If you have or could build your home from scratch

[sewf]

What would you include?

Our house is almost 120 years old. It has been remodeled and renovated multiple times, and we think it was divided into apartments at some point. So it is kind of Frankensteined together and some things just don’t make sense, especially with the layout.

FIL floated the idea of helping up with the costs of tear down and rebuild. This isn’t something that had ever even entered our minds as we would never be able to afford it, but my ILs have been very smart and fortunate with their money and love to share it with their family.

So now I am daydreaming about what I would include and getting very preliminary ideas. We will discuss this with FIL in a few weeks when we see him in person, and it may not happen at all, but it’s fun to look at floor plans and imagine.

So far I have: separate entry/mudroom, not directly into the living room; separate toilet rooms from the bathroom; screened in porch; walk-in pantry; kitchen island (we have a galley kitchen right now and it’s workable but only for two people max)

[angelashly]

Open floor plan
Big kitchen with built in coffee maker and walk in pantry with plenty of space.
First floor laundry room with a door and plenty of storage
Finished basement with a separate area that’s closed off for storage
2 full baths and a half one
Ranch
Bay windows
Lots of light
Built in shelves
Fireplace


Can you tell I want a new house

[sewf]

Jul 8, 2024 9:41:35 GMT -6 angelashly said:

Open floor plan
Big kitchen with built in coffee maker and walk in pantry with plenty of space.
First floor laundry room with a door and plenty of storage
Finished basement with a separate area that’s closed off for storage
2 full baths and a half one
Ranch
Bay windows
Lots of light
Built in shelves
Fireplace


Can you tell I want a new house

Yes to finished basement. I’m in Missouri and tornadoes freak me out. We have a cellar basement, but I’d love to be slightly more comfortable if the sirens go off.

[angelashly]

Jul 8, 2024 9:54:26 GMT -6 sewf said:

Jul 8, 2024 9:41:35 GMT -6 angelashly said:

Open floor plan
Big kitchen with built in coffee maker and walk in pantry with plenty of space.
First floor laundry room with a door and plenty of storage
Finished basement with a separate area that’s closed off for storage
2 full baths and a half one
Ranch
Bay windows
Lots of light
Built in shelves
Fireplace


Can you tell I want a new house

Yes to finished basement. I’m in Missouri and tornadoes freak me out. We have a cellar basement, but I’d love to be slightly more comfortable if the sirens go off.

Yes!

Also I wfh so I would feel better about dd having friends over if I could send them to the basement when they inevitably want to come in to cool off

[sweptaway]

outlets everywhere

[klw]

Love everything angelashly listed
Big kitchen with lots of counter top space and storage, double oven
Lots of outlets and lighting. Even if you don't use them, they are there.
Ceiling fans wired in all bedrooms, living area. Just in case

I wish our kid's bedrooms were bigger

[bearfootzcontinued]

Before we bought this house our plan was to build.
Here are a few things we wanted in our hypothetical dream home:
Guest bath (1/2 bath) off mudroom/garage entry
1st floor laundry that connects to Master closet (either door or pass through)
2nd set of stairs to basement in the garage - DH has a dirty job so the intention is that we'd have a second laundry room & bathroom w/shower stall in basement so he could go right down there to strip/shower and use separate washer to launder his greasy clothes.

[hawkward]

Hi! Originally we were planning on building, but then a perfect location fell into our laps and we’re working on remodeling the house. Here is what we’re doing so far:

-Full basement with a walkout egress and cold storage room
-Mudroom between the kitchen and garage with a farm sink, dog tub, washer, dryer, and storage
-outdoor kitchen
-bay window behind the sink in the kitchen for my herbs
-counter height half wall between dining room and kitchen for hosting extended family
-mini split heating/cooling on each floor

[roselab]

When we moved in 2000, we were fortunate enough to get *almost* everything on our dream house list. The only things we didn't get were a main floor primary bedroom, an already fenced yard (this obv. doesn't apply to you), and an oversized shower in the primary bath. The things on our list that we did get were large open kitchen with an island and large pantry, a main floor back door to the yard with no stairs (this was for our dogs, we have a laundry/mud room that we added a dog door to, and that is also the door the kids go in/out of from school), a dark office not on the main floor for dh (work specific), finished basement, and outdoor entertaining space.
My kids have a jack and Jill bathroom connecting their rooms, and we thought that would be great, but honestly, I would much prefer they have their own bathrooms (they are teenagers) because sharing does cause fights occasionally. Our guest room has an ensuite that one of them could use, but they don't, they both want 'their' bathroom.

