hoops902
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Post by hoops902 on Apr 20, 2017 12:49:10 GMT -5
Background: I bought this house about 12 years ago pretty quickly out of college. It was 900 sq ft, 2 bed, 1 bath and worked pretty well at the time. Since then I've added another 900 sq ft, a bedroom, 1 1/2 baths, and remodeled just about every square inch of the house. We're just "outgrowing" it (I'm ready for all the comments about how people "used to live" in smaller, etc). The real issue is that the basement is too short for us to finish and realistically use. It works great for storage, or even hanging out unfinished, but by the time we put in flooring and a ceiling, it's going to be under 7' height...which for someone at 6'6" is just too cramped-feeling. We've also got a bunch of equity in it now, and the local market is VERY conducive to selling this and buying up right now.
What we're looking for in general would be 4 bedrooms (a master, 1 for current child, 1 for potential future child, 1 guest room as we have in-laws with us regularly and there are zero hotels close enough). I will also need an additional office space, 2-3 car garage, and preferably a finished basement (ideally a ranch with a finished basement which could house some of the bedrooms and office space or something). Here's the question: What things do people have in "today's houses" that they can't imagine living without? Or what seemed amazing at the time but turns out you don't use at all. We may also be building since this is a small town and those things would also help immensely. For example, do people use their pot-fillers? What do people love or hate having in their island (sink, dishwasher, range) Bonus points for "weird" things that I'd never think of in a million years. Not that this little stuff will necessarily influence the purchase decision, but maybe folks will have some bigger things that they deem crucial (like laundry on the first floor).
Here's an example, my wife really thought she wanted a big counter-height island with a sink in it...until she had to critically think about where to put all the "sink stuff" like dishwashing liquid, scrubbers, etc...she likes having it just lying out but it looks "weird" when it's out on the island. She noticed this at a friend's house and decided she'd rather have the sink NOT on the island. She thought it was critical to have the guest bedroom on the first floor for when her parents got older...but when I pointed out that by the time her parents are too old to climb stairs they're probably not going to be the ones making the trip to see us, she agreed the guest bedroom could be wherever.
It seems like we've just made do with what we've had that neither of us have any great ideas about what things we might want...and tv shows just act as if everything is required even though I can't imagine having half of it. What says YM on things they can't live without or things that are huge wastes of time?
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sesfw
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Post by sesfw on Apr 20, 2017 13:17:31 GMT -5
Definitely laundry on the first floor.
Loved my stacked ovens .... I would trade off using each one every year
Under cabinet lighting
Powder room fairly close to kitchen but keep the door out of sight of kitchen, and anywhere else company might be
Master suite on ground floor ..... don't get a spa tub unless you know for sure you will use it, otherwise wasted space. His and hers closets ..... Windows that will open in the bathrooms ............ exhaust fans don't really work that well
Halls wide enough to accommodate handicap
At least one bath on ground floor for handicap ....... I'm thinking of potential sales later
Dumb waiter to get things up and down to basement
3 car garage a must with a high ceiling for overhead shelving
That's all I can think of right now
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cronewitch
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Post by cronewitch on Apr 20, 2017 13:18:45 GMT -5
I am old so I will want only one story, few if any stairs even to the porch. Small to tiny yard to mow but enough space to not deal with neighbors so maybe good fences or forested with lots of hardscape. If I were to build I want an island with nothing on it. That is my space to make salads and things or have out electric fry pan or rice cooker. I want a huge pantry because I am short and not into climbing everything has to be at easy levels. I want two bathrooms one for me and one for guest and only need one bedroom but wouldn't ever build less than 3 for resale value. I might like a double master for my oldest years if I want someone to live with me like a live in housekeeper or caregiver.
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Cheesy FL-Vol
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Post by Cheesy FL-Vol on Apr 20, 2017 13:28:32 GMT -5
I am a short person with long arms, and I have always wanted half of a wide island at a lower than normal height so I can knead dough and roll cookies without having to stand on a stool.
