Browse Forums Building A New House 1 Sep 18, 2008 4:39 pm Hi all,
I just wondering it would be good if we can share any modifications/upgrades that we all MUST HAVE that will comes really handy in the real life situation. (based on your experience) Let say, a sound proof wall in the rumpus room would be nice or even better an internal garage door to the kitchen/living can be categorized as a 'MUST' have upgrade. Any thoughts will be appreciated... Re: A MUST have upgrades discussion... anyone?? 2Sep 18, 2008 4:46 pm Hmmmm....I have to say I hate it when people say "such & such" is a 'must have' b/c others may not like that thing, or may not be able to afford it, or just didn't get it ,and then feel a bit disappointed...... you get the picture...I don't know, maybe that's just me! Solidarity, not solidity.......The Lexicon of Life Re: A MUST have upgrades discussion... anyone?? 4Sep 18, 2008 4:52 pm HappyHome We took the angle the things you can't change once the house is complete Good point HH! Down lights and wiring in the ground floor of a 2 storey house Solidarity, not solidity.......The Lexicon of Life Re: A MUST have upgrades discussion... anyone?? 6Sep 18, 2008 4:57 pm My must haves.....
internal access from garage, minor bedrooms that can take adult (queen size) furniture, storage, cupboards, cupboards, storage and then some more cupboards, trough in garage or access to laundry from garage, undercover outdoor area, triple garage (rather than double and a shed), lots of benchspace in kitchen, stone or other hard surface benchtops (for my staining problem ) cupboards in laundry, big wardrobes, seperate living areas that can be closed off with doors, quality insulation, heavier internal doors, lots and lots of powerpoints, workable internal lighting, external lighting, a backyard, and did I mention cupboards and storage? This suits how we live and were our priorities.... but not for everyone. Jo I leave you to fend for yourself, figure things out yourself. Terrence Malick Re: A MUST have upgrades discussion... anyone?? 7Sep 18, 2008 5:04 pm I think you may have neglected to mention storage and cupboards, Jo - don't forget those!!!!!!!!!! Solidarity, not solidity.......The Lexicon of Life Re: A MUST have upgrades discussion... anyone?? 8Sep 18, 2008 5:29 pm I think it depends on what you want in a house. We actually have very little must-haves except for high ceilings. Everything else was standard in our case. Re: A MUST have upgrades discussion... anyone?? 9Sep 18, 2008 5:31 pm my must have list -
- double glass window - good insulation - garage entry door - enough storage area actually i don't have a lot of must have list.. as long as it is a brand new home, i am very grateful already Blog - http://clageonewhouse.blogspot.com/ Building Thread - viewtopic.php?f=31&t=10886&hilit=milan I am in, with my husband and my beautiful bunny Re: A MUST have upgrades discussion... anyone?? 10Sep 18, 2008 5:38 pm petal HappyHome We took the angle the things you can't change once the house is complete Good point HH! Down lights and wiring in the ground floor of a 2 storey house Totally agree IMO: The other 'must have' for me was the kitchen of my dreams (or as close as our budget allowed). I didn't want to be replacing a 'standard' kitchen within 2 years, and I also opted to buy the appliances I wanted as opposed to what the builder included. We also made a few internal ones, like adding more wardrobe space but making our ensuite shower smaller (but still a good size for 6foot3 husband!) Re: A MUST have upgrades discussion... anyone?? 11Sep 18, 2008 5:47 pm i think "must haves" all depend on what type of house u want in the end....some ppl are happy to have the bare necessities and upgrade later on as they go...and some ppl want everything in now so that there is no hassle's later....(personally i'm in the latter catergory...much to fiance's dislike!)
one of the things that fiance said was "must have" was CB gutter and pipes cos then we wouldn't need to paint/restore them as opposed to having normal ones (not on my "must have" list) my "must have" list consisted of bigger WIR, waterfall edge to kitchen and microwave space .... as u can see we have different priorities... hehehehe Re: A MUST have upgrades discussion... anyone?? 12Sep 18, 2008 5:53 pm I agree with HappyHome - anything that's structural you can't change later:
balconies bigger rooms higher ceilings floor tiling (carpet can be changed easily) insulation/sound proofing ground floor lighting underground water tanks greywater plumbing After 4 years - we're in! Re: A MUST have upgrades discussion... anyone?? 13Sep 18, 2008 5:56 pm 1) High Ceilings - they just make a house feel so much bigger for a fairly small cost
2) Vinyl wrap kitchen doors (I hate laminate coming off door edging) 3) Solid kitchen benchtop (no laminates - the edges can look so cheap, and there are a lot of cheaper options than stone nowdays) and last but not least... 4) NATURAL LIGHT!!! Passive solar design should be compulsory in my opinion Re: A MUST have upgrades discussion... anyone?? 14Sep 18, 2008 6:03 pm These were absolute must-haves when we were building:
- double glazed windows - hydronic heating - integrated fridge (OK, I'm strange) everything else was just must-haves. Re: A MUST have upgrades discussion... anyone?? 15Sep 18, 2008 7:25 pm On our part, our 'must haves' are:
- lots of storage (mud room for shoes, big WIR, storage under stairs, etc) - thick stone benchtops (waterfall sides) - window in kitchen (to let natural light in) - HT (with acousti-therm batts) - colour-through roof tiles - nice bricks with off-white mortar - big shower (in master... so... we can share the shower!!!) mostly it's anything we don't have in the rental unit and those that can't be easily changed in the future ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Built the Nevada 42 Next project - landscaping! Re: A MUST have upgrades discussion... anyone?? 16Sep 18, 2008 7:32 pm Kitchen appliances, room sizes (toddlers to teenagers they grow up really quick), will you get grandparents/ parents staying more often? maybe a ensuite for a spare bedroom for guests.
Everything else that I want are just indulgences. Re: A MUST have upgrades discussion... anyone?? 18Sep 18, 2008 8:50 pm danma Kitchen appliances, room sizes (toddlers to teenagers they grow up really quick), will you get grandparents/ parents staying more often? maybe a ensuite for a spare bedroom for guests. Everything else that I want are just indulgences. Yes, well, I agree, kitchen appliances are a must have. It would be hard to accept a kitchen without them Re: A MUST have upgrades discussion... anyone?? 19Sep 18, 2008 8:58 pm My must have was a laundry schute from the top level, I have lazy people living with me this was a big "must have" , another was a nice big balcony, I am gunna sit on that big balcony day and night, ummm lots of drawers in the kitchen, IN-BUILT GARBAGES UNDER THE KITCHEN BENCH...sorry for yelling, I got excited AND a breakfast bar, I have always wanted a breakfast bar. Thanks mate. Yeah good points! Leaning towards Option 3 to get a bit extra space in the cabinets but not going too crazy high (and expensive). Would require a mini… 13 39733 Hi All, I just wanted to close this topic out with an update. So we ended up agreeing to a number with the insurance company, and after an extensive amount of hand… 8 23404 You have mandatory building inspections and privately engaged building inspections. The difference between the two comes down to inspecting the building so it's safe and… 3 18071 |