Storygirl Posted February 14, 2017 Share Posted February 14, 2017 I found my dream home online. It has a floor plan I love, enough bedrooms for each of the children to have his/her own, lower level space large enough for both a tv area and a game area (pool table, etc.) with a walkout to a lovely back patio and yard. It is only minutes from DD's school, whereas our current home is 30 minutes away. I spend hours a day in the car, so reducing our drive time is a big draw. AND it has an in-law apartment. Not just a private room and bath, but an actual one-bedroom apartment with its own garage and entrance, but attached to the main house.If we ever move again, I'd love an attached apartment, for the flexibility it offers for elder care now (our parents are in their 80s) and multigenerational living later, in case one of our children needs to live with us as an adult (there is a real possibility of this). Of course, this house is not only out of our price range, but is overbuilt for the neighborhood, so owning it is only a dream. But I keep looking at it online anyway. What features would you want in your dream home? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seasider Posted February 14, 2017 Share Posted February 14, 2017 My dream home? Self-cleaning. 😆 21 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarlett Posted February 14, 2017 Share Posted February 14, 2017 I want about 2500sq ft. I want 3 to 4 bedrooms. I want a LARGE family room area...the primary room for family gatherings, gaming, tv,, etc etc. I want a sunroon/breakfast nook. I want a dedicated family room.....not one that shares space with the furnace/water heater, and not a washer dryer stashed in a hallway....a dedicated room. Small but enough to fold on a bench/shelf in the room. I need a playroom for the kids. Whether that means a 4 br and the girls share a room and the 4th bedroom has a playroom.....or we have a "bonus room" in a 3br house. Or, a basement. Or something. I want something to be dedicated as a craft space, and another small space for schooling things. Even if I end up not homeschooling past this year, a space with book/book case plus lots of learning activities, I want that. I think you mean you want a dedicated laundry room. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarlett Posted February 14, 2017 Share Posted February 14, 2017 (edited) Dh and I are hoping to build next. If not next then sometime in the next few years which will be our forever home. I have a plan I love with about 1500 sf. Some things that are important to me Energy efficiency. A heat source that doesn't depend upon electricity....doesn't have to be the ONLY heat source....I just want to be able to get warm if the electricity stays off for days in an ice storm. A large patio/deck off the family room to the back yard. Open kitchen and Family room Easy to maintain flooring. No carpet. Well, maybe in the bedrooms. Big Windows. No grids. Big master bath....compared to what we have at least....LOL....nothing outrageous, but definitely a water closet. Dh says we are putting two water closets in the master. Anyone ever hear of that? Edited February 14, 2017 by Scarlett 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NikiSC Posted February 14, 2017 Share Posted February 14, 2017 It's fun to dream, isn't it? I would love... A schoolroom!!! At least one more bathroom (we only have one) A large laundry room A mud room Bigger bedrooms A walk in closet 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardenmom5 Posted February 14, 2017 Share Posted February 14, 2017 there are things about my house I like. the view the location the wood floors wood burning fireplace granite counters ceiling height cupboards pull-out trays behind doors base cabinets counter space millwork built in 10' sideboard (so sorry I didn't do frameless cabinets . . ) a/c dual fuel range bedroom level laundry huge garage media room (which is also where ds has his computer set up. in an awkward layout that impacts the function of the room. he's the only one who wants to do local college. . . and he has to do a ms for his field.) and then I wish: generous eat in (room for a table that seats eight) kitchen with big breakfast bar island - frameless cabinets (re: NO wasted space!) - and more storage! especially with easy access for pots and pans. full size double wall-oven with a 6 burner gas cooktop. plenty of knife storage. :glare: dd and i were talking - she's wants an appliance garage (given the height of a KA -she wants the 7qt - it needs to be very tall to fit through the opening.) that is extra deep, so you don't lose any counter space. (it is pushed into the pantry behind it.) an extra-deep space for a fridge - so a full depth fridge doesn't stick a foot+ into the room. more counter space. there is no such thing as enough counter space. huge pantry with room for a 2nd fridge, and attached family room with built in bookcases. if the space can be closed off during a power outage to keep it warm - so much the better. mudroom with sink and exterior access. separate living room separate dining room (dh wants his potential 16' table. it took over the living room as well. give. me. space.) with a full butler's pantry true office for dh 4 - 5 larger bedrooms (incl.master) -yeah my kids are moving out, but then I can have a guest room, and a craft room. . .and grandma space (assuming I get grandkids to visit me . . . ) roomy walk-in closets bigger bathrooms, all family bathrooms with double sinks. a separate w/c in the master bath. big bonus space. 