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hoops902
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Post by hoops902 on Apr 20, 2017 13:29:36 GMT -5
Definitely laundry on the first floor. Loved my stacked ovens .... I would trade off using each one every year Under cabinet lighting Powder room fairly close to kitchen but keep the door out of sight of kitchen, and anywhere else company might be Master suite on ground floor ..... don't get a spa tub unless you know for sure you will use it, otherwise wasted space. His and hers closets ..... Windows that will open in the bathrooms ............ exhaust fans don't really work that well Halls wide enough to accommodate handicap At least one bath on ground floor for handicap ....... I'm thinking of potential sales later Dumb waiter to get things up and down to basement 3 car garage a must with a high ceiling for overhead shelving That's all I can think of right now Good call on the spa tub. Wife insisted she needed one in the master bath when we built it and I thought it was a great idea that would get tons of use...I've used it a handful of times when I had sore muscles, she's used it exactly once in 5 years.
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swamp
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THEY’RE EATING THE DOGS!!!!!!!
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Post by swamp on Apr 20, 2017 13:34:37 GMT -5
Open floor plan, kids can run around when you're cooking.
Kids bedrooms near master. I don't want to haul my ass to the other part of the house if the kids are crying.
If a 2 story house, laundry upstairs.
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pooks
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Post by pooks on Apr 20, 2017 13:38:27 GMT -5
This is pretty random: Jets in tubs are a waste. More garage space is better. Slider windows are a PITA, always use up/down. Laundry counter with an off center brace is genius, because the laundry sorter fits on one side and the trash can goes in the smaller side. Walk in pantries are a must. Hardwood floors wherever possible. Natural gas heat if available.
Weird thing that I love: All my bathroom fans are on timers, so they shut off automatically. I had this in a vacation rental and have put them in every house since.
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swamp
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THEY’RE EATING THE DOGS!!!!!!!
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Post by swamp on Apr 20, 2017 13:46:22 GMT -5
I disagree on the hardwood floors. If you have pets or kids, they scratch.
Laminate all the way.
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Blonde Granny
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Post by Blonde Granny on Apr 20, 2017 13:48:28 GMT -5
I had an island with a prep sink/disposal in it....waste of space and limited the available island space. Definitely I would NOT have a dining room, but that's personal preference. I would have island large enough for eating space and bar stools.
I agree with no jacuzzi tub.....don't have kids at home(son is 45) so having kids close by isn't a factor. Certainly a 3-4 car garage, love the built-in double ovens with a gas cooktop of at least 5 burners. My DIL just put in a 48+ Wolf pro stove/range whatever it's called, can't wait to see it. I'd have lighter colored hard wood floors (actually prefer tile) but light because the dark wood shows every speck of dust.
A walk in european shower with no door, and would be a roll-in entrance suitable for wheel chair access if ever needed. Same with all doorways wheelchair width. a simple thing when building difficult and expensive if you need them later. I would also have (already do) a granite composite kitchen farm sink, easy care and holds big pans. Also, a separate fridge with matching stand up freezer, no more of these side by side or french doors things, you lose too much space.
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souldoubt
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Post by souldoubt on Apr 20, 2017 14:01:15 GMT -5
Location, open concept, good size master bedroom with an ensuite that has dual vanity or the space to put one in, enough bedrooms/rooms so that everyone has a bedroom while there's an office and a decent sized kitchen that's not galley style and can have an island added if we need the counter space.
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emma1420
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Post by emma1420 on Apr 20, 2017 14:02:07 GMT -5
The spa tub is a pain in the ass to keep clean, and I've only used mine once since I moved in last year (and that was really to test out what the fuss was about).
I'd also look for an oversized two car or larger garage. I have a two car garage which is great, but it's a small two car garage, and so while you can park two cars in their you can't put much of anything else there. I like some storage space so I'd vote for larger if you can get it. And I find that a lot of garages run on the small size.
