# New House Wish List



## LouthMan (6 Oct 2006)

*Wish List for New House*

Hi Guys

My design guy has said to come back to me with a Wish list of what I want in the house. Just looking for people to come back with good ideas that they put in their own houses. So I have down so far and I am aware of the prices

Solar Panels
Wood Chip Burner
Sound Proof System between the Floors.
Two Story with Stone on three sides.
Two Bay windows at the front.
Under Floor Heating
Going to just Use Tiles or Wooden Floors (No Carpets)
Living area on the south and West side of the house.
Granite Sills and Heads
Walkin Wardrobe
En-suite in 2/3 Bedrooms

Any other ideas ?

Thanks


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## arasain (6 Oct 2006)

*Re: Wish List for New House*

Think carefully about ironmongery - we did and aesthetically I think it makes all the difference. Small thing, I know but important to us nonetheless


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## gallantman (6 Oct 2006)

*Re: Wish List for New House*

Built in vacuum - e.g. BEAM
higher ceilings on ground floor
coving
5 amp sockets in living room - ideal for table lamps in corners


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## Henny Penny (6 Oct 2006)

*Re: Wish List for New House*

A huge utility room ... for the laundry/recycling etc. I would also love no saddleboards at the doors internally ... run tiles/wood all the way through.


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## ludermor (6 Oct 2006)

*Re: Wish List for New House*

If you have no saddle boards sound would transmit far easier between rooms


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## Jildy (6 Oct 2006)

*Re: Wish List for New House*

For what I am about to share with you 
This is a list which I add to everytime I have a new 'house' idea. I will be building a house in the next 5 yrs and will incorporate lots of these ideas. Some are a bit off the wall but ideas nonetheless!!

Anyway, here we go......


Central Vacuum System
Laundry Chute
Wet Room
Smarthomes 
Pantry / Larder
Suntubes
Solar Panels (for water only - backup)
External Insulation
Pull-out Ironing Board (Cutlery Drawer)
Self Cleaning Windows
Dummy to Iron Shirts
Kitchen – Dropdown TV
Low Level Lighting on Stairs
High Level TV& Socket points in all bedrooms
Electric Gate Access
Multi Area Recording CCTV (Network Cameras)
Radiator Towel Rails
Underfloor Heating
Monitored House Alarm
Attic Conversion
Pressurised Hot Water System
Stove type oven
Radiofence (for dogs)
Downlighters
Room for changing out of wet clothes or buggy-drop.
Kitchen Island with Sink and built in Dishwasher
Sauna in Wet Room
Wine Fridge in Kitchen
Network Cables – Cat6 Cables
Socket on Soffit for Christmas Lights
Outside Sockets
Electric Deadbolts on Front Door
Changeover Switch / Generator
Weather monitoring station
Robot Vacuum Cleaner
Motion/Heat Detectors for Lights (Not Bedrooms)
Room with Whiteboard Material on Walls (for kids to write on)
Exercise equipment connected to generators, for sending energy back to the grid.
Two Dishwashers
Rotating Rack in Wardrobe
TV point in laundry Room for when wife is ironing.
LED Lighting (Check if available for production use)
WiFi
Rope fire ladders in upstairs bedrooms built into windows
Master bedroom and kid rooms become a "safe room" that is doored from the rest of the house in the event of intruders.
Bench in shower for sitting or propping a foot to shave legs
Mirror in shower that doesn't steam up
Ledge in shower for shower items
Some of the ideas are contradictory (like 2 types of heating systems etc..) but as I said, it has to be ironed out...

Jildy.


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## LouthMan (6 Oct 2006)

*Re: Wish List for New House*

Wooo - Thanks Guys


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## gallantman (6 Oct 2006)

*Re: Wish List for New House*

I love this..."TV point in laundry Room for when wife is ironing." !!


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## Carpenter (6 Oct 2006)

*Re: Wish List for New House*



gallantman said:


> I love this..."TV point in laundry Room for when wife is ironing." !!


I think if I suggested the above to Mrs C I'd have to retreat to the safe room for a while....


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## calt (6 Oct 2006)

*Re: Wish List for New House*

TV points/plugs each side of & over fireplace
Wired for surround sound
Stereo system esp in bathrooms
Vaccuum System
Alarm keypads at front & back door & master bedroom (v handy if alarm goes off at night!)
Water connection for 'american fridge' 
driveway lights that go on/off automatically as you drive up the driveway 
Electric gates with camera monitor
If you like aquariums, build one into a wall between two rooms, v relaxing to watch


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## slave1 (6 Oct 2006)

*Re: Wish List for New House*

in sink erator for getting rid of leftovers/peelings etc etc, will require plug point under the sink

plugs everywhere, before I refurbished my house I had 9 downstairs, now there's 57

cat-flap access

leave access hatch for rear of showers

on/off valves on all piping leading to all taps so u can isolate individual taps for future maintenance

I took photos of all walls prior to plastering etc so I know where cables/water pipes etc are located

doorbell from the front door to the rear shed because when you're out there you cant hear the house doorbell

ample power connections for said shed


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## Vanilla (6 Oct 2006)

*Re: Wish List for New House*

TV point in laundry room even worse when taken in conjuction with: 

Dummy to Iron Shirts
[/QUOTE]


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## elefantfresh (6 Oct 2006)

*Re: Wish List for New House*

"I took photos of all walls prior to plastering etc so I know where cables/water pipes etc are located"

what a clever idea - simple as that


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## Bamhan (6 Oct 2006)

*Re: Wish List for New House*

Some of mine:
5amps under windows for Christmas lights.
Laundry room totally separate to any area through which people have to travel, ie not at back dooor access or utility room.
Zoned heating.
Area in garage or similiar covered area for washing line.
Storage area for wheelie bins which does not require navigating through the entire garden in order to put out bins.
Wired for external heaters on patio.
A large budget for landscaping.
Self cleaning velux windows.
A lift! 
Storage storage and more storage.


