Homogenous expectation for houses (countertops, heat, sink, appliance)

[suzy_q2010]

Originally Posted by botticelli

1) Open concept kitchen
this has been discussed already

Our house is 26 years old. Our main living space is open. It works for us, and I am still pleased with it. We have a separate den in a daylight basement that also contains two bedrooms with a shared bath and an exercise room with a bath. Plenty of space to escape to for privacy and quiet.

2) ensuite bathroom
99% people want it. But why? why do you need a bathroom attached to your bedroom, to make it more convenient to pee at night? It is rational to have a bathroom just to your own, but why does it have to be attached to the bedroom?

Why not? It's more private. If you want to wander naked from bed to bath no worry about bumping into kids or guests. You also don't have to keep it neat for guests.

3) big yard
Urban myth to me. Most family want a big backyard "for kids to play in". Really? How big can he yard be for the kid to play in day after day, year after year without getting bored? What's usually in the yard, a zoo? The importance of a backyard to kids is grossly overstated. What can a 10 year old do in the yard anyway?

We have almost ten acres. There is a generous yard fenced for the dogs and the rest is natural woods. Great for our two boys to play soldier in. We also have a "treeless" tree house: a playhouse on stilts.

My parents' house was so close to the neighbor's that I could look out my bedroom window and see what the lady next door was cooking for breakfast. In our current house, the shades on most of the windows are never closed unless we need to do it to reduce the heat in summer.

Read a few of the horror stories in the renting forum about the noise and aggravation of shared walls and ceilings with people who cannot live quietly. That really makes you appreciate privacy.

4) formal dinning room
Come on. How often do you actually do formal dining? Do you wear ties and dresses for those? It is so pretentious. It is more ridiculous to have a large room sitting there for 360 days of a year and got used for 4 hours only during the rest 5 days.

Not a factor with our open plan.

5) SS appliances
All of the suddent everyone wants them. It is like a new continent being found. What's the difference between SS and traditional white appliances anyway.

Stainless does not appeal to me. When the kitchen gets redone, it will be with wood panels on the fridge and dishwasher to match the wood cabinets.

6) Granite countertop
Everyone suddenly is being pressured to have granite countertops, just like ss appliances.

Granite can be gorgeous. There are other options, though.

7) Hardwood floor
Some are nice (but expensive) but some aren't. They are hard to maintain. I don't see the big fuss except to show others "I have hardwood floor", preferably brazilian.

Because it looks good and is durable. I do not have a problem with carpet, though. I do not eat off of it. I prefer it in bedrooms.

8) familyroom AND livingroom
This is beyond ridiculous. Why do you need one room for guests and one room for the family, when you can't possibly use them at the same time? A familyroom is sufficient to be used as the livingroom when there are guests, no?

It keeps the kids from being confined to their bedroooms if the parents want to entertain.

9) double sink vanity
It sounds nice to have. but in reality, how often do you really get up and brusg teeth with your spouse at exactly the same time? Why not double toilet in case you need to pee at the same time?

DH and I frequently use our separate sinks simultaneously.

As to toilets, I grew up in a house with one toilet for four people. When we built our current house, it had one toilet for each of four people. No waiting, ever!

[nightbird47]

Originally Posted by Mistermobile

We shake hands to show we are not concealing a knife. Vinyl made to look like leather. Pressed pulpwood ceilings made to look like fireproof pressed tin ceilings which themselves were imitations of embossed leather ceiling coverings. And what the heck is "Virgin Vinyl?"

A lot of what we have come to expect in our possessions are just what we unthinkingly are used to. So a faux fireplace and chimney, and a family room in the basement.

A lot of what we buy is directly the result of clever advertising and the desire to keep up with the Jones'.
(Actually found the street in Savannah Ga (Jones St.) where all the wealthy lived. Hence the cliche'.)

However, a family relocated from California and built a open plan home without many interior partition walls downstairs. So if the kitchen, or any part of the downstairs was not neat, the entire downstairs looked a mess. So they said.