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ArchietheDragon
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Post by ArchietheDragon on Apr 20, 2017 14:02:50 GMT -5
A big hangout kitchen area. A big two car garage. Two full baths. Everything else is negotiable.
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dee27
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Post by dee27 on Apr 20, 2017 14:10:39 GMT -5
I prefer one floor and an open concept for the kitchen and great room. I like a den or office with a door for privacy and strategically placed windows to allow air flow throughout the house. I dislike that our TH has no windows in the bathrooms and kitchen. I prefer a three car garage-two for cars and one for lawn equipment.
Before you look for another house, consider how you would use the common areas and choose materials that will enhance the space. Flooring is an important factor especially with kids. I thought I would love a tiled kitchen, but in retrospect, I hated that floor. Tile is hard on your feet and your back and can be slippery for kids and pets. Armstrong Floors has a lot of attractive options for flooring that offer both comfort and aesthetics. I like the laundry on the first floor as opposed to the basement or second floor. We have a storage room off the laundry room that we use to store paper goods and large appliances on open wire racks.
For me, a large kitchen with a pantry/adequate storage would top the list because I cook every day. I need an island workspace especially when I bake. With young kids, I think a bathtub is easier for bathing them. Although, we did put a jetted tub in our main bathroom which we do use several times per week. I find it very relaxing after working in the garden. In the master bathroom, I prefer a walk-in shower. Bedrooms need adequate closets, but the rooms do not need to be very large since they are not used as much as the common areas.
I like a flat lot big enough for the kids and pets to play and adults to entertain. A yard with several acres takes time to maintain!
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Cookies Galore
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Post by Cookies Galore on Apr 20, 2017 14:18:32 GMT -5
Gas cooking and heat. Didn't even want to consider houses with electric cooking and oil heat. Hardwood floors. So much easier to clean with two cats; carpet gets grody.
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Chocolate Lover
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Post by Chocolate Lover on Apr 20, 2017 14:22:30 GMT -5
I agree on the enormous tubs being a waste of space. My mom had tubs just slightly larger than average installed, a little longer and a little wider. I'd like one like that so if there are sore muscles to soak they can all fit in the water at one time. Mom also raised her dishwasher in a former house. There was a drawer under it so it was not so close to the floor and she wouldn't have to bend so low if things fell out in the bottom. I'd want good under cabinet lighting and over the sink lighting. I currently have neither and it makes me crazy.
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mroped
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Post by mroped on Apr 20, 2017 14:29:23 GMT -5
One floor-ranch- but if you get trusses for the roof framing and you have a high pitch roof then get "attic trusses" and create so extra space for kids play room or simply storage. 9 feet high ceilings if you build new. Easier and more efficient to heat/cool and all clearances for all sorts of things like ceiling fans or hanging whatever. Laundry on the ground level. At least two full bathrooms and possibly a half- toilet and sink- in the proximity of living room. Open wide living-kitchen- hallway.
Tubs -only one is plenty! Showers with no curtains or anything with the shower floor at floor height so no step. Big, wide windows on living and kitchen and if you have a rear patio/deck then a big door, double slider or French. Privacy windows on bathrooms(foggy ones) that open and if you put fans, install the ones that vent outside not recirculating. Island in kitchen if necessary for prep and such but if is mobile/movable is better. Recessed lighting in the whole house- I love our lights, they are all recessed(cans) Gas/propane for heating and stove.
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steph08
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Post by steph08 on Apr 20, 2017 14:33:43 GMT -5
Ranch
4 bedrooms or 3 bedrooms plus study
3 bathrooms - one bathroom being a jack and jill between my kids' bedrooms (I have two girls). When they're teens, all that mess and hair crap and make-up can be somewhere other than the main bathroom that all guests use
Laundry on main floor
Finished basement with lots of storage space
Kitchen faucet that the faucet head pulls out as a sprayer - it has been so nice and used way more than a separate sprayer that we had at our old house
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giramomma
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Post by giramomma on Apr 20, 2017 14:35:48 GMT -5
I'd also want a spot near the "heart" of the home (for us it's the kitchen) where your kids will eventually be doing homework.
