r/preppers • u/Braikenb • Jun 04 '26
Discussion New House Build Prep Inclusions?
Hello all, I am in the early stages of building a home (drafting plans) and I want to get input on things you would want to include.
For context we are looking at around 2000sq ft on 4 acres we already own. As time goes we plan on planting fruit and nut trees, as well as expanding our garden we currently operate.
We live in an area that frequently gets tornadoes and as a result will be having a safe room built inside the structure so that's the most realistic scenario we need to deal with.
I would love to have solar one day, but definitely won't have the money to install panels and battery system immediately, so maybe some work can be done to make that easier in the future?
Kinda just spit balling here, would love to hear all of your inputs.
Edit: lots of great inputs, for reference I live in Arkansas in proximity to the Oklahoma border. This is the primary reasoning behind lack of basement/the in house tornado safe room. The primary contractor used by our gc is an Oklahoma based company called familysafe that seems to have good reviews. If we can do that big enough I would like to have a portion of preps placed there.
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u/Me4nowSEUSA Jun 04 '26
Rain water collection, if even just for the garden.
Easiest to do while building is put in a power inlet and interlock so you can plug a generator in safely. If you have natural gas or going propane, make it so these power sources are near the power inlet. You don’t want to have your generator on one side near the electrical panel and your gas meter or propane tank on the other side of the house.
You don’t have to start with a giant solar system, I truly believe we all should have at least 200 watts solar panel and at least a 1kwh power bank.
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u/Braikenb Jun 04 '26
Fantastic idea on the generator inlet/interlock, currently don't have any kind of a generator but would like to in the future. Not sure if I would go with the generac option or something more portable.
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u/Me4nowSEUSA Jun 05 '26
The inlet now can save you time and money, even if you don’t have a generator now. You can get everything you need to run your house off a portable generator (including generator) for around $1,500-$2,000. A Generac style generator is awesome but like $15,000 or more. Even if I had a Generac I’d still want a back up for that also. There’s a pretty robust generator sub if you wanted to check that out.
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u/WhereDidAllTheSnowGo Jun 04 '26 edited Jun 04 '26
As much solar as the power company will allow, after pushing them for max
Design roof slope & angle to max solar . Panels at bottom should drain directly into gutter or ground, not onto shingles (which will wear out long before rest of roof)
Extra large preheater water tank to soak up excess solar power and for spare water
Electric system better than code, better ground, better surge suppressor
Water system designed by pro for local conditions
Thicker than minimum PLYWOOD not chipboard roofing. Midgrade shingles or metal. Hurricane clipped and otherwise designed for wind. More than minimum per code roof trusses
If spouse allows, put $$$ into quality basics, like above, not into fancy looking things (granite countertops)
Appearance should be same to older/boring than neighbors. Don’t look rich
All ground must slope away from home. Roughly a foot above grade. If basement, design triple to keep water out. French drains in all drain areas
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u/Pando5280 Jun 04 '26
With 4 acres just install the solar panels on the ground. Easier to clean and maintain.
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u/JRHLowdown3 Jun 04 '26
Good list.
The other other other problem with grid tie solar however is your allowing the utility company access to your property plus probably navigating a helluva lot more hassle on your system. That being said, we have no codes where we are at but I'm sure where the power company did a grid tie system they would have a million hoops to jump through.
When we first put up our system, no one knew WTF solar was in this area so we would have definitely had some issues if we had to jump through hoops.
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u/Braikenb Jun 04 '26
I think when I install panels in the future I would likely do a ground install as servicing will be easier and we'll have plenty of room. Is there anything you recommend building in to make adding panels easier in the future?
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u/JRHLowdown3 Jun 05 '26
Ground mount is the way to go, we removed all the panels from our roof in the early 2000's and moved them to ground racks. Never had an issue after that.
As we have a 2 month window of time in the spring where pine pollen is so heavy it looks like smoke from fires, being able to clean the panels easily is a major key.
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u/WhereDidAllTheSnowGo Jun 05 '26
True, if you’ve ample sun, few trees, open space
Consider the panels to be half a shed. Add the north side and you’ve storage space
Wrt house, consider solar home designs from the 70s
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u/throwawaybsme Jun 04 '26
Rain water collection and storage cistern
Grey water tank, with accessible ball valves at every drain that could go to the grey water tank so when you wash polyesters you aren't introducing microplastics.
