ᐅ If Building Again – What Would You Do Differently?

Hello everyone!

I’ve often heard the saying, “Your first house is built for an enemy” — I wouldn’t put it quite that harshly, but after a year in a new build, I understand what they meant. 😀 Since we might move again, I’d like to collect some ideas here and benefit from your experiences: What would you do differently if you were to build again?

Here’s what I’ve noted so far:

• electric roller shutters
• thermostats with displays
• larger storage room
• less awkwardly shaped rooms
• dedicated cloakroom area
• wooden window sills (?)
• more outdoor power outlets
• power outlets in window frames

What about you?

kati1337 schrieb:

electric roller shutters

…we hardly used ours in the last 2 years 😱

kati1337 schrieb:

thermostats with display

Why? In winter I just turn the dial up one notch and that’s enough. Well, some rooms even two 😉

kati1337 schrieb:

larger storage room

We don’t have a storage room at all. I would make the utility room 2 sqm (21.5 sq ft) bigger, so about 11 sqm (118 sq ft) for 2 people.

kati1337 schrieb:

less awkwardly shaped rooms

That’s not an issue for us.

kati1337 schrieb:

dedicated cloakroom area

We have one…

kati1337 schrieb:

wooden window sills (?)

Monolithic walls so that the very few window sills have adequate depth.

kati1337 schrieb:

more outdoor power outlets

One on the side of the house would be nice.

kati1337 schrieb:

• power sockets integrated into the window frames

I haven’t had lights in the windows for 6 years, maybe just a star decoration. Yes, for the display window, one outlet on the ceiling above.

For the new house, I would plan more power outlets, no wall-mounted lighting fixtures, and less but more targeted ceiling lighting. No recessed spotlights in the ceiling, more outdoor motion sensor lights.
Monolithic walls instead of external thermal insulation composite systems (ETICS / EIFS),
soundproof door for the utility room,
kitchen facing west instead of east, a built-in closet in the hallway. Main bathroom and bedroom on the ground floor, office and guest bathroom upstairs… no more elderly relatives living with us.
I would also consider a different house shape this time, I’m very open and flexible about that (without Pinterest 😉)

Hello Kati,
we are currently in this situation, so it’s easy for me to answer your question (the checklist already exists)... we built for the first time nearly 20 years ago and are now planning our new house. However, experiences and answers tend to be very individual. Here is our “let’s do better” list:
- direct access from the kitchen to the garden
- include a walk-in closet and thus a smaller bedroom
- bedroom not facing south
- charging station for electric car
- more built-in wardrobes, overall more closet space
- larger kitchen with more countertop space and storage, pull-out pantry cabinets
- water connection on terrace/balcony
- plan security from the start (including lighting, cameras)
- plan lighting and furnishing early on, as well as kitchen layout
- low-maintenance garden, storage space for garden tools
- heating with geothermal energy (ring trench collector), photovoltaic system with grid disconnection switch
- smart home with KNX, fewer switches
- suspended ceiling for wiring, plan WLAN access points in garage and garden

Fortunately, we found an architect who completes the detailed planning before the trades are tendered, which helps identify and eliminate many planning errors. This naturally prolongs the planning phase (and the architect’s fees increase because they also handle lighting and part of the interior design), but I think it’s worth it.

kati1337 schrieb:

Hello everyone!

I have already noted for myself:

• electric roller shutters
• thermostats with display
• larger storage room
• less awkwardly shaped rooms
• dedicated cloakroom area
• wooden window sills (?)
• more outdoor power outlets
• power outlets in the window frames

What about you?

Things we would change:
- Electric roller shutters everywhere, definitely
- More power outlets, especially in the window frames, more double outlets, and more outdoors; we also forgot some spots
- Missing the circulation system already is annoying
- Larger tile format
- Recessed lighting spots
- Central ventilation system instead of decentralized
- Windows with higher sound insulation rating
- Lift-and-slide door
- Roof window
- Larger bathroom
- Possibly a water softening system

From your list:
We have the basement for storage and don’t have awkwardly shaped rooms.
We also have a cloakroom of reasonable size.

Not needed for me:
Thermostats with a display
Wooden window sills

k-man2021 schrieb:

Fortunately, we found an architect who completes the detailed planning before the trades are tendered, so many errors in the planning phase can be identified and corrected. This means the planning phase takes longer (and the architect is more expensive because they also handle lighting and part of the interior planning), but I think it’s worth it.

So, you commissioned design phases 1 to 5 and now plan to manage the contracting yourself?

k-man2021 schrieb:

We built for the first time almost 20 years ago and are currently planning our new house.

So this will be the second one, and did you approach the appointment of the designers differently back then?

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What I’ve noticed recently and plan to change soon with an exterior canopy is the entrance directly into the house. I definitely want a vestibule. Right now, soaking wet jackets, muddy boots, and dirty strollers are driving me crazy. Looking back, I would definitely do this differently.