If you were to make a list of everything you ever wanted in a home, what would be some things you would include?
DH and I are doing this as we brainstorm what our 5-10 year goals are for a new home. We might buy/restore, we might build--it depends on about a zillion factors.
My big ones: Front porch with room for a swing Nice yard with spot for a small garden 2-3 car garage big kitchen with island (or room to create this) Front and back staircase*
*This is the one I'm most likely to give up. It's so rare, but my FT babysitter's house had this growing up and I loved it! For those not familiar, think of the house on the Cosby show.
2+ car garage and a driveway very easy access to the backyard from the kitchen backyard: fence, garden area, deck not on a main road at least 2 full bathrooms finished basement with a walkout to the yard central air 3+ bedrooms, all on the second floor a separate den/playroom big dining room big living room big kitchen
Would be nice, but not mandatory: fireplace wrap-around porch
Basement 3 car garage hard wood floors in the dining, living and family rooms big kitchen, (lots of cabinet and workspace) double ovens pool large master bedroom large master bath with a big shower front porch large deck plenty of plugs outdoor sprinkler system indoor fire safety sprinkler system* plenty of windows sun room garage sink cabinets in laundry room big yard
We built our forever home in 2009. We did a few of the options plus all the things you can't do later (basement, 3 car garage, porch, sunroom, big kitchen) but are slowly doing the other things now (putting in hardwood floors in dining room and living room this year, etc)
* indoor sprinkler is new on my list just based on my fear of a house fire. If I built my house again and it was an option, I would do it.
I'll use the house we are in now - it's our "for a really long time" house.
Big picture, what we wanted:
- 3 bedrooms/ 2 bath - 2 car garage - nice back yard, relatively private - eat in/ open kitchen
What we got:
- 4 bedroom/ 2.5 bath - carport - fenced in back yard - kind of closed off/ not an eat in kitchen
But what we were o.k .with -
- we actually REALLY like our carport. More so than I ever thought we would. - the fact that our yard is fenced. That wasn't a factor and we're glad it is. - While the kitchen isn't an eat in/ open kitchen, it's in a good spot and looks into the playroom. It's was also remodeled in the 4 years before we bought the house. - we have a nice sized foyer w/ a 1/2 bath off of it. LOVE having a foyer. - because of the master bedroom addition, we have a big storage basement, which is WONDERFUL. Most houses in our neighborhood don't have this. - we have both a nice patio next to the play area and we have a large screened in porch. Both absolutely get used and I LOVE having both.
Post by shamrockshake on May 19, 2015 8:13:57 GMT -5
4 bed/ 2.5 bath walk in master closet hardwood floors fireplace large yard, fenced or able to fence play room finished basement or ability to finish it space for craft area for me 2 car garage double ovens/ duel fuel specific location non cut through street
We got very, very lucky when we bought 2.5 years ago and got everything on our must/ would like lists/ dream lists, like more than I imagined we would
Our next house could very well be our retirement pad, so...
All sports lake, boathouse a plus. 3+ bedrooms, 2.5+ baths Open Floor Plan, Good entertainment flow Screened in or sleeping porch Adequate garden area for Mr. P
DH added a 28X56 ATTACHED garage(room for what we would have built a shed for) 1/2 bath in the utility/mudroom that is where you enter from garage Office/den area 3 bedrooms Tons of kitchen space - instead of double wall ovens, I opted for a freestanding double oven(top oven is smaller than bottom oven). Full basement under the house. Nice backyard area for entertaining.
We are currently buying a house. My must haves were: -Useable yard space (relatively level... not built in to a hill). -More living space than bedroom space. I don't understand HUGE bedroom love. -Fireplace -Plenty of kitchen storage space and useable counter space -Two car garage (New England winters make this a necessity) -Good public school system -LOTS of character. Old homes a plus. Cookie-cutter homes a deal breaker.
We are buying a 1941 Cape that is my dream home. I adore it.
We will be moving in the near future and are currently debating buying vs. building. I've look at thousands of floor plans and I haven't found the perfect one yet.
Must haves: Lot must be a minimum of an acre Main floor master with 2-3 bedrooms upstairs Main floor laundry 2 car garage Mudroom with entry from the garage Large and open kitchen, dining room, living room Large kitchen island Front porch Full basement
Post by UnderProtest on May 19, 2015 9:20:03 GMT -5
My wish list:
- location (both in terms of what city-someplace warm and close to amenities) - 2+ car attached garage - 4+ bedrooms - 2.5+ bathrooms - open floor plan - lots of windows and natural light
I would love a house that has character and is ready to move in, but I'm willing to put some money/effort into it if its the right location.