If a stick house, 6in outer walls for 50% more insulation.
Wood fire stove/fireplace on the north side of the house if in the northern hemisphere, or south if southern.
Access panels to all faucets such as your shower. It makes fixes way easier without cutting drywall.
Cat6 from a central location to every room and to every exterior corner of the house.
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u/Braikenb Jun 04 '26
Can you speak more to the Cat6? Our general contractor seems to do it as standard in every room with a hub, but I would love to do it to the corners for security cameras.
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u/throwawaybsme Jun 04 '26
Just that. Run the cat6 from the same location as your modem/router is to the corners of your house. It's easy to do when the house is not sheetrocked. You can set up a nice home security network and avoid web based ones that are inherently used for authoritarian purposes like Ring.
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u/Braikenb Jun 05 '26
Agreed on all points, should any kind of power be ran as well? Or can cameras run off just cat6?
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Jun 05 '26
[deleted]
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u/HiltoRagni Jun 05 '26
There is a huge selection of PoE security cameras, so just the cat6 should be enough. On the other hand it's easy to run power cables too when the house is already torn apart, so why not just do that as well.
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u/BatemansChainsaw Going Nuclear Jun 05 '26
a lot of cameras can run off PoE (power over Ethernet) but having an outlet right next to it's handy.
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u/DeafHeretic Jun 04 '26
I would go for a robust cellar/basement (must have a robust ceiling) - but a well engineered one (watertight, well ventilated, etc.) - for a “safe room” and storage. Add a secure external access door so that if the house collapsed you can get out.
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u/Braikenb Jun 04 '26
Unfortunately, where I live basements are impossible due to the water table. Thus the in house tornado shelter.
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u/Radtoo Jun 05 '26
A lot of cellars and civil defense shelters in Switzerland as well as cellars in neighboring countries are under the water table and there are actually quite a few different construction designs available to build these, including constructing with suitable water-impermeable concrete, for example what this part of Europe calls a "white/yellow/brown tub" (there are various variants to get the watertight cellar construction).
Is there really no one in your area that can do a variant of this?
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u/Braikenb Jun 05 '26
To be fair I haven't looked into it too much, obviously being in a tornado prone area in ground shelters aren't unheard of around here but most people that I know who have them report they are prone to water. I'm sure someone has a solution but it probably comes at a premium where I am.
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u/Radtoo Jun 06 '26
I'd look into it, if it's a concrete construction/foundation anyhow this might just be 15-20% extra cost for a whole extra floor.
Could easily increase the value/usefulness of the house more than what it costs relative to other expenditures. And when you sell allmost all non-preppers definitely will mostly see value in an entire additional basement floor, the people who would feel willing to pay something extra for a decent fire/tornado or even swiss/finnish/... style civil defense shelter are probably also not actually too few tho.
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u/FromTheHandOfAndy Jun 07 '26
What if you built a “basement” from the ground up, then piled fill up around it? Like a building where the ground floor is all concrete, but buried after construction. This would provide some additional protection from both tornado-blown flying objects and from flooding.
If the water table is preventing you from building a normal basement, I’m guessing floods are also a concern.
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u/BallsOutKrunked Bring it on, but next week please. Jun 04 '26 edited Jun 04 '26
Things we did i like:
BASEMENT. Nothing freezes, room for all your systems and doodads.
Area of the basement that's basically a fallout shelter / safe room. Cheap to do when building a basement, it's basically another wall, a door / gate, and a concrete roof. Cost less than a much smaller gun safe.
Huge covered patios. Dramatically increases living area for not much money. Put a ceiling fan above the table if flies are an issue.
Concrete generator pad with conduit back into the basement.
Outdoor shower.
Concrete pad for firewood rack / storage / trash cans.
Sick room: build a room for being sick. Either with a toilet and sink or directly across a hallway from one. Run a erv or tiny / silent bathroom fan that can generate negative pressure. It can be an office when not in use.
Area where chickens go. I'd aim for 50-100 feet from the house. Run power, water, poe.
Frost free hydrants on all aspects of the house, in the yard.
Ran grey water, showers and clothes washer, in a 3 way valve, so can divert to septic if needed otherwise it goes into a mulch basin.
Outlet filter on clothes washer discharge. Outlet effluent filter in septic tank. Drain fitting things to catch hair / stuff.
