The New Home Checklist

Transcription

1 Reading * Royersford The New Home Checklist The Way to Avoid Overlooked Details When Building a Home 1

2 What did we forget? One of the most discouraging things that happens to people when they purchase a new home is that they move into there home and find some things that they didn t think about prior to building their house. Sometimes these things can be changed, usually at some cost and inconvenience, and other times they cannot after the home is built. How much better would it be to know ahead of time what decisions to make? This pamphlet was written to give you the tools to systematically check all of the items that may be necessary to make your home one you ll cherish forever. It will make you more prepared to answer questions that you have not previously thought about. Being prepared will not only make the building process easier for you it will also make it easy for the builder. Having a good plan is the best remedy for success. It takes some effort. Is it worth it? You bet. When you look at all the details prior to building your dream home you will be more prepared to make decisions that you will feel happy about. These decisions will make your home unique to reflect your personality, add more value to your home, and reassure you that you made a great choice to build a Keepsake Home. 2

3 Section 1 Lot Are there homeowner association dues Will building codes constrain your plans Will local zoning requirements determine your house size Will your house be comparable to other homes in the neighborhood Are the size, shape, and locale of the lot suitable for your home If there is a view, will it be blocked by future buildings or trees How does the house sit on the lot What direction will the sun be shining Is there a drainage problem If the lot is on a hillside, will the driveway be a problem Is there a ground water problem Did you check for traffic noise and the potential for it in the future Did you check for railroad noise If your lot is rural, will you be able to get utilities, water, sewer, and electric Does your house sit far away from the street which may effect the length of your driveway or utility trenching If your lot is rural will you have fire protection? Are there special fire codes If it is a rural lot, what type of septic system is required? Have percolation and probe tests been done. Will there be a problem with headlights shining into the living area or bedrooms Did you check the school taxes Does your lot need an E&S plan or NPDES plan due to soil disturbance or lot slope Does your lot need a well Section 2 Designs Is there a traffic path through the family room Are the noisy rooms isolated from the bedrooms Do you want more open space, or more square footage of living space Are the hallways large enough to move big items through Is there an entry or guest closet Do you want a luxurious or moderate entry foyer Consider what type of flooring you want in high traffic areas Is there a linen closet? Is it big enough? Is it conveniently located Can the house be expanded in the future Can you see into the kitchen from the front door Is there enough storage space 3

4 Is the kitchen adjacent to the formal dining area Are you utilizing the space above the garage Less hallways leaves more space for rooms Is the powder room conveniently located for guests Are highly used areas properly sized ex kitchen, family room Section 3 Materials Do you want a block, poured, or superior wall foundation Do you want 2x4 or 2x6 walls OSB or insulation board on outside walls What different types of materials on the exterior will give your home an esthetically pleasing look example: Stone, stucco, brick, siding How do you want to break these materials up What roofing materials will look best on your house Will any exterior trim or fypon material highlight specific areas of your home Does your front door make a statement Interior trim may be a cost effective way to add value to your home. Example crown molding, chair rail, larger baseboard and casing Are you going to paint or stain your interior trim Section 4 Mechanicals Make sure you have a properly sized electrical service Did you choose what type of wall switches the house will have Did you consider dimmers for lights How high are the outlets going to be Did you choose the colors of the outlet and switch plates Are switches conveniently located Do open doorways cover light switches Do you want any specialty wiring? Ex cat6, internet, audio, etc. Do you want a backup generator for your electrical service Where do you want external hose bibs located What type of heating system do you desire Do you want multiple heating zones Does your heating and cooling use the same ductwork Do you want a backup heating system Is your HVAC system energy efficient Do you want green alternative sources of energy such as o Geothermal 4

5 o Solar panels o Radiant floor heating o Wind power turbines Where do you want your thermostat placed What size water heater will you need Will your plumbing fixtures match the décor of your room Section 5 Interior Fireplaces Consider what types of fireplaces and or stoves will be used in your new home o Do you want gas or wood burning o Do you want masonry or a mechanical zero clearance fireplace Will the fire place be used primarily for ambiance or as a supplemental source of heat Did you think of using a two sided fireplace to separate rooms What type of fireplace surround do you want Doors and Windows Are there any doors in the house that swing across other doors Do any doors swing where you may want to put furniture Have the security aspects of the entry door glass and sidelights been considered Does a French door swing into a dining table in the dinette Do outside doors have deadbolts Do you want bi-folds or slider closet doors Do your windows have Low-E glass Do you want double or single hung windows Do you want grilles between the glass or not Are windows located where direct sunlight can fade furniture or flooring Do you have too many windows that my increase your heating and cooling bills Do windows give you enough natural light Consider weather you want wood or vinyl windows Do you want plastic or wood shutters or lineals around windows Can you add more natural light to bathrooms, closets, or bedrooms with a skylight or suntube o Do you want blinds for your skylight o Will it be operable 5