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## calt (6 Oct 2006)

*Re: Wish List for New House*

Dog washing facilities in garage - plumbed for bath, hot water etc, no more wet dog in the house!


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## Bamhan (6 Oct 2006)

*Re: Wish List for New House*

Parents use a dustbin outside, works fine for their doggy!


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## calt (6 Oct 2006)

*Re: Wish List for New House*

would be very hard to get a large dog into a dustbin let alone wash him in it!


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## Winnie (6 Oct 2006)

*Re: Wish List for New House*

Most already mentioned but heres a few.........

 - Fireplace in Garage in order to burn stuff 
 - Natural Slate roof
 - Marvin Sash Windows (or similar)


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## Bamhan (6 Oct 2006)

*Re: Wish List for New House*



calt said:


> would be very hard to get a large dog into a dustbin let alone wash him in it!



Not really dog stands in bin with paws up on side of bin and in immersed in the water up to his middle, can then wash him and use water to rinse him.
Easy peasy.


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## Carpenter (6 Oct 2006)

*Re: Wish List for New House*



Winnie said:


> Most already mentioned but heres a few.........
> 
> - Fireplace in Garage in order to burn stuff
> (or similar)


 
Is this not equivalent "Back yard burning"?


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## purplealien (6 Oct 2006)

*Re: Wish List for New House*

Wow - fantasic ideas! It would be some expensive house though.


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## Johnny Boy (6 Oct 2006)

*Re: Wish List for New House*

Wide Corridors espcepially where there are stairs and wide Landings


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## LouthMan (6 Oct 2006)

*Re: Wish List for New House*

Great Guys - These are the ones i need and i want. Any thing else ?

Thanks again.

4 Bedrooms
Attic that can be converted in the future
Solar Panels
Wood Chip Burner
Sound Proof System between the Floors.
Two Story with Stone on three sides.
Two Bay windows at the front.
Under Floor Heating
Going to just Use Tiles or Wooden Floors (No Carpets)
Living area on the south and West side of the house.
Granite Sills and Heads
Walkin Wardrobe
En-suite in 2/3 Bedrooms
Master bedroom en-suite a good size
Higher ceilings on ground floor
Huge utility room
Central Vacuum System 
Wet Room 
Pull-out Ironing Board 
Self Cleaning Windows 
Kitchen – Dropdown TV 
Low Level Lighting on Stairs 
At least three different Socket points in every room down stairs
6 Sockets behind TV in Sitting Room.
High Level TV& Socket points in all bedrooms 
Electric Gate Access 
Monitored House Alarm 
Pressurised Hot Water System 
Kitchen Island with Sink and built in Dishwasher 
Network Cables – Cat6 Cables 
Socket on Soffit for Christmas Lights 
Outside Sockets 
Electric Deadbolts on Front Door 
Motion/Heat Detectors for Lights (Not Bedrooms) 
Mirror in shower that doesn't steam up 
Ledge in shower for shower items
Wired for surround sound
Alarm keypads at front & back door & master bedroom
Driveway lights that go on/off automatically as you drive up the driveway
Zoned heating
Sensor floodlights in all required places on your fascia
Walkin Hotpress
Waste disposal in the kitchen sink
Natural Slate Roof
PVC Windows with a Wood effect.


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## gallantman (6 Oct 2006)

*Re: Wish List for New House*

Pump and NOT electric showers
make sure sound proofing between floors is good.


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## LouthMan (6 Oct 2006)

*Re: Wish List for New House*

Rainwater harvesting system - Anyone use this system ??


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## gallantman (6 Oct 2006)

*Re: Wish List for New House*

water softner !!


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## construct_06 (6 Oct 2006)

*Re: Wish List for New House*

In my house in the shower cubicles i have 2 showers. one ias an electric pumped shower (fed from waster storage tank) and the other is a power shower fed by booster pump from the hot water cylinder.

Idea behind this is: if the heating is being used, i will have hot water in the cylinder and can have a power shower. If heating not being used (eg. Summer) or if i come back from holidays i can use the electric shower. I've found it very handy. Not too difficult to do at construction stage.

Also i would pay attention to zoning your heating and hot water systems. Use a telemechanique plc which can easily be programmed and is an interface for changing the settings for your system. Using a plc allows you to program your heating/hot water for all the zones. Eg. you could have heating in bedrooms coming on at 7:00 for an hour in the mornings, hot water also. In evening times heating on at 6:30......Also you can program Summer and Winter modules so everything becomes automatic.

Another system i would like is a cctv and alarm system that can be accessed from the internet. So if you have telephone extender, u will be notified of any alerts on your mobile. Then you can log onto internet and see whats happening.

