I have re-compiled the original list, adding recent suggestions. Closet & Organization Outlets in closets Make sure your closet has enough space for both double hung rods, and singles to accommodate long clothes Full size broom cupboard in pantry or laundry room to hide all the cleaning items away from sight. More closet/linen space than you think you'll need (one user suggested an island in the closet for packing suitcases or folding laundry) Cubbies in mudroom with an outlet in each one Motion sensor on pantry and closet lights Plan where you’ll charge personal electronics (tablets, laptops, etc.) Plan where you’ll park the vacuum (in homes with small children or pets, you may want to keep it near the eating areas). Bath Outlet in master toilet closet for night light Outlets inside vanity cabinets (upper and lower) in bathroom for dryer etc. (Consider making these switched outlets, so hot tools are more likely to be powered down when you leave the room.) Heated towels racks Don't caulk the bottom of your toilet to the tile, as it may hide leaks. Make use of the pony wall in a bathroom by turning it into storage. If you have a central vac system, add vac pans for hair in bathroom. Appliance garage on counter Laundry access via master closet, and a second laundry room Exhaust fans vented to outside Consider shower/tub preferences e.g. thermostatic valve, hand-held sprayer, steam Grab bars and easy tub/shower entry for aging family members Shampoo niche in shower where it is only visible once standing inside shower Eye-level side lights are more flattering than overhead lights. Outdoor Run conduit under the driveway for future wiring or plumbing needs Prewire speakers both indoor and outdoor (this 9-year-old suggestion may be outdated now, as more speaker brands offer wireless systems) Ensure you have hose outlets and power on all 4 sides of your house, and on top of any raised areas Hot/cold outdoor water is good for washing pets Motion sensor pre-wire for selected exterior lights Keypad entry on garage door (Keypad entry on front door is great as well, both are easy to retrofit) Gas line to grill Lighted outdoor pathways and steps Illuminated (or highly visible) house numbers to ensure EMTs and packages arrive safely If your electric utility and budget allow, request underground distribution lines, rather than above ground poles. Kitchen Outlets in kitchen pantry for charging, or for items that may end up living there Recess the fridge, or make adjacent cabinets deeper, so cabinet faces sit flush with body of fridge With deep islands, put cabinets on both sides. While they are not easy to get to, they are good for storing seldomly used items. Built-in paper towel holder Custom storage organization in kitchen drawers Warming drawer in dining room Pantry entrance near both kitchen and garage Rough-ins for both gas and electric appliances Pantry door on swivel Pantry light on motion sensor Copper tubing for your ice maker from the freezer and until it's out of the kitchen wall Drawer microwave Knife drawer Pull-out garbage/recycling/laundry (for dirty dish towels/napkins/bibs!) Paper towel holder in drawer slot Drawers for all lower cabinets (more efficient use of space) Two soap pumps at sink (one for hand soap, one for dish soap) Easy-access place to store frequently used appliances place to hang hand towels & aprons Exhaust fans vented to outside For windows above counters, maximum height possible Plan dining seating area to be expanded when hosting large number of guests. Locate garbage disposal switch in a way that someone could not possibly turn it on while someone’s hand is near the unit. Electrical & Plumbing Prewire security system & cameras Run wire and prepare roof for future solar Run a 2" PVC pipe up from the basement to the attic for future wiring needs, some suggested double conduits. Separate 20-amp circuit with outlets at waist height in garage to plug in tools Separate 20-amp circuit for TV and a/v equipment (this 9-year-old suggestion may be outdated now, as modern televisions are not quite so power-hungry) Identify areas for low voltage rack (this 9-year-old suggestion may be outdated now, as alarm systems, network servers, modems, and routers are more compact) Prewire speakers both indoor and outdoor (this 9-year-old suggestion may be outdated now, as more speaker brands offer wireless systems) iPad controllers in the walls to control whole house music systems (this 9-year-old suggestion may be outdated now) Pre-wire for generator to essential areas Carbon monoxide unit on the wall upstairs Make sure plumbing in bathrooms is done correctly. One commenter's toilet was placed too close to the tub pipes so they couldn't get the deeper tub because they didn't allow room. Cast iron pipes for the plumbing drops from the second floor cuts down on noise Take pictures of all the walls before drywall goes up, so you know where all the wiring and studs are located. Include a 220V to garage (tools, future electric car etc) Measure the location of anything under the slab, and various utilities out in the yard. Run an electrical line with a few floor outlets, particularly in open floor plans. It may be best to have floor outlets just outside your planned rug area. Plumb for outdoor drinking fountain. Tankless water heater with recirculating lines. Label electric panel switches, and if you prefer items to be grouped in a certain way, discuss with electrician before they begin. TV outlets at appropriate height (for TV to be centered at eye-level when seated on a sofa, outlets should be ~42” from floor – note that TVs mounted above fireplaces are not ergonomic – with a standard mantel height of 54”, TV ends up centered ~70” from floor). Water main shut-off valve in case of plumbing emergency. Whole-house surge protector at electrical box for major power surges, but sensitive electronics like TVs/computers should be plugged into power strip surge protectors. Exhaust fan in laundry room for faster air-drying, and eliminate odors if you air-dry sport equipment. Lighting Light switch to the attic in the hallway (and remember lights in attic in general) Solar tubes in areas that don’t get natural sunlight In-cabinet lighting Make sure you check the cost ratings of ceiling fans Check all remotes for ceiling fans prior to construction