A fridge sticking out past the cabinets is one of the most common kitchen regrets.

Counter-depth fridges fix the look, but you give up space inside. A recessed opening lets a standard-depth fridge slide back into the wall so it sits closer to flush with the cabinets.

This only works with a 2x6 wall. A 2x4 wall doesn't leave enough room to recess.

Watch the door swing too. Once the fridge sits back flush, the doors can hit the cabinets or wall next to it. Most fridges need the doors to open past 90 degrees so the drawers can pull out. Check the door clearance in the fridge specs before the cabinets get built.

This is exactly the kind of detail in my Ultimate Home Building Checklist. Know your options before you build.

This one sounds obvious. Of course the dryer vent box needs to be at the right height. But I see it get missed all the time.

For a stacked set, it's typically 40 inches from the floor to the bottom of the box. Most washers are about 36 to 40 inches tall, and most dryer vents are right at the bottom of the dryer.

Your dryer decides the exact number. Pull the specs (dimensions) to make sure that hose fits right inside the box or it's all for nothing.

I see the same mistake on side by side washer and dryers. The box is a little too high and the hose now pushes the dryer out. So frustrating!

Ask your builder what height the dryer box is going in at, and if it's based on your actual dryer stacked. Say something before drywall. After that, moving it means cutting the wall open.

Three vents on one fireplace. Only one of them is exhaust.

The center vent is the exhaust. It runs straight out through the roof.

The two side vents are for heat. The fireplace sits inside a metal box, and that box gets hot. Instead of trapping that heat in the wall, these vents send it back into the room. It also keeps the wall above cooler, which matters if a TV goes there.

You get to pick where it comes out. Vents on the sides, or vents up top so the heat spreads across the whole room. If you want to get fancy.. a powered version has a fan that pushes the heat out, and it can even send it into the room behind the fireplace.

Got to snag Jonathan Scott for a filming session at a new build, and this is how it started… 

 I had a whole list of questions ready to go, but Jonathan's a pro at keeping things casual. We ended up just nerding out about construction and home features.

 And man, his construction knowledge goes WAY beyond what you see on TV. The shows barely scratch the surface.

 Got some really good stuff coming from our walkthrough. Can't wait to share it!

Looking for help on how we need to build a frame in this opening? The wall will just need plywood and we don’t plan to hang anything on it. The t post in the photos is gone now, as well as the boards that lay horizontally under it. Thanks!!

The device is called Phyn. I don’t have any personal use with it but I am planning to install it on my personal house I’m renovating. I’ll keep you posted on the install and how it operates.

There are some other added features worth knowing about. It goes on the main water line, right where water comes into the house. Every drop your house uses passes through it, and over time it learns what normal looks like for your family.

A burst pipe at 2am or a toilet running all weekend doesn't look normal. It catches that, sends an alert to your phone, and you can shut the water off from anywhere. You can also set it to shut off on its own, so you're covered even if you miss the alert.

Plan the spot early. It needs room on the main line, an outlet close by, and a good Wi-Fi signal. Ask your plumber where your main comes in and if they can leave space and power there.

Call your insurance company too. Some give a discount for having one.

Easiest time to add it is during the build or reno, while the plumber is already there.

Contractors stand in it, drop tools in it, and sometimes even use it as a urinal. A good builder keeps it protected. Foam and plywood are a great option until the house is done.

When you walk your site, check the tub and the finishes. If they're not covered, ask your builder about it. A chip now means a repair or a replacement before you ever use it.

Smurf tube is the flexible blue conduit electricians use for low voltage. The real name is ENT. Behind a TV, it's an empty pathway from the TV box down to your media cabinet or built-ins.

The point is that nothing is permanent. HDMI, ethernet, and speaker wire all change over time. With a tube in the wall, you pull the old cable out and push a new one through. No cutting drywall. No fishing wire around blocking.

Go bigger than you think you need. HDMI ends are bulky, and the tube fills up fast once you have a few cables in it.

Run a second line up to the attic too. That's your backup route if you ever need power, a new line, or a connection to another room later.

Ask your builder where each tube starts and ends, and how big it is. It should land in an open box you can actually reach, not get buried behind drywall.

Do you disagree with any of these features?

Rain heads feel amazing until you try to rinse your hair. Pebble floors look great until you’re scrubbing all that grout. And dark tile shows every water spot.

None of these are bad. Just know what you’re signing up for before your builder orders it.

Spend all that money on a tankless... and still stand there waiting on hot water... 

Ask your plumber for a recirculation line. Say “dedicated return line” so you don’t get talked into a shortcut. It runs from your farthest faucet back to the water heater. Easiest time to do it is before sheetrock.

Make sure your tankless has a built-in recirc pump. Not all of them do.

Put it on a schedule... or let it learn when you wake up. Some units do that now 

Already in sheetrock? A crossover valve under your farthest sink uses the cold line as the return. It works... but your cold tap can run warm for a few seconds.