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TIGRLEE 
LSU Fan
Cenla
Member since Nov 2009
14203 posts
| Wife and I seriously considering building a house (Posted on 2/5/13 at 9:18 am)
Any tips pointers or recommendations when first getting started?
Tia
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Broke
LSU Fan
AKA Buttercup
Member since Sep 2006
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| re: Wife and I seriously considering building a house (Posted on 2/5/13 at 9:27 am to TIGRLEE)
Write down everything you want. Then call 10 people who recently built and ask them what they did. And also what they would add if they could start over. Run cat5/6 everywhere. Run coaxial cable to the same spots. Add PVC pipe in the walls to the main entertainment hub. Don't forget outside receptacles in the soffit for Christmas lights. Add a Transfer Switch for a generator (about $800).
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Zach
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| re: Wife and I seriously considering building a house (Posted on 2/5/13 at 9:38 am to TIGRLEE)
My best design innovation: 2-car garage door with 3-car inside dimensions. I can throw my car door wide open and not hit anything.
My worst design innovation: Exterior fans for the patio. Wasps build nests in them and they stop running.
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lsaltee
LSU Fan
poppin a tent, roastin marshmellows
Member since Sep 2007
2656 posts
| re: Wife and I seriously considering building a house (Posted on 2/5/13 at 10:10 am to TIGRLEE)
dont forget blinds in your budget. they can get expensive
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Zach
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| re: Wife and I seriously considering building a house (Posted on 2/5/13 at 10:27 am to TIGRLEE)
I highly recommend separate bathrooms for you and the wife. Not separate areas of the same room... totally separate BR as far apart as possible.
When I told a builder friend about mine he said it is actually a growing trend. It prevents women from gradually taking over all of your space.
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Powerman
LSU Fan
Corpus Christi, TX
Member since Jan 2004
115678 posts
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| re: Wife and I seriously considering building a house (Posted on 2/5/13 at 10:35 am to TIGRLEE)
Make sure you know exactly what you want before you break ground
If you start making changes during the building process it's going to cost you a fortune
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LSURussian
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Baton Rouge
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| re: Wife and I seriously considering building a house (Posted on 2/5/13 at 10:37 am to TIGRLEE)
Save yourself and your wife a lot of time and drama by going ahead and filing for divorce.......
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Powerman
LSU Fan
Corpus Christi, TX
Member since Jan 2004
115678 posts
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| re: Wife and I seriously considering building a house (Posted on 2/5/13 at 10:49 am to Broke)
quote:
Run cat5/6 everywhere.
Good advice. The cable is cheap enough to get in during the initial construction phase.
It might not be something that everyone wants but if you have multiple desktop PCs, you'd much rather just have them with a hard connection than using wireless.
On that note, you might want to look at where you'll want to place your router (I would wall mount it somewhere centrally located) and have a connection set up there.
If you like to cook and entertain a lot you might want to consider a double oven and/or warming drawer
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dewster 
Maryland Fan
TN
Member since Aug 2006
4435 posts
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| re: Wife and I seriously considering building a house (Posted on 2/5/13 at 11:12 am to Broke)
quote:
Add a Transfer Switch for a generator (about $800).
This is totally worth it if said house is in south Louisiana, and I agree with the recommendations of running cable throughout the house.
Don't bother with the filler faucet over the oven.
One of these if you are north of I-20 would be nice. Much easier for new construction than retrofitting an older home with one. They are quite popular up here. I'm thinking of installing one in (under) my garage. LINK
This post was edited on 2/5 at 11:21 am
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ItNeverRains
LSU Fan
Franklin, TN
Member since Oct 2007
4601 posts
| re: Wife and I seriously considering building a house (Posted on 2/5/13 at 11:16 am to TIGRLEE)
My advice is hire an architect and designer. They're cheaper than lawyers.
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TIGRLEE
LSU Fan
Cenla
Member since Nov 2009
14203 posts
| re: Wife and I seriously considering building a house (Posted on 2/5/13 at 11:28 am to ItNeverRains)
Brother and best friend are architects.
