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I really love my house, and use everything. Two fireplaces, dishwasher - i did have an addition built and don't use the dining room part much, but it's there and gives space and a place to sit that's not in the kitchen.
(Even tho it's for sale! I'm moving due to the cost in NJ.)
The thing i used the least was the large yard - we were going to garden quite a bit and when we tried, there were too many critters. Deer, rabbits, groundhogs, birds - etc. We tried everything, and don't like poison. I ended up planting lots of herbs, and they don't do them much damage. Then i did veggies in pots on the deck. I still love the yard because it gives privacy. Now i feed the critters
A groundhog climbed my deck posts to get to the pots of vegetables on the railing.
-Deep Jacuzzi tub (as many have said). Too much water, too much fuel used and too much time to fill. I live a very green lifestyle and burning so much gas for a 15 minute soak is not worth it. Came with a house I owned. I would never install one.
-Gas fireplace. Gas line already installed in a house i owned. I installed a burner 'log' thing. Thought I would use it as an alternative to the work and soot for a wood fire. Hardly ever did.
-Big yard. One of my first homes had a very small yard and I thought that I would regret it. I didn't at all. Plenty of room for everything. Opposite of question asked but aligned in theme.
-Electric heated towel rack. Came with house. Never used. Too wasteful. Too much time to heat up. By the time it's heated, it's too late. Also presumably to boost heat in the bathroom. I don't spend too much time in there so again, by the time it has an effect, it's too late.
-Double bathroom sinks. Never had in my permanent homes and i hope I never will. Sounds like a great idea that you and your partner can get ready at the same time but a dumb idea in practice. Stayed in many hotels and temporary apartments with them and never, ever used them as designed. Just looks and feels wasteful and indulgent to me. Would rather have a higher quality single sink.
-Wet room. Also never had in a permanent home but did have in temporary places. Like a separate shower. When I'm done showering I want to get out and into a dry space. I do like the idea of a drain that can be used to clean the whole bathroom floor so if it's technically a wet room, I prefer a wall separator for the shower.
-Vaulted ceilings. Some modest vaulting if well integrated with the architecture can be nice but I once had a rented place with a vast, wasted vaulted ceiling. Did nothing to enhance the design or living in the place. Made it feel the opposite of cozy. Wasteful to heat and keep painted, etc. Prior to that I lived in an apartment with a low ceiling so I found it refreshing for the first couple of days.
-Steam oven. Forget it.
-Fire pit. Forget it.
-Hot water dispenser. Too much energy used for the infrequent use.
Things that I've learned over the years to be very useful and perhaps relied upon more than originally thought:
-kitchen exhaust fan/filter. worth getting the best you can afford and have it vented properly to the outside of the house
-bathroom exhaust fan. Also worth investing in the best/strongest. Moisture kills a house and after a shower I want fresh air, not stale moist air in the bathroom.
-'Smart' heating control and smart metering (knowing exactly what fuel/electric you use by the minute). Helps to live more efficiently.
-Wok ring. I cook Asian a lot. Like the high power gas jets and ability to use a proper round wok.
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
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While it wasn't on our list of "must haves", we were very pleased to have two fireplaces. As it turns out, we rarely go into the living room, so the fireplace in the family room is the only one we have ever used except for a few times in the first few years (going on 24 now) at Christmas.
So interesting to see what people consider must-haves and what people could live without! Here's some notes on some features others have brought up.
* Big Yard--I used to want one but I'm definitely not a fan anymore. It's great in theory but in reality it's only useful for those people who LOVE yard work or don't mind huge yard maintenance fees. We have a 1/2 acre, with about 1/4 acre of fenced back yard (half of which is landscaped with pine straw). I would not go any larger than that because even with a relatively small yard, it takes quite a bit of maintenance to keep it up. The kids have way more room than they need to run and play with even 1/8 acre. I think the key with yards is that the area needs to be fenced to take full advantage of the space.
*double sinks--The house we bought in May only has a single vanity in the Master Bathroom. We were in love with the house and with a seller's market, we weren't going to let that hold us back. I had thought it was going to be an issue and that we'd have to replace it with a double one immediately. Turns out it's not an issue at all. The sink that is there is really large and very nice, so we are going to leave it until we do a remodel. We will probably put in two sinks at that time just because, but so far, we haven't missed having two sinks.
* large master bedroom--Our Master Bedroom is not small, but it's not nearly as big as most in newer houses, which seem to be like their own separate apartments. I thought that might be an issue but now that we've settled in, I have not missed having a large master one bit. We have just enough space in ours to comfortably fit a Master bedroom, dresser, nightstands, mirror and a couple of chairs. We have exactly the amount of space we need but no more.
