House Pointers

Pointers I've learned

• ALWAYS build ABOVE code-requirements. Since you are doing this yourself, it will cost you peanuts, and cover-your-ass if you screw up ;)
• Make all your Hallways at LEAST 36", 40" ideally. All your doors at least 36" too.
• Access covers: over stuff you rarely need to get to (like shut-offs, plumbing/chimney clean-outs, etc. Label where each of them are!

Absolute-must, Inexpensive Upgrades for a New House:

• Automatic water shut offs+sensors
• Dual electrical panels
• Automatic curtains
• MANY Speaker and internet wire
• Insulation in every single wall
• Exterior doors on your suite
• Extra underlay under your stairs carpet.
• Extra outdoor hose bib
• Electric plug for Xmas lights
• Floor drain in laundry+bathroom

To consider:

• Fiber optic (internet)
• Wi-Fi circuit breakers
• Exterior lighting
• Steel roofing
• Floor in attic
• Lit-up address sign
• Hidden heat pump and pipes!!!!
• Gates at top and bottom of indoor and outdoor stairs?
• Plywood behind wall in bathrooms and staircases for railings and towel racks.
• Easy clean dryer ventilation vents
• Pipe for running solar panels to roof

Bonuses

Things you can do that NO other kit-built home has. Things to give a personal touch for VERY little extra money:

• Add lots of space for stuff. I.e. if you find hollow areas, don't just drywall over them, use them for storage
• Cat-5 (Ethernet) in every room (including kitchens & bathrooms!)! Cost: $50 spool of wire. I did two "drops" in each room.
• Central Vacuum System. Install the Pipes (cheap) even if you don't ever use it, it is a good selling point.
• Put a (cheap) plywood as Floor in your attic, so you don't damage the ceiling drywall below. Makes your attic more useful. Secure it temporarily to allow access.
• Showers: Tile the Ceiling! Avoid repainting every 2-5 years when the mildew forms. Costs next-to-nothing, and looks pretty awesome ;)
• Plugs behind places you want to hang TVs; like 5 feet off the ground, with Ethernet + cable too.
• Speakers All over the house, connected to a central location (outside too)

Dad's Real Estate Advice (Paraphrased):

Real estate prices will go up and down your entire life. You can't predict it. No one can perfectly. But when you buy low. You sell low. Buy high. Sell high. So unless you are going to "live under a bridge" (i.e. Rent lol) or carry 2 properties for the short term (expensive). It doesn't matter the timing of your purchase+sale. Buy something massively undervalued. That has been re-listed many times. Buy fixer uppers. The worse the better!!! Aim for the hilariously destroyed. With condos, buy the shittest unit in the best building. Finally, make sure if you "get stuck" in this place for 5 years, you can be happy.

If a Basement Suite

The Best Tenants are those you Cannot Hear, see, use all your hot water, etc.

• Built shelving in on top of your foundation-wall, rather than running the studs floor-to-ceiling
• Separately Meter your Electrical. Even if you can't do it through BCHydro, meter is so YOU can charge your tenants what they use!
• Soundproofing! Roxul, and Re-vibration bar hung perpendicular to joists!, 5/8" Drywall on ceiling, AND walls between kitchen-and-bedroom
• Even more Soundproofing? Add a layer of green sound-glue and another layer of 5/8 drywall.
• Seperate Hot Water Tanks. No Stealing each-others water
• Paint the WHOLE suite/house 1 or 2 non-white colours, and keep a 5-gallon bucket of paint around for touch-ups!
• Cablevision: I found it CHEAPER to pay Shaw to come in, and wire drops at $9.99 each, rather than me buying the wire+outlets myself.

