I found this forum very helpful in spurring ideas on unique features, design aspects, and options that others found beneficial. I had never seen the TR strip electrical recepticles mounted under the upper kitchen cabinets, and even though it turned out to be a lot more expensive than I expected I am glad I got the idea to do this from this forum. Having moved in to our new home three weeks ago my DW and I agree that the best option we chose was one that I didn't see on this forum. I found this recommendation on www.garagejournal.com, another forum I was following during construction to get ideas for my basement and garage. We both agree the best upgrade we chose was a Lift Master 3800 garage door opener. Now, I know garage door openers aren't very sexy but the features on this model really are nice. First, the control panel/button that you mount near your entry door has a motion/heat sensor that automatically turns on the door operators light any time you walk through the door. This is nice because you don't have to worry about turning on a light every time you walk out the door and then forgetting to turn it off. The control panel also has a LCD screen that shows the time and temperature in the garage. The motor mounts to the wall instead of the ceiling which opens up overhead space. It's also much more quite and smooth in case you have liveable space above the garage. The remote controls light up when you hand gets near it for ease of operation. Because the unit operates off the garage door jack shaft, instead of the traditional overhead track, the unit comes with a solenoid actuated door lock that secures your door while it is down. These garage door openers are more expensive than common units but all the research I have read indicates that these have a long life.

Here is a link that might be useful: Liftmaster Website