We had the builder install two cabinets above the washer and dryer during a new build. It wasn't until months later that I realized the fronts of the two cabinets did not match.

I'd never lived in a home with a finished basement. Our new build had a finished basement. Just lovely. Lots of light, views. Discovered that I strongly dislike basements. It was never used. We rebuilt a few years later. Our current basement has a huge storage area, one finished bedroom used as a work out room, one finished bath and the rest is DH's ginormous woodworking shop which he adores. I work out every day but will first find any excuse possible to avoid going downstairs.

Gray, I actually said oh no when I read your post. Did you keep the fronts or put on new ones? And I bet no one would have ever noticed either.

Whatsayyou, did you figure out why you don't like basements? Come to think of it, I don't really like basements either, and not because my dad walked in on me and my boyfriend kissing. :) It seems no matter how it's spiffed up, it still has the feel of a basement, like you're in a cage and can't get out.

We lived in our new-construction home for several YEARS before we noticed that the builder never installed crown trim over the cabinets in the laundry room or butlers pantry. Whoops!

I was not there when they installed our new side-by-side front-load washer and dryer. A few days later I went to do a load of laundry and just then noticed that they’d attached both doors to open in the same direction! The installer was very irritated when I insisted he come back out here and fix it so the dryer’s door opened the other way, allowing me to easily and quickly move the clothes from the washer into the dryer. What kind of appliance installer wouldn’t already know that ?!? (LOL)

Lynn - the plumber who installed my washer and dryer at our vacation home did something just as weird. He thought it would be a great idea to place the laundry tub between the washer and dryer and was quite miffed when I told him that he had to move it.

Oakley, no I've never figured out why I dislike them. We wouldn't consider lots that couldn't afford us light-filled basements so I can't blame lack of light. No bad experiences. No problem going to the second level in this house or any previous homes. Maybe it's a feng shui thing? ;)

When we bought our lake condo, a builder had gutted it and remodeled it prior to the previous owner buying it. They had not lived full time in it, just used it as a vacation place, which is what we do too. It has a small low storage room under the stairs. The builder had created a built in cabinet with a counter open to the great room, taking up most of the old closet space under the stairs, and leaving a smaller space, which is fine. We keep some pool and lawn toys, a tool box and a couple of folding lawn chairs in there.

We had noticed the handles on the double doors seemed low. It took us about a year to realize the doors were installed upside down. DH switched them. Like Lynn said, what installer wouldn’t know this?

I didn't build or remodel, but I noticed two glaring errors in my living room. The pot lights are evenly spaced for the room, but off-center with the soffit joist and the molding above the the fireplace is vastly uneven which means something else must be really off plumb.

Rhizo, I was thinking the same thing when I last posted. With low ceilings basements feel a bit claustrophobic. Whatsayyou, this is really intriguing to me!

Upside down doors? lol

Fun, that would be something to investigate, for sure. I love mysteries so I'll be over soon.

I just googled feng shui and basements and there's a lot out there. One site suggested wind chimes to move around the negative air.

Anyone here actually believe in feng shui?

Fun, when we remodeled the family room in our last house, we replaced the two square ceiling lights with six can lights. The guys checked the ceiling where had marked where we’d like the lights, modified where they would go, then started cutting. Bam, 4th light, there was a duct they hadn’t detected. Redid. Bam, 6th light would have fit had there not been a bit of ductwork curving just enough in the way to prevent one little arc of the can from fitting. So, the final lights are not exactly where you might expect them, but they are at least in two straight lines.

At least nine foot ceilings in both basements. Wide staircases with landings. Perhaps it's the solid walls leading down the stairs creating a closed-in feeling?

Feng shui~~I don't really know much about it other than what I've seen on HGTV, lol. I've concurred with many/most of the F/S suggestions offered on the few shows I've seen it addressed, but not because of energy, luck, etc; just that the recommendations seemed like an obvious choice. When we planned our current home, we had specific ideas as to how to site the house so that certain rooms would get particular light at different times of the day. People comment that our home has a great "feel"; not sure how much light has to do with that. Thirteen years later and we still love it.

