Pet-Friendly Features

When considering building a new home, normally a list is made of “wants” and “needs” for everyone in the family that will be a part of the new home construction experience. Maybe your son wants his room to be upstairs, or your daughter wants her own vanity space in the bathroom. Maybe mom wants a huge closet with a door that locks (moms, we’ve got you!), or dad wants a man cave. Maybe we need a special suite for maw-maw or paw-paw to feel like they still have some independence.  But who are we forgetting? To some people, pets are pets. But to the rest of us, they’re are so much more! Whether you call them “the roommates”, “Fur-Babies”, or how my parents choose to call them “grand-dogs," they aren’t just pets, they’re family! And as family, why wouldn’t we consider them when building as well? Did you know it’s possible to get them their own space AND keep things functional for you? But how? Let’s look at some options.

This is an option that can get fancy, quickly! While you can choose tile surround, a granite countertop, and even a pot filler, the option also remains to have the food and water bowls built into the base cabinetry in your kitchen or living room. Is this option a necessity? No, but will it keep you from tripping over food bowls or kids splashing around in the water? Absolutely!

Maybe you’re like us and your pet beds are just in the corner of a room. It works, but if we could give Annie (our Lab) her own space without taking away from our usable space, you better believe we would! It's not always the case, but sometimes there is wasted space inside of walls of your home. The most common place is under the stairs. This option can be drawn with or without a kennel door and can be completely customized just like the rest of your home. It’s cheap and maybe (if you're lucky) get them out of your feet in the kitchen!

I'm sure you're thinking even if your dog had their own space, they would still be at your feet in the kitchen. They’re just that persistent! Well, persistent...and they love cheese! So how do we keep them out of the kitchen? Put up a few of those ugly plastic baby gates that you must be an Olympic athlete to climb over? No! A hidden gate is the answer. This classy gate would match your cabinets and give you the option of when to use it, as well as a built-in storage location. Here at Manuel Builders, our pets are family and when you build with us, you become family too! We strive to make your home functional and enjoyable to every member of the household, which is why we’ve begun to incorporate ideas such as these. Have other ideas that you don’t see here? Bring them to us and let’s make them happen!

-Written by our Building Consultant Taylor Burner, with the help of his own pup, Annie