What I've learned is that bedrooms are for sleeping. It's hard to be lounging in the sitting area with the lights on, watching a lot of TV, exercising, etc. when your spouse is trying to sleep. So most of the extra space in master bedrooms is wasted space. A lot of the activities that you think you might want to do in your bedroom, in reality you want to be out doing in the common living areas with the rest of your family. It's also nice for your bedroom to be exclusively set up as a peaceful place just for sleep. If you have your bedroom set up this way, it's actually easier to fall asleep and get a good night's rest.
* large master closet--our Master bedroom closet also is not huge, but is exactly the right size to hold what we need. I'm torn on whether I really want or need more space there, because now our closet holds our essentials and we no longer pile tons of junk we don't need in it. I think if it's a choice between bigger closet space and left living space elsewhere, I'd choose more living space elsewhere.
*gas fireplace--I didn't think we'd use ours much, but we actually use it all the time. We like the idea of burning real wood, but the time it takes to get wood and cleanup has definitely kept us from doing it--like ever! Gas provides at least a nice looking flame and some warmth. The convenience for us is well worth the lost of that great woodburning smell and crackling sounds.
* soaking tub--Neither one of us has taken a bath in over 6 years, but I still like having a soaking tub. The problem with our garden tub is that it is just too big to use on a regular basis and hard to keep clean. When we remodel, we're going to put in a large, luxury shower and downgrade the bath to a nice clawfoot tub or something that takes up less space.
* firepit--I kind of want one, but I'm afraid we'll never use it. I figure since it's not going to take up any of our yard that we use, we may as well go ahead and do it if for no other reason than it looks cool.
Love your post, CaliDreaming! I'll try to give you a rep point if it allows me to do it. Anyway, here are my comments (in blue) on the features you mentioned:
Quote:
Originally Posted by CaliDreaming01
*Big Yard--I have a 50'x120' city lot and I don't want or need anything bigger.
*double sinks--I thought I wanted double sinks, but really what I wanted was a vanity area by the sink. My house (bought 2 years ago) has that and so that took care of that.
* large master bedroom--What I've learned is that bedrooms are for sleeping. Exactly. I don't care what size my bedroom is as long as it has lots of closet space. My present bedroom is HUGE - - used to be two bedrooms until the previous owner knocked down a wall. I just use the near end for sleeping, and use the far end of it as an area for my exercise equipment.
* large master closet--I love having tons of closet space, although it is not in one large closet. Instead I have three double-door closets in my Master bedroom and I love it. I keep summer clothes in one closet, cool weather clothes in another, and use the third for miscellaneous storage.
*gas fireplace--I have one and so far I have never turned it on even once. I don't even know how and haven't got out the instructions to figure it out. I do not want it!!! It never gets that cold in New Orleans. I really wish it did not have gas to it, because I worry about a gas leak some day. I do love the mantel as a place to put my knick-knacks.
* soaking tub--I much prefer showers, but keep telling myself I should use my big soaking tub just for fun some day. Just haven't done it. For the first time I have the huge, amazing stand-alone shower of my dreams. Best feature of my house. It is simply perfect for me and amazing, and it's so nice that I just gravitate to it and never seem to make it to the soaking tub.
* firepit-- Oh no WAY! Not my cup of tea. I don't like fires or cooking outside, not one bit.
Also somebody mentioned a home theater, and I am glad I don't have one. I would never use it.
Also, a pot filler? No, that's not something I stay awake longing to have.
A separate dispenser for hot water for tea and so on? No thanks. I bought an electric kettle and that works just fine for that purpose for me.
Electric heated towel rack? Maybe, if I lived on the North Pole. But in New Orleans, the towels are already warm enough just sitting on a conventional towel rack.
Reading this thread makes me feel like maybe I'm a weirdo - but I don't care because I love our house and just about everything about it (we have done massive renovations to it over the past few years).
1. LOVE the big soaker tub. I use it every single day of my life. I did replace the original jetted tub with one without jets and I like it better.
2. LOVE the fire pit - it's one of my very favorite elements in our outdoor living area. We had a "portable" one the first year to see if we'd use it much and we did, so we had a large stone one built, complete with a drain to wash it out (goes out into the yard) and plenty of space to sit around it - and we use it at least two times a week from September through May. I think it helps that our winters are nippy at night but mild overall. So we have a very long season that we can enjoy poking at a fire.
3. Formal dining room - We use it only about 8 times a year for actual meals but I enjoy it all year because it's beautiful and we have plenty of space anyway so it's not taking away from anything. When we need it, we need it and I don't have to hustle around trying to figure out where to sit everyone.