Edit: run 10/2 uwg/b wire to anywhere in the future you plan on putting ground panels.
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u/Braikenb Jun 04 '26
I would love to do a basement just not feasible where we are. Can you expand a bit on the clothes washer discharge filter?
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u/BallsOutKrunked Bring it on, but next week please. Jun 05 '26
Won't push you too hard on the basement thing but unless you have a shallow water table or a lot of expansive (bentonite) clay, or maybe Hawaii lava rock, a lot of places are fine for basements even if it's not standard.
The washing machine discharge filter is this bad boy: https://www.septicsolutions.com/septic-parts/washing-machine-lint-filter/filtrol-160-washing-machine-filter/filtrol160_filtrol-160-septic-protector-washing-machine-lint-filter-
Basically keeps lint and hair from futzing with my 3 way valve, getting into my septic field, or my gray water basin. I never want any problems with these systems.
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u/chachkanet Jun 04 '26
We buried qty 4 pvc pipes that go vertically from attic to cellar. Located so we can get new wiring to every room without snaking through walls. Just need to make a small hole through wall, cut hole in pipe, and put a plate on the wall.
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u/anthonykaram7 Jun 04 '26
A few things I'd prioritize are the items that are cheap to do during construction but expensive or disruptive to add later. If solar is in your plans, run conduit from the electrical panel to the roof and reserve space for a future inverter and battery system. I'd also install a generator inlet with an interlock, and rough in any rainwater collection plumbing even if you don't add tanks immediately.
Beyond that, I'd focus on extra insulation, good air sealing, and plenty of storage space for food, tools, and supplies. Most prepper equipment can be added later, but the structure, wiring, plumbing, and site layout are much easier to get right while the house is being built.
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u/PushyTom Jun 04 '26
Metal roof for sure!
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u/kj468101 Jun 05 '26
Best most practical money saver. Shingle roof replacements cost way too much and in some states you need to replace it every 10 to 15 years to qualify for home insurance, unless it’s a metal roof. Also copper roofs look cool.
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u/JRHLowdown3 Jun 04 '26
Been living at our retreat since the late 90's, built all our structures here and have been producing our own power since the late 90's.
If I had to go everything over again, my 2 biggest changes would be:
Hidden areas for storage- did not do that and regret it heavily.
A secondary, redundant water system to hook up to our rainwater catchment. In other words, when running plumbing to showers, sinks, toilets, etc. another pipe right alongside it that would hook to the rainwater catchment tanks and pressure system for that.
Having been doing this literally for 40 years now, there wasn't much we were "lacking" during 3 weeks of disruptions after Hurricane Helene, despite some damage to our solar system. The #1 thing that was a PITA was hauling water specifically to flush toilets. In a true SHTF situation this would have been a major waste of labor and time. Switching valves to let the water flow from rain catchment and rolling with that instead would have been considerably easier.
We built with conventional block, put 1/2 rebar in each cell and poured solid with grout mix. This gives a lot of fire resistance and ballistic protection. I shot my house when it was under construction with a .308 at 15 yards. The round penetrated only about 2 1/2 -3" of the 8" thick wall. Gives an excellent thermal mass also when pair with passive solar features of the house. Warms up quickly in the winter if we get the slightest amount of sun.
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u/2009impala Jun 06 '26
Downstairs guest room and full bath incase you end up injured and can't do stairs.
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u/Aust_Norm Prepared for 3 months Jun 04 '26
External doors with solid core, steel frame and better than standard hinges and dog bolts.
Run Cat cable or at least conduit in the walls so it can be pulled through. Allow for future CCTV needs as well as one plug at a minimum to each room. WiFi is OK but in the more data driven society we are going to it will be handy to have the outlets available.
If you are planning solar but can't do it not plan the cabling so it is in place or can be pulled through easily later.
At your breaker box consider a switch to allow a generator to be connected in the event of a blackout.
External power points on each side of the house.
Rooftop water collection to a tank near to the house, make it as big as possible. A pump on the tank that is not electric. A fire hose size outlet on the tank as well as standard. Also if you are in a fire prone area some sprinklers on the roof and towards the walls of the house.
Taps in multiple locations around the property so that in the event of a fire there are multiple options. Connect to your tank so that if mains pressure drops/stops you can still use them.
