What are the small things people forget during a home renovation?

[Anonymous]

We're mid-renovation and trying to be thoughtful about future-proofing. So far we’ve done:

Cat6 to every TV and office area
Outlets on both sides of double vanities
Conduit for future cable runs
Ceiling fan-rated boxes in bedrooms
Prewiring for ceiling speakers
Water spigot for our detached garage (considering)
Blocking behind walls for future mounts/shelves
Conduit or wiring for future motorized blinds (Considering)

Are there other small but high-impact upgrades you wish you'd done during your reno? Think stuff like under-cabinet lighting wiring, extra outlets, or smart home prewiring.

Would love to hear what people regret skipping — or are glad they included!

[Anonymous]

- Filtered water faucet by the kitchen sink
- Pot filler over the stove

[Anonymous]

Might as well add conduits for wired outdoor cameras.

For the blinds, if motorized, I would just do battery powered. (But my walls are plaster and were outside the scope of our reno.)

[Anonymous]

- think about outlets for a coffee bar area
- under cabinet lights (if you have uppers)
- add more sconces (vs relying on overhead lights)
- add exterior outlets depending on your needs (christmas lights/ string lights/ using lamp or laptop on covered porch)
- 2 outlets on the kitchen island (if you have one)
- include dimmers everywhere

some people are adding exterior wires for electric cars. we ended up not doing this.

i'd skip the pot filler unless you specifically want it, trendy and unnecessary

you could include blocking in the shower for a grab bar, but make sure to take photos so you know where it is

[Anonymous]

I regret wiring for speakers in our new build. We got wireless (Sonos) speakers and the sound quality is fantastic and they’re more flexible.

[Anonymous]

Outlets in closets for charging robot and stick vacuums.

[Anonymous]

Outlets next to every toilet for bidets.

[Anonymous]

USB outlets near beds and on kitchen island

Enough amps on panel for EV charger, additional electric appliances and/or outdoor patio heater in future

Kitchen cabinet organizers and closet organizers with flexibility to reposition

Tall skinny storage for brooms, vacuums, wrapping paper, etc

Places for trash, recycling, compost, etc

Whole house water filter

Outdoor emergency generator in your street loses power a lot

Space for extra fridge/freezer in basement or garage

Outdoor path lighting

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:- Filtered water faucet by the kitchen sink
- Pot filler over the stove

Hot/cold water dispenser connected to undersink filter.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Outlets next to every toilet for bidets.

+1. Also outlets inside every closet, and wherever you might like to plug in outdoor lights or lawn care equipment.

Lights and light switches: think about dark spaces, like over the utility sink or at that dark corner of the stairs. And think about where you would turn them on: for example I turn on my bathroom vanity light at the door, but I would like to also turn it on at the sink.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We're mid-renovation and trying to be thoughtful about future-proofing. So far we’ve done:

Cat6 to every TV and office area
Outlets on both sides of double vanities
Conduit for future cable runs
Ceiling fan-rated boxes in bedrooms
Prewiring for ceiling speakers
Water spigot for our detached garage (considering)
Blocking behind walls for future mounts/shelves
Conduit or wiring for future motorized blinds (Considering)

Are there other small but high-impact upgrades you wish you'd done during your reno? Think stuff like under-cabinet lighting wiring, extra outlets, or smart home prewiring.

Would love to hear what people regret skipping — or are glad they included!

Those are good. Even empty PVC pipes for future wiring upgrades, etc. Don't forget extra pipe insulation on exterior walls or hot water lines, etc.

Sealing wall joints and open spaces helps drafts in walls and outlets, and also bug intrusions.

Basically think about what could break, and how to make it easier to fix in advance.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Outlets next to every toilet for bidets.

+1. Also outlets inside every closet, and wherever you might like to plug in outdoor lights or lawn care equipment.

Lights and light switches: think about dark spaces, like over the utility sink or at that dark corner of the stairs. And think about where you would turn them on: for example I turn on my bathroom vanity light at the door, but I would like to also turn it on at the sink.

Not a future proof issue but the placement of two light switches in our reno is the mildest of annoyances but one that comes into play 10+ times a day. My constant inner refrain: “Why did we put the switch for the over-island lights over there?”

[Anonymous]

Optimizing your electrical wiring for bidirectional charging — specifically V2H, vehicle to home.

While currently limited, it’s a feature that enables you to use a EV’s battery to provide a house (or subset) with power for a limited time.

Identify outlets/appliances that could receive power from a V2H hookup (eg, hvac in the basement and the chest freezer in the garage) if there’s a grid failure.

[Anonymous]

Agree with EV charger wiring and reinforcement behind walls for towel bars.

Outlets on stair landings to make vacuuming stairs easier and to put decorations in windows.

Built-in, recessed medicine cabinets behind vanity mirrors (wish my house had these spaces, because surface mount cabinets take up too much room).

Wood built-in cabinetry for spaces where you can't find the right furniture to fit the dimensions (upstairs hallway in my house).

Wall mounted drying rack in laundry room.

Kitchen sink cabinet with waterproof plastic-lined cabinet bottom instead of wood or particleboard floor.

[Anonymous]

Forgot to put low wall outlets in the bathroom. All of them are up by the counter. It sucks to use a corded vac in there.