Since sharing my favorite DIY projects, it also brought up some home-building regrets we made in our house when building. Joe and I constantly say “we should have done this” or “we should have done that” in the five years we have lived here. These are just a few mistakes we made, and vow not to make again in our next home.
BIGGER GARAGE
Our two-car garage is pretty small. To be honest, it holds my Jeep and Joe’s truck and that’s about it. We have strategically placed shelves in corners and have storage hanging from the ceiling, but other than that our garage is a joke. As you know, I don’t hoard things and frequently clean out our house and donate things we don’t need. So it’s not like we have a lot of stuff. However, Joe has a new lawn service business that requires a lot of equipment and he needs a place for all of it. In our next house, a four-car garage would be ideal. However, I also think it’s obnoxious for our area. So, a three-car with a tandem would be great. A bigger garage also means I could have a small workshop with all my tools. My DIY projects could be completed in the garage instead of our patio, where I constantly have to keep things out of the rain or work in the harsh sun.
This is definitely one of our biggest home building regrets. Of course, the quick solution to this problem we have now would be to just park our cars in the street and use our current garage for storage. It’s something we have thought about but isn’t really an option we’d like to pursue.
BIGGER LOT
A bigger lot and a bigger backyard. We are in a cul de sac and have one of the angled lots. So while our backyard isn’t deep, our side yard is an okay size. However, in the beginning, stages of building our home we had the opportunity to purchase the bigger lot one house over but we passed because of the price. It was a decision we immediately regretted about 6 months into our home. Now, if we were to build or buy again (actually we will be, there is no if) we will definitely go with the bigger lot and hope for an in-ground pool.
LAUNDRY SINK
While I love our laundry room, there is one big regret I have about it. When our home was being built, there was an option for a sink in the laundry room. We passed on the upgraded option thinking we didn’t really need it. However, now it is definitely something I wish we had. Rinsing paintbrushes, handwashing delicate clothing, or soaking Joe’s work clothes is being done in the kitchen sink, so a laundry sink would be great!
LARGER PANTRY
I wouldn’t even call what we have now a pantry. It more of just a large cabinet. It works okay for us, and I think I could improve it with some added shelves and storage solutions. However, I dream of the day I can have a large walk-in pantry! We frequently shop at Costco for dry goods, canned food, water, soda, paper towels, etc. It’s great and we save money that way, however, I’m constantly trying to find a place to put it all. So, a larger pantry is definitely on the list for the next house and would help a lot with storage.
WHITE CABINETS
When it came to choosing our kitchen cabinets, I felt like there weren’t many options from the builder – light brown, dark brown, or white. I should have chosen white. However, I chose dark brown. It has been my BIGGEST regret. If you have been following my blog long enough, you’ll notice I rarely share our kitchen. There is no natural light, dark cabinetry, and black appliances. Painting the cabinets and updating our kitchen is one of my goals for this year, but choosing white cabinets from the beginning would have been a better decision.
Hopefully, if you are building a home or searching for a new home, remember that those must-haves sometimes really are must-haves, and don’t give in or make any exceptions. Try not to have any home-building regrets. I also have a few tips on how to save money when building and of course tons of DIY tutorials to make your home feel more custom!
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