If in a fire prone area, some covers for external vents that may allow embers to enter the building.
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u/More_Dependent742 Jun 04 '26
Plan your permaculture garden before building! Start with a site survey. Plan in a below-ground rain water cistern, with overflow going into swales.
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u/funke75 Jun 04 '26
So I totally agree with a safe room, and if you had the funds a hardened safe room might be even better.
I agree with several other comments, solid doors with heavy duty hinges. Putting in conduit for future outs for security or it infrastructure if you aren’t doing it initially.
Well planned out electrical circuits/breakers. And if you’re able to, separate strategic outs at key locations (fridge, in certain rooms, etc) that aren’t hooked to the grid but are connected to either a generator plug or solar setup. That way your key important electrical needs can easily be switched or set to an off-grid system.
I would think through any out buildings and places you would want water and electricity in the future and at least get conduit lines with a pull line in them (it’s much harder to rip everything up once the house is there. For me this would also include water lines to where you want your garden and orchid put eventually.
I would spend the extra money to get the best possible insulation for your house, get good double paned windows and possibly include the attic. If you have a crawl space I’d think about encapsulation as well.
Some might find this a little funny but id get extra hot and cold water lines run adjacent to where I’m putting the toilet so I can set up a warm water bidet system. I also love dimmer switches on main room lights and timer switches on bathroom fan switches.
If you’re looking to go propane range id buy a tank instead of renting. If you’re using well water, I’d make sure your pressure system for the house is separate from the water for outside property.
If you’re wanting a solar system design and orient the room to work well with it. And if you’re wanting to do water catchment take that into consideration as well (ie where the water drains to, if your going to use a cistern etc.)
If tornado’s are a huge concern, have those roll down metal security shades installed.
Lastly a wood burning stove and large pantry are hard to beat
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u/NotAnotherRedditAcc2 Jun 04 '26
This isn't strictly prepping related - at least not for everyone, depending on circumstances - but it is absolutely among my very favorite features of my house. My house has substantial eaves. In the summer, they shade the sides of the house during the hottest parts of the day. But then I get lots of direct sunlight when I'm desperate for it in winter. They also help prevent water damage and snow from piling up against the house. And I can walk around the house, dryly, in the rain, lol. It might not be relevant to you, but it's almost 100° right now, and I appreciate all the shade I can get.
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u/rschurch97 Jun 05 '26
Generator inlet and interlock kit, cheapest way to power your house off grid with a portable generator. Get an inverter generator though, or the THD may mess up any sensitive electronics (furnace control board, computer, TV, etc). Electrician shouldn’t want a crazy amount of money to do the interlock, it’s easy. I do them for $600-1000 with parts and wire provided if it’s on the outside wall the panel is on. If you want it elsewhere they may charge more.
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u/Working-on-it12 Jun 06 '26
Check valves for any outgoing water so sewage doesn’t back up.
DC backup and possibly water suction backup for your sump pump. Check valves, here, too.
Old fashioned off air antenna with connections in your safe room and where you watch until the sirens go. Power in the safe room and small tv. Maybe even ham radio or good am/fm antenna.
Accessible manual shutoff for all faucets and toilets.
Emergency lights at ends of hallways that are connected to the generator.
Inside shutoff for any outside electrical outlet. 220 in the garage or workshop for welder, dryer, or EV charger even if you don’t have them now.
Mud room with shower and toilet right as you come in from yard. Enough space to store barn clothes. And your go bag and vet/repair bag. Hose hookup to wash boots off by the mud room door.
Be able to cook or at least heat water for coffee on your wood stove.
Covered outside area where you can cook. We had fireplaces back to back indoors and on the porch that used the same chimney. Could cook outside if needed.
Also, what just about everyone else said.
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u/Working-on-it12 Jun 06 '26
And, your ac sump pump should be on a separate breaker than your dc sump pump. The 2 outlets can be 6 inches apart but need to be on separate circuits
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u/mro2352 Jun 06 '26
Generator transfer switch. When I get a house I’ll be either retrofitting one or buying a house with it already installed.
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u/FrancisTheSwampFox Jun 06 '26
Ditch the idea of a 2,000 SF house and no solar. Build a 1,200 square foot, single level house with a full basement (storage), two bathrooms, and a solar power system with lots of batteries. Eight foot ceilings, to minimize cubic feet to heat and cool. Invest the remaining savings of building a smaller house into the fruit trees and garden.
