Title: Building base structures—what if you had to start over?
I get where you’re coming from, but I’ll admit I’ve gone the other way a few times. When we built our last place, I put in the rough-ins for a steam shower and a wine cellar, thinking it’d be “future-proof.” The steam shower never happened, but the wine cellar? Ended up being the best decision—added value and became a real centerpiece. Sometimes those bets pay off, but yeah, it’s a gamble. Adaptable spaces are smart, but there’s something to be said for dreaming big and leaving yourself options, even if it means a few unused pipes behind the wall.
I totally get the “future-proofing” impulse. It’s kind of like hedging your bets, right? I’ve been there—putting in conduit for a possible home theater, or leaving space for an elevator shaft “just in case.” Sometimes it feels like overkill, but when one of those features actually gets used or adds value, you feel like a genius.
But here’s what I wonder: is there a point where planning for every possibility starts to work against you? Like, too many rough-ins or unused spaces can eat into your budget and square footage, and not everything ages well in terms of resale value. I’ve seen homes with odd nooks or extra plumbing that just confuse buyers down the line.
That said, I do think certain bets—like your wine cellar—almost always pay off if they fit your lifestyle. Maybe it’s about picking two or three “dream big” features and keeping the rest flexible. Curious if others have ever regretted *not* roughing something in, though... sometimes the missed opportunities sting more than the wasted space.
BUILDING BASE STRUCTURES—WHAT IF YOU HAD TO START OVER?
I totally hear you on the “future-proofing” dilemma. It’s tempting to rough in for every tech trend or lifestyle upgrade that might come along, but there’s a real risk of ending up with a house that feels more like a Swiss cheese than a home. I’ve walked through some “over-prepared” places where the extra chases and stub-outs just made things awkward, or worse, wasted perfectly good space that could’ve been used for storage or better insulation.
From a sustainability angle, there’s also an environmental cost to overbuilding. All those unused pipes, wires, and framing add up—not just in dollars but in embodied energy and materials. I’m all for flexibility, but sometimes less is more. Personally, I regret not planning for solar conduit when I built my place; retrofitting was a pain and definitely pricier than it needed to be. But I don’t miss not having an elevator shaft or extra bathroom plumbing lurking behind the walls.
Guess it comes down to being strategic—prioritize what you’re most likely to use (or what’s hardest to add later), and try not to let FOMO drive every decision.
BUILDING BASE STRUCTURES—WHAT IF YOU HAD TO START OVER?
I totally get what you mean about over-prepping. When we built our place, I got a little carried away with “just in case” wiring for home theater stuff. Now there’s a weird box in the living room that’s never been used, and honestly, it’s just collecting dust. But I’m glad we did rough-in for a water softener—adding that later would’ve been a nightmare. It’s such a balancing act. Sometimes I wish I’d focused more on the basics and less on the “what ifs.”
BUILDING BASE STRUCTURES—WHAT IF YOU HAD TO START OVER?
Funny, I did the opposite—skipped a few “future proof” things and now I’m kicking myself. Had to tear up drywall just to run ethernet last year. If I had to do it again, I’d make a list: 1) Must-haves (plumbing, electrical, insulation), 2) Nice-to-haves (extra outlets, smart home wiring), and 3) Wild cards (like that home theater box). Curious—did you regret skipping anything, or just the stuff you added?
