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Final Walk-Through Checklist
(a helpful tool for providing your builder
with a comprehensive list of final repairs)
You’re finally getting ready to move into your new home! You’ve been waiting for this moment for over a year, maybe even two. You’re excited, you’re exhausted, and you just want it to be over, but there is one more thing you need to do before getting the keys to the front door: THE FINAL WALK-THROUGH.
Wouldn’t it be nice to have a checklist that leads you through the house, inside and out, reminding you of what to examine in each area while simultaneously creating a repair list for your builder? Our newest product will do just that and more! For more information, Click for Final Walk-Thru Checklist.
Model Home Review Checklist
(looking past the decorating to
see this house as your home)
You’ve visited model after model. Finally, you’ve discovered one that you love. This might be the perfect home for your family, but. . .
Have you really SEEN it?
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How many outlets were on the front porch?
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Was the exhaust above the stove designed to pull the steam and grease from the home, or is it simply a recirculating system that pulls steam and grease through a filter and deposits it back into the kitchen?
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What was the height of the bathroom cabinets: 32” or 36”?
- Were there exterior floodlights? How many? Where were they located? Were they static or equipped with motion sensors?
Our “Model Home Review Checklist” provides a thorough and systematic method for looking past the beautiful decorating in many model homes in order to determine if the design will “work” for your family, and if the builder will meet your needs.
This unique tool will help you to focus on the functional features of the house on a room-by-room basis. It also will make sure you are aware of the specifications associated with the lot and with the mechanical, structural, and exterior elements of your potential new home. In addition it may introduce you to new building products. For more information, Click for Model Home Review Checklist.
New Freebies
We’ve added three new pictorial checklists: “Laundry Room Design,” “Kitchen Design,” and “Oops!” These lists are chock-full of insightful information to help design function into your new home. And you know what they say: “A picture is worth a thousand words!” For more information, Click for FREEBIES !
Aging With Ease In Your Home
Are you planning to retire in your new home, or do you anticipate your parents becoming part of your household in the future? A full quarter of the population consists of Baby Boomers who are at least 50 years old, so these types of questions often arise during discussions of a building or remodeling project. As a Certified Aging in Place Specialist (and one of those Boomers myself), one way I help my clients plan for such eventualities is by considering the concept of Universal Design. Universal design is an approach to creating products, services, and environments that can be used by as many people as possible, regardless of their age, ability, or situation. Many Universal Design features, though often unnoticed by guests, can go a long way toward creating a “user-friendly” environment for aging occupants. For example, Great Grabz has a beautiful line of grab bars available in different finishes.
 It’s important to remember, however, that the walls around the tub and commode, along with the shower walls, must be reinforced with plywood at the framing stage in order for grab bars to support the necessary weight. So, if you think you might want to add grab bars in the future, be sure to let your builder know.
 Wider doorways and hallways make manipulation of a walker or wheelchair possible. The minimum width of a doorway for wheelchair access is 32 inches. The ideal is 36 inches. Wider doorways also make it easier to move furniture in and out of rooms. And hallways should be no less than 36 to 42 inches wide for improved mobility. If you are including a larger bathroom in your design, keep in mind that the optimum wheelchair turning radius is 60 inches.
Handles (as opposed to knobs) on hose bibs, faucets and doors are much easier to operate, as are pulls (versus knobs) on cabinet doors.
 
Another desirable feature of pulls like the ones pictured below is that they will not catch on your clothing. For example, knobs on base kitchen cabinets can be just the right height to catch on pants pockets, causing damage to clothing or cabinetry.
 
These simple ideas represent just a very few of the many Universal Design elements that can be seamlessly incorporated into your building project.
Copyright © 2006 Tracy DeCarlo - All Right Reserved
WANT A CHECK LIST OF HUNDREDS OF TIPS
AND IDEAS FOR DESIGNING A FUNCTIONAL HOME?
If you liked today’s tips you’ll love the book “Don’t Forget the Linen Closets!” It’s packed with over 240 ideas and reminders to help you incorporate function, organization, and efficiency into your home without breaking the bank.
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To us, it [“Don’t Forget the Linen Closets”] is the most thorough guide to building a house, regardless of size, in the industry. Most importantly, it is geared toward the folks who will actually live in the house.
By following your guidelines, we are confident that we will have a far more functional home than if we had been on our own. Also, we know that we and the builder have saved thousands of dollars by avoiding rework and non-functional design flaws. In fact we have dubbed the book, “The Home Buyers’ Essential Handbook for Design and Construction in Less Than 50 Pages.”
Thank you for sharing your thoughts and experiences in such a concise and useful way.
Bill and Yvonne Dunbar
Homeowners building a custom home
Orlando, FL – February 2006
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If you’d like more personalized help, Tracy’s plan-review service will walk you through the process in detail. In either case, planning the details in the beginning can save thousands in the end! To see more testimonials and/or to place your order, visit Detailed Solutions WEB site now.
WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE OR ON YOUR WEB SITE?
You can, as long as you include the following blurb in its entirety:
Tracy DeCarlo, author of “Don’t Forget the Linen Closets!” publishes the idea-packed, monthly e-zine “Tips for Designing a Functional Home.” If you’re ready to learn how to incorporate organization, function, and efficiency into your new home or remodeling project without breaking the bank, get your FR*EE tips now at www.BuildingTips.net.
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