In addition to energy efficiency, do whatever you can with your money to make maintenance easier on yourself. For instance, bathrooms that are easily cleanable

In addition to energy efficiency, do whatever you can with your money to make maintenance easier on yourself. For instance, bathrooms that are easily cleanable. I myself really like the way that Japanese homes generally separate the toilet, sink, and bath/shower into separate rooms. With the bath/shower essentially being a tiled room, it's really easy to clean up without splashing water everywhere. A continuous hot water heater will pay for itself (and let you take Japanese-style baths).