ᐅ What would you do differently in your next house build?

blaupuma schrieb:
Sorry for the silly question.

What exactly is lighting design and why is it necessary?
(Oh, by the way, I’m not an IT or tech enthusiast—I just need 1-2 spotlights in the shower and don’t want anything automated. Just classic, old-fashioned lighting without any fancy gadgets.)

The question isn’t silly, but lighting design is often overlooked. Sure, you can do without it, but in my opinion, a classic central ceiling fixture is no longer up to date. In a hallway or stairwell, you don’t necessarily need elaborate lighting scenes, but in the living room, I want to be able to create the right lighting for different occasions. From bright lighting for a birthday party to soft, indirect lighting for a romantic movie night. In the bathroom, I need enough light in front of the mirror and in the shower but don’t want 3000 Lux while taking a bath. Children’s rooms often require different lighting concepts as well.

Of course, you can do a lot with dimmers. Then there are additional solutions like desk lamps, clamp-on spotlights for mirrors, retrofitted under-cabinet lighting in the kitchen, floor lamps, smart bulbs, etc. In my view, most of these are corrections made because not enough thought went into the initial planning.

Automation is another matter. I understand that not everyone wants it. BUT: My wife asked yesterday: “Wait, we have a light switch here for the vestibule?” That made my day, because everything there runs via smart home. The same goes for the stairwell, the middle corridor, and so on. We have easily 10 light switches in the living area that haven’t been pressed once this year. In the evening, two LED strips light the entrance area, providing a subtle basic illumination so we often don’t need to switch on any lights there at all. They turn off automatically when the patio door is open (to keep mosquitoes out) or when all the lights on the ground floor are off. In the upstairs hallway, I had to add an LED strip. There’s also smart home control there, but if you had to use the bathroom at night or early morning, you were always under floodlights. Now I installed an LED strip above the baseboard that switches on at night instead of the ceiling light. This way, you can quietly go to the bathroom at night. When guests are there (detected by the smart home), the lights stay on minimally all night so you can find your way around (very helpful with children). I can think of many more similar solutions that not only look good but also provide significant comfort for me. Unfortunately, such features can only be retrofitted to a limited extent.

86bibo schrieb:
Unfortunately, it can only be retrofitted to a limited extent afterwards.

LED night light for the socket, EUR 3.95.

lastdrop schrieb:
LED night light for the socket, EUR 3.95.-

if you like it.

You not only have to like it, but you also have to be able to afford it.

Right now, I'm also considering whether a recessed spotlight (directly installed in the concrete ceiling) at 160€ each is worth it. If you need at least 6 in the hallway, then for 960€ you could buy a nice lamp plus indirect wall lighting—and you'd still have some left over for other wishes.

Alex85 schrieb:
I’ve lived in quite a few rental properties and, based on that experience, I rule out some things that are nowadays very popular on wish lists, like walk-in showers.

Only a few tenants actually have those – what negative experiences have you had with them?

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niri09 schrieb:
It’s not just a matter of liking it, you also have to be able to afford it.

Right now I’m also wondering if a recessed spotlight (installed directly into the concrete ceiling) for €160 each is worth it. If you need at least 6 in the hallway, that’s €960, and for that I could buy a great lamp plus indirect wall lighting—and still have some budget left for other things.

That’s clear, and it’s the same throughout all areas of building a house. Besides, LED lighting doesn’t have to be expensive. The 7 meters (23 feet) of lighting in my hallway cost me around €100. Floor-to-ceiling windows, higher knee walls, and so on also don’t come for free.