Pay great attention to the insulation to be used and quantity. This is very important and don't scrimp on this. You can usually get sonme of the fancier things for the house later but difficult to upgrade insulation. Aim for a lot better than the curren building regs. Workmanship and sealing very important in this regard, otherwise ur very expensive insulation will not be performing as it should be.

Run satellite cabling to every Tv point. digital Tv is going to be the future.

Try and leave channels in floors for running cables or look into the skirting whicha has a cable[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica] hole at the back
[/FONT]


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## construct_06 (6 Oct 2006)

*Re: Wish List for New House*

Also don't get too carried away with all these things either. The layout and design of the house is probably more important than any of these things. If the rooms are too small, this fact will annoy you more than anything and even these fancy extras won't make up for that. You should ask for previopus work done by ur architect and have a good consultative process going. Don't be afraid to change things if ur not happy. Now is the time, not when the house is built. Be fair though and try and give him as much info as possible to base his design.

Also pay attention to the externals. i have stone on the front elevation and dashing/timber cladding on all other sides, so I have no maintenance!


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## Carebear (6 Oct 2006)

*Re: Wish List for New House*



LouthMan said:


> Hi Guys
> 
> My design guy has said to come back to me with a Wish list of what I want in the house. Just looking for people to come back with good ideas that they put in their own houses. So I have down so far and I am aware of the prices
> 
> ...


 

I'm building my house at the moment, I put in granite cills and quoins - they look really well, I'm also using granite colums/pillers at my front door and when house is finished I'll use granite pier caps.


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## Henny Penny (6 Oct 2006)

*Re: Wish List for New House*

I should have added ... wheelchair/buggy access ... may be a planning reg already. Also if the site is big enough to drive around to the back door to bring in the shopping.


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## Joe Nonety (6 Oct 2006)

*Re: Wish List for New House*

Others I'd include are...
- Indoor swimming pool
- Observatory
- Solarium
- Home gym
- Jacuzzi
- Cinema room with 100" plasma TVs
- Panic room with escape tunnel
Are the centralised vacuum systems the ones with tube running through the walls? If so it's fine as long as you don't have young kids who will inevitably use it as a hiding place for toys and other items that will stop it working.


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## LouthMan (6 Oct 2006)

*Re: Wish List for New House*

Your correct about the large rooms and as much light coming in to the house as possible, all these extras will cost more cash but why build a house in the first place if you want a basic shell !


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## Seagull (6 Oct 2006)

*Re: Wish List for New House*

You've left out the wireless network throughout the house, as well as at least 6 plugs where the desk will be in the study.


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## LouthMan (6 Oct 2006)

*Re: Wish List for New House*

I don't want the pain Concrete Footpaths also, what has people used that looks well . Slabs ??


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## calt (7 Oct 2006)

*Re: Wish List for New House*

cobblelocking or the concrete texture mats


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## Wexfordman (7 Oct 2006)

*Re: Wish List for New House*

Just a fe ideas in my opion.

Central Vacuum system
I put one in, and to be honest, not really worth it. The hose is very long, and to be honest takes away any of the benefit iwth regards storage and having to lug it around. There is no difference in my opinion between luggin around my long hose (ooh err) for my central vac, and lugging around a standard vacuum. The same goes for storage. The only advantage in my opinion is no bags required, and the dust storage is very big, but this does not outweigh the cost of the system, and also when it does eventually breakdown, I think I will just go out an buy a normal hoover.

Phone points
Phone points are a bit redundant around the house these days with dect phones and dual or multiple handsets. I would not put more than 2 in any new house, and use dect handsets spread around the house to give you the same benefit.

What I would do, is as you mentioned with the catf/cat6 cabling, I would distribute this to the points where you had planned on putting phone points. Plan this well, and also bear in mind that you will or should be using wireless lan for this type of stuff also. Saying that, you will never have too much cat5. All your cat 5 should route back to a common point where you will have either your main phone line comming in for DSL broadband or cable or wireless bb, depending on your area etc.

Try to put some cable ducts around the place, specially in the common rooms, where you will have tv, computers, routers etc, so that you can add to later. You will always find you need to add cables in the future, whether it is for broadband, sky chorus etc.

Run two coax cables to each tv point, and 3 to 4 in the main rooms, so you can distribute tv easily. Again, all you coax should return to the one point, again preferrably to where your sky or cable box will be.

Alarm monitoring system
These are a bit overpriced in my opinion, and the annual fee often does not cover the extra discount that you will have. You can get self monitored systems, which will phone you, or a neighbour etc if one of you can not be reached. The only time I woul drecommend self monitoring is if you are living alone or something and you want peace of mind.

External wiring
Make sure you allow for external wiring to the garden, including power, phone, and speaker cables if you want also. Try and have a duct under your footpath so you can add more in future if you want.
Also, have an external tap plumped away from your house. We have two external taps, but they are attatched to the gable ends of the house. I would love to have some at either end of the garden, but will have to go digging up my footpath to bury the pipes comming from the house..

Home entertainment.
Have you cinsidered distributing music and/or video around the house ?
If you think it is something you would be interested in, consider speaker cable etc to tghe rooms you would want it in, (living room, kitchen, bathroom, bedroom etc).

Wexfordman

Thats my 2 centws worth, enjoy your build


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## Rois (7 Oct 2006)

*Re: Wish List for New House*

A built in Water Filter for the drinking water taps.