completion 3 way switches where helpful Master switch from master that controls all exterior lights A master switch at each exit (front, back or garage), that turns off all of the power to the switches/lights in the house, so that you can turn off all lights without going to each room and/or light switch. Timer switches and light sensors for selected lights, both interior and exterior In general, recessed lighting for function, pendant lighting for form. If you run ceiling fans frequently, be aware that a ceiling fan will give your recessed lighting a strobe light effect. Dimmer switches in rooms where you may enjoy low-lighting. Master Quad outlets near the bed in the master Light switch at the head of your bed so you can turn out the light once you are in bed. Holiday Exterior holiday light outlets under eaves, with a switch inside to turn on and off. Interior holiday light outlets: over cabinets, in stairway, in porch ceiling, under eaves, fireplace mantle Enough storage for Christmas decorations Seasonal closet with hangers for wreaths, and space for rubbermaid storage boxes. Heating, Cooling, and Vacuums Central Vac with vac pans, if you have hardwood floors get a Hide A Hose (This 9-year-old suggestion may be outdated, as some homeowners prefer robot vacuums over central vac units.) Hepa filtration for allergy sufferers WarmFloors heating Zoned heating/cooling When choosing thermostat/vent locations, plan ahead for furniture/art. Don’t let the builder decide without your input. Install high R-value insulation, windows, and doors. Wall vents painted wall color, rather than left white. Overall Make Your House Do the Housework by Don Aslett - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/590386 Better Houses, Better Living: What To Look for When Buying, Building or Remodeling by Myron E. Ferguson - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/206474 Receptacles for fire extinguishers. Maybe plan some cutouts so they are flush to the wall. Pocket doors where possible Secondary dryer lint trap http://www.reversomatic.com/category/Accessories-Catalogue/Lint-Traps.html Soundproofing where needed A phone by the door leading into the garage for those pesky calls when you are getting in or out of the car (This 9-year-old suggestion may be outdated now, as more homeowners forgo landline phones.) An inside button to open and close your garage door for when guests arrive and it's raining. (This 9-year-old suggestion may be outdated now, as it’s easy to retrofit WiFi-enabled garage door openers that you can open via app.) Additional support during framing on the top side of windows for curtains Power outage flashlights and keep in outlets around the house. Recess these into the space with each fire extinguisher. Mailbox sensor to alert you whenever your mailbox is opened so that you're not running out of the house checking for mail when it's not there. Ensure builders don't "box" off spaces, where storage or shelving could go Make copies of manuals prior to installation and give the builder the copies so you can keep the originals. (This 9-year-old suggestion may be outdated now, as it may be preferable to save digital manuals, as they are easier to search when troubleshooting an already-installed appliance.) Minimal walls, and lots of windows. A laundry room. Not just a hall, or closet, a room.Plan for how laundry gets from hampers to laundry room (e.g. chutes, cart) Laundry room/closet (ideally located near the bedrooms, but could also be in a main bathroom or hall closet) w/ in/on wall folding ironing board, drying rack(s), shelves for laundry supplies and a "laundry hamper sorting station": space for 4 tall laundry hamper/baskets -- to pre-sort laundry. When a hamper is full it's a load of laundry. Spindles and handrail made that can be removed for moving furniture Handicapped accessible. Plan an elevator shaft in case you want to install one later, in the meantime it will serve as storage closets. Plan ahead for wish list items, and rough-in lines for electric, gas, plumbing Anticipate where guests will enter your home after parking, and make that entry comfortable. Guests will take the shortest possible path from their car to the home (often entering through garage or side door), rather than walking around to the official “front door.” Make a “house manual,” including paint brands/formulas, tile brands/styles, etc. Pets Plan a specific place for pet food. Place for the kitty box, including an exhaust fan. Place for dogs to be bathed. Place to store dog crates. Regional considerations Ante-room, with coat racks and shoe storage, and a way to keep the heat in. An entrance to the basement from outside for salt delivery, repair men etc so they don't track through your house. Storm shelter to weather the threats your area faces. Mosquito system http://www.mistaway.com/watch-the-mistaway-video.html and http://www.mosquitonix.com/mosquitonix Covered niche for bear spray at/near each entry. Drain in the garage to get rid of the excess water quicker from vehicles after it snows Pest line (brand name Taexx) a small tube is run around the perimeter of the home through the framing, and then pest control can spray within it. Heated outdoor walkways, steps, driveway Whole-house generator if your area regularly has power outages that last more than 24 hours. Connect to natural gas line or propane tank. Separate electric panel. Footbath or shower, if your backyard activities (e.g. pool, beach) will require a rinse before re-entering the home Plan landscape lighting and irrigation (consider choosing plants that thrive in local zone without additional irrigation) In dry climates, rain barrels to help irrigate, greywater system to reuse household water to irrigate; cistern or well If forest fires are a risk, install exterior rooftop sprinklers For northern climates, heat the garage (pay attention to local ordinances to ensure heating garage doesn’t require finishing garage as a “living space”). For rural areas, do not have any windows in the garage. Instead of getting stuck in the garage and banging on windows, flies and bees will exit through tiny daylight cracks. For dry climates, a whole-house humidifier. For hard-water areas, a whole-house soft water system. (Hose bibs should not use softened water, as it can harm plants.)

