We went through the building process twice in the past 8yrs. We learned a lot from the first experience and applied it to the second. Here are a couple of things I am loving in the new house
1)Central Vac system. I thought it cost way too much but my husband argued well for it. I am so glad he did! It makes my life so much easier! I was skeptical because I thought dragging the hose around to the different ports would be just as much a hassle as dragging the whole vac....it isn't by far. I used to hate vacuuming stairs. No problem now. I highly recommend it. Oh, get the auto dust pan option.
2)Comfy carpet in the living room. We learned from our last house that we spend a lot of time on the floor in our living room. We play with the kids, lay around and watch TV, etc. We got a California burbur (new shag) with extra pad. It is so comfy, you can fall right asleep on it. We get compliments on it all the time.
3)Gas log fire place. Love it! It is so warming and relaxing. You just turn a knob and it is on or off. It is clean and no hassle.
4)Used colors in carpets and cabinets to add to decor. We learned from our last house how difficult it is to wallpaper, paint, etc to bring color and character into a room. We had instant character through carpet and cabinets. We will add to the decor in the future but it feels very "finished" even now.
5)3 car garage. We now have a snow blower and I can easily use it. Eve if we had had one in the last house, I would have had to move the car to get it out of the garage to use it. A big garage is a must if you have kids and aren't that great at keeping things organized
6)Clean top range. I grew up with gas stoves and always thought they were the best because you can control the heat better. I have since learned how to use an electric and absolutely love how easy it is to clean with the clean top feature. They even have a special cleaner that leaves it shiny as new.
7)Walk in pantry. Love it! If you can sacrifice the space, do it. My laundry room is a little smaller but the pantry is well worth it.
Well, that is about it for now. I am just so happy with our home. I hope others can have the same result. Best wishes.