Love it or Leave it...

[CWS4322]

What features about your house would you absolutely want to have in a house, what features would you leave behind and live without?

I absolutely would want to have:
1. The to "die for" closets.
2. A separate shower and tub.
3. Hardwood floors.
4. Butcherblock counter tops.
5. Concrete sink in the bathroom.
6. French doors instead of a sliding patio door.
7. A walk-out basement door.
8. Central Air and central vac with kick plates.

Absolutely do not want to have:

1. No overhead lighting except in the bedrooms (fortunately, that can be fixed in this house).
2. A window over a stairwell that a person of average height cannot open or clean (a little harder to fix).
3. A patio door (one of those sliding ones).
4. A small kitchen that won't hold a commercial stove or fridge.
5. A bathroom vanity that reaches the floor (love being able to clean under the vanity)


What things would you take with you to another house, if you could, and which ones would you leave behind?

 

[jabbur]

I'd like to have a tub in my bathroom. The master bath just has a shower.
I love my closet. I love my kitchen and pantry.
I'd like a little bigger family room.
I'd like to have only one floor instead of 2.
I'd like a little bigger yard with a detached garage for DH's "projects"
I'd like an attached garage to park the car in.
I'd like a washtub/concrete sink in the laundry room.
I like my fireplace but wish it was gas.

 

[CWS4322]

I'd like to have a tub in my bathroom. The master bath just has a shower.
I love my closet. I love my kitchen and pantry.
I'd like a little bigger family room.
I'd like to have only one floor instead of 2.
I'd like a little bigger yard with a detached garage for DH's "projects"
I'd like an attached garage to park the car in.
I'd like a washtub/concrete sink in the laundry room.
I like my fireplace but wish it was gas.

Oh yeah, forgot, the laundry tub, prep sink station in the kitchen (what's with this one sink [dual basins] in kitchens--who thought of that?) and an outside sink for washing veggies...all do-able, just have to convince the DH that they are needed!

 

[Margi Cintrano]

We have spent most of July in reforming our Italian Condo in Puglia. The bathrm is almost finished and the Kitch is next ...

Wood floors; as I totally detest wall to wall carpet and I am highly allergic to it ...

Then, this is a Condo, so no basement necessary. We have a phenomenal open air terrace overlooking the Adriatic ...

Wall to wall closets, with antique wood doors ... Since we live in a modern Loft, which we rent and shall not renew lease; we prefer our sea front home to express ourselves, where as the loft, is in a multi cultural large city Capital, our Puglia Condo is our sea front home away from the Madrid Capital.

Have lovely summer and Ciao.
Margaux

 

[CWS4322]

I absolutely want a counter-top range with two wall-mount ovens. Just can't figure out where to put them in the current kitchen (or how to convince the DH they are necessary).

I would keep the portable dishwasher over a built-in. Why? I can recycle the grey water without having a separate tank put in or a permit. This has been very handy during our current drought.

 

[CWS4322]

We have spent most of July in reforming our Italian Condo in Puglia. The bathrm is almost finished and the Kitch is next ...

Wood floors; as I totally detest wall to wall carpet and I am highly allergic to it ...

Then, this is a Condo, so no basement necessary. We have a phenomenal open air terrace overlooking the Adriatic ...

Wall to wall closets, with antique wood doors ... Since we live in a modern Loft, which we rent and shall not renew lease; we prefer our sea front home to express ourselves, where as the loft, is in a multi cultural large city Capital, our Puglia Condo is our sea front home away from the Madrid Capital.

Have lovely summer and Ciao.
Margaux

Go wall-to-wall, ceiling-to-floor, with drawers you can stand on at the bottom so you can reach the top cubbies/shelves.

 

[Dawgluver]

I would love:

A bigger bathroom with 2 sinks and a big walkin shower
A finished basement
A workshop, not in the current unfinished basement
Massive walk-in closets

 

[Addie]

A farm sink so I can reach the back of it
Wood floors
More overhead lighting. (Maintenance changes the bulbs for me)
Pull out shelves on the lower cabinets
Self cleaning oven
Electrical outlets waist high

Being elderly, bending over can become dangerous. A lot of these apartments require a lot of bending over. It is one of the biggest complaints here with the residents. We have plenty of outlets, but are blocked by furniture and are close to the floor. This is the problem with most of the apartments. Reaching under the cabinets is the most difficult chore.