3-season outdoor space with a fireplace (and good overhead coverage to protect from sun and rain.) water heater in a corner of the basement - not the laundry room. all the utilities in the same area of the basement. . . . 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted February 14, 2017 Share Posted February 14, 2017 My dream home will be back in SoCal. I am not even that picky, as long as we have some privacy (fence is fine), a small yard, and the location I want. I have already started looking. It doesn't HAVE to have 4 bedrooms, but it has to have the capability of another bedroom somewhere if it is 3 bedrooms. So, a room that can be split, a garage that could be transformed, etc.... There is a slim chance we will move back. I am holding on to that hope. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bettyandbob Posted February 14, 2017 Share Posted February 14, 2017 My dream home is in a walkable community with trails or sidewalks to shopping center, library and swimming pool (dh thinks this is weird). The house itself has there's bedrooms plus an in law suite (maybe even efficiency apartment with separate entrance). Youngest DS could live in the in law suite and gave some independence. If I'm really dreaming it's in a warm place that is walking distance to beach, but not beach front, in a culturally diverse community. OK. Not sure that exists. If it does I'm sure I can't move there. But that's the dream. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carol in Cal. Posted February 14, 2017 Share Posted February 14, 2017 (edited) A big, rambling house that was not built in the What Were They Thinking era (1950s-1970s). I could make any configuration like that work. Except, not disproportionate ceilings--I hate that. And not clerestory windows--I find those very depressing. Edited February 14, 2017 by Carol in Cal. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluegoat Posted February 15, 2017 Share Posted February 15, 2017 I can fall in love with houses from a lot of different times and in different styles. But the house that I probably covet more than any other is one that is across the street from my middle school friend's parents house. I babysat with here there when we were teens, before it was restored, and I've been in it more recently for a house tour benefit for the city museum. It's an old house, built into the hill, with the back facing the harbor. The original house has kitchen and dining on the basement floor with a walk-out to the garden, the middle floor is two large parlours and a smaller room they use as a library. Also an entrance porch which is common here in older homes because of the wet snowy winters. The third floor is two little rooms in the roof with Scottish dormers. The staircase is this beautiful wooden spiral. The renovation added a garage at ground level on street side, with a large room above and a conservatory built into the hill below. They also use the basement as an apartment and so added a tiny kitchen on the ground floor, which I likely would get rid of, maybe put laundry in there, or a place for recycling and dogs. It's in a great location too, about a two-min walk to my dh's office, and the ferry. There are lots of little shops, the library, and it's right next to the commons with lots of open space, a brick oven people can cook at and picnic in the good weather, and a community garden. If it came on the market it would be out of my price range for sure, but I doubt it will, I think they intend to keep it in the family. More generally, I like older places with deep baseboards and high ceilings. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluegoat Posted February 15, 2017 Share Posted February 15, 2017 A big, rambling house that was not built in the What Were They Thinking era (1950s-1970s). I could make any configuration like that work. Except, not disproportionate ceilings--I hate that. And not clerestory windows--I find those very depressing. There were some nice places built in the 50's and 60's, IMO. It's the 70's when things seemed to go to wonky. My house was built around 1960 and the construction is pretty darn solid, even though it was part of the post-war housing boom. The bathroom and kitchen renos they did later though were cheapy. Once you get to the 70's it seems like unless it was high end, they used a lot of inferior products. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted February 15, 2017 Share Posted February 15, 2017 We have owned 4 houses, not at the same time, but my favorite one of those was the Craftsman home. I love Craftsman homes. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OneStepAtATime Posted February 15, 2017 Share Posted February 15, 2017 I want a library...With room to grow. LOL 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Outdoorsy Type Posted February 15, 2017 Share Posted February 15, 2017 I'm fine with my house, but a dream house Borders forestland or green space A deep, but not mammoth tub Large windows A window seat in an upper window looking out into trees Upper deck from master bedroom Walkout basement with room for a ping pong table, TV etc 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Storygirl Posted February 15, 2017 Author Share Posted February 15, 2017 With a name like Outdoorsy Type, I'm not surprised you love trees. