Perfect house - what is required

Perfect house - what is required

Author
Discussion

Derek Chevalier

Original Poster:

3,942 posts

174 months

Friday 6th November 2009
quotequote all
Thinking of commissiong a builder to build a house for me and was wondering what little things make a house perfect. Things like CAT5 cabling throughout. Any other ideas?

Tuna

19,930 posts

285 months

Wacky Racer

38,198 posts

248 months

Friday 6th November 2009
quotequote all
Plenty of plug sockets in each room.

Get the best shower you can afford.

Three hinges on each interior door

Easy access to roof space

A garden that's not too small but not too big either.

Simpo Two

85,590 posts

266 months

Friday 6th November 2009
quotequote all
Hallways and landings wide enough to put furniture in - not just 3' wide corridors.

Galleried landing

Inglenook fireplace

Carpet so thick it pulls your shoes off

Light-sensitive curtain closers would be fun too, if they exist...?

schmokin1

1,212 posts

213 months

Friday 6th November 2009
quotequote all
for me, character, little eccentricities. Unfortunately very unlikely to be found in a new build!

Each to their own!

Edited by schmokin1 on Saturday 7th November 19:42

GingerWizard

4,721 posts

199 months

Friday 6th November 2009
quotequote all
Ground source heat pump/heating.

In built cabeling for Hi Fi TV etc.

A completly internal secure room, with gun cabinet and safe.

Fire Escapes on every floor. (roll out ladder jobbie would be fine)

Multi fuel burners throughout.

Cellar.

In built control computer, securtity, fire alarms, entertainment etc etc

Really well thought out lighting.....


i have loads..... always dreaming of winning the lottery....


Tuna

19,930 posts

285 months

Friday 6th November 2009
quotequote all
schmokin1 said:
for me, character, little eccentricities. Unfortunately very unlikely to be found in a new build!

Each to there own!
Get a good architect to design something to your spec, and these things can emerge. Our house is meant to meet our particular needs, so has a fair few personal choices in it that you would never see in a standard developer's house.

Here's a picture of our upstairs from a couple of weeks ago - right now it's in the process of being plastered.



Edited by Tuna on Saturday 7th November 00:02

spikeyhead

17,352 posts

198 months

Saturday 7th November 2009
quotequote all
Ground floor, quadrupel garage
first floor. very large kitchen diner, with decent sound and projector facilities
top floor
Main bedroom and gues bedroom

jaybkay

488 posts

221 months

Saturday 7th November 2009
quotequote all

Fit water pipes in the slab so you can heat the whole house with whatever is the best value source of heat (at the present time in the UK this could be gas or heat pump). Integrate underfloor heating with the hot water cylinder


Switch by the front door that allows you to switch off all electrical circuits as you leave (no standby wastage). Don't forget about fridge/freezer etc though.

Make sure all shower cabinets are fully enclosed - to prevent damage to building with steam.

Don't put cold tiles down in bathrooms with electric heating underneath - what a scandelous waste of resources for years to come.

Don't have downlights everywhere, unless you are going to fit LEDs.




jeff m

4,060 posts

259 months

Saturday 7th November 2009
quotequote all
Simpo Two said:
Light-sensitive curtain closers would be fun too, if they exist...?
They do,
Electric curtain rails and patio door motors have been around for a while.
They even have Fobs for the dog's collar so the door is opened for him.
The curtains can be op'd by remotes or timers either set to time or sunset.


Job38

1,968 posts

237 months

Saturday 7th November 2009
quotequote all
A good Architect ! wink

Engineer1

10,486 posts

210 months

Saturday 7th November 2009
quotequote all
Do some of the environemntal stuff, not for the tree hugging reasons but because it will be cheaper in the long run. You are getting the opportunity to design a house without any of the issues of older houses. Go for wide corridors, massive ammount of insulation, and if you can as easy a loft access as you can get away with before it takes up too much space or creates a 3 storey building.

jas xjr

11,309 posts

240 months

Saturday 7th November 2009
quotequote all
a big garage with water , heat and a ramp

Derek Chevalier

Original Poster:

3,942 posts

174 months

Saturday 7th November 2009
quotequote all
Wacky Racer said:
Plenty of plug sockets in each room.

Get the best shower you can afford.

Three hinges on each interior door

Easy access to roof space

A garden that's not too small but not too big either.
Wacky Racer said:
Easy access to roof space
It is likely to have a couple of bedrooms up there.

Wacky Racer said:
A garden that's not too small but not too big either
I think you are right. While in our dreams most men would like acres of land, maintaining it with a family and job can be tricky. A lot of the new detached houses round here have small gardens and are flying off the shelf.

Derek Chevalier

Original Poster:

3,942 posts

174 months

Saturday 7th November 2009
quotequote all
schmokin1 said:
for me, character, little eccentricities. Unfortunately very unlikely to be found in a new build!

Each to there own!
I've done the character bit, but want peace of mind for the next few years.

Derek Chevalier

Original Poster:

3,942 posts

174 months

Saturday 7th November 2009
quotequote all
GingerWizard said:
Ground source heat pump/heating.

In built cabeling for Hi Fi TV etc.

A completly internal secure room, with gun cabinet and safe.

Fire Escapes on every floor. (roll out ladder jobbie would be fine)

Multi fuel burners throughout.

Cellar.

In built control computer, securtity, fire alarms, entertainment etc etc

Really well thought out lighting.....


i have loads..... always dreaming of winning the lottery....
GingerWizard said:
Cellar.
Tempting. Half would be dedicated to movie room, a quarter to wine cellar and quarter to washing room (to please the Mrs). My builder tells me that they may be too much hassle unfortunately.

Derek Chevalier

Original Poster:

3,942 posts

174 months

Saturday 7th November 2009
quotequote all

Kermit power

28,692 posts

214 months

Saturday 7th November 2009
quotequote all
jaybkay said:
Fit water pipes in the slab so you can heat the whole house with whatever is the best value source of heat (at the present time in the UK this could be gas or heat pump). Integrate underfloor heating with the hot water cylinder


Switch by the front door that allows you to switch off all electrical circuits as you leave (no standby wastage). Don't forget about fridge/freezer etc though.

Make sure all shower cabinets are fully enclosed - to prevent damage to building with steam.

Don't put cold tiles down in bathrooms with electric heating underneath - what a scandelous waste of resources for years to come.

Don't have downlights everywhere, unless you are going to fit LEDs.
Are you seriously saying that all it would require for you to have your perfect home is to save a few quid in power costs and not have steam damage? confused

Other than that, should we assume you'd be happy with bare breeze-blocks walls?

Fatboy

7,985 posts

273 months

Saturday 7th November 2009
quotequote all
Soundproofing - lots of it. Sadly completely absent in most newbuilds.

RichB

51,646 posts

285 months

Saturday 7th November 2009
quotequote all
I wouldn't be too bothered about the stuff like screen and cinemas but I'd want space and lots of it. My list would be a 4 car garage with pit and lift and a high ceiling to allow the cars to be lifted, or perhaps an open loft space over one bay and a store/room for my car mags and books above the other three bays, a separate workshop which would flow through to the garden store/workshop for tools and mowers etc. and a really decent brick based heated greenhouse of about 12x10 or bigger all set in about 1/2 acre with perhaps a small swimming pool. Inside I need a decent lounge 24x16 a decent dinning room 15x15 a dedicated study and a library/music room for the baby grand piano and a proper kitchen / breakfast room. I'd want a large master bedroom with a decent en-suit with bath and walk-in shower and then the guest suite and other bed rooms. smile