Building a new house - what would you ensure was part of the plan?

[HaveBlue]

I don't know why people keep doing this. There are very limited places where you need hard wiring anymore. A mesh network can give you gigabyte speeds everywhere in the house. Bring your cable connection to a AV closet and put your main router there. Most of your AV electronics stays out of sight in the AV closet. The places you still need wiring are to the TV and any speakers you install. I put in Atmos speakers in ceiling, RLC plus 2 subs in the front wall plus the surrounds. I don't know any wireless solution for those. The TV can be connected though HDMI, but that can be replaced with a Cat cable that's easier to run.

I spent my entire working life on networking software. Don't waste your time on decade old infrastructure.

Depends where you live. Pretty much all old homes made from masonry will block Wifi. I'm not talking about stucco covered wood frame. Think EU homes with 1-2 foot thick walls where wifi can't get out of one room. East coast USA and Canada as well. Lots of Hi density places where Wifi sucks as well.

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[rjcarlson49]

Depends where you live. Pretty much all old homes made from masonry will block Wifi. I'm not talking about stucco covered wood frame. Think EU homes with 1-2 foot thick walls where wifi can't get out of one room. East coast USA and Canada as well. Lots of Hi density places where Wifi sucks as well.

I've been to Pagosa Springs. It sure won't be an issue there.

 

[Zorg]

Our house has Ethernet to all TVs, to the office and then to all 3 WiFi access points. Works like a charm, especially since we stream everything.

 

[Rade]

I don't know why people keep doing this. There are very limited places where you need hard wiring anymore. A mesh network can give you gigabyte speeds everywhere in the house. Bring your cable connection to a AV closet and put your main router there. Most of your AV electronics stays out of sight in the AV closet. The places you still need wiring are to the TV and any speakers you install. I put in Atmos speakers in ceiling, RLC plus 2 subs in the front wall plus the surrounds. I don't know any wireless solution for those. The TV can be connected though HDMI, but that can be replaced with a Cat cable that's easier to run.

I spent my entire working life on networking software. Don't waste your time on decade old infrastructure.

I had CAT6 run for my antique security camera system. I just found that the WiFi cameras don't offer the clarity that I can get off the old ones. Also, one less power vampire running...

 

[Erik+]

I had CAT6 run for my antique security camera system. I just found that the WiFi cameras don't offer the clarity that I can get off the old ones. Also, one less power vampire running...

PoE cameras, automation touchscreens, thermostats, etc., so many use cases where just relying on Wi-Fi and powering all the low voltage items thru transformers is a giant pain. If you do have low voltage systems, put the transformers where you can access them and not somewhere inaccessible.

 

[NMflyfish]

Thanks all for the input - much appreciated

Our garage is oversized (30' deep x 28' wide) - garage doors are 8' with (2) floor drains

Good input on the rest of the house - will be incorporating many of the suggestions

Cheers, Andy

 

[SwampNut]

 

[Maxemus]

I would strongly encourage you to go to a wider door. I’ve got 9 foot doors in my current house and will be going to 10 foot doors in the new one. That won’t be comfortable for trucks coming in and out. This is my current garage and the one I am building

 

[jplblue]

Yes, I would like to hear more about this as well. Is there some new technology we don't know about?

I have a house not too far away in Salida and it's a windy spot. I considered a wind turbine, but it seems solar is cheaper, more efficient and less maintenance than wind.

The YouTube algorithm has been recommending me "micro" hydro power videos for some reason. They are interesting. With a modest creek, you can generate 500W of constant power. Here's an example:

 

[teartags]

The YouTube algorithm has been recommending me "micro" hydro power videos for some reason. They are interesting. With a modest creek, you can generate 500W of constant power. Here's an example:

Looks pretty cool. I wonder what the upfront is on that.
I also wonder what would happen in the winter in CO when the top layer of a good portion of my creek freezes down 4" or so. Those diversion pipes are all suspended, so exposed to the cold 360 degrees. Maybe the water is moving enough to prevent freezing?

 

[KimBrennan]

Late to this post. Thermal solar water heaters to supplement the heating of water by the (heat pump) water heaters. You're going to need a lot more batteries for solar storage that you probably expect, especially if you are doing climate control of the house with electricity. And a bigger solar panel installation. Also, consider that a couple of electric cars can suck down a lot of power from those batteries. Bi-directional chargers would be ideal, though I still haven't spotted those, in general, for residential use. At my WV place, I put in 30kW solar array, years ago, and am thinking of doubling it. Note that the array capacity is what you get at max efficiency which is only a few hours a day for a week or two a year. Most of the time it will be less than that. Note that there are ways of getting more of the max efficiency by having panels that change their orientation throughout the day and year, but this adds to the cost of the solar system.

 

[zpyroro]

I'd definitely focus on maximizing storage space, both inside and in the garage.

A high ceiling and oversized garage doors, like others mentioned, make a big difference, especially if you plan to store tools or have larger vehicles. Also, pre-wiring for security cameras and ethernet is a smart move. I regret not doing that when updating my current place.

If you're investing in real estate and plan to hold onto the property, looking into cost segregation can help with tax savings. I learned about it from https://costsegregationguys.com/. They have useful insights on maximizing depreciation benefits.

 

[EVerywhere]

Lots of great suggestions I’ll be saving for my new build in a year or two.

One more to add: plumb a ring for hot water supply with a timed pump. This way you have instant hot water at every location in the house instead of running water for ages to get it hot. Insulate the hot water pipes all the way to the faucets.

 

[RivnSoon]

Thanks all for the input - much appreciated

Our garage is oversized (30' deep x 28' wide) - garage doors are 8' with (2) floor drains

Good input on the rest of the house - will be incorporating many of the suggestions

Cheers, Andy

Hi. What software are you using to create the visual of your house?

 

[NMflyfish]

Hi. What software are you using to create the visual of your house?

app.sketchup.com

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