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LOL yeah DH and I were the atypical House Hunters when we were buying. They should have filmed us for something new and different!
I wanted NO granite, NO updates (or as few as possible), at least one PINK bathroom, a formal dining room, and NOT an open plan kitchen. DH just wanted 50+ years old with a double garage and a decent yard.
We got what we wanted
It was actually quite disheartening though, the amount of mid century houses we looked at that had their kitchens and bathrooms ripped out in place of new, white or granite and stainless. The so called updates often didn't suit the house and it felt as if they'd ripped the soul of the house out, to target the stereotypical house hunters type buyer.
I think about that too; what I would be like if I were on House Hunters.
Tracy, a single woman, is shopping for a home in her very realistic price range of $200,000, and will not spend a penny over that, even though she's pre-approved for much more. But she has some "must-haves" that may be difficult to accommodate.
"I can't stand open floor plans. I want rooms. Separate rooms, preferably with some sort of door in between. I also don't want high, cathedral ceilings, because I really don't want to heat and cool space 20 feet above my head, that I'll never actually be in."
Tracy goes on about her strict requirements for her dream home:
"I don't give a flying rat's a$$ about what paint color is on the walls, or if the carpet is terrible, because I'll be changing that myself anyway. And if the appliances and countertops are not to my liking, I'll just deal with that and change them out later."
Tracy's realtor Bob, isn't sure he'll be able to find a house that meets all of her requirements, in her price range:
"I don't believe in designated rooms for every life activity. I don't want a game room, home theater room, crafting room, guest room, home office, man-cave, chick-cave, or scrapbooking room. I actually do all kinds of things in all my rooms. I don't really care about the number of bedrooms, as long as I have enough space for my stuff (which is nicely organized and not overwhelming), my animals, and me. Sure 1500 square feet is great, but I'd be fine with 1200. Anything bigger would just be stupid for me."
"I like having at least 2 bathrooms, mostly because I don't want to go up stairs or down stairs every time I have to pee, which is often. But I don't want more than 1.5 or 2 bathrooms, because I really don't want to clean that many bathrooms."
"I don't give a flip if I'm in a walkable neighborhood, or within walking distance to shops and restaurants, because A.) I own a thing called a car, and B.) If it's a neighborhood I feel is walkable, then other people will too, and I don't really care to look outside and constantly see a bunch of other people walking around in front of my house."
"Don't show me houses with great 'entertaining' space, because I hate entertaining. My home is my haven, and I mostly keep others out of it. I don't want a garage. I want a basement, but it doesn't have to be a finished basement, just something below the ground. Cinder blocks and cement floor are fine."
Bob shows Tracy a home even though it doesn't exactly tick all her boxes...
"What the hell is this? Dual sinks in the bathroom! What, so I can clean two sinks instead of one? So my cat can have a choice of two places to curl up and get hair in the drains? What is this--2,000 square feet? Am I supposed to get a riding vacuum cleaner? Granite schmanite, I'm not going over my budget for a slab of rock. Two car garage? Now I'll have to go out and accumulate a bunch of crap to fill them both up. HOA? Are you freaking' kidding me!?!"
Oh YES!!!! My house is 720 sf. The front bedroom will eventually be a sunny room/spare bedroom but currently has all the stuff in the way of warming up the floor. My dogs have a yard and my cats couches to sleep on. What else do you need?
If I walked into a place with all black paint I *might* think twice about paint. That is a LOT of coats of paint, but you usual blah beiges and such are no problem. And whatever happened to we'll live with the appliances until we can afford new ones????
Maybe having some money on hand for a rainy day or a late morgage payment might be nice to have.
My little house was mid reno, not electrical and no plumming. Sadly he hardwood floors are past saving but I tried. It had misc paint colors. I was perfectly happy. I get to make it MINE. And it has nice solid 1930 walls. I can't imagine living in a house with too many rooms and too much dead air to heat when the winter hits and its 24 outside or summer its 100. I wonder with all these open space plans if anyone every considers the value of being able to close a door and shut off the heat in a room you won't be using so you can afford your heating bill.
But naw, that would never happen to our star crossed tv couples.
So Tracy.... when you get to the bedroom closet, what are you going to say?
Please, oh please, tell me it's not "This is all right for my clothes, but where will you put yours, honey?"
I had one of those giant closets one place. I used the front for clothes, even put in the dresser. I used the rest for my yarn, beads, candle wax and general craft stuff. And 'stuff for projects' which could be anything. It was a useful storage, but I can't imagine how anyone could fill it with clothes. Me, I wear it til it dies and then it goes into the fabric box.
