Come and tell me your best life changing renovation choices

[newhousenewhousekeepingskills]

we are in the process of buying a fixer upper and I want to get organised

I am talking things like :-
laundry chutes
I have just seen a clever cupboard for all the baking trays

what else?
I am hoping that this will be the making of my slatternly ways

The laundry room upstairs with the bedrooms

Upstairs utility/laundry room.

Kitchen cupboards with pull out inserts for corners, no more digging about trying to find things. And a boiling water tap.

Pantry, utility and boot room….

I aspire to a laundry chute, an upstairs utility room, pan drawers and plate drawers (like this: https://www.solmer.co.uk/kitchen-accessories/plate-stack-drawer-insert.html?srsltid=AU7gw4UH1uYb1TaIYuRIzJAynrMcDivM1A5_dgQkTzIUOMFv_MEW-_JG)

I have robotic vacuum cleaners with mopping functions for upstairs and down, and shelves in all odd cupboards (like the giant boiler cupboard).

Boiling water / fizzy water tap

We have a "back" kitchen off the main kitchen which houses all our countertop appliances like toaster, coffee maker, air fryer, rice cooker etc. Means that the worktops in the main kitchen are easy to keep clean and tidy. It's positioned so that it feels like part of the main kitchen when it's being used, but you can shut the door so it's all out of sight. When we have guests we throw dirty pots and pans in there too so that the main kitchen stays presentable. It's absolutely brilliant.

I'm also very fond of my drying cupboard. All the washing out of sight and dries super quickly.

Narrow pull-out larder, and pull out inserts for kitchen drawers.

A shower with controls outside the shower itself - though I would now choose to have dual controls inside and out if they existed.

Heated mirror in the bathroom.

What is a drying cupboard?
I am thinking about the washing machine upstairs but what about line drying??

At the risk of TMI a bidet.
Initially we had one put in the master bathroom and so impressed we were by the feeling of cleanliness it gives (it really is a no brainer and should be the standard in every new build imo) I had one put in the guest bathroom only this time using an upgraded model which has a dryer built in. The feeling of an sterialized and well sanitised ring is priceless.

And sensor light for the kitchen worktops (they come on when you walk pass)

The building regs you need to put in a laundry shute makes it not worth it. It sounds better than it is. Also I'd hate the washing machine upstairs as we put it on at night to save money and it'd be really noisy. Definitely get a utility room though.
Boiling water tap. It doesn't save you money but the convenience is wonderful.
Underfloor heating (wet) with an ashp is wonderful. A lovely stable warmth 24/7 in winter.
Kitchen - drawers everywhere.

Turning the stair treads into drawers, created so much storage without space-taking furniture. If it’s feasible to install, a central vacuum system, so much less manual vacuuming and dusting, which brings me a lot of happiness.

And not organisation: but air con. Whilst everyone else bitches about getting comfortable in summer, we sleep blissfully.

Our drying cupboard is very similar to this https://www.instagram.com/reel/DSPK2daDcuV/ although we bought IKEA Pax trouser racks which was much cheaper than getting them built bespoke. And we definitely don't need a heater in there - it gets plenty warm enough with the dehumidifier alone.

I don't have Instagram. Intrigued by a drying cupboard, can you tell me more, please? If you have Pax trouser racks, do you have a Pax cupboard to house it all?

I am off to look up drying cupboards as well, but wanted to check I am on the right track. Thank you!

I aspire to a laundry chute, an upstairs utility room…

I can’t quite work out how these two particular aspirations are going to be compatible!

The cupboard itself was built by a carpenter as part of a run to fit in a particular space, but I think a Pax would work as well. Our racks are the ones that go in a 75cm cupboard and then we have a pull down rail for hanging shirts, t shirts etc. I also have an ikea octopus hanger for socks which hangs off a rack. I can easily fit a 9kg load in it.

Oh thank you so much, I am very taken with this notion, top tips from you.

Wet underfloor heating (GSHP or ASHP) is well worth doing if you are doing a big renovation. The comfortable feeling that comes from the floor being warm throughout cannot be beaten.
Kitchen mainly drawers and larder rather than cupboards, and a dresser style cupboard for appliances.
Wiring for networking is well worth doing - to every room and every TV point, plus some in ceilings for mesh WiFi (if a larger home). Somewhere for cable runs in future between floors. Cupboard for router and network switch.
Built in storage - wardrobes and cupboards.
Spend some money on lighting design - e.g. table lamp circuits in living rooms switched by light switch, lighting for pictures, dimmers / mood / scene lighting (something a previous house had, and we miss today).
Driveway alarm (if you have a long driveway) - useful to know if you have deliveries or (unexpected) visitors.
Preparation to run power/internet to outbuildings, garden office, garden lights etc. even if you don’t have the buildings yet.
Outside hot water tap for washing cars. Outside taps front and rear.
Wiring for CCTV (power and data) (even if you don’t plan to install it).

Pan drawers not cupboards.
Walk in pantry
Walk in wardrobes
Windows with built in blinds - in bathrooms - easy privacy, easy cleaning, no steam damage.
Wall hung toilets and sinks/vanity units for easy floor cleaning
More electric sockets than you ever think you'll need
Outside taps front and back with easy to reach isolation valves for winter/leaving property empty.
2 dishwashers- one clean/one dirty. Never unload again.
Integrated microwave - more counter space
Clever hidden storage for other counter top appliances like toasters air fryers - google, loads of clever solutions.
Electric velux and blinds if having sky lights
Boot room or somewhere you can dump muddy gear/wash dog down (if you have one) - low large Belfast sink works well with small to mid size dogs
Somewhere to dry laundry- if not tumble drying everything.
Outside electric for summer/Xmas lighting
In larger bathrooms have radiators and heated towel rail if not gaving under floor heating, but underfloorheatingcwould be 1st choice. Fit electric vents up through the attic and then outside - keeps the noise level right down. I live in a bungalow but bathroom fitter suggested this when having ensuite done and its almost silent but works very well.

Skirting board plinths that can be popped off, or are attached by magnets. I had to take down skirting boards to get a dishwasher changed, and to fix a washing machine leak, and they never went back on straight. If nobody has invented easy-clean pop-off skirting plinths, I’d like to register the idea.

Top tip for major renovations - move out while they are happening. And make sure you have someone (we had our designer, who worked with our architect, plus a project manager on site much of them time) to oversee everything, if you aren't there to do it.
Things I love - heated bathroom floors, deep pan drawers (far more of these than cupboards with shelves, a "back" kitchen in addition to the main kitchen, a boot room with dog wash station.
We also installed a drip water system in our garden, so the plants water themselves as necessary.

This

Oh. Two dishwashers (not the pull out drawers). Use things from the clean and load used things back into the ‘dirty’ one. Set running and swap over clean and dirty. Unless we have visitors and are using lots of plates, so day to day we don’t even unpack the clean one fully before it becomes the one to take dirty stuff again.

my least favourite job emptying the dishwasher gone at a stroke.

I took a picture in case it's helpful - it looks a bit rough because I haven't painted the doors yet and the carpenter messed up my interior decorating 🙄 Hopefully you get the idea.

The cupboard to the left has the washing machine in and has a pull out shelf to put a basket on while hanging out or folding. Makes it really ergonomical to use. I reckon it uses about 1.5 units of electricity to get a full load dry, but I reckon it might be less once the central heating is on more and the room is warmer.

These are all really good.
any more?