a storage shed in the back of the property.

So, any advice you wanna give, I am all ears. I've never had the pleasure of having my own house designed, but it's been a dream of mine for over 10 years, and have been saving up since college.

So, let's hear it.

Thanks!

~M

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Baseball players are smarter than football players. How often do you see a baseball team penalized for too many men on the field? ~Jim Bouton, 1988

Edrick

Automation and structured media also a kickass security and fire system. Fire sprinklers too.

Centralized lighting control and an intercom system.

I like HAI

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Edrick Smith
ES Productions - Entertainment Solutions
»edricksmith.com

B4T

Put in split receptacles in all the rooms.. then no matter where you have table lamps they will be switch controlled..

Run Cat (6) in each room on (2) walls with CATV and phone in same box.. use a one gang.. (3) port plate..

Chris1971

Recessed lighting and under cabinet lighting would be nice.

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Wireman191

ABS for the sewer pipe, I just had to dig mine up because whoever built this place used PVC, 20' all cracked along the bottom with roots growing in it! You could fit a full sized truck in the hole I had to dig.

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Work like you don't need the money

B4T

PVC usually doesn't crack unless the back fill guy was named Cletis..

HARRY304E

Do the whole job in EMT and you will not need AFCI breakers...

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Wireman191

I really would love to have had you here to argue that fact with the pipe.

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Work like you don't need the money

B4T

Put in a Generac 200 amp. ATS now.. even if you can't afford it..

B4T

I would of won the argument..

captkirk

I personally think automated stuff is overrated. Unless you live in a really big home.. and your kids like to leave every light on, and the ac and heat on at the same time... Whats the point..? But thats just me, im a simple kind of guy..

Security systems are good but most break ins happen in under two minutes way before the police can get there.. I had a customer that was away and theives still managed to kick in their front door, run straight up to the master bed room and office and make out with cash and jewlery..

Definatly install some kind of speaker system in your home.. Living room, kitchen, outside.. Sonos is a good little unit. Maybe put in a nice tv with some surrond speakers.. But you really dont need to go nuts on that stuff. Some audiofiles get a little carried away IMO. Im sorry but no one can tell the differance between 5;1 and 7:1 surround..

If your the type that likes to cook, definatly install more than two kit circuits and alternate them on the counter tops . Dont bother with granite counter tops, they require to much maint and can stain... Ive seen it many times and you cant get it out. Go with an engeineered stone. Some kind of undercounter lighting is a must IMO.

I would check with your insurace company before you install a sprinkler system, not a bad idea but god forbid the thing went off by accident..

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macmikeman

Assuming you are still living in Florida, put it up on 15 foot high stilts made of concrete blocks or sonotube construction. Buy sturdier hurricane straps than the typical simpson ties. Put in a pv system and solar water heating. Setup for a transfer switch so you can plug in an EU2000 from Honda (best bang for the buck unless you got some big bucks.) All concrete construction is best in that area, but of course money is an object... Double sheath it at minimum, don't fall for typical Florida yellowboard over the studs with stucco. Make a wind and water fortress out of it. Remember ten years ago Al Gore said Florida was going to sink in ten years below sea level, so any moment now........

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Try reading this guy's story- http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013...rd-snowden-why
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captkirk

I dont think ive ever seen anyone acually use their intercom system...Hes building a modest home why does he need centralized lighting control..? So he can show his friends ..? Not to mention that it does nothing to increase the homes value..

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Full time Bovine Scatologist.

macmikeman

Two hurricanes from now, Toofar will be saying to himself..... dang, that macmikeman wasn't as outright crazy as he sounds like sometimes.

Put all your extra money into those things, and screw the sound system and "structured wiring" crappola. Same goes for home theater. Instead of that I would say B4T's idea about the 200 xfer switch is a keeper.

__________________
Try reading this guy's story- http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013...rd-snowden-why
There is your true American.

macmikeman

P.S. any money left over afterwards...... sure har har..... buy silver coins.

Two years from now when interest rates go to 30 then 50 per cent you will also say to yourself- dang that macmikeman wasn't really as crazy as he sounded like after all.........

__________________
Try reading this guy's story- http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013...rd-snowden-why
There is your true American.

backstay

Why are you paying a company to pay you to wire your house? Can't you just wire it yourself? You'll pay more for materials and pay them profit on your time. I don't get it.

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Edrick

Hey I'm just throwing ideas out there everyone has their own taste. Personally I use intercoms and see them used lots of times. But it all depends on the size of the place.

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Edrick Smith
ES Productions - Entertainment Solutions
»edricksmith.com

TooFarFromFenway

We will most likely do a small structured system, but nothing extravagant.

And the security system and FACP is a must. We live in Florida, and we live out in the country. We get wildfires here all the time.

Fire sprinklers might be unsightly, and a little pricey. But, I would love to be proven wrong.

HAI is our choice too. We install HAI systems sometimes. Rare, but sometimes.

And hell yes we WILL have an intercom.

"Hunny!! Grab me a beer while you're in there please"

__________________
Baseball players are smarter than football players. How often do you see a baseball team penalized for too many men on the field? ~Jim Bouton, 1988

captkirk

Im just going from what ive seen too. If the house is really big than i agree, on lighting controls and automation.. Ive worked in homes that were 8000 square feet up to 17000 and in those homes, its almost a no brainer, but ive also done work for an audio guy that lives in a 2000 square foot home and he has alllllll the toys and it almost seems wasted..

If i could build my home from scratch i would almost without a doubt install a nice speaker system that i could control from my phone along with the HVAC. oh and a nice theater set up. That is presently on my to do list but hasent happend and not sure if i will ever get to it....LOL..

As far as alarms go, i know of several folks that have been broken into regardless of what system they have.. Proffesional theives have that down to a science, I think a big dog is probably better than any security system... A big loud dog.... a real meenie...

but i guess its never a bad idea to have one, if you dont mind the monthly charge. If you do put one in you definatly need central station..other wise you got nothing..

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TooFarFromFenway

I cannot stand split receptacles. Plus, with the automation system, we won't really need it.

And we currently have 2 lamps total in the house.

I like the idea of 2 CATV in the rooms. Makes for rearranging convenience.

WRT phone, I am not sure I would, since we haven't had a home phone in 4 years, but I might, just in case we decide to sell later on.

__________________
Baseball players are smarter than football players. How often do you see a baseball team penalized for too many men on the field? ~Jim Bouton, 1988