What do people need with so many clothes they need a room for them? (and yes, I'm female)
To me, I take "we need an extra (or another) bedroom for when family and friends visit" meaning guests who will stay overnight. Sometimes they just say "more space" and are less clear if it is for overnights or dinner.
What I enjoy, and have seen more of in the international episodes is: "we don't know anyone here BUT we need space for entertaining". And sure enough, in the after segment, after the vegetables are chopped, ding-dong, and someone does come to the door.
I enjoyed the one with the couple looking for a house in London. They looked at one place in Illford. I immediately was saying wow, that's the same street they film part of Call the Midwife. I found it very interesting that the converted row houses in the East End are now nice but pricy small jems for the middle class. Where did all the poor people go?
I loved how they actually didn't complain that most of what they saw was 'too small' as Americans often seem to. Maybe since they were moving out of mom and dads it didn't seem that way.
Its amazing that East London is booming and respectable now, since its been for literally centuries the dumping ground of poor and unwanted. My ancestors lived there before two got shipped here involuntarily via the old Bailey, and they lived there before it became a part of London and was a rural estate. Wonder is any of my distant relatives are still there.
It was actually quite disheartening though, the amount of mid century houses we looked at that had their kitchens and bathrooms ripped out in place of new, white or granite and stainless. The so called updates often didn't suit the house and it felt as if they'd ripped the soul of the house out, to target the stereotypical house hunters type buyer.
I know what you mean. I really liked the one house I looked at 20 years ago - it was about 100 years old then, and had a kitchen from the the 1940s (I'm guessing -- it could have been older). TONS of charm. I just saw it for sale online and barely recognized it -- all shiny and new. Looked like the house had been flipped. It DID need tons of work, back then, which one of the reasons I passed on it. But I guess they wanted to appeal to the majority of buyers, instead of staying true to the house.
I enjoyed the one with the couple looking for a house in London. They looked at one place in Illford. I immediately was saying wow, that's the same street they film part of Call the Midwife. I found it very interesting that the converted row houses in the East End are now nice but pricy small jems for the middle class. Where did all the poor people go?
Its amazing that East London is booming and respectable now, since its been for literally centuries the dumping ground of poor and unwanted. My ancestors lived there before two got shipped here involuntarily via the old Bailey, and they lived there before it became a part of London and was a rural estate. Wonder is any of my distant relatives are still there.
Similar situation where I grew up in Chicago. We had a 2 flat similar to the link below. It was an immigrant
neighborhood with working class and middle class together. We were comfortable on the bottom 900 sq.
ft. flat and rented the upper apartment. The area became gentrified and many of these have been
converted to single homes and most of the beautiful trim and built ins-were removed. There might be
a handful of original kitchens somewhere but most were gutted with the HH look. On the link below
at least the living and dining rooms were preserved. Again, these were apartments where in the 1900's
poor immigrants lived and now are some of the most expensive real estate around.
Which is just one of the reasons I love Nicole Curtis of Rehab Addict. She makes those old homes shine and tries to stay true to the age of the home (reusing and repurposing materials from the house or other projects).
LOL yeah DH and I were the atypical House Hunters when we were buying. They should have filmed us for something new and different!
I wanted NO granite, NO updates (or as few as possible), at least one PINK bathroom, a formal dining room, and NOT an open plan kitchen. DH just wanted 50+ years old with a double garage and a decent yard.
We got what we wanted
It was actually quite disheartening though, the amount of mid century houses we looked at that had their kitchens and bathrooms ripped out in place of new, white or granite and stainless. The so called updates often didn't suit the house and it felt as if they'd ripped the soul of the house out, to target the stereotypical house hunters type buyer.
You would have been so different, people would think it's a spoof!
You would have been so different, people would think it's a spoof!
Glad you guys found what you wanted.
But just imagine how the real estate agents will be SOOOO frustrated, especially when you say I really want a DOOR into the kitchen. Horror of horrors. Add a wall?????
Personally I plan to put a door in my arch between rooms for when I don't want any four legged company.
My dream is to one day get an old house with pocket doors between every room! I LOVE pocket doors!!! They are usually so beautiful, and in such good shape, because people tend to leave them open and forget they're in the wall. I would be using them all the time, to limit where I'm heating and cooling and mostly, to keep certain animals apart, without having to use pet gates.
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