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fraidycat Posted February 15, 2017 Share Posted February 15, 2017 I don't know where my dream home would be located, but it'd have to be pretty big. I want ... - a dedicated laundry room with at least two laundry sinks, indoor drying lines and an exterior door w/patio or deck for outdoor drying - a dedicated craft room - his and hers offices - a "retreat" room - for yoga/meditation/exercise - separate bathrooms for all 4 of us - library/reading room w/ floor to ceiling bookshelves - kitchen with large lower drawers for cabinets, no upper cabinets - large walk-in pantry for food - butler's pantry/second kitchen for dehydrator, homemade kraut, homemade kefir, kombucha, etc. - huge storage room(s) for seasonal items - walk-in closets for every bedroom - attached garage - near trees/green space - large windows, lots of natural light - this house would also have a housekeeper and a personal chef ;) - in-law suite Hey, if I'm dreaming, I'll dream big! :P 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alisoncooks Posted February 15, 2017 Share Posted February 15, 2017 I found a "dream house" on realtor.com recently. IDK why I was looking, since we have absolutely no plan to move. Not to mention that this house cost more than double our current house. But specs: 2500 sq/ft (this is double our current living space) 4 br/3 ba 2-car garage Screened back porch Large open kitchen/dining/living space Upstairs common space/loft (though a basement family room would be great) Lots of built ins Pretty kitchen and countertops, huge walk-in shower in master Lots of closet space 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paige Posted February 15, 2017 Share Posted February 15, 2017 My aunt and uncle had my dream home when I was growing up. They had a huge open floorplan living area upstairs that included a breakfast area surrounded by windows, a dining area, and the family room. They had a large sectional, other seating, and still room to run around without hitting anything. They had a conservatory full of plants and light. It was not connected to the living area, so felt private and peaceful. Their master suite was off a private hallway and included a large bedroom, master bath, separate walk in closets, and an office/reading room. Downstairs, they had a massive- and I mean massive playroom. It had a pool table, a bathroom and sink, and bar/kitchen. They had a stone fireplace with a rock wall we could climb. In the center was a loft, which felt like an indoor treehouse. Under the loft was a sitting area with built in couches. On the other side, they had video games like a large PacMan, basketball things, and pinball. You could roller skate in there too. The kids' bedrooms were on this level and each room had its own walk in closet and bathroom. The house looked small from the street, so it felt like a surprise when you walked inside. They had a nice 2 level deck so you could have sun or no sun, and a good flat area to play next to an awesome sledding hill. I would recreate that house if I could, except we'd need an extra bedroom since we have more kids. I was so sad when they sold that house! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktgrok Posted February 15, 2017 Share Posted February 15, 2017 My big wish is a real laundry room with space for a family closet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seasider Posted February 15, 2017 Share Posted February 15, 2017 Ok now a serious answer. My dream house is Forest Gump's house. Just update the appliances and indoor fixtures and add a beautiful pool and gardens out back. I love that low country style. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abba12 Posted February 15, 2017 Share Posted February 15, 2017 STORAGE Seriously, I've lived in so many houses with such little storage... I'd want a walk in closet, walk in pantry, laundry room and cupboards/closets out the wazoo. Big kitchen. Just... space. I guess I want a big house. Not big as in 5 bathrooms and 10 bedrooms, big as in a big kitchen, big lounge, big playroom, big bedrooms. I love my space. Oh and Library room is a must. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ikslo Posted February 15, 2017 Share Posted February 15, 2017 (edited) Small house on the beach somewhere warm/hot. Small so I don't have to clean, and so we don't have to entertain a whole house full of out of town guests using us as a vacation spot. ETA: Must have 2 toilets. :D Edited February 15, 2017 by ikslo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 15, 2017 Share Posted February 15, 2017 I used to live in my dream home. :0). The thing that would have kept it a dream home is free yard maintenance and much lower property taxes. We have downsized and while I like this house plenty well, I do miss offering the hospitality I used to be able to when I had more space. But I don't miss cleaning all that extra space. It had a great floor plan, and a laundry room you could play racquetball in. I miss that. But ... a time for everything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peaceseeker Posted February 15, 2017 Share Posted February 15, 2017 I use to have a fairly large house for a family of 4 (3000 square ft) and then we did a major downsize into a 100 year old 800 square foot home. Although the other house had a better location, I love the smaller house we are in so much more. Sometimes I repeat to myself, "no matter what I will NEVER have 4 bathrooms to clean again!" The stress of upkeep took away valuable time when I had little ones. I am not someone who can let things go either. This tiny house has relieved so much stress for me and I have enjoyed my children more and focused on cleaning less. That being said my dream house would probably fall in the middle, around 1500-1800 square feet if I still had kids and 1200-1500 for just me and my husband. I want a modest,charming little farmhouse with just what I need and nothing extra. One more bathroom and some larger common areas would be great. I never see things laid out exactly as I want though, with no wasted space. I want slightly larger entertaining space (dining room/living room) and a functional but not massive kitchen. A good size pantry for freezers and food storage. Small bedrooms are fine, but I want a nice roomy master bath/master closet and a big tub. 2 or 2 and 1/2 bathrooms tops! