If you’ve been spending a lot of time at home during 2020, the chance of building your dream home can be very exciting. Choosing the features of your new space will take some attention both to how you’re living now and how you plan to live in the future. Your comfort, security, and safety are critical considerations for your new space.
Building Your Dream Home
Entryways and Mudrooms
Making sure that everyone in your home has a spot to:
- sanitize
- drop off bags and briefcases
- hang up coats
- drop off shoes and switch to slippers
- organize things for pickup in the morning
These are all great choices when building your dream home. The outside world contains risks that have gotten worrisome over time, and having a spot to decontaminate as soon as people get in the house is a great option. This may include shelving with electronic hookups, a spot to hang things, a place to sit down, and a closet.
Additionally, the flooring in this space should be as hearty as possible. If your region is frequently subjected to rain or snow, you’ll want to make sure that this flooring doesn’t get slick when wet. If you live in the desert, a place to knock the dust off is a wonderful idea. Every region is unique, so consider what you don’t want to bring in when you design your entryway while building your dream home.
Plan to Age in Place
If your kids are small, the idea of putting in a step-in tub may seem excessive, but planning to age in place is much easier in the design process than when the house is done. Consider features such as laundry, kitchen access, and doorway width.
Doing laundry on a different floor may not seem like a big deal when your bones are strong and your kids are generating a lot of dirty clothes, but one tumble with a laundry basket can cause a serious health risk as we get older. Consider putting in laundry facilities close to the bedrooms. Make sure that your tubs, bathroom floors, and showers have grab bars and non-slip floors.
Wide halls and doorways that will allow space for a wheelchair will work for you as you age, for a parent who needs some help for a time, or for a child recovering from a sports injury. Consider choosing door hardware that is easy to open with pressure, rather than just with a twist. These design features are easy to do now, so be sure to incorporate them.
Bedroom Placement
It can be tempting to put all of the bedrooms on the second floor. However, you should consider putting in one bedroom with a connecting or close bath on the main floor of the house. It only takes one knee surgery to put you out of range of a shower if all of the tubs and beds are on the second floor of your home.
Discuss suggested features for bedroom layouts and pass-through bathrooms with your custom home builders in Bluffton, SC, or wherever you’re located to make sure that you can easily flex when needed and enjoy easy access in the event that someone in your household is on crutches or similarly limited.
Motion Sensors
Consider adding motion sensor lighting to halls, stairwells, and around the outside of your home when building your dream home. A little one coming out of a bad dream will be safer if the lights come on as they cross the landing. Your physical safety will be increased with exterior motion sensor lights that prevent people and wild animals from getting too close.
Additionally, consider adding motion sensor lights to your under-cabinet task lighting. Again, it probably won’t matter for 95% of the work you do in the kitchen. However, it only takes one slip of the knife to make you wish that you’d used the under-cabinet lights to protect yourself or a loved one. If they come on automatically, everyone is protected.
Final Thoughts on Building Your Dream Home
There are many ways to customize your home when building your dream home to make it special and uniquely yours. Planning for the future can also make it safe for you in the years to come. Make sure you have a bedroom on the main floor. Add laundry beside the bedrooms. Prevent slips, falls, and kitchen accidents, and create a space to clean up as soon as people come in from the outside world.
Do you have any other tips and suggestions on building your dream home that have not been mentioned here? Please share them in the comments below.
Gorgeous and Pinned!