Oh, I also wish our garage had a door to the outside other than the garage doors themselves. Our basement is not a walk-out, which isn't an issue for us at all, but going out through the basement means going out through the garage, which the kids do often when they are playing on the driveway. It would be nice for them to be able to go out without having to open a garage door, but def. wasn't a deal breaker.

[angelashly]

Oh yes a mud room is a must! With built in hooks/shoe/basket thing

[rvasc]

At least one downstairs bedroom with a full bath. This is a nonnegotiable for me! And right now staying with my dad after Achilles surgery, I feel even more strongly. It is a disaster.

[DGM]

I only skimmed the previous suggestions but yes to a master bedroom on the first floor, outlets everywhere, and garage access besides the garage door itself. For myself, I'd add a mini oven (pizza size between the stovetop and main oven) in my kitchen. I think I'd use that more than an actual double oven. Also, some kind of window seating with underneath storage for blankets, board games, etc.

[dingdongbitch]

If it were me - single level home would be non-negotiable. Also, I loathe wasted space - giant open foyer ceilings, nooks with no purpose, enormous main bedrooms. I’d definitely reduce those. But I do love a giant living room - there’s only two of us but I would love an enormous sectional!

[kittyriot]

We were going to build before we found our current home. It's pretty lovely and checks most of our boxes.

Things we were planning for but didn't get.

Large master closet with walk through to laundry room.

Large walk in pantry

Covered deck with outdoor kitchen...down the road we're planning a backyard update, extending our deck, creating some permanent shade off the back of house, putting in a swim spa

[STP]

A main level bedroom suite (it's fine if it's the bathroom the whole floor uses) It doesn't have to be the only primary. But as my parents age, I realize I do not have a home that could accommodate someone with mobility issues.

One thing I love in our current home is that the kitchen had a big open area we turned into a sitting area. It's perfect bc everyone wants to hang out by the food. That's just the way it is. But it's not a full open floorpan, the dinning room and the family room have a bit of separation so you don't see the mess when you don't want to. The flexibility is great.

Laundry on the second floor if that's where the bedrooms are.

The biggest shower possible in the main bathroom, I don't take baths but I love a luxurious shower.

A tricked out kitchen. Two ovens, huge range, huge fridge. Separate area for baking where kitchaid could live and all my flours, yeasts, scales, books, a proofing area.

Butler's pantry because I love to cook and want all the gadgets, but hate having my counters cluttered. I'd settle for an appliance garage, but I'd love a separate area for them.

Two home offices that aren't bedrooms. They don't need to be big, and I'd want them on the main level. But with two people working full time from home, it would be nice to each have a proper set up.

A swimming pool. I don't care that we'd only use it for a few months, we would get so much enjoyment out if it in that time.

Some kind of dumbwaiter to the basement that could handle like a Christmas tree/storage totes. My neighbor has one and I am so jealous.

[STP]

OH! And a fucking dog washing station, because I am so sick of mopping up mud.

[tinyjoys]

I'm just going to plus 1 STP and steal her plans, aside from the double offices. One that's more of a study/library with a desk is sufficient enough.

[kittyriot]

Also with STP, I would give soooo much for a butlers pantry. We love to entertain, so that would make a world of difference.

Just wasn't in the plans for the house we were building once upon a time.

[bearfootzcontinued]

Jul 8, 2024 11:05:57 GMT -6 rvasc said:

At least one downstairs bedroom with a full bath. This is a nonnegotiable for me! And right now staying with my dad after Achilles surgery, I feel even more strongly. It is a disaster.

This is important to remember.  I want a house that will work for us if someone has an injury and when we age.  
When we first started our wish list I was planning around life with babies/toddlers - but that's a short period of time in your life   When we moved to this house I realized it's probably our last so any changes we made we needed to keep future/elderly us in mind.  