Wife is lawyer.
Bro in law is electrician
Other Bro in law is pro at plumbing. Does on side.
I got this I think.
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saderade 
New Orleans Saints Fan
America's City
Member since Jul 2005
19696 posts
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| re: Wife and I seriously considering building a house (Posted on 2/5/13 at 12:05 pm to TIGRLEE)
Plan, plan, plan. It will make everything much easier.
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ItNeverRains
LSU Fan
Franklin, TN
Member since Oct 2007
4601 posts
| re: Wife and I seriously considering building a house (Posted on 2/5/13 at 12:32 pm to TIGRLEE)
Sounds good. Do recessed lighting in bathrooms over vanities vs. stupid ugly expensive lights coming out from wall. Pick out all your tubs, toilets, sinks, fixtures, appliances, baseboards, crown, etc...get allowances for this.
Finally remember in all likelihood you are financing this at historic rates, spend a little more to get exactly what you want and keep your cash, there has never been a better time to pimp your house
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Zach
LSU Fan
Member since May 2005
55420 posts
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| re: Wife and I seriously considering building a house (Posted on 2/5/13 at 12:57 pm to ItNeverRains)
Another item. If you have to cut corners, cut on stuff you can upgrade easily later on when you have more money. IE, you can put down some cheap vinyl floors in some rooms. Then, in 5 or 6 years replace with tile.
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Tenforty1728
LSU Fan
Baton Rouge
Member since Oct 2012
46 posts
| re: Wife and I seriously considering building a house (Posted on 2/5/13 at 1:01 pm to Zach)
Best thing that I did while building was put a natural gas spout on my back porch for a grill. Never have to fill a propane tank again, and doing this pre-construction cost an incredible $50 where this would cost over $1,000 to do post-construction. I would also recommend having the contractor deck a large portion of your attic for storage. Also easier to do pre-construction. I put a cable outlet in my garage as well. Hasn't come in handy yet, but it was like $20 and I know I'll want it at some point.
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Zach
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Member since May 2005
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| re: Wife and I seriously considering building a house (Posted on 2/5/13 at 1:05 pm to Tenforty1728)
quote:
Best thing that I did while building was put a natural gas spout on my back porch for a grill.
OMG, I thought of that and had it built in. But then went totally charcoal grill. I've never used that spout in 16 years. 
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Zach
LSU Fan
Member since May 2005
55420 posts
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| re: Wife and I seriously considering building a house (Posted on 2/5/13 at 1:07 pm to Tenforty1728)
quote:
I would also recommend having the contractor deck a large portion of your attic for storage.
That's an easy do it yourself. I'm not handy but it only took me half a day.
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guttata
LSU Fan
prairieville
Member since Feb 2006
18245 posts
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| re: Wife and I seriously considering building a house (Posted on 2/5/13 at 1:08 pm to Tenforty1728)
We just built a house and when the wiring guy asked about cat5/6, he said he would love to run it for us, but also said that by the time we sell the house, it will be outdated. We hardwired a portion of the house, however, pretty much everything we do is now wireless.
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Broke
LSU Fan
AKA Buttercup
Member since Sep 2006
49459 posts
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| re: Wife and I seriously considering building a house (Posted on 2/5/13 at 3:45 pm to guttata)
quote:
We just built a house and when the wiring guy asked about cat5/6, he said he would love to run it for us, but also said that by the time we sell the house, it will be outdated
Then you can use it as a pull trough for what you will be using at that point. It's cheap and good to have. I ran all of mine myself.
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Ric Flair
LSU Fan
Charlotte
Member since Oct 2005
6351 posts
| re: Wife and I seriously considering building a house (Posted on 2/5/13 at 3:49 pm to TIGRLEE)
Run gas line to back patio for grilling, as someone mentioned.
Run a cable outlet outside your house to your back patio/porch, if you like watching football outside in the fall.
Master BR closets can never be too big.
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