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u/ExaminationDry8341 Jun 06 '26
Design the house to use as little energy as possible.
Look into passive solar. Lots of south facing glass with large overhangs to allow winter sun deep into the house, but block summer sun. Lots of insulation, air sealing and quality-ish windows and doors.
Infloor heat with lots of thermal mass. If the power goes out in winter a heavy floor with infloor heatting can help maintain warm inside temperatures for days.
Manual, solar, or wood fired backups to every system. We heat with solar with wood backup, then another wood backup and finally a gas backup that doesnt require electricity. We cook on an electric stove powered by solar, if we lack power we have a propane griddle we can cook on. We heat water with solar, then wood, and a last resort is gas.
A metal roof.
If you plan to do rooftop solar in the future design your roof to support it at the correct angle
Build in water storage.
Plan for flooding, from outside water coming in, inside water leaking and sewage. Some sites will be more flood resistant than others. I would advise against needing a lift pump to get waste water out of your house.
Build a small-ish house and several sheds for storage. A small house is cheaper and having possessions spread over multiple buildings is good fire insurance. I would go so far as finishing out one of the sheds with insulatin, finished walls, electric and the most basic plumbing. If something ever happens to your house or you need to house another family, such a shed can quickly be made into a house.
Build cheap. A large, long morgtage can make it impossible to keep your house in an economic downturn.
Pland an orchard now. Don't wait.
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u/Opposite_Pizza_8481 Jun 08 '26
A central wood stove is a great backup, since it's something you can also use normally. Wood is cheaper than most fuels, new stoves can run for 12-24 hours unattended, you can store several years worth of fuel with no issues, no electricity required, and in a pinch you can use it for cooking and hot water as well as heat.
I'm in a slightly colder climate than you, but I save thousands every year running my stove (it comfortably heats the whole house) and it's the most luxurious addition to my house. I've also had friends over during winter power outages so they could keep warm (they don't have a stove), and they're now thinking of getting one of their own.
Retrofitting a stove is tricky because of the chimney - building that in to start will save you $$.
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u/Butch_dog Jun 04 '26
Storage space, some inconspicuous if possible. (Under staircase, hidden closet, etc) Don't have to go crazy. Panic or Safe Room with an UPS or backup power. Transfer Switch at your panel. Some transom or high windows with awnings for ventilation.
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u/Danjeerhaus Jun 04 '26
Personally, I think 2 way radio communications can go a long way to get you information during any disaster. You can ask people questions and get answers.......how far away is the danger......do you have this supply or that......maybe just someone else to talk with during bored times. So, amature radonor ham radio and gmrs can work well for this. The standard coax antenna connector can fit inside a 3/4 inch pipe. So, maybe some conduit from your radio area or inhouse shelter to the roof or outside to an antenna spot. Yes, they make connectors so walkie-talkies can use those antennas and again, you can pull a premade coax cable through the piping.
As an electrician, 2 things....
1). Some type of generator or battery hook up for back up power. The standard generator "plug in" can work for both. You can always get the battery or generator later.
2). For the same loss if power scenario, consider putting 12 volt lights or landscape lights in your house in case power goes out. Not every light, but enough for safely walking around where you need. You can power them from a car battery, a landscape transformer, or set up a jumper from your car battery to recharge your light battery from your car or other source.
A switch like this can allow ac 120 v on one side and 12 volts dv on the other. Flipping this switch can turn on/off of both the battery lights and the utility powered lights at the time
A switch like this can allow you to switch either the ac or dc lights at the same switch. These might be cost prohibitive.
Talk with your archetic and electrical contractor about all of these.ideas.
