The Best Way to Plan out Building Your Home

QUESTION TO MR. HANDYMAN

Hi Mr. Handyman, we are having a house built. It is in the wall framing stage at this time. I have been told to plan ahead for future changes that may come up. I have little thought of the future at this time since the house isn’t even finished yet. My question is: Could you give me some ideas or advice as to what is meant here? I may finish the basement some day, but other then that I am at a loss as to what I should do. Sue G.

Hi Sue,

The idea is to save money, Not today’s money, in fact, you may spend a bit more today. If you are planning to upgrade, the little bit more you spend today will save you money in the future.

If you are planning to fix up the basement someday, let’s say in five to six years, there may be some considerations to plan for. One item a finished basement usually has is a bathroom.

All those drain, and water pipes are—in most cases—embedded into the concrete basement floor. So, if you had to put all that piping in afterwards, the job would be very extensive. Cutting into the concrete floor and digging out the dirt for laying the drain pipe etc. Decide now—before the basement floor is poured—where the bathroom will go. The plumber will have to know where the approximate location of the toilet, vanity, and shower. Another consideration may be a wet bar. All this piping will protrude from the concrete floor and be capped till you are ready to do the basement. This may cost you a little extra now, but still, just a pinch of the cost of installing it later.

Another consideration is data/communication lines. Draw a rough plan of each room on a piece of paper. It just has to be a rough-out, but try to determine where most of the large furniture will be. This includes desks, beds, couches, kitchen tables, dining room tables and televisions and so on. From these drawings you can get an idea where the connections should be.

Lighting and most electrical will be included in the architectural drawings. Learn how to read these drawings and see if any changes or additions can be made that you see being used down the road. Remember that it is so much easier and cost efficient adding these to the house structure now then it is later.
Mr. Handyman has a division called HM Remodeling and our technicians hold years of experience dealing with projects like this. We even have Interior Designers that can help you with your future Basement Remodel. If you feel unsure about being a do-it-yourself person, just give us a call and say “Help,” and help will be there just when you need it, “ON TIME.” You can also take comfort knowing that the work will be, “DONE RIGHT,” with 100 percent satisfaction guaranteed.

If you decide to have a us visit you, our experienced techs would be able to help you with this and any other jobs you wish to have done. No job is too small; we want you satisfied by living up to our motto, “On Time Done Right.” Be sure to ask about our FREE “Home Maintenance Review” and have your house checked from top to bottom. Call us today at 1(203) 373-7717!

Again, thanks for your interest and question to Mr. Handyman, have a great day.
If you have any questions about home repair, e-mail them to [email protected].
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