buying a house

[CNS]

If building, don't go for max sqft/$.  You will be pretty frustrated in like 3-4 yrs.  Little things matter.  Get high insulation value windows and doors.  Max out insulation in walls and attic.  If you have rooms above a garage, have them insulate the garage ceiling as if it was the attic and make sure they insulate the garage walls.  Also, insulated garage doors, not the cheap Masonite ones.  After that, upgrade carpet.  Builder crap wears down noticeably in less than a yr.  Get hard woods if you can swing it.

Buy up on the dishwasher so it don't sound like you left the garbage disposal on. 

Get a paint job where they brush/roll back after spraying and do a complete caulk job in prep.

Make sure those fuckers put drip edge and flashing over all windows and doors, as well as at the rake of the roof.

Make sure grade never slopes toward the house and that the yard drainage is graded adequately to move water.

Make sure they don't freeze concrete if pouring in cold.

If you can afford it, tell them you want 9' ceilings I the basement, or at least the walls poured so that the ceilings can be 9' when finished. 

Also, watch out for undersized ac units.  Lots of starter guys put I small ones that run rough ridin' constantly. 

Lots of other stuff too.  Things like home building are super easy to cut corners.  Your builder isn't your buddy. 

[Dub]

If building, don't go for max sqft/$.  You will be pretty frustrated in like 3-4 yrs.  Little things matter.  Get high insulation value windows and doors.  Max out insulation in walls and attic.  If you have rooms above a garage, have them insulate the garage ceiling as if it was the attic and make sure they insulate the garage walls.  Also, insulated garage doors, not the cheap Masonite ones.  After that, upgrade carpet.  Builder crap wears down noticeably in less than a yr.  Get hard woods if you can swing it.

Buy up on the dishwasher so it don't sound like you left the garbage disposal on. 

Get a paint job where they brush/roll back after spraying and do a complete caulk job in prep.

Make sure those fuckers put drip edge and flashing over all windows and doors, as well as at the rake of the roof.

Make sure grade never slopes toward the house and that the yard drainage is graded adequately to move water.

Make sure they don't freeze concrete if pouring in cold.

If you can afford it, tell them you want 9' ceilings I the basement, or at least the walls poured so that the ceilings can be 9' when finished. 

Also, watch out for undersized ac units.  Lots of starter guys put I small ones that run rough ridin' constantly. 

Lots of other stuff too.  Things like home building are super easy to cut corners.  Your builder isn't your buddy.

Like we've been saying, it's a new build community.  All these decisions are on plans already and you can pick and choose different layouts/materials/addons depending on how much you want to spend.

[CNS]

All this applies to a new build community.  Asking questions never hurt anyone.

[michigancat]

like, dub, don't ask for advice and then be a jerk about the advice.

[Dub]

Sorry dudes, not trying to be a jerk.  Just end of the day.  Appreciate the info CNS, just thought it sounded like you were talking about having your own contractor do the work with that stuff.

[CNS]

Nope.  Plans say the right thing 99% of the time.  Builders build to actual plan at a lesser percentage.

[Dub]

If building, don't go for max sqft/$.  You will be pretty frustrated in like 3-4 yrs.  Little things matter.  Get high insulation value windows and doors.  Max out insulation in walls and attic.  If you have rooms above a garage, have them insulate the garage ceiling as if it was the attic and make sure they insulate the garage walls.  Also, insulated garage doors, not the cheap Masonite ones.  After that, upgrade carpet.  Builder crap wears down noticeably in less than a yr.  Get hard woods if you can swing it.

Buy up on the dishwasher so it don't sound like you left the garbage disposal on. 

Get a paint job where they brush/roll back after spraying and do a complete caulk job in prep.

Make sure those fuckers put drip edge and flashing over all windows and doors, as well as at the rake of the roof.

Make sure grade never slopes toward the house and that the yard drainage is graded adequately to move water.

Make sure they don't freeze concrete if pouring in cold.

If you can afford it, tell them you want 9' ceilings I the basement, or at least the walls poured so that the ceilings can be 9' when finished. 

Also, watch out for undersized ac units.  Lots of starter guys put I small ones that run rough ridin' constantly. 

Lots of other stuff too.  Things like home building are super easy to cut corners.  Your builder isn't your buddy.

Don't know much about insulation values, but standard comes with R-21 in 6 inch walls on 1st/2nd story, with R-50 in attic and R-49 above garage?  That considered high insulation value?

[Dub]

Nope.  Plans say the right thing 99% of the time.  Builders build to actual plan at a lesser percentage.

Gotcha.  So do you have a to hawkeye the build the entire time?  Or just hire a home inspector as it moves through construction?

[CNS]

Those are good insulation values.  In the garage, make sure the exterior garage walls get the same insulation as the exterior living space walls.  Some times they don't do that, then they run pipes in the garage ceiling. Bad combo.