Electrical

• Have a professional come in, and help you plan, and set-up your panel and 240-Volt Stuff
• Get a HOME OWNER permit, and Run all the wire yourself, back to the panel and have the pro pull it in.
• Plan out your Rooms to Save the number of Arc-fault surge protectors you need in your bedrooms!($200 EACH).
• Use Tons of Extra Circuits, they are CHEAP. And very nice to have.
• LED Lighting to Save Power / Environment. Has to be Planned BEFORE wiring!
• Add EXTRA switches, on each side of rooms with more than one door (kitchen, Hallways, outside)

Hot Water Tanks

• Consider Getting one for EACH Suite.
• Strongly suggest spending an extra $20 on flexible Piping --Makes replacing the NEXT tank super mega easy, and no need to Solder connections).
• 2008 Code requires an "Expansion Tank" ($50).
• Foam Pipe insulation ($7) is high reccomended.

Plumbing

• Have a professional come in, and help you plan.
• Get a HOME OWNER permit, and Dig all the trenches yourself, buy pipe, cut the holes, position rough-ins where you want then.
• Have the pro connect it up, and do all the pressure-testing
• Use Freeze-Proof Exterior Hose-bibs, they are only about $20/each. Piece of mind
• Use the BIGGER size pipe (4") when you can. Code is too small. Avoid Clogs
• Put EXTRA clean-outs in your house in convenient places! Rather than the minimum, in the harder-to-access ones.

Demolition

The Most fun part. Become a construction-archaeologist

• Buy "Bribes" (beer, pizza, etc.), invite over your buddies :)
• Label everything with spray paint that you want out/removed/demolished; Another colour that means "NO DON'T TOUCH"

Waste

Dumpster Rental / Dumping costs a TON of money. Here's how you

• I cut up all the scrap wood into 14" sections, and stacked it for firewood :)
• Bury anything inert you can (legally) like stucco, concrete, etc.

Cabinets

• Tile Back-splashes look awesome, and cost next-to-nothing. A Fun project to do with a Girl :)
• Buy Counters DIRECT from the local supplier (ColonialCountertops.com)
• Measure out your studs, Connect the hanging-cabinets on the FLOOR, as one large piece, have 2-3 helpers lift them ALL into position at ONCE.

Drainage

Turned a $35-$40,000 drainage-quote into a fun 3 week (~$2600) project of Bobcat-digging, waterproofing, laying pipe/rock, and Bobcat-filling back in.

Perimeter Drainage is critical. BUT also super easy!
I bought a horribly-flooding house with a basement EIGHT feet below ground.
I got quotes of $35,000-$40,000 to repair it.
I did it myself in 2.5 weeks, and only $2600.
• Rent Bobcat, dig. $1000
• Scrape foundation, tar it.
• Lay 4" drain pipe ($200) and level it so it drains correctly.
• Drain rock($200) and drain cloth($150).
• Rent Bobcat again, Fill it in. $1000.
It was SO easy, compared to paying $40k.
If you aren't up for the entire physical challenge, neighbourhood teenagers can do everything but operate the bobcat.
Its been dry as-a-bone for 12 years.
The perfect example of an ounce of prevention vs a pound of cure. And you sleep soundly when it pours.
Notes:
• Your friends will literally volunteer to run the bobcat for you! It is so much fun!
• It was actually way CHEAPER to hire a guy (~$200) to spray the waterproof tar on the foundation, than doing it myself!
• You will have to replant all your lawn, etc.
• Think in advance where you plan to put the small-mountain of dirt.

Misc

• Drywall. Put horizontal 2x4 wood behind the walls in ANY location you MIGHT want a towel-rack or Toilet-Paper Holder
• Adam loves driving bobcats :)
• Spent weeks, and $500 trying to clean awful smell out of carpets, only to find out pulling them up, and replacing the UNDERLAY solved the problem.

Duh

You wouldn't think this stuff would have to be said but...

• Don't use ABS glue on PVC Pipe, or vice-versa!
• Don't Drill/ Screw into a Floor / Wall unless your sure there isn't wiring/ plumbing behind it!
• Take care to make sure you think if you want doors to swing from the left or right, and inward or outward!
• Don't accidentally position switches/plugs behind doors!
• Tiling: Use Tile-backer board, not Drywall!

Hot Water Tanks

• Mount on EASY to remove connections! You will appreciate it every 5 to 10 years!
• Consider Tankless
• Get a Cheap one. Same Waranty
• Consider Getting 2 Tanks
• Consider a cross over pipe! between Tanks!