My house was built in 1930 and has no hallways and is small, but they essencially were 'open concept'. The living room has an arch leading to the kitchen which has space for a decent dining area, but isn't seperate. The bedrooms are accessable from kitchen and living room. I've deliberately 'divided' the main rooms by decor, the living room being more formal and dark and sort of victorian, and the kitchen yellow and bright and will have lots of shelves. This is open concept enough for me, though I plan a slatted door between the two rooms, since I also like the idea of a closed off kitchen.

With no hallways, the front bedroom is to be a guest room, quiet office and reading room. The back is mine and its got a bed and dresser and art, but it really works to make the bedroom a quiet room for sleep.

Where I grew up, the houses were semi open and I always liked the rooms with doors better. If its a room to be quiet and read, and the tv is on next door without a door its no help.

Sadly the hardwood floor in my house couldn't be sanded so it will have to be covered, but no carpet... I would never use carpet even if I didn't have pets. My goal is to be able to clean the whole floor with my steamer.

What I love best is not the house but the yard. Next door its an empty lot, so it looks bigger, but my yard is long and open. The open part will go when I get a fence in for the dogs, which has to be six feet since one sails over shorter ones. In part I like the privacy, but it will keep people from taking shortcuts across my yard too. There's going to be a raised bed garden on the other side of the fence eventually. No kids but I LOVE that there is so much space between me and neighbors, even if its not all my yard. If you can hear your neighbors conversation out their window, its TOO close....

While my house may be small and have more maintaince needed, the thing that's neat is it ISN'T cookie cutter at all and I love that about it. And firmly standing for eighty two years.

[city living]

Your first mistake is thinking that these shows are not largely scripted and are not influenced by the people selling these products through the network.

INSIDE EDITION Speaks With Woman Who Appeared House Hunters Who Says Show Is Scripted - News from InsideEdition.com

Originally Posted by botticelli

While I was watching some HGTV shows, I am surprised by how homogenous people are in terms what they want from their new houses

1) Open concept kitchen
this has been discussed already

I like them but they are not a necessity for me. I just like having space regardless of what I am doing.

2) ensuite bathroom
99% people want it. But why? why do you need a bathroom attached to your bedroom, to make it more convenient to pee at night? It is rational to have a bathroom just to your own, but why does it have to be attached to the bedroom?

I've never had an attached bathroom but I think some people just like the privacy aspect. This would not be a requirement for me---I think I would only want to make sure I have a bathroom on the same floor as my bedroom. The older I get, the more I'll get to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night---and I don't need to break a leg running to get there.

3) big yard
Urban myth to me. Most family want a big backyard "for kids to play in". Really? How big can he yard be for the kid to play in day after day, year after year without getting bored? What's usually in the yard, a zoo? The importance of a backyard to kids is grossly overstated. What can a 10 year old do in the yard anyway?

When I was a kid, we were always in the backyard. We always had toys. At times we had a pool, a swingset, etc. I really think it depends on the type of family you are and the types of things you do. I think it's also nice if you have a dog.

4) formal dinning room
Come on. How often do you actually do formal dining? Do you wear ties and dresses for those? It is so pretentious. It is more ridiculous to have a large room sitting there for 360 days of a year and got used for 4 hours only during the rest 5 days.

I do not need this but for families who strictly eat in their dining room, I could see why. I don't think you need to be so literal about the "formal" part since for most people who have "formal dining rooms" it just means they have a separate area just for dining outside of the kitchen.

5) SS appliances
All of the suddent everyone wants them. It is like a new continent being found. What's the difference between SS and traditional white appliances anyway.

I don't need them and I don't see any point in replacing them if they don't need replacing. But I still like SS and I like SS appliances much more than white because I hate ANYTHING in white. I like what I like why do you care?

6) Granite countertop
Everyone suddenly is being pressured to have granite countertops, just like ss appliances.

