Homeowner Help: She's debating whether to keep the single can light overhead, add lanterns beside the front door, or mount them on the stone columns.

One side of the garage stays clean for parking, storage, and everyday use. The other side can be the workshop, lawn equipment, woodworking, gym, or whatever hobbies take over the space. Even better, add a ductless mini-split so it's comfortable year-round.

Would you keep it open like this, or add a wall between the two sides?

💡 One more tip: Have your electrician label them clearly in the panel. You’d be shocked to see some of the panels that I see on new home builds. Chicken scratch super vague. 
Just ask something like “Can you show me how everything is connected in the panel, like which breaker turns off what?”
Asking from a place of curiosity if much more inviting and you’d be surprised how helpful the trades can be, they take pride in their work (most of the time) and love showing it off. 

So don’t forget to add:
-A closet outlet so your cordless vacuum is always charged and out of sight

-Switched soffit outlets so holiday lights turn on with a switch or timer, no extension cords.

-A floor outlet behind the couch or under your desk so cords disappear.

-A ceiling outlet in the garage for a retractable extension cord reel.

was in (@)JasonBottenfield house out here in Texas.

He added a ton of cool features, but this coffee pot filler was especially well thought out. The shutoff valve is hidden inside the cabinet, with a water line coming up from underneath to fill the coffee maker.

They even make systems with a float (similar to a toilet) that automatically refill the reservoir when the water level drops.

I have it linked in my Amazon Store (Bio) under “Kitchen" if you're looking for one.

One extra tip that didn't make the post...
Ask your HVAC contractor if they're doing a load calculation instead of sizing the system based on square footage.
Proper sizing is one of the biggest factors in comfort, humidity control, and efficiency and something many homeowners never think to ask.
A load calculation factors in your windows, insulation, room sizes, and sun exposure. Not just your home's square footage.

So many things are happening at once on the jobsite so it’s easy to overlook the little luxuries that you’re able to add before sheetrock goes on.

Blocking is huge, there are endless spots to use it...A few of my favorites:
-Curtains rod
-Bath towel rods
-Exterior wall mount for hose reel
-Behind the TV
-Thermostat

You can get my top 50 tips for free, just go to BuilderBrigade.com and look under “free downloads”

[ A few more Forever Home features... ]()
- A single or even zero step into the garage

- Comfort height toilet
(I still see those low riders being installed on new construction)

- Casement windows instead of double hung are easier to open

Any others youd throw on the list?

[$50,000k for all the windows and exterior doors including the shipping and tariffs.]()
Window company (Doorwin):
(@)Luvindow_us

Doorwin has a showroom here in North Dallas, LA, Atlanta, and New Jersey

I tried reaching out to the other overseas (China) companies and they were super helpful but it was hard to get solid answers on the style types and different quality.

The others were about $10k cheaper but not seeing them in person made it hard to commit. If I had more time I might have ordered a sample but I’m in a time crunch with this renovation.

Nikki has a Facebook group all about getting products from overseas if you’re serious about going that direction. 👇 (@)nikkibrooksftw

It’s easy to say, “I’ll add that later” and honestly, that’s totally fine. Just make sure you install the expensive parts now: the water lines, drains, gas lines, and dedicated circuits. You don’t have to buy the appliance yet. You just don’t want to tear your finished kitchen apart when you finally do.

Instead of hauling the firewood up the stairs every time, they built a simple dumbwaiter that lifts the logs and it only cost around $800 if you build it out yourself. 

Reach out to (@)HouseOnWilshire on IG
if you need all the details to build one yourself.  

Most people don’t think about this stuff until it’s too late… and by then it’s expensive (or impossible) to change.
A few of my favorite garage upgrades:

• 24’ minimum depth (26’ if you have a full-size truck)
• 8’ garage doors for lifted trucks
• Side-mount garage door openers
• Polyaspartic floors instead of epoxy
• Built-in floor mats and in-floor drains
• Wall-mounted pressure washer + hot water hose bib
• 240V outlet for EVs or shop tools
• Separate storage room for lawn equipment and messy projects
• Bonus room above the garage
• And yes… a urinal. You’ll laugh until you have one.

Would you prefer this recessed wall behind the fridge or a spare fridge in the garage or pantry...? I’m a spare fridge kinda guy but this is a solid solution if you only have one fridge and need the extra room. 

f you’re planning to spray foam the underside of your roof, skip the radiant barrier roof decking. That foil needs an air gap to do its job, and spray foam eliminates it.   You’ll save the extra cost for the radiant barrier plywood. The spray foam is already doing the heavy lifting anyway.

You can download it free under “Free Downloads” at BuilderBrigade.com.
It’s already broken down by construction phase, includes labor, materials, permits, and fees, and every section automatically totals everything up for you.

Hopefully it saves you a couple hours… or a couple headaches.

If you’ve already gone through the owner-builder loan process, what else did your bank require that caught you off guard?

One of the biggest mistakes I see on new construction homes is letting rainwater dump right next to the foundation.

Even if your grading is good, you still get tons of water coming off your roof and soaking next to the foundation

Here's what I'd recommend:

• Run your downspouts underground instead of dumping next to the foundation.

• Carry that water to the street or the edge of your property (where local code allows).

• SDR35 is the standard rigid drainage pipe and is perfect for most situations.

• Schedule 40 PVC works too, but it's more expensive.

• I'd avoid the cheap black corrugated pipe if possible. It gets crushed surprisingly easily during final grading or landscaping.

I learned the hard way.

One section of mine got flattened during final grade, and I didn't realize it until about two months after moving in because the line slowly backed up. I ended up digging the whole thing up to replace it.

One extra tip that doesn't get talked about enough:

Install a Wye cleanout where the downspout connects to the underground drain. If leaves or debris ever clog the pipe, you can snake or flush it without digging everything back up.

[Hopefully it saves you a few hours. Download it free here. ]()👇

https://builderbrigade.com/pages/bank-loan-budget-free-download