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

[Anonymous]

I have outlets inside two kitchen cabinets and I have small heating pads plugged in to keep dishes warm. (I hate to use cold plates for hot food). These outlet could also serve as a hidden charging station.

I also have three appliance lifts in my island and each lift has an outlet so the toaster, mixer, and food processor are always at the ready.

And yes to a cabinet or broom closet with installed outlets for charging vacuums and stuff.

Also, do a mental walkthrough for kitchen or bath. Where do you want to grab your towel from after your shower? Where to you want the waste basket to be? In the kitchen, where will you put dish towels?

[Anonymous]

Sink in the garage

[Anonymous]

Clean water!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have outlets inside two kitchen cabinets and I have small heating pads plugged in to keep dishes warm. (I hate to use cold plates for hot food). These outlet could also serve as a hidden charging station.

I also have three appliance lifts in my island and each lift has an outlet so the toaster, mixer, and food processor are always at the ready.

And yes to a cabinet or broom closet with installed outlets for charging vacuums and stuff.

Also, do a mental walkthrough for kitchen or bath. Where do you want to grab your towel from after your shower? Where to you want the waste basket to be? In the kitchen, where will you put dish towels?

That sounds like a fire hazard...just get a warming drawer

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We ran RG-6 coaxial cables from basement to the likely/possible TV locations. Also ran 2 RG-6 cables between attic and basement, because we have an over-the-air TV antenna inside the attic.

This but both RG-6 for TV/Cable and Category-6A Ethernet wiring so we have more choices about where to put a WiFi extender or printer.

[Anonymous]

More outlets.
More insulation.
Higher ampacity wire, at least 2 AWG sizes larger than minimum.
Separate circuit for each room.
Arc fault circuit interrupters (AFCIs) for every breaker.
Only Type K copper pipe and fitting, and only soldered connections.
Bridged mineral wool attic insulation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Outlets in closets for charging robot and stick vacuums.

This is a great one.

[Anonymous]

Deadbolt and solid door on master closet. Safe room.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Surprised no one raised it yet, but soundproofing floors and some walls if you have a multi level home.

Definitely this. I hate how much sound carries throughout.

[Anonymous]

More outlets and storage in bathroom.
Agree on low outlets in bathroom.
Closet outlets is a good idea and it should be something easily added. It will cost but it can be done.
Not enclosing a toilet or putting up a separation wall in a bathroom when we did it in the others.
In the shower place controls/handles to the right of the showerhead so you can turn them on and not be under the stream. Contractor said it was against code. BS! It wasn't.
More outlets and more storage in bathroom.
Agree on low outlets in bathroom.
Pay attention to lighting. I wasn't until we visited friends with newer homes, model homes or re-modeled homes that we realized our house had zero overhead lighting and it was all by lamp except the dining room and above the kitchen table. Our house was dim as all get out when the sun set. Overhead/recessed lighting the right lightbulb makes a huge difference.

Not hovered enough. In the beginning I checked in a few times a day. Towards the end I pretty much set up a chair and watched and the difference is night and day.

Going with your gut. Designers and contractors don't live in your home. You do. My contractor freaked when I bought gloss paint for the ceiling. Afterwards the shine looked good against the lighting. I KNOW!!! A designer balk at our idea of turning knee wall space into a storage closet or a stackable washer drying in an unused closet that had a water source.
Ummm this ain't your house!

[Anonymous]

With todays wifi broadcasters you really don't need to wire the rooms. The difference is negligible, if at all, and the cost to wire a house is about $1 a sq foot, so $3000 for a standard size family house.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:With todays wifi broadcasters you really don't need to wire the rooms. The difference is negligible, if at all, and the cost to wire a house is about $1 a sq foot, so $3000 for a standard size family house.

Not our experience.

All the wifi channels are being used in our area. I can see 20 different Wifi networks (ours plus all of our neighbors, with houses on 1/3 acre lots in suburbia) all interfering with each other. Performance is well below advertised speeds.

Separately, recently wiring our 2-story house cost much much less than $3000. Further, one can manage costs down even more by just doing 1-3 places on each floor.