When building a new home, everyone has a wish list of items they want included in their “dream home”. The reality is that many of these items can increase your initial project budget beyond your comfort zone and extend the duration of the project schedule. However, if you work with your builder and plan ahead, adding these items in the future will be much easier and cost significantly less than if you attempt to add them later.
Outdoor living room and kitchen: Adding an outdoor living space with a kitchen enhances the outdoor experience you share with friends and family. However, it can stretch your project budget. So if you plan to add one later, work with your builder to prepare for water, drainage, gas, electricity and wire for cable/sound. You may also want to consider extra lighting and ceiling fans. Consider building an outdoor bar and buying some bar stools to bring it all together. There are so many things you can do to make the outdoor space more exciting!
Entertainment, media or game room: If you want to add one of these rooms or convert an existing room in the future, make sure your builder runs video and speaker wiring, installs plenty of power outlets in the proper locations and includes sound friendly materials to the walls. Leaving a strategically placed wall free of windows and other major obstructions provides proper placement of large television/media center. Ensure the wiring/power converges on this wall for convenient hookup.
Home office or study: Preparing a room for a home office or study involves running cable and network wiring for computer equipment, printers, and network hardware. A television/media center is popular in these environments so make sure wiring and power outlets are available for these devices. Extra lighting and ventilation is also a must. A wiring closet or cabinet with extra power outlets is also nice to enclose the wiring and equipment.
Security: Advanced security systems including video monitoring are a nice feature and can initially stretch the project budget. A security system vendor or specialist will help you and your builder understand how to properly prepare your house for a modern security system for final installation at a later date.
Master coffee or espresso bar: Having a coffee or espresso bar in your master bedroom is like living in a luxury hotel. To prepare to add one in the future, make sure your builder includes water, plumbing and proper electrical outlets in the location where the bar will be located.
Above garage guest room: A detached guest quarters is a nice feature to host elderly parents or out-of-town guests. If you are considering this in the future, you may consider preparing a space above your garage with the necessities required for an independent living quarters. This space can be used for storage until you are ready to have it built out.
When considering this preparation work, make sure you consult with your designer, your builder or industry specialist to make sure the preparation work is done properly and is included in the budget.