Spitfire, pretty much my entire family is like that, very frugal Yankees. Furniture, rugs, lamps, etc. were/are only replaced when they get too ratty and worn-out to keep using, or broke and couldn't be repaired. Grandparents grew up in the Great Depression - both sets of grandparents married when the men came back from WWII, saved up and built modest houses around 1950. Pretty much everyone in the family just didn't have the money to be redecorating just because something was no longer considered "stylish". So a bedroom might still have 50-year-old wallpaper on the walls because it wasn't scraped or gouged or badly faded, so there wasn't any point in buying new paper. Although I do remember both grandmothers having very up-to-the-minute-for-1950 bathrooms, one had the robin's-egg blue fixtures complete with the metal-legged console sink and matching tile and the other had goldenrod yellow fixtures, but neither one would have dreamed of remodeling just to change the colors even though the style mavens considered them outright horrible thirty years later. I think a lot of it rubbed off on me, because I see little point (for me) in my decor having to constantly be "fresh" and "updated", it simply doesn't matter to me - I would just like to get things finished and be able to go on to other things to spend my money on. ;-) Practicality also trumps style in a big way in our house. We recently purchased a sectional (wow, brand new furniture, woowoo, but I'd been watching CL for quite a while to no avail) for the most effective use of space in our small, awkwardly-designed living room and I chuckled at the saleslady's comment that although of course you could still BUY them, sectionals were very "out", and we really should be getting a sofa-and-loveseat... even though that's what we were getting RID of because it wasted precious space! (DH and I bicker lovingly over the corner spot. Wonderful place to nest with lots of pillows and a warm blanket.) ljwrar, I would do any number of horrible things :-) for the kind of original features in your house, since my ca. 1900 house was almost completely stripped. Treasure them! If you replace the original light fixtures, wrap them well in acid-free paper, box them up carefully, and store them for a future owner to put back if they wish.

I built a shelf in as part of my hood, too, and am always changing out items up there as it suits me. It'd be much better if it were as wide as yours, though. Mine's only 42" and between a bunch of windows on each side, so it doesn't read as large, more light and airy. Yours is telling me it wants to start with a small, rather dark painting in a nice old frame to bring in some contrast. Marcolo's ideas all sound terrific, plus I'm thinking old silver would look lovely up there. I also have a nice bowl of fruit and veggies I intend to use quickly and a ceramic squash that holds kosher salt, which work great, so I'd recommend a couple of similarly pretty and functional items for the flat surfaces. Your kitchen looks so fine that I really feel it would not be visually improved by more, and your storage is so great that there's no compelling functional reason to keep stuff out, either. I personally love colorful foodstuffs behind glass doors in a kitchen--as decoration--but somehow I really don't think that's the way to go in your lovely kitchen. :) I'm guessing you'll end up putting one-color (white) dishes and perhaps nice glassware up there. Most people do, but that's because that looks so good. A someday option for more flexibility would be to shirr fabric behind the glass--if you ever wished to move other stuff in. For windows, some pretty fabric allowed to drape loosely (maybe even blow free?!) in an otherwise totally rigid environment?

We moved into a neighborhood of 1960s-70s colonials. One of the many things I liked about our house was the black slate foyer floor. A new friend came by and mentioned that "that slate is really easy to remove" and she had just put new large-format tile in her foyer instead. 12 years later and I still prefer my black slate. The other thing I wouldn't and won't change is the kitchen curtains. The kitchen faces the street and includes a breakfast nook, so we need some curtains, but I don't want to block the view altogether. The house came with cafe curtains, as well as an upper tier of curtains (not a valance) for the larger breakfast nook windows. They are somewhat sheer, maybe translucent is the word, which I like: it's like looking through lightly-frosted glass so I can see if someone is walking by the house without really being able to see who they are. The little ruffle probably dates them the most, but given that they are otherwise plain it's cute. What I'd really like is a toile pattern, but I just can't find a fabric that is translucent, without being "shiny".