I like granite and quartz. There are some other counters I also like. But there are some ones I really hate and I find quite ugly. Depending on the circumstance, I might or might not change them.

7) Hardwood floor
Some are nice (but expensive) but some aren't. They are hard to maintain. I don't see the big fuss except to show others "I have hardwood floor", preferably brazilian.

I love hardwood floors. I absolutely HATE carpet.

8) familyroom AND livingroom
This is beyond ridiculous. Why do you need one room for guests and one room for the family, when you can't possibly use them at the same time? A familyroom is sufficient to be used as the livingroom when there are guests, no?

I never understood this either.

9) double sink vanity
It sounds nice to have. but in reality, how often do you really get up and brusg teeth with your spouse at exactly the same time? Why not double toilet in case you need to pee at the same time?

Lists can go on. People just want things all others want without questioning the necessity.

I actually think people on regular schedules do get up and start getting ready at the same time. I don't need double sinks but I wouldn't poo-poo them in a house either.

[SuperSparkle928]

Originally Posted by botticelli

While I was watching some HGTV shows, I am surprised by how homogenous people are in terms what they want from their new houses

1) Open concept kitchen
this has been discussed already

2) ensuite bathroom
99% people want it. But why? why do you need a bathroom attached to your bedroom, to make it more convenient to pee at night? It is rational to have a bathroom just to your own, but why does it have to be attached to the bedroom?

3) big yard
Urban myth to me. Most family want a big backyard "for kids to play in". Really? How big can he yard be for the kid to play in day after day, year after year without getting bored? What's usually in the yard, a zoo? The importance of a backyard to kids is grossly overstated. What can a 10 year old do in the yard anyway?

4) formal dinning room
Come on. How often do you actually do formal dining? Do you wear ties and dresses for those? It is so pretentious. It is more ridiculous to have a large room sitting there for 360 days of a year and got used for 4 hours only during the rest 5 days.

5) SS appliances
All of the suddent everyone wants them. It is like a new continent being found. What's the difference between SS and traditional white appliances anyway.

6) Granite countertop
Everyone suddenly is being pressured to have granite countertops, just like ss appliances.

7) Hardwood floor
Some are nice (but expensive) but some aren't. They are hard to maintain. I don't see the big fuss except to show others "I have hardwood floor", preferably brazilian.

8) familyroom AND livingroom
This is beyond ridiculous. Why do you need one room for guests and one room for the family, when you can't possibly use them at the same time? A familyroom is sufficient to be used as the livingroom when there are guests, no?

9) double sink vanity
It sounds nice to have. but in reality, how often do you really get up and brusg teeth with your spouse at exactly the same time? Why not double toilet in case you need to pee at the same time?

Lists can go on. People just want things all others want without questioning the necessity.

for #1: open concept is wonderful for a kitchen (plus a butler's kitchen)

for #2: all the bedrooms have bathrooms. There is a thing called 'privacy'.

for #3: big yard: have one place on 40 acres. wouldn't give it up for the world.

for #4: formal dining room: I guess it was how you were brought up. No dresses and ties, but for certain occasions, Limoges, Waterford and sterling make a wonderful setting for a social event.

for #5: stainless has been around for ages.

for #6: granite has been around for ages.

for #7: hardwood floors are trivial to maintain. Put in 5K ft^2 myself in one house, and then cover the center of the floors with Persian rugs. Doesn't get any better than that. Wall-to-wall carpet is gross.

for #8: family room is to watch the football games. Formal living room is to entertain guests in a more strict social situation (some of us have two or more family rooms, plus a game room).

for #9: two working adults easily need a double vanity, plus a vanity in the separate 'toilet room'.

Any other questions?

[botticelli]

I forgot fireplaces, which so many people seem to love, but essentially serve no purpose. Very few houses actually depend on the fireplace for heating, but they just want to have them because nice homes are supposed to be equipped with them.

A large TV on top of a fireplace looks even more ridiculous. I don't even understand why people arrange stuff like that. The TV in 99% cases will be too high on the wall for watching, putting stress on your neck.

