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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]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.[/quote]

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.

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