You do need to look over the house as it goes up.  The inspector doesn't care about most of the stuff I listed. They only care about structural and life safety stuff, for the most part.

[Dub]

Those are good insulation values.  In the garage, make sure the exterior garage walls get the same insulation as the exterior living space walls.  Some times they don't do that, then they run pipes in the garage ceiling. Bad combo.

You do need to look over the house as it goes up.  The inspector doesn't care about most of the stuff I listed. They only care about structural and life safety stuff, for the most part.

Makes sense.  Sounds like a pain but prob worth it.  You owned one before or in construction field?

[CNS]

Both.

[Dub]

Is Energy Star 3.0 certification a really good thing or pretty meh and standard?

[CNS]

I haven't dealt with that type of a cert.  It's been a minute since I was in the residential building industry.  First blush, I would say that it's something you need to do due diligence on as the inspector wont.

[CNS]

Black dirt.  Some new neighborhoods are stripped here to fill there and sometimes you can be left with less than awesome dirt which sucks to establish a lawn in.  Make sure they plan on topping the yard with black dirt before sod or seed.

[slobber]

Worth it because you have a 1-10 year warranty on everything on the house. Nice to live in new house. Research stuff and stay on top of the builder after the build. Not hard or difficult, just be aware.


Gonna win 'em all! (using Tapatalk)

[slobber]

Been in this new build 7 years. Getting 3 new Windows because the seals broke and moisture is between the pains. We stay on top of it. We have a neighbor that I can look out my window and count 10 windows that should be replaced. They are unaware and won't get them fixed. 5 years from now when they try the sell, they will pay out of pocket to fix them.


Gonna win 'em all! (using Tapatalk)

[pissclams]

Been in this new build 7 years. Getting 3 new Windows because the seals broke and moisture is between the pains. We stay on top of it. We have a neighbor that I can look out my window and count 10 windows that should be replaced. They are unaware and won't get them fixed. 5 years from now when they try the sell, they will pay out of pocket to fix them.


Gonna win 'em all! (using Tapatalk)

are you expecting the window market to outpace inflation or what?

[slobber]

It was an example of the benefit of buying new construction


Gonna win 'em all! (using Tapatalk)

[Emo EMAW]

Just realized I've been mixing up, or thinking erii is kim carnes.  Weird.

[Institutional Control]

Just realized I've been mixing up, or thinking erii is kim carnes.  Weird.

Weird thread to put that in.  Maybe the "Shame" thread would have been a better choice.

[Emo EMAW]

Well it was by reading this thread that I realized it.  But I do see your point.

[pissclams]

It was an example of the benefit of buying new construction


Gonna win 'em all! (using Tapatalk)

ok but they're going to pay out of pocket to fix their windows regardless of when they get them fixed.  and you said your house was a new build and has the same issue as your neighbor's house (albeit not as bad).  i'm guessing their home was new build too (although it doesn't matter).

slobber: i keep an eye on my windows, we need 3 fixed
neighbor:  i don't know that i need 10 windows fixed
slobber:  i'm going to get mine done now
neighbor:  i'm getting mine fixed when i sell
slobber:  SEE GUYS, NEW CONSTRUCTION PWNS!

 

[ChiComCat]

In the process of buying soon.  Anyone bought a new build?  Pros/Cons?

It looks like it's either that or buying a pre-1950 pre-1940 home.

I am thinking you are talking about one already built rather than one you are building?

I bought a new build before - do research on the company that built it and get some sort of warranty.  I had some little things like issues with an outlet here or there, a cable jack, a garage issue, and some caulking that was missed that I would have them come in and fix.  Most was things that I could've done myself but it was nice to put on a professional.

Anything you think you might want to do/change in the future, try to work into negotiations.  Even if you want something that you will buy professionally installed, try to make them do it.

Yeah, didn't clarify.  Went through 10 pages of that previous thread and pretty much got that it's beneficial to have fresh eggs, an upstairs and downstairs laundry, and kim carnes thinks everyone is terrible.

But yeah, it's a new build community, about 15-20 different designs/sizes of house that they will start building and you pick layout/different options/finishes/etc.  When you are talking about getting something done in the future to negotiate, what do you mean... like try and get them to do it when they are building?

I was referring to a new home that was already built but in your case, have them do whatever you want while they are building.  Don't think about adding, for example a wet bar later.  Have them do it so they will plan the plumbing/electrical whatever properly and it will be cheaper than someone coming in later.  The extra labor and supplies are marginal compared to what they plan to make on the house.

Also, like CNS said, get high ceilings in the basement.  Otherwise it will always feel shitty and basementy instead of like more living space

[pissclams]

why do people always put carpet in their basement?  makes it feel basementy (like low ceilings) and also, carpet is disgusting.

[Emo EMAW]

You know what's disgusting?  Pulling up old basement carpet and discovering what's under there.