12 Cool Things to Add To Your New Home Build

When you choose to build a new home at The Highlands in Kelowna, there’s a good chance that you’re going to want to live in it for a long time. This is your perfect chance to build a dream home with sweeping views of Okanagan Lake and Kelowna, in a great, award-winning community. So if you’re going to build your dream home, now is the time to plan all of the extra things that will take your home to the next level.

1. A bathing station for the dog
   People in Kelowna are passionate about their pets and if you’re building a custom home, you may want to include some extras for Fido. We suggest putting in a doggy bathing station in your garage, so when you get back in from a hike on the mountain, you can get your pup all cleaned up! If your dog is smaller, elevate the station so that you don't have to bend down and crouch over your dog.

2. On-demand water heater
   Never have a shower run cold again. With an on-demand hot water heater, you save space and you save energy because you are only heating water as you need it. This also means you can take long, luxurious showers without running out of warm water.

3. Independently controlled outdoor outlets
   Few neighbourhoods in Kelowna know how to celebrate Christmas like Kettle Valley. If you want to be a part of the revelry, build your home with outdoor receptacles beneath eaves and in various locations around your house. This will help eliminate the need for messy extension cords and you can wire them to switches in your home, so you can switch the lights on and off as you need. You can even go a step further and put them on a smart home automation system and control the outdoor lighting from your phone.

4. Dual kitchen workspaces
   If your home is the gathering place for family and friends, you may want to consider dual work spaces in the kitchen, complete with sinks and garbage/recycling cans. It helps keep people out of your space while you’re working, or you and a friend can work at the same time without getting in each other’s way. It takes the separate beverage bar to a whole new level!

5. Jetted laundry sink
   Washing delicate laundry can be a chore, but if you have a jetted laundry sink, you can just pop your laundry in.
   
   (JKKitchenandBath.com)

6. Under-cabinet outlets
   If you’d like to keep the beautiful tile on your backsplash uninterrupted, but you don’t want to sacrifice your outlets, just install them beneath your upper cabinetry.
   
   (modular under cabinet track by Legrand)

7. Sun tunnels for powder rooms and closets
   There’s nothing quite like natural light and sun tunnels allow you to bring that light into spaces that wouldn’t normally be able to have a window.

8. Stargazing skylights
   In Kelowna’s upper mission, we are able to see incredible stars and skies from our backyards. Put a skylight in your room and you can gaze at the stars from bed.

9. Recessed outlets
   If you are certain that a particular wall will always be the space where the sofa, bed, or television rests, you can add a recessed outlet so that the furniture can sit flush against the wall.
   
   (galesburgelectric.com)

10. Get a pull out cabinet
    If you need a little more counter space or a mobile island, you can put a mobile cabinet beneath your counter top. Just pull it out when you need an extra work station.
    
    (onekindesign)

11. Install an elevator
    Some homeowners with walk-out basements and home lots find that they don’t use their outdoor space as much as they’d like to. A walk-up home plan eliminates this problem and gives you one-floor living. If you’re worried about groceries, you can install a lift system for as little as $4,500, or add a wheelchair accessible elevator for $28,000.

12. No space left behind
    When you build a custom home, you are in a unique position to ensure that no piece of space is wasted. Make a rough inventory of the things that are in your current home and that you will be taking into your new one. Then find a place for each piece to be neatly housed. Hallways become libraries and bookcases, shallow cupboards and the spaces between wall studs become cabinets for cleaning supplies and brooms. Kitchen cabinets conceal drawers, so that you never have to dig to fetch something at the back the cupboard. The spaces under your stairs become secret drawers for shoes. You get the picture. Every single space can be modified to fit some object or necessity!
    
    (stairstorageco.net)

There are so many great things that you can add when you build a new home at The Highlands in Kettle Valley. We look forward to seeing what our homeowners come up with!

If you have any questions about the available lots at The Highlands or if you would like to learn more about your building options, call us at 1-800-764-2199 or email us at discoverycentre@kettlevalley.com!