6 Section 6 Kitchen Is the layout of your kitchen functional o Can you easily go from the sink to the stove refrigerator Make sure open doors do not overlap each other ex. Oven and dishwasher Is the kitchen the focal point of your home o If so do you want to upgrade this area What color scheme will you have for your kitchen; there are many different colors to coordinate what size window do you want behind your sink Do you want a double or single bowl sink What type of fixtures do you want Is there room for an island in your kitchen Do you have enough cabinet space Do you want a soffit above your wall cabinets If you have soffit, is recessed lighting an option Can you seat people at your kitchen countertop Do you want the backsplash postformed or separate Do you want a continuous backsplash to the underside of your wall cabinets? EX tile Will the countertop material scratch What about a cutting board countertop If choosing a tile countertop what color grout do you want Is there enough countertop space for appliances ex: toaster, blender, coffee maker What type of countertop edge do you prefer ex: square, beveled, round etc Cabinets What type of door style do you want Will the color coordinate with the countertop and floor Do you want a soffit above the wall cabinets What style and color do you want the hinges and knobs to be Flooring Have you thought about an alternate more rigid flooring systems ex I joists of floor trusses What type of flooring do you want in high traffic areas Is the type of flooring you have going to make excessive noise Will the temperature of your flooring be uncomfortable example tile Do different style floors transition smoothly from one room to the next Does your floor match your walls and or cabinets Do you want a subfloor in the unfinished attic spaces 6

7 Section 7 Bedroom and Bathrooms Bedroom Is there suitable and adequate wall space for bedroom furniture What type of lighting do you want in your bedroom If you will have a wall outlet switched make sure it is at the proper location If you want to install a ceiling fan try to center it over the bed Do you have enough closet space in the master bedroom for two people Make sure the walk-in-closet doors do not overlap shelves inside the closet If you have a wall closet do you want sliding doors or bi-fold doors do you want your clothing bureau in the bedroom or closet Try to have the closet space accessible from the bedroom and not through the bathroom to allow both areas to be used privately at the same time in the master bedroom Locate the TV outlet across from the bed and put the phone jack aside of the bed Can you access outlets once your furniture is in place Bathrooms Consider where you want to place towel rods and toilet paper holders Do bathroom doors cover light switches when open consider the type of lighting you want above your vanity o Will you have a mirror or medicine cabinet above the vanity that may affect the lighting Do you want a skylight or suntube to bring natural light into your bathroom Do you want a tub shower combo or a separate shower and tub Do you want windows above your tub, if so consider the height of the windows o windows around the tub must also be tempered o also consider privacy when situating windows around the tub Do you want jets in your tub, if so make sure there is access to the motor if it needs service What type of tub surround do you want ex Tile For a stand up shower do you want a rod and curtain or a sliding or pivot door Do your want the commode separated from the open are of the master bathroom Do you have a linen closet in your bathroom or is the one in the hallway sufficient Is there proper ventilation in your bathroom consider what type of flooring will work best in a moist area Will a Jack and Jill bath help in the design of your home or is privacy an issue Decide how many vanity bowls you will need depending on how many people use the bathroom 7

8 Section 8 Other Rooms Entry Do you want the entry to be big and luxurious or more moderate What type of flooring do you want in these high traffic area Is there a guest closet near the entry Do you want your entry to be open to the floor above or closed Dining Room Do you want a formal dining room or a dinette Is your formal dining room big enough for the furniture you need to accommodate the amount of people you will be entertaining Do you need room for a china hutch and cabinet o If not can you recess a hutch or cabinet into the wall Center the chandelier over the table Do you want chair rail to protect the walls from moving chairs Family Room Is your family room the main area for entertaining o If so do you want a fireplace in this room or would it be better in the living room Design your family room so that you can conveniently place your couch and TV at strategic locations Laundry Room Will your laundry room act as a mudroom as well Do you need a laundry tub Do you want your washer and dryer closer to your bedrooms and bathrooms or as an intermediate room between the garage and the house Did you consider a second floor laundry, if not do you want a laundry chute Check the hinging on your dryer door to be sure it is compatible with the laundry room layout Where does the dryer vent to, do you want it on the front of the house Is there enough storage space in your laundry; example shelving and closets Do you have room for an ironing board in your laundry room, do you want one built into the wall If there is no room on the first or second floor for a laundry consider the basement 8

9 Garage Is the inside of the garage going to be finished Is there living space above the garage o If not can you utilize that space for storage Do you want to insulate the floors or ceiling Do you want the windows cased out What style garage doors do you want? Windows? Wood or metal? Are garage door openers included Do you want a single or double garage door Is the garage the proper size to accommodate your vehicles Do you have enough outlets in your garage Does your garage have a side door This list of ideas and questions is intended to spark your imagination and make you more prepared for building your home. This list is not a complete representation of Keepsake Homes specifications nor does it represent all of the upgrades available to you. If you have any questions about standard specifications or upgrade options please contact your salesman NOTES: 9

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