Building Your Dream Home: Take Advantage of Additional Space in the Pre-Planning Stage

Adequate Wiring

You're probably not even thinking about putting in lights or a stereo system in that huge unfinished attic space right now. But if someday that space will become a media center with all the latest technology (computer, big-screen TV, sound system-the works), then including wiring runs for these and other electronic components will be much easier and less costly at the building stage than waiting until you're ready to make the move. You may not know exactly what you want in this space, but installing the best rough-in electrical wiring before walls are finished will allow you to make final decisions later with more confidence. If you can afford it and think you'll need it, consider fiber-optic systems. And don't forget about phone cabling and coax for media equipment. Your electrician can help you make the right choices-and will appreciate the foresight you exhibited at the building stage.

Rough-in Plumbing

A future wet bar, mini-kitchen, or bath in your finished bonus space demand that you include appropriate rough-in plumbing for the unfinished space when it is installed for the rest of the home. Sure, doing it when you build will add a bit to the cost, but trying to rig together something later will only create headaches and add significant dollars. The best plan is to coordinate your plumbing runs for bonus spaces with those in the finished part of your house-clustering bathrooms together, for instance. The plumbing subcontractor for your building project can help you decide what and how much you need to install.

Natural Light
Attic space can be easily changed into an art studio by employing pre-planned electrical and insulation components

If your basement or attic will only be used for storage space, you probably won't mind if it has ambient light from natural sources. However, if you are planning to use the space for future livability, including some operable windows in the attic, bonus spaces, and basement when you build will eliminate the need to rework some of the structural components in these areas. If your future space is an attic, consider skylights, which are easily incorporated into the roof's construction. Doors accessing the outside are a similar consideration. You might like to have a patio outside the den you're planning for the bonus room. Mitigate the need for cutting into siding and studs later by installing that patio door now. At the very least, insist on appropriate bracing for windows and doors where you will want them in the future.

HVAC

Heating and cooling ducts are going to be installed throughout your home before the interior finishes are completed. This is the opportune time to plan duct runs to future spaces as well. While you may not want to actually heat and cool a bonus space until it is developed, you will want all the necessary duct work in place when you build so you don't have to contend with new duct runs later on. The duct work can be capped off to the bonus area until it is actually needed.

Waterproofing

If your bonus space happens to be a basement or part of a basement that will be made into livable space someday, be sure that adequate waterproofing is part of the plan when the foundation is laid. While it can be applied after the home is built, it will require digging trenches in your lawn around the house and will destroy any landscaping that you've cultivated. Remember, waterproofing protects your basement and is a good idea even if you're not planning livable space there.

Design Elements

You may not be sure how you would like to use your bonus space or even how you want to decorate the space when it is finished. But if you think you'll want to use some of the same elements you're using in the finished areas of your home, you'd be wise to purchase enough for the bonus room at the same time. By the time you are ready to develop your bonus space, those same elements may not be available-or at least not in the same dye lots as those you have already acquired. Carpeting and window coverings are prime examples.

Go for the extra expense and get what you need now-you don't have to install it right away and can temporarily store it in that unfinished space until you're ready to use it.

Remember that even if you never take advantage of the planning you have done to render a bonus space usable in the future, installing these extra elements at the building stage adds little to the overall building cost and, yet, greatly increases your home's resale value.