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## efm (9 Oct 2006)

*Re: Wish List for New House*

Another one to add - any pumps or electric motors should be away from the house ie in garage or pump house, to reduce noise


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## hotlips (9 Oct 2006)

*Re: Wish List for New House*

I would seriously consider a passive house so that you don't have to worry about fuel costs at all in the future:

[broken link removed]


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## LouthMan (9 Oct 2006)

*Re: Wish List for New House*

Some great ideas guys and i have a nice list to work off - Thanks again for your help.


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## Superman (9 Oct 2006)

*Re: Wish List for New House*

Two small things:
I'd try to ensure that waste pipes, soil vent pipes etc. are internal rather than external - they are just ugly.  (Ensure that if they are internal, that they are reasonably accessible though.

Also avoid having footpaths all around the house - if you look at houses in the States, for example, they usually would have lawns and gardens against the walls. (Just watch out for piling extra soil against the wall in future and breaching the D.P.C.).


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## Henny Penny (9 Oct 2006)

*Re: Wish List for New House*



ludermor said:


> If you have no saddle boards sound would transmit far easier between rooms



No, you can get hinges for the doors that basically lift the door a fraction when opening and fit the door back snuggly when closed. They are handy for rooms that have thick carpets ... easier than planing the bottom of the door.


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## ludermor (9 Oct 2006)

*Re: Wish List for New House*

I hear ya but for wooden floors sound will still run along the continious plane.


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## boots1 (9 Oct 2006)

*Re: Wish List for New House*

I would have a shower for wheelchair use - u know one that u dont have to step into, just a sloped tiled floor. My Mom broke her leg last year and getting in and out of the shower was so difficult, I would now view it as a necessity in any house....


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## coolio (9 Oct 2006)

*Re: Wish List for New House*

A few of mine that I can think of:

-Heat recovery unit
-Socket for where I intend Christmas tree to be - no extension cables needed!
-Outside speakers - for dining/partying outside!
-Laundry chute in upstairs bathroom to laundry room/utility room downstairs
- Sockets in floor near couch for surround sound


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## sheena1 (23 Nov 2006)

*Re: Wish List for New House*

Skylight in the ceiling of upstairs landing. Gives extra light in addition to existing windows.


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## Thirsty (23 Nov 2006)

*Re: Wish List for New House*

Two dishwashers......remove dishes from clean one - eat meal - return dishes to dirty one - when dirty one full turn it on, wash and start over.


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## Carpenter (23 Nov 2006)

*Re: Wish List for New House*



Kildrought said:


> Two dishwashers......remove dishes from clean one - eat meal - return dishes to dirty one - when dirty one full turn it on, wash and start over.


 
You'd probably also need to double the size of your kitchen's storage for all the extra cutlery and crockery you'd need for this to work too!


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## Tommy Thatcher (23 Nov 2006)

*Re: Wish List for New House*

Just something for the wish List.I recently saw a docking station at the side of a Garage for a Robotic Lawnmover.Lawn mower charges for one hour and cuts for one hour all summer.A small cable pass from a regular socket in the garage through the wall would do the trick. The docking station sits flat on the lawn.


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## AJL (25 Nov 2006)

*Re: Wish List for New House*

In the middle of self build. Some of the items on our wish list that we went through with were

laundry chute from en suite upstairs to utility
solar panels for DHW
Internal vacuum system
air to air heating system
put in cat 5 for intercom for gates if we have the money at the end!!
external sockets outside


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## KarlK (25 Nov 2006)

*Re: Wish List for New House*

during site preparation, provide undeground ducting to all corners of your site to allow for cabling of gardebn lights, power to shed etc
Window seats
decent porch for coats and boots etc
a couple of rooms that provide privacy from other family members, well soundproofed, only one door. butressed off the side of the house is one way to do this. Sometimes either parent wants to get away and work or relax.
Bigger is not always better. A huge expanse of tiling in a bathroom or kitchen is ugly and cold.
Video intercom
south facing balcony
smalll LCD TV or normal use. Projector for films
I don't like too many bathrooms. too much to clean.
my house is designed with a guest bedroom like a hotel room with ensuite but I don't want an ensuite in my bedroom because the noises are unpleasant to listen to for either spouse.


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## rabbit (25 Nov 2006)

*Re: Wish List for New House*



KarlK said:


> I don't want an ensuite in my bedroom because the noises are unpleasant to listen to for either spouse.


 
I think an ensuite is extremely handy - who wants to be dashing out to the landing / public corridor etc 


Besides , if the spouse does not know what sounds their partners makes ...

I agree on some of the other points though. However,re "provide undeground ducting to all corners of your site to allow for cabling of gardebn lights" etc, I think in years to come it may be viewed as wasteful and environmentally vulgar to waste energy ( often powered by precious fossil fuels )  on unnecessary outdoor lighting


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## Joe Nonety (26 Nov 2006)

*Re: Wish List for New House*



Carpenter said:


> You'd probably also need to double the size of your kitchen's storage for all the extra cutlery and crockery you'd need for this to work too!


 
I would have said the opposite - you'd need less storage for crockery because at any given timell the plates will either be in the clean dishwasher, the diry dishwasher or being used - never actually stored in a press.


