ᐅ If Building Again – What Would You Do Differently?

Pinkiponk schrieb:

We are currently planning quite a few ceiling spotlights,

to me, they are too bright in specific spots; I can’t look up there.
It’s like xenon lights or small LEDs in a rearview mirror—they dazzle me.

motorradsilke schrieb:

Even if you apparently will never understand that there are people who simply don’t want that,

Actually, I do understand that very well. But that is not the focus of this thread. Because right from the first post, this very request for electric roller shutters is explicitly stated. However, this should also be thought through completely... If you demand “only” electric roller shutters, then that is exactly what you get. But then you encounter the problems you describe or others you hadn’t even considered.

The fact is, many homeowners are simply not aware of what is possible and what is not. That is not a problem at first, but the real issue is that homeowners are not guided by their general contractor partner (or electrician, architect, etc.), as Kati described:

kati1337 schrieb:

This was our first time building; we actually only saw which thermostats we got when they were already installed on the walls. During the selection phase, this wasn’t discussed in detail, and it was not on our radar until then.
All these details would have needed to be consciously chosen via “opt-in,” and at the time, we didn’t realize that we would miss them.

At the first build, and even in subsequent ones, homeowners rarely consider all options. Like with Kati’s thermostats or the roller shutters. In this case, there was clearly no consultation or discussion about what the homeowners might have wanted. Unfortunately, the topic of home electrical systems is still often neglected. For many, lighting should turn on and off, and power should come from the outlets. For them, that’s the extent of the electrical topic.

motorradsilke schrieb:

I would still be interested in how you would technically solve it so that the roller shutters in the open-plan area always close when we go to bed.

Comprehensive control systems in this area have not been a problem since 1979. Simple isolation relays and group switches existed even earlier. How you implement it is up to the resident; there are several approaches.

To explain it simply: you need an “ignition key” for your roller shutters in the open-plan area. This can be a basic push button, as apparently you need a manual action and activation. Thinking further, this can also be automated by implementing some form of presence detection. No, not surveillance with facial recognition or fingerprints, but rather a relatively simple detection of people in a defined or diffuse area.

Of course, with all the manual and automatic tools to override—for example, if you want to keep the Christmas lights on at window XY longer than usual.

motorradsilke schrieb:

Sure, but you don’t know in advance when the sun is shining

That’s not a problem. The solar controller (not the panels) already tells the dishwasher, washing machine, etc., when enough solar energy is available, and if those devices are loaded, they start automatically and do their job.

@motorradsilke
Photovoltaic power does not require direct sunlight.
Right now, we have a fully overcast sky and continuous rain. The roof is currently producing 1.5 kW, with a tendency to increase.

Engine displacement in motors and size in photovoltaics are irreplaceable by anything else.

By the way: keep in mind that the more technology is installed, the higher the maintenance costs will be. Nothing lasts forever.

For example, I’m already annoyed that after about 10 years, I have to gradually replace the electric motors for the roller shutters. When you calculate their operating times, it’s a bad joke. And no, it’s not just the start capacitors, and these are not cheap low-quality motors from China.

I say this as a (former) electronics technician and technology enthusiast. 😉

Marvinius2016 schrieb:

Two comments:
1) There are truly quiet dishwashers (even in eco mode), which naturally cost quite a bit more, but are essential for an open kitchen. You can still install one later.
2) Range hoods also come in higher-quality (more expensive), but usually quieter versions. Retrofitting might be difficult.
3) If the TV is still too loud, a sound system can help.

Fighting fire with fire doesn’t work for us because then the child wakes up. 😉
The ventilation hood isn’t the problem; I think our Bora Puxu was expensive enough. It’s more about the noise when searing food. That gets pretty loud and, I believe, is technically hard to reduce. 😀
Installing a quieter dishwasher later is a good idea.

motorradsilke schrieb:

We also considered this but discarded it, and are glad we saved the money. In daily life, it turned out we never lower all the roller shutters at the same time. In the open-plan area, they only go down when we go to bed; I still want to see our outdoor lighting and don’t want to sit in front of or look at closed shutters. In all other rooms, they are lowered after dark.
The same applies in the morning; for example, if my husband sleeps in on weekends, I can raise the shutters in the open area and enjoy natural light (right now, not so much, but in a few weeks it will be like that again).

I have to ask a silly question – what’s the idea behind closing the roller shutters at bedtime? I can understand in the bedroom to keep it dark (if you like), but in the living room? Energy saving?
I think I’m missing something; we only use our shutters occasionally during the day when the sun is glaring. O.o

motorradsilke schrieb:

Our dishwasher runs at night. When we go to bed, my husband turns it on, so it doesn’t bother anyone, and in the morning the dishes are clean and the dishwasher is free so nothing has to sit out during the day.

That’s a good idea. We are part of the photovoltaic crowd, so we often run it during the day, especially since working from home and cooking a lot means more dishes than one dishwasher load a day. But the evening cycle could easily shift to the night. Just have to remember when going to bed. 🙂

haydee schrieb:

@kati1337
You should really get to know the area you’re moving to in order to identify potential noise sources. Maybe a gap between buildings with quiet, established neighbors and mature gardens would be ideal.

We’re currently watching a property like that. Family friends have been sitting on a plot in a gap between buildings for some time. We might be able to get it; it already has some greenery. I’m generally optimistic because I’ve already lived at several addresses and have never experienced anything like here. It doesn’t bother me much if something happens occasionally; what annoys me is when it’s constant. 😉 I think some people who, without knowing me, suggested in an earlier thread that I should see a therapist would lose their nerves in our current living situation. 🙂

Yaso2.0 schrieb:

1. More patience—think things through or sleep on it, no hasty decisions
2. Have my floor plan designed by a "real" architect (not just a draftsman from a general contractor) and spend more time finding the right one!
3. Share my ideas but don’t give rigid “instructions.” In the end, everything was drawn exactly as I wanted, but there were hardly any objections or feedback on what would work well or not.

And on the walk-in closet topic: we’re also getting one (with a window) for reasons already stated here, and because a wardrobe feels so bulky to me. It takes up too much bedroom space—high and wide. I like it airy. That’s why we designed the walk-in area so the huge wardrobe could be moved out of the room.

I couldn’t agree more with these points.
We made some decisions under stress during the selections process that later made me think, “Two appointments would have been smarter.”
The general contractor even offered that to us, but we declined, thinking, “We can manage.” We had a pretty small baby, and as usual, both changes of clothes were soaked within the first two hours, etc., etc…
Making selections under stress is not recommended.
Regarding point 2 and 3, I also think: They drew everything exactly as we wanted, but sometimes without questioning whether it made sense.

And I agree with you about the wardrobe. We extended a wall in the bedroom so our 3-meter (about 10 feet) Pax wardrobe would fit. Aside from the fact that I probably wouldn’t buy that 3-meter Pax again today, it sometimes feels overwhelming in our modest-sized bedroom.

motorradsilke schrieb:

We don’t have photovoltaic panels. If we did, I’d consider that. But the topic is still under discussion.

How do you actually manage that? Do you really remember to turn the appliances on during bright sunshine? You have to be home for that, right?

Yes, we really do it. We both work from home, and during sunny months, at least the washing machine, dryer, and dishwasher run when we have excess power from the roof. It’s hard to imagine without photovoltaic panels, but it becomes more than just an investment. Photovoltaics somehow turn into a hobby. 😎

motorradsilke schrieb:

Of course, but you never know in advance when the sun will shine 😉

It’s more likely during the day than at night 😎