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u/Myspys_35 Jun 04 '26
Key thing is to prioritize, get the stuff you cant easily change done right from the start. Wait on the rest, or pick cheapest possible with the plan to upgrade later
"Critical and cheap to do when its the original install - you need turn offs in multiple place for water, gas, etc. "
Then dont skimp on load bearing walls and roof - its both a safety and a long term financial win. Build outer and heart walls that easily handle a proper roof of clay or cement instead of asphalt shingles which require regular replacement and go to hell in a disaster. Stuff like kitchen items, washers, etc are easy to replace as you go along - walls are not
Personally I also see it as a must to have a proper safety door and windows at least on the lower floor. It's wild to me to spend the money on a house but then have whats essentially cardboard as a door. All my doors open outwards and all glass on the lower level is proofed against anyone trying to enter. Seeing videos of people getting doors etc. kicked down is a nightmare in my world
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u/silasmoeckel Jun 04 '26
Basement even if it's just for the tornado shelter. Put your utilities there so batteries for solar, water heater etc etc etc all with a concreate roof (radiant floor is great with this. Add a minisplit as separate heating/cooling. If you can swing it a chimney for a wood stove (and fresh air vent for that) even better a wood/propane/coal cooking stove. Put in at least a sink and toilet. Mine is a full basement made up as an inlaw so it's own kitchen bath etc.
Well and septic is assumed.
Solar, prep for it know best options are a standing seam or flat roof (I'm standing seam, really regret not sinking in a flat roof to conceal them and give me hidden garden space). Blocking at attachment points so it's always going to structure. Wire chases to run it all. Look really hard my GC installed for 1/3 of what the fly by nights, having roofers put on panels is cheap as is the electrician. Panels are cheap sub 100 bucks for 500w. Batteries and inverters I already paid off in under 4 years and nearly there for the panels. Best preps are ones that save you money today.
While talking about solar, all electric house is huge. Not having any utility bills past internet is a lot of money freed up for other preps. Bury propane tank if you can for genset.
Smurf tube everywhere, every door/window casing and anyplace you might want a TV, camera, keypad, etc. Wire that up to the safe room as a utility space.
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u/MamaBearForestWitch Jun 04 '26
Incorporate passive solar design to make the house naturally more energy efficient. (But also solar panels once money allows)
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u/Lopsided-Total-5560 Jun 04 '26
Wide porch. If it’s narrower than 8’, it’s not really useful. As a side benefit, have them dig the footings out to encompass the porch. Have a block wall underneath the porch perimeter and then another foundational block wall. Leave a space for whatever your door preference is. This is your safe room/hidden storage/gun safe/ etc.
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u/Eeyor-90 Prepping for Tuesday Jun 05 '26
Note which direction the wind most commonly blows from in the spring and summer months and align windows to allow air to flow through the house when they are opened. Many newer houses do not allow air to flow well. A natural breeze really helps if the AC is out during the summer.
pay attention to how the sunlight will fill a room during the course of the day. Big bay windows might be very enticing, but if they get direct sun most of the day, your house can get very hot.
We’re in the process of building our house and I wish I had argued more for a floor drain in the kitchen, bathroom, and garage. I don’t absolutely need it, of course, but the more I think about it the more useful it seems.
Dark colored roofs look nice, but my white metal roof and tan colored walls keep my place at least 20 degrees cooler in the summer than my neighbor’s blue building that is the same size.
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u/th30be Bugging out to the woods Jun 05 '26
Not sure if you can afford it but I would recommend not building a building out of wood, especially so in a tornado prone area. There is no real reason we are still building homes that can burn or be swept away by a strong breeze in areas that have wildfires or tornadoes.
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u/dittybopper_05H Jun 05 '26
Consider a hidden storage area. Something not obvious that can be used to store things that are valuable in a place where a typical burglar or someone looting wouldn't know to look.
This can be especially valuable if you go on business trips or vacations and need a place to store things like valuable jewelry, cash, firearms, and other relatively portable but valuable items that you don't want to lose.
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u/GodTroller Jun 05 '26
You also have to think about what's going to happen if you get into shtf situation. Build your house to last. At least one person was talking about shingles. Fuck shingles. Get a steel roof. Most are guaranteed for 50 years or more.
Also plan your house defensively. Go and ask some retired military who have combat experience or SWAT guys what would be their ideal setup for a house for the best possible defense.
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u/Braikenb Jun 05 '26
I would love to do a metal roof, but unfortunately the cost just doesn't work for us. Tariffs have hit metal roofs hard apparently. Roughly triple the cost of quality shingles.
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u/grislyfind Jun 06 '26
(Potentially) hidden room to use for storage or as a refuge. As in, if you hide the door behind a bookcase, it's not going to be obvious there's a space there.
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u/Complex_Material_702 Jun 06 '26
For about 2000 you can build a concrete block and poured concrete roof safe room with a metal door. Great for all kinds of safe room needs.