 

[CWS4322]

I would love:

A bigger bathroom with 2 sinks and a big walkin shower
A finished basement
A workshop, not in the current unfinished basement
Massive walk-in closets

Dawgluver--a lot of what you want is do-able in your current house. The walk-in closet can be replaced by a wall-to-wall, ceiling-to-floor closet if the room is big enough (or if you can cancel out some space from the adjoining room). I did that. It is better than a walk-in closet because everything is "in my face" and doesn't get buried. I have 2 5-drawer dressers built in. Finish the basement! Not hard to do. And, you might just be able to do the walk-in shower and double sink. I didn't need double-sinks, I don't do "shared bathroom time" with the DH. We got the walls for the shower at Lowe's, poured a concrete base. It is big enough to bath a Saint Bernard (my requirement). And, the soaker tub is big/deep enough to teach a baby how to swim. The only thing we did was cancel out the linen closet (relocated it) and we were able to fit both--soaker tub and walk-in shower, in a very small space. The washer and dryer had to be relocated to the basement (I rarely use the dryer--I use the line or hang the clothes in the basement by the wood stove)--not sure I like that the washer is in the basement since I didn't get a clothes shut, but that is where they had to go if I wanted the shower and soaker tub--the house is small--1300 sq ft. The DH did the work--that probably makes a difference re: cost. But, you might be surprised, you might be able to get what you want in your current house for less than it would cost to buy a house with those features. (And no, I'm not a real estate agent).

 

[Dawgluver]

Dawgluver--a lot of what you want is do-able in your current house. The walk-in closet can be replaced by a wall-to-wall, ceiling-to-floor closet if the room is big enough (or if you can cancel out some space from the adjoining room). I did that. It is better than a walk-in closet because everything is "in my face" and doesn't get buried. I have 2 5-drawer dressers built in. Finish the basement! Not hard to do. And, you might just be able to do the walk-in shower and double sink. I didn't need double-sinks, I don't do "shared bathroom time" with the DH. We got the walls for the shower at Lowe's, poured a concrete base. It is big enough to bath a Saint Bernard (my requirement). And, the soaker tub is big/deep enough to teach a baby how to swim. The only thing we did was cancel out the linen closet (relocated it) and we were able to fit both--soaker tub and walk-in shower, in a very small space. The washer and dryer had to be relocated to the basement (I rarely use the dryer--I use the line or hang the clothes in the basement by the wood stove)--not sure I like that the washer is in the basement since I didn't get a clothes shut, but that is where they had to go if I wanted the shower and soaker tub--the house is small--1300 sq ft. The DH did the work--that probably makes a difference re: cost. But, you might be surprised, you might be able to get what you want in your current house for less than it would cost to buy a house with those features. (And no, I'm not a real estate agent).

Yes, we could do some of these improvements here, CWS. Just have to get off my butt and put up with the mess and inconvenience! I love the house, the neighbors, and the pool, so we'd never sell. Unfortunately, with the window placements, small rooms, etc, there's no room for massive closets. We will have to steal space from the garage in order to build out and enlarge the downstairs bathroom, which is a high priority for DH. The basement houses my workshop and power tools, along with loads of other stuff, we have discussed building a separate workshop, would have to heat and electrify.

Thanks for the ideas!

 

[LPBeier]

I love
1. The fact that there are no stairs that I have to climb.
2. The size and layout of the rooms
3. The patio
4. The French doors just in from the entrance.
5. Having a window at my kitchen sink
6. Two bathrooms!