Marie that's where our wash tub is now and where they all have been in my life when I think through the many many houses I have lived in. Basements are tough for sure. Does anyone bother a nice renovation and find it used to equal the work and money it was? In the end a basement is a basement and people seem to prefer being above ground. Ours is a walk out. TONS of light compared to past basements. It is where the family room is. We envisioned a teen hang out mostly. Pool table/ping pong/video games...mine preferred being upstairs. I am glad we didn't put more than lighter paint and new carpet into it.

Bpath, I bet ducts in our master bedroom explains why I curse every night in the winter. lol The ac/heat vent is right above the bed where we lay our heads, and close to the wall. In the summer I love the cold air blowing on me, but in the winter, it makes my mouth and skin dry. I've always wondered why they didn't put it in the middle of the room! Aha!

"When we planned our current home, we had specific ideas as to how to site the house so that certain rooms would get particular light at different times of the day. " Do you mind telling me which rooms get what type of light? I'm really interested in this.

I built a custom home in the late 90s and chose lovely carriage style lanterns for the exterior front and back. The two larger ones were to flank the front entry and the identical but smaller one was to be placed between garage doors around back. One evening I stopped by the house to check progress and saw the crew had a small one and a large one installed on the front brick entry and a large one installed around back. How could they have not noticed that?! I was convinced those guys smoked their lunches, as that entire build was one thoughtless and careless thing like that after another. It turned out to be a beautiful house, but was a nightmare getting it built properly.

I forgot the biggest "OH NO" - they built the house in the wrong location!

Since we live 3 hours away from where we bought our vacation property the builder gave us neon orange flags and told us to mark off the site. The excavation crew wasn't scheduled to start for 4 to 6 weeks. We went up to finalize appliances and floors and stopped by our land only to discover that the foundation had been dug - surprise - not where our flags were placed.

Apparently the excavator had a schedule change and decided to start our home earlier. He saw some flags and assumed that's where the house was going. Unfortunately those flags marked a curve in the driveway. Our flags were deeper on the lot and he didn't notice them. The property is heavily wooded and there is thick underbrush.

Our builder acknowledged the error and offered to fill in the hole. But we decided to leave it as it was - maybe it was fate - but we now like this site better and since the driveway hadn't been laid out we moved it. That was over 20 years ago and an awful start to a long held dream of a house in the woods.

Oakley, master bedroom has northern exposure, kitchen and hearth room get morning light, the study has morning and afternoon light, great room gets afternoon light.

Thank you What. Okay, I cannot believe I forgot this major OH NO. I must have been traumatized and put it far back in my mind.

I bet I win hands down on this one. It's been ten years since we did the remodel, including the kitchen. We have a regular stove/oven with the microwave on top which has the stove vent built into it. The vent worked great, sucked everything right up. When DH started working from home is when a grease build-up began on the cabinet doors above the microwave. He cooks breakfast every morning which includes sausage or bacon but he's been really good using the vent and also a splatter screen on top of his pan. We don't fry very often and yet grease was still building up.

Back in November when an electrician was here we were in the kitchen talking about my undercabinet lights. The conversation led to the grease build-up on the cabinet doors. BTW, inside that cabinet is the big pipe thingy that carries the vent smoke out the roof.

He took a look then a double take and started laughing and saying OMG. For TEN years we have been using a vent that was installed upside down and ALL that grime blew inside the cabinet and didn't go up the roof!!

That cabinet is where I store my nice glass containers. No wonder they always had a layer of grime on them when I needed to use one.

I wasn't home when the conractor put in the kitchen counters. One slopes dramatcally toward the sink. The guy had actually convinced my husband that water would drain off the counter into the sink that way!

Reading these reminds me why we didn't build. My BIL was on site of his build twice a day coming and going from work. Still they managed to put the house too far back on the lot (cost him plenty for the added driveway and sod) as well as a hall closet that ended up 6" deep. Finding the odd or wrong in a previously owned home is one thing but something about a brand new purchase that isn't PERFECT that really frustrates me. Re-reading the comments about basements and adding this post reminds me of the great expense for the retaining wall/patio/beautiful slider BIL has for the basement family room that never did get finished. Again no one was interested in hanging in the basement--walk out or not.

Beverly, I learned from the backsplash incident in my first post to never, ever EVER let my husband be home alone when work is being done. He is aesthetically challenged. Our husbands should be banned! lol I'm sure it will cost a pretty penny to fix the counter?

Arcy, the builder should have eaten the cost of adding a longer driveway. A closet 6" deep, wth? Another cost the builder should have eaten.