4. Gas logs in fireplace - once again, I think it helps that we have fairly mild winters here. So we have some cold nights but we don't rely on the fireplace for heat. I love just turning a switch and BAM - there's a fire! Nice ambiance, no mess. We do have very realistic looking logs so it does the job and even gives off a bit of warmth which is nice for the few times a year we might want to snuggle around the fire. But if it's not all that cold outside, it doesn't put off so much heat that it's unpleasant. I love having a fire in the evenings. An easy fire - LOL.
One thing I thought I absolutely had to have (but found out I don't need) is a big laundry room. It's just my husband and me. Sure, it would be nice but honestly, how much time do I really spend in the laundry room? Like - just enough time to put clothes into or take clothes out of the washer or dryer. I guess if I had a large family it might be different but so far it's not been an issue.
Reading this thread makes me feel like maybe I'm a weirdo - but I don't care because I love our house and just about everything about it (we have done massive renovations to it over the past few years).
1. LOVE the big soaker tub. I use it every single day of my life. I did replace the original jetted tub with one without jets and I like it better.
2. LOVE the fire pit - it's one of my very favorite elements in our outdoor living area. We had a "portable" one the first year to see if we'd use it much and we did, so we had a large stone one built, complete with a drain to wash it out (goes out into the yard) and plenty of space to sit around it - and we use it at least two times a week from September through May. I think it helps that our winters are nippy at night but mild overall. So we have a very long season that we can enjoy poking at a fire.
3. Formal dining room - We use it only about 8 times a year for actual meals but I enjoy it all year because it's beautiful and we have plenty of space anyway so it's not taking away from anything. When we need it, we need it and I don't have to hustle around trying to figure out where to sit everyone.
4. Gas logs in fireplace - once again, I think it helps that we have fairly mild winters here. So we have some cold nights but we don't rely on the fireplace for heat. I love just turning a switch and BAM - there's a fire! Nice ambiance, no mess. We do have very realistic looking logs so it does the job and even gives off a bit of warmth which is nice for the few times a year we might want to snuggle around the fire. But if it's not all that cold outside, it doesn't put off so much heat that it's unpleasant. I love having a fire in the evenings. An easy fire - LOL.
One thing I thought I absolutely had to have (but found out I don't need) is a big laundry room. It's just my husband and me. Sure, it would be nice but honestly, how much time do I really spend in the laundry room? Like - just enough time to put clothes into or take clothes out of the washer or dryer. I guess if I had a large family it might be different but so far it's not been an issue.
1. SO many folks want a bath with a tub for resale value. And never use it.
If I was building from scratch, I would have a tub. For me.
2. Fire pit. Maybe. But, I get the attraction.
3. I have my office in our formal dining room. If/When I move it, we will use it regularly. It is a nice room.
4. I don't know if I would even have a fireplace, but would flip a coin between wood or gas.
We would use gas more, for sure. But, nothing beats a real wood fire.
1. SO many folks want a bath with a tub for resale value. And never use it.
If I was building from scratch, I would have a tub. For me.
2. Fire pit. Maybe. But, I get the attraction.
3. I have my office in our formal dining room. If/When I move it, we will use it regularly. It is a nice room.
4. I don't know if I would even have a fireplace, but would flip a coin between wood or gas.
We would use gas more, for sure. But, nothing beats a real wood fire.
My husband would agree with you on the fire but he gets his "real fire fix" from the firepit - he LOVES it. So do I actually.
We put a TV and lots of comfortable seating outside on the large patio as well (and a table - we really expanded the outdoor living area). So now we sit out there several nights a week, either listening to streaming music or binging on stuff like Sneaky Pete or Catastrophe - LOL. Husband, fire, good music or binge worthy TV, and a glass of wine - ahhhhhhh, life is good. And he gets to poke at a real fire. Men seem to be especially into that.
When my 9 year old grandson visits, we can't seem to pull him away from that fire pit. I swear, he would sit there and poke at that fire all night long if we didn't make him go to bed eventually! Is it genetic? Who knows?
On our last house, the electrician talked me into installing SmartTimers for the outdoor lights.
I was always manually turning off the switch because the lights were on unnecessarily for so much time. And I was having reprogram the thing too often, which was a fussy nightmare.
After tolerating them for a couple of years, I hired a different electrician to replace them with motion-detector lights, which fit our needs perfectly.
The first electrician must have recommended them to everybody because, in his own words, “They are tricky to program.” Lots of return calls = $$$.
That is the only feature that we voluntarily added but found nearly useless. We are masters at declining the “usual” U.S. features such as dishwasher, media center, AC, his-and-hers bathroom sinks, kitchen islands, and so on. I also hate motorized garage doors, though my husband likes them.
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