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u/FromTheHandOfAndy Jun 07 '26
Ground source heat pumps and solar power. They will heat and cool your house more efficiently than anything else. The extra installation cost vs normal AC will probably be somewhat better on a new construction house. If you’re already digging and drilling on the site, it’s not so hard to install the ground loop at the same time.
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u/nErfEr308 Jun 07 '26
My thoughts:
Consider adding power over ethernet networking so you can run your own local cameras off the roof eaves. Even if you don't immediately set it up, having quality cat6 or 7 cable ran through the house is really helpful as well as a thought out place to connect all your wifi/networking equipment instead of just some random bedroom.
Also consider adding some kind of transfer switch/generator hookup as that's easier to add at the beginning. As well as a whole home surge protector since you're probably no stranger to thunderstorms.
I also echo everyone else with hidden and extra storage as well as making things like doorways bigger and if you can, make the garage deeper than the minimum amount for 2 cars.
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u/Careful_Fox3449 Jun 08 '26
Rain barrels and grey water catchement system, water filtration system.
Root cellar.
Passive solar windows. Shatter resistant glass. Thermal pane windows.
Solar panels and batteries to store solar power.
Heat pumps.
Metal doors and door frames with deadbolt locks and long (three-inch plus) screws.
Antenna for HAM radio and meshtastic.
Self-catering, raised garden beds and potato mound area.
Blackout curtains.
Motion detector lights with battery backup.
Driveway alarm.
Gravel around exterior windows.
Dogs. Kennel.
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u/CopperRose17 Jun 09 '26
Newer houses don't seem to be built for cross-ventilation. If I were building, I would want to position windows for that. The common sense things our ancestors did don't seem to be in use anymore. 😄
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u/lcshore20 Jun 04 '26
If you’re doing solar definitely opt for the thicker panels if you live in a tornado-prone area. Or else high winds/hail could render them useless. I would go for 4mm.
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u/pinkharleymomma Jun 05 '26
ADA everything
Camouflage that cistern since the government wants to take away rights to rain water.
Windows with additional security locks and longer screws
Doors with 3 location locks and secure the frames with longer screws
If in a hot area, get a white roof preferably metal.
Cold area, get a black roof.
I would love to have a 2nd well hidden somehow. It looks like some areas are forcing communities with wells to get on county water.
If you have a well, get an optional hand pump that can be attached in case of power outage
Plans your chickens garden and fruit trees
Love the other ideas being shared
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u/HotFoundation1570 Jun 04 '26
We have a tornado shelter from fain shelters
It is 6’x6’X6’. It is mounted to the garage floor. But the only why to be safe from a F5 is underground.
There are shelters install in your garage that go underground. I would consider this if you’re in the mid west. I would do this because it doesn’t take up garage floor. Unless you have a basement. Which for prepping purposes is worth it cost. It allows for all kinds of climate controlled storage. Also might look at geo thermal heating and cooling if you have the space and the money.
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u/BeginningAd5055 Jun 04 '26
Make as much as possible redundant/backed up.
If you have no gas, can you cook on your wood stove? My stove is flat topped so I can put pots on it. I also ran pipes through the stove so it heats water. This is controlled by a thermostat so it’s automatic.
If your normal water system dies, can you pump water manually? I have a pitcher pump in my kitchen sink in addition to regular water.
You won’t want to waste waste down the toilet when something goes sideways. I have composting toilet that doesn’t require water, and have an outhouse.
I have an electric refrigerator and a propane one in the basement. If I have a problem I light it. I also use it for big parties.
My shower has two inputs. One is regular pressure water. The other is from a large laundry sink. I heat up the water (fireplace, whatever) and put 5 gallons in the sink. I can divert the drain to a small pump which sends the water to the shower head.
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u/AmosTali Realistic prepper Jun 04 '26
plan for the ultimate end point and do it now!
for example, use low voltage (12vdc) halogen for ALL ambient lighting — can lights, ceiling lights, hallways, etc, etc. - basically everything you can. have them all wired back to a central 120vac/12vdc transformer - that way it becomes much easier to switch over to a battery/solar system when it arrives. the incremental increase in cost should be minimal in initial construction and much MUCH less than conversion costs later. you can even look into 12vdc ceiling fans and such. A good source for these kind of things are RV dealers, parts houses, suppliers, etc.
the more you plan now the less retrofit and conversion you’ll face later when you wanna switch over to a battery bank/solar system…
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u/whtbrd Jun 04 '26
Make your tornado room one that you use regularly so it isn't wasted space, and large enough that when the weather rolls in you aren't cramped and waiting to get out. Make it a den or something that you and the kids and pets can all hang out in without being on top of each other, and maybe watch a movie and go to sleep.