-storage, storage, storage -2-car garage -large kitchen with space for an island -master bedroom on the main floor -no more than two or two and one half baths
Well we bought this house thinking it was our forever house & it might still be if we don't build or move to another state...
What it has that was on our wishlist: -Character, not cookie cutter (this house is 115yrs old & has exposed brick, thick wood work, etc) -Walkable neighborhood close to good shops, parks, restaurants, downtown -4+ bedrooms/ 2+ bathrooms (this house has 5/2.5) -Fireplace (this house has 3) -hardwood floors -lots of counter & cabinet space -traditional floor plan (AKA NOT an open floor plan) -completely separated play space for the kids -an office -an in-law suite/apartment -a yard, patio, garden -a balcony & front porch
What it does not have that I wish it did: -the immediate location is not ideal (on a busy road) -the attic is currently virtually inaccessible -needed/still needs a lot of cosmetic work -big closets (it has 1 big, 2 decent but the master bedroom closet is horrible). -no ensuite master bathroom -more built-ins -screens on most of the windows & the most windows need refurbishing -the exterior needs a lot of work on the brick -almost the entire house even basement is "finished" so the only real storage is the not huge garage. -No central A/C
We'd like to eventually design & build a modern house but it's likely after most/all our kids have moved out. This is a good "family" home.
We are serial renters. And, man, does that help you figure out wants for a home...
2+ car garage functional kitchen - I don't need a lot of square footage, but it needs to work, and be set up well pantry or ample kitchen storage (really, part of being a functional kitchen) gas range/heating small yard (we're not gardeners) parking for guests (on street/off street/wherever, just _somewhere_ for folks to park when they visit) en suite for the master walk in closet in master, _not_ accessed thru the bathroom 3 bedrooms, plus 1 for each potential kid, if we have them (master, office, guest room, plus kids rooms; it'd be nice if the guest room was also an in-law suite type room) somewhere to set up a grill, ideally a covered back patio/porch two living spaces, one of which has a sound-barrier (ie: door) from the rest of the home (I like a basement rec room, but only if the basement is not musty/dank/nasty) open living plan/great room good location, although "good" is roughly defined hard surface flooring, pretty much everywhere mud room/laundry room, ideally as entry from garage sink in the laundry room (or at least the ability/space to add one)
There are lots of wants, too, but the items above are pretty important to us. A few of which we won't rent a place if they aren't in the rental...
At least 4 BRs At least 2.5 bathrooms First floor master or some sort of IL arrangement so the grandparents wouldn't have to climb stairs W/D anywhere but in the basement Garage, preferably 2 car with an upper level for storage 9' ceilings in the basement Hardwood floors .5 acre-ish of land Roomy, modern kitchen Double sinks in the master bath Flat land (never again will I live on a hill)
Post by doctorsbaby on May 19, 2015 12:45:57 GMT -5
Good location in our area, close to the things that we need 3 bedrooms with big closets 3.5 bathrooms (I would prefer if each bedroom had the bathroom attached or easily available) 3-4000 square feet 1/4 acre or larger lot LARGE kitchen with good storage space and acres of counter Separate playroom (convert to rec room when DD is older) Separate Office Big pool - I want to swim not float! Outdoor kitchen Backyard playspace for DD after having room for the pool and outdoor kitchen area
Our current house fills a lot of these or will after we are done with renovations in 5-10 years. I really understand the location, location, location aspect that I see people reference now. We *loved* our old house but the location in town just didn't work for us anymore. It was in a newer area and nothing was close, we had to drive 20 minutes to get to just about anything besides the grocery store or Target. Our current house is 10 minutes from just about anything we could want and has easy access to the freeways for anything farther away.
In 4-5 years we will either move or buy another home. I told DH that it would be better for us to add on unless I can find a home with the following items- 5+ bedrooms 3+ baths Formal living and/or dining room At least 2400 sq.ft. Large backyard (at least 12k sq.ft.) 3-car garage Updated so I don't have to do a ton of work Full master bath Large kitchen (preferably with a double oven) Under $400k A pool would be nice but is negotiable Solar panels would be nice too
I don't mind some updating like painting, some landscaping, or getting new flooring. Our current house is only two years old and we have done some additional updates that make it even nicer for us. We would make the family room in to a bedroom and bathroom, enclose the patio in to a new family room, and add on a wrap-around patio on the side of the house if we stayed.