Too often people love and think they can't live without certain stuff not because they are important or necessary, but because RE advertisement repeatedly told them they should have them.

Yes, of course you can find all the mentioned stuff useful at times, but what can't be useful? Maybe separating men's and women's toilet at home too?

Needing a living room to read when kids watch TV? how funny. Put a chair in your master bedroom by the window, and voila, you can read with no distraction. Do you really need a room to read a magazine?

This is why when North Americans are relocated elsewhere less suburban, such as NYC, or Europe or Asia, where density is high and land is not as cheap as dirt, they suddenly find it hard to live their lives... no ensuite bathroom? I have to share bathroom with others?? No walk-in closet the size of a kid's room? Kitchen not big enough to put 50 pans and skillets which are seldom used? No family room? No private yard? How did the rest of the world manage to survive with the double sink vanities and double car garage?

Try thinking about it, if the entire world feels as entitled and uses so much space per person, and therefore consumes as much energy as a typical suburban American with his insatiable appetite for more space (a family of four complaining about "not having enough space" while living in a 2000 sf with 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and a basement are not uncommon), the earth probably would come to an end pretty soon.

[Hopes]

Originally Posted by botticelli

I forgot fireplaces, which so many people seem to love, but essentially serve no purpose. Very few houses actually depend on the fireplace for heating, but they just want to have them because nice homes are supposed to be equipped with them.

Tell that to people in Vermont who depend on firewood to keep their pipes from freezing.

Originally Posted by botticelli

Needing a living room to read when kids watch TV? how funny. Put a chair in your master bedroom by the window, and voila, you can read with no distraction. Do you really need a room to read a magazine?

You're not supposed to read in the bedroom. It causes insomnia. Who said a magazine? Some people read books. Some people actually go to college and pursue higher degrees while raising a family. It's important to have a quiet place to study.

Originally Posted by botticelli

Try thinking about it, if the entire world feels as entitled and uses so much space per person, and therefore consumes as much energy as a typical suburban American with his insatiable appetite for more space (a family of four complaining about "not having enough space" while living in a 2000 sf with 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and a basement are not uncommon), the earth probably would come to an end pretty soon.

Now you sound downright jealous of North America's population to land ratio.

It's not our fault that over populated parts of the world weren't smart enough to use contraception.

[Big George]

Originally Posted by botticelli

While I was watching some HGTV shows, I am surprised by how homogenous people are in terms what they want from their new houses

1) Open concept kitchen
this has been discussed already
Don't have one.

2) ensuite bathroom
99% people want it. But why? why do you need a bathroom attached to your bedroom, to make it more convenient to pee at night? It is rational to have a bathroom just to your own, but why does it have to be attached to the bedroom?
Have a half-bath, and it makes PERFECT sense - particularly when the our kids & their families and/or other company is over. Try it some time!

3) big yard
Urban myth to me. Most family want a big backyard "for kids to play in". Really? How big can he yard be for the kid to play in day after day, year after year without getting bored? What's usually in the yard, a zoo? The importance of a backyard to kids is grossly overstated. What can a 10 year old do in the yard anyway?
You OBVIOUSLY have NO imagination. None.

4) formal dinning room
Come on. How often do you actually do formal dining? Do you wear ties and dresses for those? It is so pretentious. It is more ridiculous to have a large room sitting there for 360 days of a year and got used for 4 hours only during the rest 5 days.
Our 100-year old house came with it. It's used for eating meals - something we do quite regularly.

5) SS appliances
All of the suddent everyone wants them. It is like a new continent being found. What's the difference between SS and traditional white appliances anyway.
SS is more expensive, which is why we have white. Done.

6) Granite countertop
Everyone suddenly is being pressured to have granite countertops, just like ss appliances.
No granite countertops here. Fail.