My oldest is nearly 13. He STILL has to be doing homework where we can see him. If we sent him to his room to do his homework/study...nothing would ever get done. Plus, I don't want to run up and down a flight of stairs every couple of minutes to make sure he's no looking at porn.
I would also want a place where your kids can make a mess yet it's easy to quickly clean..go to town with playdoh, paint, cutting paper, kinetic sand, making space ships out of cardboard boxes.
A play room would also be nice. We don't have that sort of space, and it would be nice just to be able to close a door in order to deal with the mess, instead of having to clean. Even though we have one kid done with toys and we really don't buy toys anymore for the youngest, shit gets totally strewn out all over the place.
Big garage. Outdoor gear takes up quite a bit of space. We have a 70's home, and there's not much clearance for the minivan. Our bikes are smooshed.
Whatever you do, I'd want the space to be flexible enough to accommodate all the different needs your family will go through as your kids age.
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Lizard Queen
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Post by Lizard Queen on Apr 20, 2017 14:39:03 GMT -5
Some pet peeves of mine:
A closet near the front door for coats Windows on all sides of the house A window in each bathroom for natural light. Access to the back yard from the house.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Apr 20, 2017 14:46:40 GMT -5
I've been house shopping for years and can't find everything I want in a price I can afford. Attached oversized two car garage minimum. Plenty of two car garages that you can just squeeze two cars in and nothing else. I want room to open my doors getting in and out of the car and space for bikes/kayaks/whatever. Master bath. I never want to share a bathroom with my kids. Three bedrooms minimum. Private back yard. I absolutely HATED living in town and having houses overlooking my yard and going out to take my dogs out when the neighbor kids were having a party (lived next to a college rental ) I would prefer it be naturally sheltered from the neighbors somehow, like on the side of a hill or surrounded by woods or at least have a kick ass fence and strategically placed garages and such. Kitchen and baths up to date. There are tons of 70's kitchens around here. I'm willing to tear it out and redo if the price is right. Liveable basement. Prefer already finished. oh, and location is important. I won't be on a busy street no matter how perfect the place is. There are tons of cute houses on the main drag and I just can't imagine backing out of my driveway into that all the time. No thanks.
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andi9899
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Post by andi9899 on Apr 20, 2017 14:56:06 GMT -5
I disagree on the hardwood floors. If you have pets or kids, they scratch.
Laminate all the way. Agreed. My dogs are ruining my hardwood floors. That and you can see every freaking hair the little shits shed. I sweep my downstairs floors at least once and up to three times a day. And my house is still never clean! They're lucky they're cute.
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debthaven
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Post by debthaven on Apr 20, 2017 15:04:51 GMT -5
At least a 1/2 bath on the ground floor for guests. May sounds obvious but we just got back from DH's cousin's house in the UK ... they have 3 bathrooms, but none on the ground floor.
She thought it was critical to have the guest bedroom on the first floor for when her parents got older...but when I pointed out that by the time her parents are too old to climb stairs they're probably not going to be the ones making the trip to see us, she agreed the guest bedroom could be wherever.
I don't know how far her parents are from you. While I agree it's not critical, I do like having a guest room downstairs on the ground floor for older guests. My husband's very elderly aunt is here with us right now. She can climb stairs, but it's safer for her not to.
I agree that it wouldn't be a deal breaker, but personally I think it's nice to have a guest room/office downstairs.
