If We Had Only Thought of That…

rA stitch, in time, saves nine.” But in the homebuilding world, the old saying might sound more like, “An additional nine or so electrical outlets added before your new home is finished, in time, will save you from a lot of frustration and probably quite a few additional expenditures and certainly will ultimately reduce the number of petty arguments with your spouse.”r

rYou can decide which phrase is catchier. The point: If you’re building a new home, take extra care to think of every possible place you could use an extra outlet, spigot, light switch, drain, jack, closet, or bowling alley before those walls are finished.

“It’s pretty frustrating if you have to go back in to add stuff right after you move in,” says Joe Rongisch, owner of Vantage Design & Construction in Omaha. “It’s doubly frustrating when you realize how much more it costs to do it afterwards.”

For example, electrical outlets cost about $75 a piece to install as a home is being built. To install an outlet after a home is completed usually runs more than $200, Rongisch says.

rWith this in mind, here are 10 common features you may want to consider before the drywall crew gets to your new home.r

Man Cave necessities. And while you’re brainstorming, guys, consider these items for the basement: Think of extra outlets, plumbing for a wet bar, outlets for alternate or multiple television positions (yes, some guys are turning basements into sports bars), man mood lighting (for no better term), speaker niches, and trophy and memorabilia shelving.

Outlets in the closets. Rechargeable vacuums are handy, but they need a place to hide.

Outlets in the bathroom cabinets. These allow you to hide those electric toothbrushes and razors.

Extra electric outlets in the garage. You’ll probably feel the need to add some sort of workstation to your garage as time goes on. You’ll need outlets for that. Also, the cool kids on the block increasingly have televisions and refrigerators in their garage.

Garbage disposal for your wet bar. (Or outlet for a later wet bar). If you entertain, those spent limes and other fun foods could clog drains.

A window in the garage. Once you start working in the garage, you’ll quickly realize you need more light, and more air movement, in that space.

A water spigot in the garage. You’ll want to be washing cars and cleaning the grease and dirt off the garage floor. Simple enough, but, it’s often one of those amenities overlooked until it is needed.