7) Hardwood floor
Some are nice (but expensive) but some aren't. They are hard to maintain. I don't see the big fuss except to show others "I have hardwood floor", preferably brazilian.
Our 100-year old house has always had them. I refinished them, and they are NOT hard to maintain. Fail again.

8) familyroom AND livingroom
This is beyond ridiculous. Why do you need one room for guests and one room for the family, when you can't possibly use them at the same time? A familyroom is sufficient to be used as the livingroom when there are guests, no?
You have absolutely NO clue what a family room is, do you?

9) double sink vanity
It sounds nice to have. but in reality, how often do you really get up and brusg teeth with your spouse at exactly the same time? Why not double toilet in case you need to pee at the same time?
Don't need a double toilet. I can just pee in the double sink.

Lists can go on. People just want things all others want without questioning the necessity.

[KayT15]

1) Open concept kitchen

I love having this for two reasons: (1) I can cook and keep an eye on, for example, a football game; (2) I can cook and socialize without having guests get in my way.

2) ensuite bathroom

A must for me. I often have houseguests. I want to wake up and get myself together before they can see me. I also don't want guests using my bathroom.

3) big yard
Urban myth to me.

I agree to a point. I had a big yard in my last house. The kids mostly played in the front yards. In my current house, the yards are much smaller, and again the kids mostly play in the front yards or in the street (cul-de-sac).

4) formal dinning room

A necessity if you entertain with dinner parties or host family holiday dinners. I've never had a kitchen that could hold 10 or more guests. I no longer host large gatherings, so when I buy my next house, I'll only consider a formal dining room if it can be used for another purpose (no open kitchen --> dining --> family room).

5) SS appliances

Hate them! I don't understand this craze. Who needs that maintenance? Give me smooth white appliances!

6) Granite countertop

No, thank you! Who came up with this idea? Why would anyone want something high-maintenance and prone to stains in the one room that gets the most slop?

7) Hardwood floor

No thanks on this too. Who needs the headache, especially if you have kids or dogs?

8) familyroom AND livingroom

For me, this is a must. I have to have at least two "living" areas: one for sports watching/video game playing, and one for me to relax away from the noise and watch whatever TV I want. We use both the family room and living room on a daily basis.

9) double sink vanity

When your husband is an untrainable slob, a double sink vanity or his-and-hers is a must! And I actually like the double toilet idea for the same reason.

[Ohiogirl81]

Originally Posted by botticelli

2) ensuite bathroom
99% people want it. But why?

For when the kids cram their stuffed rabbit down the toilet in the main bath.

4) formal dinning room
Come on. How often do you actually do formal dining?

I use mine every day. "Dining room" does not necessarily equate "formal". My last house didn't have room for a table in the kitchen; the dining room was the only place for a table.

8) familyroom AND livingroom
This is beyond ridiculous. Why do you need one room for guests and one room for the family, when you can't possibly use them at the same time? A familyroom is sufficient to be used as the livingroom when there are guests, no?

Again, you're erroneously assuming one will be used for guests and another for family. You know what happens when you assume ...

[botticelli]

Originally Posted by Hopes

Tell that to people in Vermont who depend on firewood to keep their pipes from freezing.


You're not supposed to read in the bedroom. It causes insomnia. Who said a magazine? Some people read books. Some people actually go to college and pursue higher degrees while raising a family. It's important to have a quiet place to study.


Now you sound downright jealous of North America's population to land ratio.

It's not our fault that over populated parts of the world weren't smart enough to use contraception.

1) yea, every family with a fireplace depends on the firewood to keep the pipes from freezing

2) I am sure the vast majority of families want a livingroom because one of the parents is working toward a degree. Insomnia from reading in the bedroom, what kind of rich world disease! Maybe eating in the livingroom instead of a dining room causes indigestion?

3) on the contrary, I am from Canada, with a much higher land-population or resource-population ratio.
Plus your comment is ignorant. Many countries are denser because they have a longer history, thousands instead of a few hundred years, such as the UK, Germany, Japan. It is ridiculous to say it is because they were not smart enough to use condoms.