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emma1420
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Post by emma1420 on Apr 20, 2017 15:14:48 GMT -5
I've been house shopping for years and can't find everything I want in a price I can afford. Attached oversized two car garage minimum. Plenty of two car garages that you can just squeeze two cars in and nothing else. I want room to open my doors getting in and out of the car and space for bikes/kayaks/whatever. Master bath. I never want to share a bathroom with my kids. Three bedrooms minimum. Private back yard. I absolutely HATED living in town and having houses overlooking my yard and going out to take my dogs out when the neighbor kids were having a party (lived next to a college rental ) I would prefer it be naturally sheltered from the neighbors somehow, like on the side of a hill or surrounded by woods or at least have a kick ass fence and strategically placed garages and such. Kitchen and baths up to date. There are tons of 70's kitchens around here. I'm willing to tear it out and redo if the price is right. Liveable basement. Prefer already finished. oh, and location is important. I won't be on a busy street no matter how perfect the place is. There are tons of cute houses on the main drag and I just can't imagine backing out of my driveway into that all the time. No thanks. I wanted that when I was looking and it was the most elusive thing to find. I ended up in a house that I really like in all other ways, but that I'm really not a fan of the backyard. But, I'm with you on the busy street. That was my number one criteria. I took probably three times longer to sell my old house because of it's location and I sure as heck wasn't doing that again if I could help it.
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cameragrrl
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Post by cameragrrl on Apr 20, 2017 15:15:33 GMT -5
We had our cooktop in our island and we absolutely loved it. The key thing for us is that the island was large enough for seating on the other side (for helpers or company) with prep areas on either side. It was easy for several people to work in the kitchen at once without getting in each other's way. The kitchen doesn't take up much space, but it's very functional. Plus since all your prep work and cooking work takes place on the island, it's easy to keep an eye on the kids. This picture shows almost exactly our setup in our last house. I'd put a little more space between the sink and the island so someone can pass when someone else is using the work space, and move the stove a bit to the right, but otherwise, this is my perfect kitchen. Ours had a garage door next to the fridge instead of a microwave. My other preferences in a house are laundry area indoors, with enough space that some of the dirty clothes can be sorted in it and clean clothes can be hung to dry. Folding area is a nice bonus. Master shower large enough for two (the one we are building has two shower heads too, although that takes some of the fun out of it (but warmer!). Hardwood floors are a winner with us(no kids or pets), but I'll take laminate if it's not hideous.
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busymom
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Post by busymom on Apr 20, 2017 15:22:07 GMT -5
We built this house, & opted for a plain bathtub instead of a jacuzzi. Now that I'm getting older, & occasionally achy, I wish I'd taken the jacuzzi. I also wish we had one bedroom on the main floor. (Back to achy joints.) I can totally see being older & NOT wanting to climb stairs, just to get to bed. If your laundry room isn't on the same level as the bedrooms, get a laundry chute put in. We added one to this house, & I prefer only bringing clean laundry up from the basement, rather than having to haul laundry both directions. Get at least a 2 1/2 or 3 car garage. Then, maybe you won't need to get a shed.
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suesinfl
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Post by suesinfl on Apr 20, 2017 17:10:54 GMT -5
Large pantry, large window in the kitchen (I like looking out the window when I wash dishes/cook and also used it to keep an eye on the kids when they were playing outside), closets in at least one bathroom and a sliding door/French doors from the house to the back yard.
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Gardening Grandma
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Post by Gardening Grandma on Apr 20, 2017 17:17:12 GMT -5
A good functional laundry room. Ours opens to the garage and to a side yard. It has a 1/2 bath, so we can come in and clean up without tracking through the house. Built in storage over the washer/dryer. We also had a raised dog bath put in with storage over that.
Love my walk in pantry. DH put in a motion sensor light, so it goes on automatically when I open the door. Can see everything at a glance.
Yes, dogs scratch hardwood floors. Don't care. Not getting rid of the dog. So the floor has scratches. I can live with it. I love hardwood floors.