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## EVGR (6 Dec 2006)

*Re: Wish List for New House*

Light inside kitchen presses and wardrobes when you open the door
Light under kitchen presses - above work surface
Underfloor heating
Sound insulation between rooms and floors
Front door opening outwards
Vents in all rooms beside window, with a washable filter and and with a little insulated door which can close properly on stormy days
Mixer taps 
Two sinks in kitchen - one for dirty dishes - one for peeling potato


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## Carpenter (6 Dec 2006)

*Re: Wish List for New House*



EVGR said:


> Front door opening outwards


 
An outward opening door is less secure, hinges may be accessible/ more vulnerable and it's a lot more difficult to slam the door shut in someone's face (unwanted caller?)!!


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## Leo (6 Dec 2006)

*Re: Wish List for New House*



Carpenter said:


> ... and it's a lot more difficult to slam the door shut in someone's face (unwanted caller?)!!


 
Not to mention hitting a welcome caller who doesn't expect the door to open outwards.


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## ronaldo (6 Dec 2006)

*Re: Wish List for New House*

How about an underground safe such as the one available below:

[broken link removed]

I'm not sure exactly how they're fitted but I would assume that you could pour your concrete subfloor over the top of them and have the top of the blue cylinder on the picture flush with your floor. Good luck to anyone trying to get that outta the ground


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## joanod (6 Dec 2006)

*Re: Wish List for New House*

Jack and jill style are good idea i think - i.e two access to the ensuite that is one en suite btwn two rooms I mean houses with 5-6 toilets???? Are they really necesary?


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## ninsaga (6 Dec 2006)

*Re: Wish List for New House*



ronaldo said:


> How about an underground safe such as the one available below:
> 
> [broken link removed]
> 
> I'm not sure exactly how they're fitted but I would assume that you could pour your concrete subfloor over the top of them and have the top of the blue cylinder on the picture flush with your floor. Good luck to anyone trying to get that outta the ground



ya must have a lot to mind there ronaldo given that you are looking at one of those


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## ronaldo (6 Dec 2006)

*Re: Wish List for New House*



ninsaga said:


> ya must have a lot to mind there ronaldo given that you are looking at one of those


 
lol, far from it - haven't even moved outta the parents house yet but i reckon they're a good idea for when you're building your house.... after all, I wouldn't want my future wife finding me gold!!!


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## Leo (6 Dec 2006)

*Re: Wish List for New House*



ronaldo said:


> How about an underground safe such as the one available below:
> 
> [broken link removed]


 
If you do, make sure you get installation instructions in relation to insullation, etc., and that your builder follows these. My parents got something similar put in an extension, and the condensation in there has rendered it useless.


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## edenjohnny (6 Dec 2006)

*Re: Wish List for New House*

A SLAVE .  PERHAPS THATS NOT PC well maybe a good partner/wife


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## bskinti (8 Dec 2006)

*Re: Wish List for New House*

We have a utility/laundry room 12ft by 10ft to one side of kitchen and Mrs B still gives out its not big enough and she has a fully racked hot press with a passage down the middle its 13 ft long and 6 ft wide,both rooms perfect in my books also have urinals in 2 bathrooms, (no wet seats) and of course a useless Bidet that cost an extra 500 pounds that herself had to have and of course my small  private office that needs a fair clean out now,But I'm sorry now I didnt put in an extra room on ground floor for a gym, well somewhere for treadmill, bike, step thingy and row yoke that are scattered around the house in bed rooms and for whatever herself comes up with next, Ps; no matter how big it is it still wont be big enough. Hope this helps.


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## Consultant (2 Jan 2007)

*Re: Wish List for New House*

Hi,

Have read with interest some of the above and am particularly interested in the comments regarding the electrics/ phone points / cat 5 cabling.  I'm looking into rewiring my home at the moment and would appreciate any comments on the benefits of this.  Do I put a point anywhere I intend having a PC?  What else can it be used for?  What about satellite TV?  Why would I need 4 coax cables?


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## Kitten (3 Jan 2007)

*Re: Wish List for New House*

Screw down wooden floors as opposed to nailing - much easier to take one up if needed - same applies for decking..........


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## Kitten (3 Jan 2007)

*Re: Wish List for New House*

"_We have a utility/laundry room 12ft by 10ft to one side of kitchen and Mrs B still gives out its not big enough and she has a fully racked hot press with a passage down the middle its 13 ft long and 6 ft wide"_

I am so jealous you have no idea.................


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## Macer (3 Jan 2007)

*Re: Wish List for New House*

Consultant

I had all rooms wired cat 5 not just the bedrooms - all are coming back to a central point (in the hot press) where I have a hub, enabling me to set up a network. I know there are wireless networks now, but you can't beat the old wired systems.
I must say I have also found 5amp sockets in the living room to be extermely useful and a waste disposal unit in the kitchen sink is a great tool.


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## mell61 (3 Jan 2007)

*Re: Wish List for New House*

To the guy/gal who didn't want ensuite due to 'sounds', why not a walk-in wardrobe area with ensuite off that.
Fully agree with the zonal settings for heating, we use it and its a blessing... downstairs is warm during the day, upstairs is heated just before our bedtime.
In a two story house I'd have the laundry room off one of the bathrooms, as with our weather unfortunately most drying from around jan-dec is tumble dryer ;-)    Why lugg it all downstairs, and for those 4 days a year the washing line is a possibility, install a dumb waiter from laundry room down to the utility room / backdoor.
For the kitchen I'd love a dishwasher lifted about 2 feet off the ground, with pot storage drawer under it, so that I dont' break my back any more bending down to fill / empty the darn thing!
Socket build into the walls with possibility of covering them off until needed, like a false front on a skirting board, so come Xmas the tree in the corner doesn't become a trip hazzard!