--3 or 4 BR --2.5 baths --Basement (or loft or den or some kind of extra hang-out space) --Large laundry room with space for drying rack --Large closets --Good-size kitchen open to the family room --Within 25 minutes of my job
If I could find it in my area, I'd love a big front porch and some character.
3 - 4 bedrooms 2-3 bathrooms - one with a bathtub Fireplace Kitchen and dining area that works well for entertaining Outdoor entertaining space
Honestly, most things would be awesome. I currently live in a 680 sq ft apt with no personal outdoor space, no covered parking, 1 tiny bathroom, 1 tiny bedroom, and a kitchen built for ants.
I hope you guys will like this answer. H and I just spent 2+ YEARS finding our forever home. We moved in 1 month ago. We are closing on our not-forever-home (where we lived for 10 years, brought our son home to, etc.) at the end of May. I'm going to put together the wishlist and then I'll tell you what we actually got/what we were willing to make concessions on. These are in no particular order:
3000+ square feet big closets 3+ bedrooms deck, place to grill taupe carpet/paint tile in bathrooms/foyer 3 car garage, driveway a toilet that is not right next to the counter in my personal bathroom (H and I each have a bathroom since I get up at 5 to go to work--he gets up at 8). a yard for our son to play in not to be right on top of our neighbors (space between the houses) modern colonial (1990 or later) neighborhood zoned for good schools under 700K (VHCOL) well-kept (we sure as hell weren't putting in a ton of work after we purchased it, willing to go up in budget to not have to do any work to it) close to my work (15 miles or less) good-sized space for H to have his home office laundry room upstairs, updated appliances 2+ levels deep sink and high faucet in kitchen
What We Got: 4800 square feet (TONS of space) good schools 2 car garage, driveway built in 1996, modern colonial perfect, model home condition (save a rickety railing and some chandeliers that we didn't like) the toilet in my bathroom is in fact right next to the cabinet (BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO) over budget by a small percentage deck (will need to be refinished or something in the next year or so) yard, although it is more side yard than backyard b/c of the neighborhood property lines beautiful landscaping 4 bedrooms 3.5 bathrooms laundry room upstairs (not new appliances, spent 1100 to buy new W/D) brand new kitchen (appliances, tile, cabinets, etc.) big closets 3 levels deep sink and high faucet in kitchen! 8 miles to my work (OMG!)
It has this vanilla/yellow paint that I don't love. Eventually we're going to have to paint those rooms (boo). It didn't bother me when I first saw the place, but now I don't like it.
We got very lucky. The house down the street was for sale as well and the people that ended up buying that one made an offer on ours--but we didn't have the contingency of selling our TH first. That's why we got it.
4+ bedrooms and AT LEAST 1.5 baths Fireplace, original woodwork, dishwasher or space for one (or 2), nice basement, play area for kids, dining room, large porch, not too much yard, 2 car garage, A/C, closet space is a must, built in's, bay window (or similar large windows), hardwood floors, city water,
I can compromise on the fireplace, 2 car garage and built ins for the right price...
We are searching for this house currently and the market is not supporting our desires
Our forever house: the ability to live on one floor (should that be needed as we age) energy efficient attached garage storage hardwood floors fenced back yard finished basement fireplace LOCATION
Not a north facing driveway again-the snow Never just melts away lol
Seperate mud room from laundry room
Obnoxious big master closet
Powder room for guests instead of everyone using kids bathroom
Big kitchen with double wall ovens and gas range Storm shelter in basement (I see these a lot now in new homes under the garage Things about our home I'd keep
Three car garage walk in pantry walk out basement ranch Large front porch Back to wooded area (no neighbors behind us) Screened in porch in back split bedrooms
Post by wanderlustmom on May 19, 2015 18:30:04 GMT -5
We are in our forever home unless something changes because of how we planned our life and not because we have some awesome house.
Our biggest consideration was schools and we paid a lot for that. We wanted: Four bedrooms, three bathrooms, colonial, big and private lot. Lots of families, level lot. We didn't get the families at first but they are here now. We did not get a basement, open floor plan or move in ready. Not even close.
Random things: - attached carport plus garage. We love our setup now. I don't want to deal with a garage door everyday but want to be covered. Plus that it's all hidden from the street by the house. - transom windows throughout. Lots of natural light through the house that way. - kitchen layout that hides the dish mess from the main family area. - laundry near bedrooms