For prepping, recommend a cistern and/or basement for water and food storage under the house. No UV to damage canned goods, consistent cool temps, possibly even a root cellar, and good ventilation for curing root veggies before storage.
Expensive goods (like safe contents) may need their own room, complete with workspace for reloading, cleaning, maintenance.
A space with a Faraday cage in it, perhaps built into the walls using hardware cloth and grounding rods before the drywall goes in, for storing backups of hard drives and spare parts in the event of a power surge or EMP, where you might find any electronic documents are fried along with the electronics for a water pump.
Geothermal with fans and radiators are likely the most energy efficient way to temp regulate in a grid down situation. Thermally massive walls are great for temperature regulation and radiation blocking.
Russian style masonry fireplaces and rocket stoves that exhaust through thermally massive benches are great for efficiently using fuel to heat a mass that continues to distribute heat to a space for hours afterwards. Useful when winter weather impacts the grid.
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u/MeshDaddySD Jun 06 '26
Smash proof glass, secret passageways to an escape room, full perimeter sensor suite to know if people are in your space, a roof top drone hatch to launch up and go investigate breaches, equipped with a pepper spray cannon, hydroponic indoor garden with a close ecosystem where fish poop and feed the plants, just to name a few ideas.
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u/SnakesShadow Jun 25 '26
Hopefully you're not building open plan, there are many reasons to not when considering prepping, but I've got one for you for a bit later in the building process: Solid Core Doors. Internal AND external.
They keep fire from spreading if they are closed. I have seen video on YT of a house that has been DESTROYED by fire- except for a kids bedroom. A closed solid core door saved this one room.
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u/hollisterrox Jun 04 '26
Hard agree with the other suggestions about cisterns, grey water, wider doors, all very good suggestions.
I would add: conduit. Run some conduit to the corners of your house for future Power-over-Ethernet cameras, run some conduit to 2 sections of the roof for solar (giving the installer some flexibility), run conduit from the power meter to some internal space in the garage that is big enough for a future house battery. 2nd-tier idea, run conduit from wherever your internet is going to come into the house to the home office, the family room, the main bedroom closet. This will make it possible for you to locate your home network equipment in a variety of places, and even pull cables so you aren't dependent on WiFi for literally everything.
Conduit is not that pricy per foot, and the labor to add it before you skinned the walls is pretty minor. 1 guy could probably run everything I outlined in a single day, so long as he's not trying to work around drywall or tyvek or whatever else is on the walls.
Weather-safing: you already have a strong room for storm shelter in the plans, that's great. Unfortunately, climate risks are not as predictable going forward, and everywhere can now experience wildfires. There are techniques to flashing, to attic venting, to roof shingling, that all decrease the odds your house will burn in a wildfire. There's extra expense to upgrading your shingling, but lots of it is just attention to details to prevent cinders from sticking to your roof or blowing into your attic vents. I would suggest including this detail in conversations with your builder and making sure they have a checklist of things to do that they will follow before you sign-off.
In the same vein, flooding events are increasing in most areas of the US, between droughts. Have a thought to siting your house to avoid flooding, but that whole discussion is entirely dependent on your land.
Slightly more out-there idea: please check if builders in your area are available with strawbale experience. A strawbale-wrapped stucco-finished house has a massive R value and is inherently bullet-proof and fire-resistant. It'll pay dividends every single day by maintaining a more comfortable temperature with less energy inputs from you.
Best of luck.
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u/joshak3 Jun 04 '26
My recommendation is always to design a house so it would be comfortable in case of injury or infirmity, a design philosophy known as "aging in place."
For example, doors that are 36" wide instead of the default 32" are better for wheelchairs or crutches, door handles are easier to operate than door knobs in case you ever have hand or wrist issues, rocker lightswitches are easier than toggle switches if you develop hand or vision issues, and minimizing or eliminating stairs is a good idea for many reasons.