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Building your first home was a huge learning experience. Read on for the biggest things we wish we would have done differently when building our first home.
We have now lived in our new home for six years with our two girls, two cats and dog. It has been amazing to have a home that we love and were able to design and make our own. We have been making a list of things that we wish we could have a do over on in our current home and I would love to share those things, so you don’t have to make the same mistakes we did.
Our top 6 things we would do differently next time we build.
- Cheap Trim
- Flooring
- Outlets
- Storage
- Fireplace Placement
- Outdoor Water
Lesson Learned #1: Cheap Trim
The biggest item that I would change is the trim. Who knew there were different materials used besides wood?! I wish I would have looked into the different types of materials available for trim to ensure we chose something durable that could withstand the mess of toddlers and pets. The trim that was used in our home is pressed board and it is far from durable. Our cats have made the trim into their own personal scratching posts, and it works wonderfully for that, tough it is not pretty! The trim absorbs all the water and every time we mop, the girls spill, or there are enthusiastic bath times. Next time, we will be choosing wood trim.
Lesson Learned #2: Flooring
We installed engineered vinyl plank flooring with cork backing in almost all areas of our home. The mistake we made was putting carpeting in the bedrooms and lower level to save some money, with the intent of changing it out to vinyl plank down the road. We ended up disliking carpet so much that we changed our flooring after only one short year. If you think you might want hard floors throughout, I recommend doing that right away! There are no guarantees that they will have the right styles in stock years later, we got lucky.
Lesson Learned #3: Outlets
Outlets, Outlets, Everywhere! If you think you have enough outlets in your floor plan, add more! The biggest misses for us were in the stairwell, hallways, on top of mantels, and bathrooms. Let me tell you, having only two outlets in the bathroom and trying to have a hair dryer, straightener, waterpik and air freshener plugged in all at the same time, just does not work! I will say it again, if you think you have enough, ADD MORE!
Lesson Learned #4: Storage
I will echo the sentiment I shared with the outlets, Storage, Storage, Everywhere! The more storage, the better. If you think you don’t need a linen closet, think about it again. I wish I had three and I have none. The same concept applies to kitchen storage, basement storage and garage storage, you can never have enough. When you think you have enough, ADD MORE!
Lesson Learned #5: Fireplace Placement
We have two fireplaces in our home, so we made double the mistake on this one. The fireplaces are in the corner of the room. Who would have thought this is an issue when designing your home?! The issue comes in when you are trying to place the furniture. The options are extremely limited when trying to keep the fireplace as a focal point in the room.
Lesson Learned #6: Outdoor Water
This one may not apply broadly to all locations, but as a Midwesterner, it is a must. We have two water spickets and they are on the sides of the house. Unfortunately, most of my plants are in the front yard or the back yard. In order to water, I have to haul the hose to a different part of the yard or use a watering can. If you have the ability, put a spicket on every side of the house, especially if you are a decorator. Another recommendation, if it is in your budget, is to get an in-ground water system. We have an acre lot and pulling hoses all over the yard all summer long is the bain of my husband’s existence. Good thing he works from home because his second full time job is watering the yard.
One Final Lesson
In the end, the best advice that I can give a first-time home builder is: Ask All of the Questions! You are paying a lot of money to have your home built and many people will only get to do this once in their life. Ask about the materials, ask about timelines, ask anything and everything! And visit the property often so you can see the progress and get excited about the home you are building!
I hope these tips can help you save a few headaches of your own! Happy Building!
Common Questions
Is it common to get quotes from more than one builder? Yes, and you should. We live in a small area, so there are not a lot of builders, but we did get two different quotes. The price of the quotes were pretty equal, but what was included in that quote was vastly different. When builder one told us we would have to subcontract a painter ourselves, that quickly moved him off the list. The builder we chose ended up including everything for the home build, but no landscaping. Biggest lesson here, do your research!
Would you use the same builder again after finding all of these things that you did wrong with your first home? Yes, absolutely! Our builder was fantastic and very easy to work with. Using the same builder will help us to ask better questions the next time and we will know what to expect. I think it will take a lot of the guess work out of building a new home where there are already so many decisions that need to be made.
Why was carpet not an ideal flooring of choice? When you have pets and a young, growing family, carpet shows all of the wear and tear and living you do in your home. The traffic patterns are evident, and they hold all of that dirt that you would be able to simply sweep up on a hard floor. I would say, if you choose carpet, make sure to get a higher end product and invest in a good vacuum!