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bean29
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Post by bean29 on Apr 20, 2017 17:30:13 GMT -5
We have a 3 car + car garage (our square footage is nearly equal to a 4 car). I would make the garage deeper (25 feet) and the 2 car part a 2 and 1/2 car and the 3rd car I would also make a little wider. I agree with MnPaint - you need space to open you car doors, and if you are like my DH and you need to have 5 grills and 3+ lawn mowers...you need some space to put it in the garage. Also, If you are going to have a patio/deck you need to store the lawn furniture in the winter. If you have a raised deck, there is a product you can put on the underside of the deck to make the underneath part water tight. Our neighbors have the roof over the patio. That is very nice. They have a tile top table on the patio, and they don't move it inside in the winter. She said she just takes the cushions off the chairs and puts them in the garage in the winter. (We have space in the finished basement that we move the lawn furniture into, we left the gas grill covered, outside and we put one of the patio tables under the deck. We have stackable chairs - those we put in the garage for the winter).
We have a ranch with an exposure. split bedroom layout. I would have more counter space in both bathrooms. I agree that I don't need a bathtub, want to get rid of it in the main bath, but afraid it will reduce my resale value. Make sure your laudry room is on an outside wall so that there is a short distance for the dryer vent to run. I prefer a sink and closet in the laundry room. We iron a lot, we keep the ironing board in the bedroom, but I wish we had better lighting over the ironing board (this is on DH's to-do list).
If you get a full or partial exposure, make sure you have a door to the back yard from the basement. I wish I had less steep stairs. I want stairs where they go down, there is a landing and then the turn and go down the rest of the way. I also would not have the entrance from the garage into the laundry room.
Building is going to cost you more than you think. I would look hard a little above your mental "top" of your price bracket. DH built the current house to "retire" in, but the taxes are HIGH. I have been 'looking'.
I found a gorgeous house within pro'ly 15 miles of where I currently live that is really high end that had a very attractive price (It already has an accepted offer). It had a large deck, about 400 square feet more on the main floor than my current house, and higher end windows with 9 or 10 foot ceilings with the extra tall windows. windows were double hung, house had tray ceilings and crown mouldings. The base price on a similar house if I wanted to build it was about 350,000 and the land in that area would be at least 100,000 house was listed for $440,000 and landscaping was done, deck was built (decks are usually extras). There is another very nice house which is a little too far for my commute, and it has a huge pole barn too close to the house for my comfort - other wise the house is gorgeous - similar to the other one I described with tray ceilings and lots of high end amenities but you can see this huge pole barn really close to the house, and it destroys the looks. I prefer a house in a subdivision. DH actually wants our next house to be more rural, not in a subdivision and would like a big oversized garage for toys. I think we will wait to do anything until we pay this house off and are closer to retirement so the commute is not an issue.
I actually am not looking to spend that much on my next house, but I pro'ly would have offered on that house if I could have convinced DH. Luckily it has an accepted offer. (Without finishing the basement it has less square footage than my current house).
I am my worst enemy when I look at houses - I am too conservative. 2nd house we bought, I told the real estate agent we could do 20% down, but never admitted to him that we had at least 20,000 more we could have used for a down payment. There were other houses for sale we could have looked at, but he did not show them to us b/c he thought we could not afford them. When we build the current house, I wanted the 2200 sq foot version of my house, DH said the 2, 000 sq ft version was good enough, he wanted brick and a retaining wall and all kinds of other extras, so I did not pull the trigger on the bigger house. Poor decision on my part.
DH wants a formal dining room, I would let it go, but the kitchen would need a seating area for at least 8 if no dining room. Make sure there is a spot for the broom and mop bucket to be stored in your house in addition to a decent sized coat closet.
My kids bedrooms (at least for my daughter) should have a big walk in closet). My MB closet and bathroom should both be bigger. I could fix by taking part of my 11x10 storage area in the garage and convert it to house space (right next to MB) but we don't want to give up the garage space either.
Zone your heat if possible. upgrade both the furnace and the air to the quiet versions. our A/C unit is right off the MB, and I really wish it was quieter. I would also opt for the on demand hot water heater. DH was going to change our house over, but the guy at HD told us, that we would need to retro fit the plumbing and it need 220 I think. The 220 was do-able, but he cautioned that changing the pipe fitting was a big potential headache. We just bought a bigger conventional high efficiency water heater and called it a day.