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## Consultant (3 Jan 2007)

*Re: Wish List for New House*

Thanks for the info.  Macer - where did you locate cat5 points in each room?  Would you put it beside socket close to floor or higher up.  The reason I ask is that in the Living Room and Kitchen I plan to have LCD tv, which will be wall mounted, so I will have TV point and socket high up on the wall.  I understand most satellite systems tv systems now take cat 5, so does it make sence to have them all at the one level so cables are out of sight?


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## Salmon (8 Jan 2007)

*Re: Wish List for New House*

Not too sure if its been mentioned before in this thread, but I saw a post before from someone who had all the sockets and lights in their living room connected to one one switch at the door. The idea being that when your heading off to bed you can hit one switch to turn everything off. Pretty straightforward if you electrician is competent and relatively inexpensive compared to some of the things mentioned on here!! (Panic room and escape tunnel!!!! ;->)


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## Unhinged (8 Jan 2007)

*Re: Wish List for New House*

A wall mounted refillable multi dispenser in the shower cubicle. My daughter has them in all her showers to dispense shampoo, conditioner, shower gel, and body lotion. Its a neat and compact solution for all those bottles and nowhere to put them.


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## sally2007 (8 Jan 2007)

*Re: Wish List for New House*

Forget about your walk in wardrobe - build an extra room and kit it out with shelving & hanging space as a walk in room / dressing room!!!!

You can never have enough space for hanging clothes so a full room is the only way to go!!


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## woods (8 Jan 2007)

*Re: Wish List for New House*



Unhinged said:


> A wall mounted refillable multi dispenser in the shower cubicle. My daughter has them in all her showers to dispense shampoo, conditioner, shower gel, and body lotion. Its a neat and compact solution for all those bottles and nowhere to put them.


Fine if you can both agree on products to use. I could not hope for that level of cooperation in my bathroom.


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## Macer (9 Jan 2007)

*Re: Wish List for New House*

Consultant -

Yes I would wall mount your cat 5 sockets where you plan to put LCD TV's. One word of warning here, My sockets are exactly where I intended to have my LCD's, the first TV brackets I purchased looked ideal as they would ensure that the TV where as close to the wall as possible, however I forgot about the plug & sockets and it turned out that there was not enough room behind the TV's for the connections. I therefore had to purchase alternative brackets and now the TV's are a little further out from the wall that is ideal. 
If I had thought about this at the planning stage I'm sure I would have come up with some alternative solution.
The shop informed me that most people are running cables from ground level to their TV inside some sort of trunking, I expect this relates to non-new builds.

Also I would locate sockets near where I would expect to put computers/decks in the future eg. kids bedrooms


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## Carpenter (9 Jan 2007)

*Re: Wish List for New House*



Unhinged said:


> A wall mounted refillable multi dispenser in the shower cubicle. My daughter has them in all her showers to dispense shampoo, conditioner, shower gel, and body lotion. Its a neat and compact solution for all those bottles and nowhere to put them.


 
This used to be a big seller at those "Ideal Homes" type shows a few years ago; however the reality is that the dispensers get clogged up, his and her's products aren't really interchangeable and the dispensers themselves get pretty grimy looking after a while.  Never had them myself but saw them in other people's bathrooms and just didn't like them at all.


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## funcrusher (1 Feb 2007)

*Re: Wish List for New House*

look at any new house, however large, and you find that as soon as it is finished people build numerous sheds, garages etc to keep all the things they forgot to allow for in the house....

You need:

integral garage, to park your car in and unload the groceries without getting wet.

a workshop, with access from both garden and the house, for 101 reasons including all those repair and maintenance jobs, tools etc.

a separate boiler/plant room, to reduce noise and to allow esay maintence/replacement without disruption

A large room near the back door for all the boots, coats, buggies, bikes etc.

If a sloping site permits, a waterproof basement, with workshop, garage etc in the basement. Basements in reinforced waterproof concrete (CEMENTAID) work out at about 35 euros a sqft to build, and save you about 20euros a sqft on the foundations and all the garage costs etc. A bargain


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## Firefly (4 May 2007)

I remember seeing a thread on what people would wish for if building a new home but cannot find it - can anyone point me to this or if not can people start listing

Eg;s
underfloor heating etc


Ta
Firefly.


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## Happy Girl (4 May 2007)

Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh for a walk in wardrobe!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## Seagull (4 May 2007)

Small, inexpensive things that get overlooked are
- Outside tap
- Outside socket
- security lights
- Light in hot press
- Way more sockets than you think you'll use.
- Loads of phone points


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## ang1170 (4 May 2007)

Seagull said:


> - Loads of phone points


 
We got extra phone points put in a few years back. Now we've DECT phones, and the phone points are never used.

I'd imagine that some people went to great lengths to wire their houses for PCs etc. (as was the fashion for high-end homes just a couple of years back). Now everyone uses WiFi.

The point is that some things, especially in the technology area, are obsoleted very quickly.

I have to say I'd agree with the rest of your list, though.

As for the big items, the key one for me would be levels of insulation and energy efficiency. Building regs. here still lag best practice in other countries: I'd go beyond what's required.