[cakewench]

Assuming same lot, which means likely no basement since we don't currently have one:

Big kitchen, double oven, lots of counter space/storage, plus a pantry
Master bathroom (we don't have one and the older N gets, the more it drives me bonkers)
Dedicated laundry space (currently in our dining room...)
Covered front porch
Entryway/mudroom

I have an entire pinterest board of house floor plans for maybe someday doing this. Likely won't happen but a girl can dream lol

[doublestuf]

Things I love about our current house:
-oversized island
-walk-in pantry
-double ovens-I use them way more than I thought I would
-9 foot ceilings downstairs
-generously sized screened in porch with a decent-sized landing for H's grill. Also a large fan
-soaking tub (we use it)
-3rd car garage and wider driveway
-1 story foyer/NOT open to the upstairs because the noise otherwise travels so bad
-guest room and attached private bathroom
-separate powder room downstairs
-laundry sink
-utility sink in garage
-playroom that will transition to a hangout space as the kids get older
-trim work downstairs-crown molding throughout, coffered ceiling in dining room, wainscoting
-open living room and kitchen
-generously sized kitchen with plenty of cabinet space
-our built-ins in the living room and office-we can store a lot of Christmas decor without having to go to the attic and the ones in the living room hold all the kids' toys
-all the ceiling fans: in living room, all bedrooms, playroom

Things I wish we had:
-a true mudroom. It would be big-plenty of shoe and coat storage, have a dog washing station and area for dog leashes/food/meds. And most importantly room for a 2nd fridge-no more garage fridge.
-a bigger laundry room-if our floorplan was different it would go in the above mudroom, but with all of our bedrooms upstairs except the guest room, I like having it upstairs
-unfinished walk-in storage-we had a 6x20 space off of our playroom at our last house and my husband loved never having to lift anything up narrow attic steps
-a walk-in shower in the guest bath vs. our current tub/shower combo
-larger shower in our primary bathroom
-generously-sized garages-even with the 3rd car garage, how the walls are laid out makes it super tight to park 2 cars, so we don't do it
-a separate garage/workshop area for MH's tools and lawn care stuff (combined with bigger garages, we wouldn't "need" a 3rd car garage). It would be climate controlled.
-better noise insulation between upstairs and downstairs
-microwave not above our stove top so that we had a hood (purely for aesthetic reasons)
-carefully laid out bathroom that siblings will share. With our floor plan, that would mean having a door and separate room for the tub and toilet . If I had a different floorplan, maybe jack and jill with the bathroom being split into 3 rooms (each a sink and a door off their bedroom) with the tub and toilet in its own room in the middle?

Things that don't matter to me:
-cathedral ceilings-those rooms get so much hotter
-having a fireplace--especially if that's the only place to put a TV. I only miss one when it's time to hang stockings. Our current TV is in the middle of our built-ins and is at a much better height than when we had to put it above our fireplace at our last house

[joy]

My house desires are simple.

- all bedrooms upstairs; living areas downstairs*
* unless we have a gorgeous view in which case bedrooms are downstairs and living area is up.

- noise/sound separation between areas of the house are paramount. Open floor plans are hell for me.

- covered area/porch outside

- storage, it can be fun storage (like in my step risers)

I feel like I can make almost anything work, though. Part of old houses’ charm are their old/weird layouts. Our house was built
~ 1900 and I love all the old details.

[mathrun]

My aunt’s condo is pretty much house goals for me as we move into older parents stage.

- kitchen is right off the garage for easy unloading of groceries
- 2nd entrance around the corner from garage with mudroom/coat/boot storage
- main bedrooms and living room on 1st floor
- laundry room on first floor
- screened in porch
- open floor plan with lots of windows
- large kitchen island
- deck made with material that does not have to be repainted
- siding that doesn’t have to be repainted often, if at all
- lots and lots of storage that is not under the stairs…maybe large closets in room plus large storage room in the basement
- area for an office
- at least one extra bedroom with bathroom that is accessible for parents/etc. My aunt’s got a mini kitchen, full bath, a living area with foldout couch, and a full bedroom in the basement. That’s where we stay when we visit. It is so nice to not worry about waking her if the kiddos get up early. The three upstairs bedrooms are all accessible and near bathrooms.
- no painted cabinets anywhere in the house
- three car garage
- all doorways large enough to fit a walker/wheelchair
- walk-in pantry
-

[beepers]

Lots of my loves have been listed already
(Laundry near bedrooms, butler’s pantry, large kitchen island, fireplace)

- I wish we had a soaking tub in the primary bath. We have an ample sized shower but no tub. The tub/shower combos we have in the other baths are teeny. 😕
- A breakfast nook. I love nooks.
- Bougie windows.
- Hardwood floors throughout (allergies and style wise this is just my preference)
-two A/C units. We supposedly have “zones” in our home with 2 thermostats but only one unit. So if it’s cooling upstairs I can still feel it blowing on the main level. Our last house had 2 thermostats and 2 units and it was better.
-large outdoor deck/patio/grill

[fancynewbeesly]

I really do LOVE my house---it is an expanded ranch but I would love some things:

An outdoor entry for a bathroom. We have a pool and I hate that the kids have to go inside and down the hall to use the bathroom.
More storage-our house has a lot of little rooms, but not that much storage.
A finished basement (the ONE thing I dislike about our house is that there is no basement) it is especially annoying as the kids are older.
Walk in pantry

In our backyard I wish we had a dog run-we can easily put one in, but it is just LOW on the priorities of things I want to do, so it is pushed off.

