Renovations -- what do you wish you had done/what do you regret doing?

[Anonymous]

We treasure every one of our many built-in bookshelves. Kind of wish we had used the one in the master bedroom to create a new closet, though (it's against the wall in a room with a lot of unused floor space).

Happy with new kitchen and full bathroom, especially the glass screen in place of a shower curtain.

Happy with flagstone patio, but wish we'd invested in a better shed.

We'd skip the recessed lights in the living-room ceiling if we had it to do over.

[Anonymous]

Get timers on every bathrOom fan.

Insulate btw rooms.

Make sure air returns do not run from room to hallway. Ceiling only.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Speakers do not date quickly. What dates is the equipment they're hooked up to, which you should be able to change out.

Agree with this. but, with wireless speakers, the need for built in speakers is not as necessary.
YES to heated floors in bathroom - top of list for me.
No to built ins - your needs and your decorating changes. It would be easier, and less costly I would think, to get shelves that can be moved. We recently did this - a wall of shelves for books, trinkets, etc. - on one wall - cost for 3 large bookshelves was around $700 and they are NICE shelves - all wood.
Not sure about tankless hot water heater - don’t have one, so I don’t know the advantages.
I would add ceiling fans in every room. We recently bought a house with ceiling fans in every room and it makes a big difference with cooling costs.
I also agree with the wiring for cable/satellite as well as wall mount tv - if you are going that route.
One other thing - if it is possible, outlets in the floor in bigger rooms (office, family room, living room, etc.). We have them and it is worth it!

Would love to know where you got the bookcases.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, one thing you didn't mention was a built in vacuum system. I've never had one, but I recall many threads in the past in which posters raved about them.

They are pretty awesome.

I have it and posted earlier that it is a waste. Just keep a sweeper on each level of the house. There are things on the walls and you flip them up for hose insert. That turns it on. Everything ends up in a giant bin plus you move the hose round just like a vac with a cord. Dumping it is harder than dumping sweeper bags or bins. We had kids put stuff down it [and their friends].

[Anonymous]

What about refinishing all the floors before moving in? I wish we had done that!

[Anonymous]

I don't understand anyone's love of the sweeper vac thing. You still have to get out a broom. It's just as easy for me to pull out my stick vacuum and use that. And the stick vacuum cleans WAY better than a broom.

[Anonymous]

The benefit of tankless is you're heating water only as needed. WE're doing an addition and will get tankless for it, since we wont' be taking showeres in those rooms (guest rooms) much. Our current water heater is 60 gallons of hot water sitting in teh basement, losing heat when it's not being used.

As for what to add in, put in wiring for security cameras also. Many are wireless, but they still need to be powered.

[Anonymous]

Pull plenty of ethernet cable (cat 6) for things like tv, home office, etc. Wired is still faster than wireless (assuming you have a fast enough internet connection) and the more of your devices that are wired, the less congested the wireless spectrum will be so things like ipads, phones, etc. will be faster too.

Floor outlets for things like lamps by sofas or desks. It helps to have a general furnishing plan in mind when placing these.

If you have any detached buildings, like a garden shed, run power to it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
We treasure every one of our many built-in bookshelves. Kind of wish we had used the one in the master bedroom to create a new closet, though (it's against the wall in a room with a lot of unused floor space).

Happy with new kitchen and full bathroom, especially the glass screen in place of a shower curtain.

Happy with flagstone patio, but wish we'd invested in a better shed.

We'd skip the recessed lights in the living-room ceiling if we had it to do over.

Why skip recessed lighting

[Anonymous]

Doing a whole-house reno and found this thread so useful -- any new ideas since 2015? Here's the summary:
Built-in speakers - Sonos..or not (they're the new intercoms)
Heated floors in bathroom
Built-in Bookshelves (disagreement on this)
Insulation upgrades
Tankless hot water (disagreement on this)
Humidifier addition to HVAC System
Cat-6 wiring
Floor outlets (know the layout of furniture first)
Dishwasher/fridge in basement
Recycling/trash center in cabinet
Instant boiling water tap
Electrical outlets in closets
Wired Security cameras
Central vacuum or Hide a hose (disagreement on this)
Drink refrigerator?
Frameless shower
Timers on bathroom fan
Insulate between rooms

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Something i didn't do, but wish that I had, is an instant boiling water tap. Not sure if you can get them here but they are becoming common in the UK, where people drink lots of tea.

these are common, super easy, and fabulous. Rohl, for instance, makes a dedicated hot water tap faucet as part of its suite.