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## blinkbelle (4 May 2007)

All I want is a light in the attic oh and an outside tap would be great for watering the plants!!


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## galwaytt (4 May 2007)

you can cut back a bit on the phone points.............the future is wireless !

ufh everywhere
walk-in's everywhere
pantry - halve's the no of kitchen units (and price)
double, double size utility - to dry clothes in
double garage - on the house, not detached 
loads of windows/natural light
small garden  
big site  
don't-go-mad-with-lots-of-ensuites
fewer rooms, but bigger (3 beds, 4 max)
solar
windmill (I kid you not........1kW one would keep your water warm.......)
outside socket*S*
rainwater tank
cctv security - in and outside......

more, if I think of them.


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## Macer (4 May 2007)

#Think this may have been the previous post you referred to:-

http://www.askaboutmoney.com/showthread.php?t=38176


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## Firefly (4 May 2007)

Macer said:


> #Think this may have been the previous post you referred to:-
> 
> http://www.askaboutmoney.com/showthread.php?t=38176


 

That's me boy-oo!! Ta


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## Firefly (4 May 2007)

*Re: Wish List for New House*

|---------------------------------


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## mossym (5 May 2007)

ang1170 said:


> I'd imagine that some people went to great lengths to wire their houses for PCs etc. (as was the fashion for high-end homes just a couple of years back). Now everyone uses WiFi.
> 
> .



wow, now there's a generalisation that couldn't be more wrong..what about all the people with distributed audio/video systems..you ever try to distribute video over wifi? 
also, what about home automation systems? most require a wired network, not wireless..

becuase people with 1 pc and dsl may be able to use wireless for simple web browsing, wiring houses for proper networking is still a must for some people


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## Leo (8 May 2007)

Threads merged to keep all this in the one place.
Leo


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## ang1170 (8 May 2007)

mossym said:


> wow, now there's a generalisation that couldn't be more wrong..what about all the people with distributed audio/video systems..you ever try to distribute video over wifi?
> also, what about home automation systems? most require a wired network, not wireless..
> 
> becuase people with 1 pc and dsl may be able to use wireless for simple web browsing, wiring houses for proper networking is still a must for some people


 
I think you're missing the point, which is the rapid obsolescense of much technology. You'll probably find that the cabling you installed five years ago for your state-of-the-art PCs isn't suitable for the current trend of wiring for audio and video. I'd be amazed if audio and video weren't all wireless within the next couple of years: the technolgy's already there, it just hasn't hit the domestic market yet.

No problem cabling your home for whatever's the current fad, but just don't expect it to be a long-term investment.

BTW: I speak as someone who works in technology, but is a complete luddite when it comes to applying it at home.


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## mossym (8 May 2007)

no i think you are. For every increase in wireless bandwidth the size of video files being transferred gets increased. when 802.11g came along, everyone was happy cause this (sometimes!) had the bandwidth to stream dvd content wirelessly. then hd came along and now most 802.11g networks are struggling again. Pre-n routers are around, but that spec is still up in the air..

the only network that has outpaced video demands is wired. A house wired now with enough cat6 will support gigabit and more networks. How long willl it take for wireless to have acceptable levels of quality at gigabit speeds? Also, given the multistrand nature of Cat6 cable it can be used for a lot more than just networking. Wireless may be useful, but i'd bet over at least the next 10 years wired networks in a home will outperform it. that's long enough for me to have installed it in my new house only a few months ago, along with a wireless network

BTW, you're not the only one that works in technology


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## ang1170 (8 May 2007)

Whatever makes you happy, mossym!

As I said, I'm something of a luddite when it comes to stuff at home: I'm happy enough to wait for the dust to settle on a technology before ploughing too much cash into it.

I take your point that wiring is not subject to change as much, and that it probably will remain ahead of the game over wireless, but even it is not immune to change (e.g. would you have put in cat6 two or three years ago? what if you'd gone co-ax? cat5?)


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## mossym (9 May 2007)

co-ax? for tv maybe. still did for tv..

as for cat 6, probably not, but for disdtances in a house cat5e which has been around for a while would likely handle gigabit.

just reckon it is very bad advice to someone who is building a new house to tell them not to wire for  anetwork. They are at the one stage where that can be done for next to no cost or effort. trying wirless and finding out QOS is not enough leaves you hosed...that's all

sorry if i came across a bit seriously..


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## ang1170 (9 May 2007)

mossym said:


> co-ax? for tv maybe. still did for tv..
> 
> as for cat 6, probably not, but for disdtances in a house cat5e which has been around for a while would likely handle gigabit.
> 
> ...


 
Er, what advice to tell anyone not to wire? 

All I said was to consider the possibility of obsolescence:

<QUOTE: No problem cabling your home for whatever's the current fad, but just don't expect it to be a long-term investment. END QUOTE>

Now, I think we've hijacked this particular thread long enough!


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## z108 (9 May 2007)

[broken link removed]



A blimp tether on top and sure a few extra floors wouldnt go amiss


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## bullbars (9 May 2007)

In reply to Supermans suggestion to put all waste outlet pipes internal as they look ugly, I think you will find it a lot worse when (not if) a seal goes in a few years and you have to go tearing of plasterboard & tiles & trying to find the source! Then if one does leak you will have to scrub the whole place get rid of the "aroma". Its a typical architects detail to hide the pipes like this but builders (well many I have dealt with) would be against it. It may not be atractive but the heartache it can cause if something fails would not make it worth it. New pipes etc. will have all the guarantees and that but they cant ensure that the pipes are jointed correctly at the time or that they arent punctured by a stray screw in the wall!


