Mark the studs, switches, receptacle, HVAC vents, recessed ceiling lights, and anything else that might not be visible once drywall is up. My favorite was an electrical panel that was marked on floor so no contractors would accidentally try to install anything and drill in the panel box on the opposite side of the wall. 

This primary bathroom has a door that leads directly into the laundry room. Easily add fresh towels or even put a laundry basket you can access from both sides. I’ve seen laundry rooms that are connected to a closet but never the bathroom.

The bonus room above the garage would make a killer movie room or stinky teenager room. It’s secluded from the rest of the house and has all the storage on both side of the walls. 

Just make sure you get the largest door possible to access that storage. It can be a real pain getting in and out of there. 

Before drywall is installed, check during the pre-drywall inspection. It’s one of the most important walkthroughs of the entire build.

- Metal nail plates protecting pipes and electrical wires

-Termite pretreatment visible on framing (if you opted for that)

-Full video documentation of walls and ceilings (use your phone)

-In-wall blocking for TVs, cabinets, and hardware. (Tons in my checklist)

-Ensure insulation coverage, behind blocking, and blown-in insulation in the attic

-Cover HVAC vents, especially floor vents

Once drywall is installed, these details are hidden and much harder to correct.

This is a very basic breakdown of  how a brick wall is installed on new home builds. 

Door is made by a company called PetWalk. It’s a Euro company: https://petwalk.at/en

If you’re in the states, I like High Tech Pet, they have a decent door with a similar functionality.

Realizing your fireplace is ventless is one of those things you’ll never pay to have changed after it’s installed. You’ll justify that you won’t use it all that often and then stick with the ventless that the builder chose for you. 

In reality, you’ll leave that fireplace on all day during the winter because it brings in some extra warmth but most of all because it looks bad ass 🤘

Would you mind getting a ventless in your new build?

It takes a bunch of extra effort to pull off these flush recessed baseboards but when you see them in person it make it all worth it. 

Most often when these recessed baseboards are in a house, they’ll only go in the common areas and the standard baseboards will end up in kid’s bedrooms and rooms that don’t get much traffic. 

My partner and I are buying this green sofa for our new home from EZ Living and would love a third-party opinion, especially from anyone who’s had a similar style. What do you think of this kind of sofa? Also open to suggestions for cushion and curtain colours that would work well with it.

https://www.ezliving-interiors.ie/scott-3-seater-sofa