If you have a dog or want a dog in your future, think about where you might put a crate. One co-worker had a older dog that was very sick. He was able to lock her in the laundry room while he was at work. My brother has a large dog that they crate when they are not home, she has a small office off her kitchen that has room for the crate.
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Anne_in_VA
Junior Associate
Joined: Dec 20, 2010 14:09:35 GMT -5
Posts: 5,549
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Post by Anne_in_VA on Apr 20, 2017 17:32:58 GMT -5
My wish list - if I could afford all this I would have bought a house like this when we bought three years ago, but with our budget, it wasn't in the cards.
Three or four bedroom ranch on a quiet street, updated kitchen with an island and open to living room or family/great room. Hardwood floors throughout. Gas cooktop and double wall ovens. Large walk-in pantry. 2 baths, 2-3 car garage or a two car garage with a big enough shed to hold all the yard equipment. Large master suite with two sink vanity and walk in shower. Finished basement or family room, laundry near bedrooms so I don't have to go far to put everything away. A big laundry room with room for a sink and folding table or countertop, and my ironing board. Private yard, either with a high enough fence so neighbors can't see into my yard or enough yard for privacy. Double hung windows -we have sliding ones and they're a pain to clean. Sliding door or double doors to patio or deck.
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milee
Senior Associate
Joined: Jan 17, 2012 13:20:00 GMT -5
Posts: 12,344
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Post by milee on Apr 20, 2017 18:29:31 GMT -5
Doesn't matter what floor the laundry room is on - but it's really important for it to be close to the bedrooms. Most of your laundry will be generated in and around the bedrooms and bathrooms, so having the laundry room right there is a huge time saver. You're just getting started with the kids, so it's probably hard to picture it but you will be doing more laundry than you can even begin to picture. I only have two boys and they're not especially grubby as boys go and they're not into many outdoor/sports activities (which generate HUGE amounts of laundry), and I still end up doing a load about every single day just to keep up with the laundry. Put the laundry room close to the bedrooms/bathrooms so you've not having to add insult to injury by not just having to do load after load, but haul it all over and through the house.
When you design the laundry room, keep in mind that washers and dryers are now available in larger sizes. Especially if you have a couple of kids who play sports or do activities that generate a lot of extra laundry, those larger washers and dryers are the BOMB. But they won't fit in the tiny space that many existing homes leave for washers/dryers (I got my huge LG dryer half off because someone bought it without measuring only to discover it didn't fit in their house - salesguy says that's very common.) So if you plan to live in this house for a while and you want flexibility, leave an extra foot or two of space beside the washer/dryer slot so you have room as the larger appliances become available. Worst case scenario, if you decide you just want standard, small appliances, you can fit cleaning supplies in that extra foot or two of space besides them.
Someone mentioned jack and jill bathrooms and although I really love this idea, in practice I don't like it. I've always thought if I built a house I'd put one in, but then the last few times I stayed as a guest in a house that had one, I realized that the noise of other people shutting a door in the adjoining bathroom and even washing up afterwards was noisy at night and woke me up. Over time, you probably get used to it, but it's not something I'd want now that I've stayed in some rooms with them.
You have one kid and are thinking about another. Whatever amount of closets and storage you think you need - double that. At least. I'm pretty minimalist (drove a Mini convertible with both sons until the youngest was 5), never bothered with a large stroller just had a $5 umbrella stroller for the 2-3 times a year I needed a stroller, didn't carry a diaper bag just stuck a diaper in my purse, etc.... and even so, I couldn't believe the sheer amount of "stuff" that kids have, need and accumulate.
You can DIY lots of stuff, but one area that IMHO is worth at least getting some consultation on is kitchen design. Good kitchen designers can help you avoid all sorts of minor gotchas that you won't think about when you're designing but will hate when it's installed; they'll know what interesting and useful things are available; they'll help make a layout that flows well. I've seen more bad/awkward kitchens than anything else and part of that is everybody thinks since they can click on icons in the IKEA kitchen design tool that they can design a kitchen...
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