[cnf]

Jul 8, 2024 9:54:26 GMT -6 sewf said:

Jul 8, 2024 9:41:35 GMT -6 angelashly said:

Open floor plan
Big kitchen with built in coffee maker and walk in pantry with plenty of space.
First floor laundry room with a door and plenty of storage
Finished basement with a separate area that’s closed off for storage
2 full baths and a half one
Ranch
Bay windows
Lots of light
Built in shelves
Fireplace


Can you tell I want a new house

Yes to finished basement. I’m in Missouri and tornadoes freak me out. We have a cellar basement, but I’d love to be slightly more comfortable if the sirens go off.

Someday we'll finish off our basement. We finished our basement from concrete up to full finish just H and I in our first house. I'd pay someone else to deal with that, because no thank you to that again. But damn, I miss having a finished basement. I hate having to check for spiders every day when I go down to workout.

[cnf]

We've built twice now and even having done it a second time around we still go "man, I wish we did *insert thing here*" plenty.

Some of things we did that I love
-water spigot in the garage and second full 8' garage door leading out to the backyard (full door on back and front of garage).
-Vaulted ceilings
-Pocket doors in strategic spots where opening doors into a room would otherwise be annoying for whatever reason
-First floor guest room
-Having the builders install ceiling fans in every bedroom (even with AC, we all sleep with them on)
-Double shelves and hangers in every bedroom, closet
-Outlets with the USB/usb-c ports, the outlet covers with the built in led nightlights, and a high outlet for a potential mounted tv in every bedroom/living area
-Surround sound (including in the backyard and the front porch)
-Third garage bay and extra deep garages( we can fit our Tahoe and our 3500 in our garage with room to spare for our fridge and tools all in the double bay and it's THE BEST) We're also getting two classic cars from FIL (and likely soon by the talks he's been having with H) and we should be able to fit all four vehicles.

Things we wish we did this time around
-Turn the first floor half bath into a full bath. Next to it is the laundry, then the extended portion of the double garage bay. It would have been so easy to make the bathroom bigger and just push the laundry out into that garage space (and still had space to spare). It stinks when our parents stay over and have to schlep upstairs to use a shower. Especially MIL who is turning 71 this summer and is starting to have a tougher time with stairs. And, God forbid something happened and we moved an aging parent in with us, it would be an issue.
-install a 50amp electrical outlet. We would plug our trailer in. Right now it's plugged into the house with a converter, but a real, dedicated outlet would be better. Also, we talk about getting an electric car *pretends to ignore gas guzzlers listed above* frequently enough that having that already in place would be huge.
-I know there's more, but I'm blanking.

[cnf]

Jul 8, 2024 12:48:27 GMT -6 STP said:

OH! And a fucking dog washing station, because I am so sick of mopping up mud.

You mean you don't like keeping a dirty towel by the door to wipe your dog's paws off while they frantically fight you?

Dog wash. That's a dream, man.

[cnf]

Jul 8, 2024 15:51:21 GMT -6 joy said:

My house desires are simple.

- all bedrooms upstairs; living areas downstairs*
* unless we have a gorgeous view in which case bedrooms are downstairs and living area is up.

- noise/sound separation between areas of the house are paramount. Open floor plans are hell for me.

- covered area/porch outside

- storage, it can be fun storage (like in my step risers)

I feel like I can make almost anything work, though. Part of old houses’ charm are their old/weird layouts. Our house was built
~ 1900 and I love all the old details.

Our first house was a 1931 cape cod from Sears and Roebuck and I adored it! It had the original solid oak doors with glass knobs and skeleton keys, a phone niche, and a few other weird quirky bits that I just loved. I miss that house, hard.

[calendula]

A master bath. I've never had one and it sounds opulent (esp with a soaking tub). My house has one small bath with a pedestal sink that we all share and its fine, but having even another half bath would be nice.

Screened in porch.

Outdoor shower.

My house has a wood burning fireplace and I never want to live in a house without one again. I light fires all the time fall-spring and its so peaceful.

Old fashioned walk-in butler pantry with counters and shelves.