[Anonymous]

Pot filler at stove?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Pot filler at stove?

Been discussed before. Too trendy, not that useful and looks horrible. There is another thread on this. Did you revive this thread just to add that?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We are doing a pretty substantial renovation of our house -- a two-story addition including a master suite, finishing the basement, renovating the kitchen and dining room, adding a mud room. Are there things you did during your renovation that you are very pleased with? Are there things that, in retrospect, were a waste of money?

Some things we are considering in the way of upgrades:

Built-in ceiling speakers
Heated floors in basement and master bath
Built-in bookshelves in basement playroom
Insulation upgrades
Tankless hot water
Humidifier addition to HVAC system

Looking for feedback on those, but also other thoughts and ideas.

We’be done major renovations as well. I’ll address your points and throw in a couple things to think about:

Built-in speakers: fine I guess, but make sure you can switch out the amp or whatever it has to connect to.

Heated floors everywhere. They are inexpensive and totally somethign you will regret not doing.
Built-in’s? Meh. Kids change and move and built-ins work better for adult spaces, IME. Plenty of stuff out there that looks like built ins. Kids change too much.

Insulation upgrades: yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Skip this at your peril. Cell foam everything you can, especially in the attic.

Tankless hot water? IDK. Never had it. What I do have—and can’t live without now—is a pelican full-house water purification system. I drink water anywhere and everywhere.

Humidifier: Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. It gets like 10% humidity in winter, which is terrible for you, and the more important point is the humidity in summer that causes mold. You need control in all seasons to keep healthy and prevent your house from cracking and all sorts of nonsense. BUT: Use STEAM humidification, and have them link in to the city water (shhhh).

Other essential HVAC stuff: Get HEPA’s installed into your HVAC. No ifs ands or buts. Get highest merv you can. RM Mechnical is a good company. Avoid Davis & Davis and Quality Air Solutions. Seriously. After we did this, our air quality went way up (yes we tested. My child has RAD). FInally, do a leak test on your hvac. If you have severe leakage, you’ll need repair—big hole is new ducting, small is mastic. You’ll save thousands on our bills and you’ll prevent the crap in the interstitial spaces from getting in. If you or your family gets sick a lot, spring for the sophisticated UV systems.

Other renovation musts and probably don’t needs:
Dedicated recycling and trash. Like someone said, avoid lazy Susan.

Extra fridge if you can swing it in a butler’s pantry.

Gas oven and electrical. At least if you cook and bake.

Warming drawer. Jesus, this is the most amazing invention of all time. Get a warming drawer.

VAPOR BARRIERS! Insulation is not going to stop rot if you don’t have proper vapor barriers that are properly secured at all flashing points. Do NOT let your contractors screw this up. Don’t just use Tyvek; reinforce with LEED materials.

POt filler: My view is skip it. It’s ugly. It’s trendy. If you design your kitchen appropriately, you should have a very easy triangle between stove and sink, and it shouldn’t be but a half-foot move. Plus, pot-fillers only help you at the start. And the water gets stale.

Great windows with uv protection. This is super not sexy, but this is the stuff, over time, that I realized matters. YOu can always play with aesthetic stuff.

Big takeaways: Love your HVAC system and it will love you. Ignore it, and you’ll breathe crap you had no idea was in there. You’ll also pay out the nose. INsulate, insulate. Protect against water. Heat your floors. Everything else is just pretty stuff.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes to heated floors! Also:

wire any room that you may ever want to put a TV in for cable and wall mounting. They can do it an hide the stuff behind the wall, but it is there if you ever decide to use it.
SONOS system
Dishwasher/fridge in basement
Floor outlets

Yes! We also linked 2 TVs together behind the walls. Perfect for social gatherings like NYE or the Superbowl