I would leave:
1. The size of the kitchen (we are going to fix that with a major reno in the fall or spring)
2. The fireplace - I love them but this is wood burning and we are not allowed to convert. Wood burning affects my asthma big time!
3. The amount of storage space
4. The fact the washer and dryer are in the hallway to the bedrooms and it is difficult (not impossible) to close this off.
5. The fact that this is a lease-hold property and while we buy and sell it on our own, we have more rules to follow than a strata-title, can't get a mortgage or use it as collateral (not that we need to) and they are slow sellers.

 

[roadfix]

-Flat land instead of the steep hillside property (but also don't want to lose the city views)
-Single story instead of two stories
-Wish I had a large wood workshop instead of our large unused rec room turned storage room

 

[chopper]

Things I love about my home;

A front deck for cooking, eating, entertaining, sitting by a fire, etc. (we recently made this change from a small front porch)

My kitchen.

The fact that it is a two story with a full basement.

Our new landscaping that allows me to have more flowers.

Country living

Things I don't like;

Carpet-can't wait to pay off the house so we can get wood floors.

Too many white walls. Really should do some painting.

Not enough garage space (we have a 3-car attached garage, and no room for my car inside.) We need another building-but that has to wait until the house is paid off too.

 

[PrincessFiona60]

I live in an apartment, I'd like to leave the whole darn thing.

I want CWS's closet, at least two of them.
My gourmet, live-in, eat-in kitchen, I've always dreamed about. I could be describing this till December.
A Master bath with just a shower, two separate vanities (I want to use old refinished dressers as vanities with a sinks added, I don't care if they match).
A second full bath with tub and shower.
Sound-proofed music room for Shrek.
Library.
Outdoor kitchen/patio flower garden, herb garden with fountain.
My own clutter room.

And a separate guest house.

 

[CWS4322]

I live in an apartment, I'd like to leave the whole darn thing.

I want CWS's closet, at least two of them.
And a separate guest house.

+1 I have a separate building that could be a guest house...first I used it as my "loom house" and then it was converted to a kennel building when I was fostering spare Saint Bernards, and is now a chicken house! (one-third of it), the rest is my trunk room (as my grandmother called the part of her chicken coop that wasn't used for chickens but was a separate room). It has water and heat, just needs the plumbing for a bathroom. It has 220 so hooking up a stove would be a no brainer. And, the chickens have a separate entrance and there are walls between their area and the rest of the space, but then, I'd have to have guests!

 

[Margi Cintrano]

I prefer a walk in crystal enclosed shower, our new master bath does not have a tub, as it is un-necessary ...

Bath tubs are good for my grandsons and grand daughter when they visit who are still young, however, for me, I do not have time to sit and do nothing. So, the main full bathrm has a bath tub, which I will never use.

We prefer the new shower, which is quite vanguard.

So, bathrms done.

Kitch and dining rm in works ... However, shall continue after our trip for 3 days and 2 nites, to take a break together.

Good post.
Ciao, Margaux.

 

[chopper]

+1 I have a separate building that could be a guest house...first I used it as my "loom house" and then it was converted to a kennel building when I was fostering spare Saint Bernards, and is now a chicken house! (one-third of it), the rest is my trunk room (as my grandmother called the part of her chicken coop that wasn't used for chickens but was a separate room). It has water and heat, just needs the plumbing for a bathroom. It has 220 so hooking up a stove would be a no brainer. And, the chickens have a separate entrance and there are walls between their area and the rest of the space, but then, I'd have to have guests!

Lol. I just had to reply to this. Don't get me wrong, but my guests would stay less time of I told them that the guest bed room was in the chicken coop! At least they wouldn't stay too long!
My guest bedroom is in the basement. Most of the basement is unfinished and a great storage area, but the guest bedroom is mostly finished. Sometimes we call it the dungeon.

 

[CWS4322]

My uncles slept in the room off the chicken coop. Maybe that's why they both enlisted in the Navy...

 

[Merlot]

Lose the husband
Keep the kiddo

Oh, material things? well in that case....

I like my wooden floors and back patio Other then that the house is too small. I want another bathroom, another bedroom, a slightly bigger kitchen with better lighting!

 

[PrincessFiona60]

Close to what I have in mind for a kitchen.