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## bats (12 Aug 2007)

Trash compactor anyone?  very american i know, but thought crossed my mind to save space with all my recycling, bats.


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## steph1 (12 Aug 2007)

*Re: Wish List for New House*



gallantman said:


> I love this..."TV point in laundry Room for when wife is ironing." !!



Ha ha yeah I loved that one too.  Do your own bloody ironing


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## steph1 (12 Aug 2007)

Robot Vacuum Cleaner


Now thats a great idea.  I hate hoovering


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## Bronte (13 Aug 2007)

I've never ironed for my other half, but when I did my own ironing or the kids I just put the ironing board in the living room and watched a soap on the TV.  Would hate to have a room just for ironing - more like a torture chamber.  Now neither of us iron as the housekeeper does it. 

Re ensuites, prefer the main bedroom to have a large bath, separate shower and double sink and the room to be a decent size.  Also a bidet is ideal for washing feet, shaving, letting young kids wash their hands etc.  Can't understand the craze in Ireland for teeny weeney ensuites where you can't even dry yourself. The sink has a full width mirror but I put an extra mirror on the wall for hubby and he finds it much easier to shave this way as he's standing directly at the mirror. 

Also hate utilities attached to kitchens with the back door being the access to the outside and everyone comes through here rather than the front door and the room is a laundry tip, and stores all the rubbish as well plus coats and shoes.  Have even seen some that have a fridge in it and others where you have to go through this generally horrible room to get to the downstairs loo.  We don't have a tumble dryer but if I did I'd put the utility/washing machine upstairs - much more logical.

Walk in wardrooms a must for me as is a walkin hot press that has a radiatior in it as nowadays the boilers are so well insulated that they give off no heat. 

Re wifi, tv sockets, cabling - it's difficult enough to try and connect up all the bits and pieces so now we just have the TV in the living room, the kids are never going to have TV in their rooms and we have a small combi TV/DVD player in our bedroom which we move where necessary and with no complications. Things are getting worse not better, the DVD recorder is a nightmare and apparently those flat screen TV's take a few moments to channel hop - I'm sticking with the cathod ray tube for a long time yet


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## picorette (14 Aug 2007)

Heat Recovery Ventilation
( Provides  good quality air circulation and cuts down on heating bills)


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## woods (23 Aug 2007)

steph1 said:


> Robot Vacuum Cleaner
> 
> 
> Now thats a great idea. I hate hoovering


If you have a thick pile carpet it looks weird after the robot. It leaves streaky markings in the pile.


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## galway2014 (2 Jan 2015)

folks, sorry for reviving such an old thread, but just wondering is there anything people who have built recently add to this list ? thanks


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## flowerman (2 Jan 2015)

galway2014 said:


> folks, sorry for reviving such an old thread, but just wondering is there anything people who have built recently add to this list ? thanks



We had solar and also a large multi fuel stove installed that heats the rads aswell.The solar gives us hot water day and night and even a medium size fire from the stove heats all the rads.We also had our attic spaces spray foamed had sound absorbing board installed in our build to reduce noise transfer from one room to another and from one floor to the other floors.On the entertainment front we had alot of co-ax, cat6 and hdmi cabling installed at all the TV points around the house.I went with hard wired as Im not a fan of wifi as its too easy to be hacked into these days.We had our garage wired with its own seperate consumer board,it also has 4 co ax cables,6 cat 6 cables,and some spare 6 core alarm cables too,we also have a mains water supply to the garage too.All the hard wiring at build stage means that no walls have to be chased or stud walls opened up to run new cables in the future,lots of spares there from the word go..

Our security cameras are all up at soffit level so this gives a discrete yet effective level of security and the cameras are linked to our alarm system too.Smart phone is also linked to the system so we can remote view the entire house and gardens for anywhere in the world.
All our external and internal lighting is LED so this means low energy bills and windows are tripple glazed so this also gives a nice warm feeling in the house,even just from body heat alone and people being in the house.

Our gardens were designed and landscaped after the building company had built the house and finished as builders leave the soil in a bad state and they tend to leave materials buried in the soil,so this is not good for creating new gardens for a new build.Bad idea to try and create new gardens in soil that has all sorts of rubbish in it,and plants and flowers will also struggle to take in all the rubbish soil.So we had it all dug out and alot of new topsoil,grit and manure trucked in to create the gardens.
We also installed a 9000 litre underground rainwater harvesting system,again for futureproofing and this means we wont be giving alot of money away for mains water in years to come when water charges go sky high.


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## DesignA (2 Jan 2015)

i am sorry i didn't put in a double sided stove from kitchen to sitting room. also would love integrated garage.


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## flowerman (5 Jan 2015)

One thing I do wish I had done when we were building was go against the architects advice and clad the entrance porch with stone cladding,as I think it would have broken up all the grey and white coloured external rendering a bit better.The builder liked the idea alot but the architect talked us out of it as he reckoned that the cladding wouldnt flow with the look of the house.
Its the 1 thing that constantly goes through my mind when I come home each day and arrive up to the entrance porch and front door.But I suppose I can get the external cladding done in the future if it continues to bug me that much.


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