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foxbridgeacademy Posted February 15, 2017 Share Posted February 15, 2017 Our house is pretty close for the time being. It fits our current family make-up. We've got 5 bedrooms with a windowless bonus room off one of the bedrooms, 3.5 baths. the living room is big but oddly shaped, I need more wall space or something. I'd like to have a 2nd living area or the kitchen, which is small, to double in size. I'd like a laundry room, right now we only have a laundry closet. Now the "after the kids move out house" is another thing entirely. I want small, not tiny but most definitely small. 2 bedrooms 1.5 bathrooms on land. On this land I'd like to have at least 1 (maybe 2) additional guest house (2 bedrooms and a bath only) for the kids to visit, we have a lot of kids. Thinking this looks cool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardenmom5 Posted February 15, 2017 Share Posted February 15, 2017 There were some nice places built in the 50's and 60's, IMO. It's the 70's when things seemed to go to wonky. My house was built around 1960 and the construction is pretty darn solid, even though it was part of the post-war housing boom. The bathroom and kitchen renos they did later though were cheapy. Once you get to the 70's it seems like unless it was high end, they used a lot of inferior products. the 70s were a *very* ugly decade. the 60s was strange enough - but the 70s went off the deep end for design of all types. this is the decade of avocado green furniture/appliances - and polyester leisure suits. just . . . gag me with a spork. :ack2: it was bad enough to live through it. We have owned 4 houses, not at the same time, but my favorite one of those was the Craftsman home. I love Craftsman homes. green and green were from the arts and crafts era. swoon. the gamble house is the epitome of their work. and batchelder tile . . . I'm going to cry . . . I have a thing for wood, stone, tile and millwork. I was corrupted by spending so much time in my great-aunt's home growing up. the floor plan sucked - but her kitchen cabinets and counters were marine grade teak. with the latches and lip around the edge of the counters. and her kitchen table was birdseye maple farmhouse table. dont' even want to think how much that was worth. and the mahoghany arts and crafts paneling and other millwork ....oh, it was gorgeous. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted February 15, 2017 Share Posted February 15, 2017 (edited) the 70s were a *very* ugly decade. the 60s was strange enough - but the 70s went off the deep end for design of all types. this is the decade of avocado green furniture/appliances - and polyester leisure suits. just . . . gag me with a spork. :ack2: it was bad enough to live through it. green and green were from the arts and crafts era. swoon. the gamble house is the epitome of their work. and batchelder tile . . . I'm going to cry . . . I have a thing for wood, stone, tile and millwork. I was corrupted by spending so much time in my great-aunt's home growing up. the floor plan sucked - but her kitchen cabinets and counters were marine grade teak. with the latches and lip around the edge of the counters. and her kitchen table was birdseye maple farmhouse table. dont' even want to think how much that was worth. and the mahoghany arts and crafts paneling and other millwork ....oh, it was gorgeous. Yes, our Craftsman was literally just a couple of miles down the road from the Gamble House. I have been there many times. Sigh. I want to move back. I am working on it. Edited February 15, 2017 by DawnM 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zinnia Posted February 15, 2017 Share Posted February 15, 2017 My dh's aunt built her dream home a few years ago. It's wonderful and perfect and probably exactly what I would choose. I would even take her furniture and decorations--I love her style. Some things I love--a huge dining room that seats 20 (!) at this crazy long table. She has three grown children and grands, and they all sit at the same table. It opens to the foyer, and there is even room for an additional card table or two for when the extended family comes. A big pantry right off the kitchen that is big enough for an extra fridge. A butler's pantry between the kitchen and dining room for china. A family room off the living room. A sunroom/sitting room off the master. A screened porch. A "grandchildren" room with trundle beds for when they visit (and it's upstairs with a door at the bottom of the steps, so she can close it off and not worry about cleaning toys when they leave). The one thing that she has said she would do differently (and I agree) is that the back door opens into the mud room, which is also the laundry. Everyone uses the back door to enter, so she always has to keep the laundry room clean. I don't think that that is a big deal for her :) , but it would be for me. Oh, and a sister in law has another thing I'd love---a basement with a huge walk in storage room to store Christmas and hand-me-down clothes and whatever else she needs. She has a big pantry in her mud room that is deep and sturdy enough (and a full wall) to store all the home canning you'd need for a year. Shame that she doesn't can. :D It is wasted space in her home. But I would love it! