New house build, need ideas

[wizbangdoodle]

Here's the deal. We bought 35 acres of heavily wooded land here in western Washington. We are planning on building a BarnPros structure
http://www.barnpros.com/barn-plans-products.aspx?itemid=2641&pagetitle=Coach-House

We chose this structure because I'll be able to park our 5th wheel inside, have a big shop and have plenty of living space for the wife and I.

We'll be adding shed roofs to both sides and enclosing them. The big question is: What cool things have you seen or done to a home that you would include? I'm asking about everything from automation and security to furniture and appliances. Trim, cabinets, counters etc. Since it has 25 stairs to get upstairs, we'll be installing a dumbwaiter.

Hopefully we can start construction in late May/early June if our illustrious county will let us build.

Thanks for any ideas, sources and links that might help.

 

[PhoenixM3]

Here are a few items:

Crestron lighting, HVAC, and shade control.
Zoned audio system with in wall/ceiling speakers,
Video surveillance system,
Radiant heat floors (expensive)
Insulated garage doors
Multiple WAPs (wireless access points) built in
High end kitchen appliances, again stupid expensive.
Ensure garage floors are level with a thick enough slab to support a 2 or 4 post lift

Good luck with the build!

 

[KingBlack]

Philips Hue lighting. I have it thru out the home and love it. Also other automation that ties in with A/V and climate. Look into wifi wall sockets as well, and hard wire the house with cat 6 cable, way better than wireless networking.

 

[KingBlack]

also, id pony up for solar. every $1000/yr it is able to produce increases home value by $10,000. Dont make the mistake of trying to make more energy than you use.

 

[PhoenixM3]

Philips Hue lighting. I have it thru out the home and love it. Also other automation that ties in with A/V and climate. Look into wifi wall sockets as well, and hard wire the house with cat 6 cable, way better than wireless networking.

Yeah, I’ve got dual strand CAT6 smart TV drops everywhere. I hate seeing cables.

 

[wizbangdoodle]

Here are a few items:

Crestron lighting, HVAC, and shade control.
Zoned audio system with in wall/ceiling speakers,
Video surveillance system,
Radiant heat floors (expensive)
Insulated garage doors
Multiple WAPs (wireless access points) built in
High end kitchen appliances, again stupid expensive.
Ensure garage floors are level with a thick enough slab to support a 2 or 4 post lift

Good luck with the build!

Lighting control is a must. Will look into that. Funny you mention radiant floor heat. We had planned on installing that, but when we attended the home show here recently, all the HVAC companies were saying it's about double the conventional route. Plus we'd still need to add AC. We also just got done looking at high end appliances, Wolf, Viking etc. Waiting for a quote from a salesman, but quite honestly, there is a distinct difference between these units and what you'll find at Home Depot/Lowes. And of course the wife loves the expensive stuff.

Philips Hue lighting. I have it thru out the home and love it. Also other automation that ties in with A/V and climate. Look into wifi wall sockets as well, and hard wire the house with cat 6 cable, way better than wireless networking.

CAT 6 is definitely happening, especially for the stationary items like Sat box/tv and gaming boxes.

also, id pony up for solar. every $1000/yr it is able to produce increases home value by $10,000. Dont make the mistake of trying to make more energy than you use.

Funny you mention solar. We are currently living on the property and using solar for our power. Pretty dismal output during the winter up here. I've got 6 total panels of 255 watts each. Using 8 6vdc Full River AGM batteries and Magnum inverter and charge controller. System works well, but the clouds can be a problem.

 

[svtfocus2cobra]

35 acres on the west side!? Congrats but Im jealous lol. What city is it?

And my contribution with that much land is you need a range... gun range that is! We built one at my friend's house in Orting and it is by far one of the best decisions we have ever made.

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[wizbangdoodle]

35 acres on the west side!? Congrats but Im jealous lol. What city is it?

And my contribution with that much land is you need a range... gun range that is! We built one at my friend's house in Orting and it is by far one of the best decisions we have ever made.

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Absolutely, that is a must. The problem is getting this land tamed a bit. There's a ton of salmon berry bushes and underbrush. I'll have a pistol range at the least. Right now I'm working on trails for my dirtbike.

 

[svtfocus2cobra]

Do you have a tractor that can move a little dirt?

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[wizbangdoodle]

Do you have a tractor that can move a little dirt?

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Not yet. I'm working on a few options.

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[wizbangdoodle]

I also forgot to mention that we'll have a long driveway with a gate. I would like to tie our security system to the gate entry, camera/intercom type stuff. Any ideas there are welcome.

 

[ford fanatic]

We live on 40 wooded acres with a 1/4 mile long driveway.

We did the gun range and have multiple trails for ATV and dirt bike riding, it's awesome.

-Definitely radiant floor heat in that garage.
-Closet/storage space, tons of it.
-Home security system.
-Insulate bathroom walls for sound.
-Big kitchen/master bedroom/bath/closet.
-Don't skimp on light fixtures a faucets and flooring, I did and already remodeling after only 10 years.
-Sounds silly, but take down any big trees that may cause a problem later on.
I have a lot of trees and am paying a company now to drop 9 trees that are unhealthy and dangerous.
-Make sure it's big enough, we built small and just added a 600 sq ft addition.


There's just so much I would do different, I would love to build another house...

 

[MG0h3]

Where in WA?

 

[wizbangdoodle]

Where in WA?

We live in the breeding ground for Microsoft, Duvall.

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[MG0h3]

We live in the breeding ground for Microsoft, Duvall.

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Nice. Grew up in Ferndale/Custer. Used to tube on the river near Duvall.

 

[My94GT]

One of our favorite things we did in the house we just built was a range hood vented to the exterior and ponied up the cash for a thermador gas range. It was worth every penny as we spend a lot of time cooking and it makes it a much more enjoyable experience.

 

[derklug]

If you like to put up Christmas lights, an outlet in the soffet with an inside switch or timer comes in handy. A soundproof bedroom for your 18 year old Thai maid also is nice.

 

[PhoenixM3]

I also forgot to mention that we'll have a long driveway with a gate. I would like to tie our security system to the gate entry, camera/intercom type stuff. Any ideas there are welcome.

I had a sensor installed which detects large metallic masses (think cars/trucks). It rings the doorbell, but I could have it send a message to my phone.

 

[PhoenixM3]

If you like to put up Christmas lights, an outlet in the soffet with an inside switch or timer comes in handy. A soundproof bedroom for your 18 year old Thai maid also is nice.

Exactly. I put two outlets in the soffits on opposite sides of the house. They are controlled by a switch located within a closet, but can also be controlled by the Crestron system.

 

[wizbangdoodle]

Thankfully, my days of putting up Christmas lights are over. Can't see the house from the road. However, I may consider outlets in the soffets for future owners.

The soundproof bedroom for the Thai maid got a chuckle from my wife.

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