Different homeowners have different priorities for a dream home. When you start planning your own dream home, you will need to consider your priorities and desired lifestyle as well as your budget, climate, and other factors. You will need to think about how your desired lifestyle will affect how you design things like the floor plan, electrical system, and plumbing.
Learn about several different categories of plumbing components to consider as you design your dream home.
Plumbing Components for Sustainability and Self-Sufficiency
Sustainable living and self-sufficient lifestyles often go hand in hand. So whether you hope to go totally off-grid or whether you are mostly interested in saving the planet, building sustainability into your plumbing system from the start can help you achieve your goals.
Some ideas for self-sufficiency in your plumbing include a solar hot water heater, a gray water system to let you reuse water, and a private well. A private wastewater system can also help you become more self-reliant since you will not depend on the city sewer.
Any plumbing component that reduces water use, energy use, or other forms of waste can also help you become more self-sustaining and eco-friendly. For example, a hot water recirculation pump and low-flow aerators on your faucets can both help reduce water waste.
Plumbing Components for Comfort and Luxury
Some homeowners may have comfort, convenience, and luxury features, such as a hot tub, on their list with dream home design. If you are interested in comfort and luxury, your plumbing system design will have to take that into account. You may need to add a spa-like bathroom or an indoor pool to your home design, for instance.
Other worthwhile luxury plumbing items to consider include:
- Smart plumbing components (such as a water heater controlled via your smart home system)
- Top-of-the-line kitchen faucet, sinks, and dishwasher
- Whole-house water filtration system to get your water just how you like it
Plumbing Components for Security and Protection
You have probably heard the saying that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, but you may not have applied it to the plumbing designs for your new home yet. Be sure to add any plumbing components you need to protect against common plumbing issues.
Some plumbing components you can add for peace of mind include a grease trap, a backflow prevention device, and freeze prevention for your pipes (such as heat tape and pipe insulation). Backflow prevention devices come in several varieties, and not all are created equal. Talk to your plumbing contractor about which one will give you the most security.
Plumbing Components for Added Home Value
When building your dream home, the salability of the house is not immediately relevant since you likely do not plan to sell it in the foreseeable future. However, you can still benefit financially from increasing the value of the property you own. Increased property value can increase your total asset value and net worth and give you extra security if you ever do need to sell.
You can help maximize your home's value with useful, desirable plumbing components such as an energy-efficient tankless water heater.
Another strategy to maximize home value is to choose components that have a super-long lifespan, such as copper plumbing rather than plastic pipes (which do not last as long).
Plumbing Components for Aging in Place
Whether you are a caregiver for an older relative or whether you want to ensure you will be able to stay in your dream home several decades from now, accessibility and safety features should be a priority. Fortunately, you can easily design your plumbing with a few characteristics that will improve accessibility for seniors.
For instance, you may want to choose a larger, more accessible shower with no ledge to step over, and a walk-in tub, both of which can improve access and reduce chances of falls. You can also choose a high-end showerhead that offers accessibility features such as a handheld functionality. All of these options can go nicely with a luxury bathroom design as well.
These are just some of the options you will want to consider as you design the plumbing system for your dream home. Do not forget to consider how your plumbing system will interact with other home systems (such as your wastewater system and your electrical system) as well.
For help with plumbing design and installation or advice on which design characteristics are best for your desired lifestyle, contact a local plumbing company such as
Michigan Plumbing
. We offer a variety of services including plumbing installation and also provide the best plumbing maintenance once your home is complete.