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lavender's green Posted February 15, 2017 Share Posted February 15, 2017 Off the top of my head...I'd love a mudroom. Right now all the doors open straight into living spaces (or a cramped and poorly designed entry area for the front door), and I just can't stay on top of all the dirt the kids track in, even when they think they're being careful. Larger laundry room. In-law suite might be nice. More room for entertaining. I don't necessarily need formal spaces, but something that hasn't completely been taken over by the kids and their stuff would be nice. Storage. More storage=less clutter. And I'm aggressive about getting rid of stuff. Probably more bedrooms. Or at least bedrooms large enough to fit more people. Large kitchen. The last time we went house-hunting, all the houses in our price range had relatively small kitchens. It's do-able, but I don't like the feeling that the cupboards are bursting at the seams just to hold a normal amount of kitchen stuff. And I hate shooing everyone away so that I can work safely. Butler's pantry. Land, and the ability to have a hobby farm on it. Nice deep two-person tub. Preferably not cookie-cutter. But again, options in our price range were limited last time. I'd like to have enough space away from neighbors to not hear their air conditioners and lawnmowers and weedwhackers and leafblowers all day every day in the summertime. Those noises drive me crazy. A couple at a time are okay, but it gets really bad here in the summer. As soon as four of them stop, ten start up. My biggest dream: a great room with a large stone fireplace and huge windows overlooking the mountains. Sigh. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluegoat Posted February 15, 2017 Share Posted February 15, 2017 One thing I've noticed is that most modern built houses have their space allocated in ways i wouldn't choose. They tend to have huge kitchens, which doesn't interest me as much as a kitchen that works well, though I don't mind a good size one. But I would like a true pantry and or cold-room, and room to make preserves and such. I'd like a good sized dining room and kitchen. I prefer a detached garage, or no garage and a workshop instead. I'd like a proper mudroom with place for outdoor toys and such, dog stuff, maybe a sink for garden things, and room for out of season coats and boots. And a space for my recycling and compostables - by law we have to separate, and that takes a certain amount of room. I also need a lot of bookshelves and I'd like a space for my rug-hooking, my dd12s sewing, and so on. Modern houses often seem to lack some of these areas, and instead they have too many huge closets and bathrooms. and then they often have a lot of eating areas - breakfast nook, chairs at a counter, and dining room. It takes up a lot of square footage and the bathrooms especially are expensive! I really only need one full bath and an extra toilet, a shower stall to go with the second bathroom would be a great bonus. But I don't need an ensuite or three or four bathrooms. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amy g. Posted February 15, 2017 Share Posted February 15, 2017 One of my earliest memories is a dream about a house. I had just moved in and as I walked from room to room, I kept discovering new surprises about the beautiful old house. The dream has recurred throughout my life and I always felt comforted when I woke up. In reality, I've spent my adult life in houses built in the 60s and 70s. I have remodeled them to make them more functional, but tried to stay true to the style of the house. I was satisfied, but not in love. That changed when I saw pictures of this house. My heart skipped a beat, and I felt like I had found the house from my childhood dreams. It soothed me. I felt like I was looking at a photo of an old beloved friend. I refused to go to the house before move in. I wanted the first time I saw it to be when I was turning the key in the lock. It was like walking through my recurring dream. The previous owner lived here 40 years then died of a Valentine's Day heart attack in this bedroom. Her daughters knew I would be here a week before the moving vans arrived and so they left me little gifts throughout the house. There were feather pillows, furniture, cooking utensils, coffee cups, a bottle of wine, fresh flowers-just like the dream. I'm so thankful that I got to spend that time getting to know the house before all of our stuff got here. It is beautiful. There is no question about that. But there is something more. It FEELS good. When I'm sitting on my front porch, people stop to tell me that the happiest moments of their lives were spent in this house. My sister thinks that part of it is the proportions of the room and the beautiful light from all of the windows combine in such a pleasing way, but it is more than that. So for me, my dream house isn't about open concept or new appliances. It is a friend I hadn't met. In my difficult times, she would visit me in my dreams saying, "I'm here. Don't worry. I'm waiting for you." I meet people who wanted to buy this house, but there was always an problem why they couldn't get in. I know the owners had other offers-cash offers, but the house chose me. It was love at first sight. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Outdoorsy Type Posted February 15, 2017 Share Posted February 15, 2017 With a name like Outdoorsy Type, I'm not surprised you love trees. :) It's true! If I have a comfortable place to read, and access to nature, I'm happy. 👠Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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