Floor plan choices - Media room or backyard ? (Dallas, Highland Park: apartments, insurance)

[jacob]

I am comparing several floorplans, but they have some issues. I am not able to decide. I have always lived in apartments, so dont know how day to day life in a house would be.

a) Some dont have a media room. How useful is a media room on a daily basis ?

b) Some dont have a decent sized backyard. eg. 60x120 lot with 2600 sqft built on it on 1 story. So not much backyard left. Almost 30x30.

c) Most plans are 2 stories. I would really like a one story with 4 bedrooms downstairs - one master and 2 BRs for kids, and another guest room (mostly for my parents. They can't climb up the stairs)

d) The one story plans on bigger lot sizes also dont have much backyard left.

e) All 2 story plans have a game room. Looks like that wont be much useful atleast as a game room.

f) Sunscreened porch or a sunroom seems to be a new concept. Is that useful ? I am thinking with the limited time for breakfast and in the evenings, wouldnt one park in front of the TV in the family room rather than in the sunroom (unless its a lake front property)

g) Is it better to have kitchen cordoned off separately from the family room to minimize cooking noise in the family room. Or is it better to have kitchen integrated into the family room.

h) is it better to have double height family rooms ?

[Guingirl]

Honestly...It is just a matter of personal preference and what you want to do in the future. I remember moving out of an apartment when I was first getting started and we moved into a little house with a little backyard, one story, it did us well for about five years until our activities changed in life where we wanted to do more things in the backyard.

It also depends on where you buy as there are master planned communities that have all the things that you might have in a backyard like playground, pool etc.

Have an idea of how long you want to stay in a particular home is it a stepping stone for a few years or is it something that you want your kids to grow up in?

[kittyhox]

I can't wait to see other people's opinions, since we are also considering building! Here are my two cents!

a) Media rooms are nice for resale, I suppose - but I think if you have a bonus/gameroom the media room becomes strictly a luxury. You can watch a movie on a bigscreen tv in a family or bonus room with blackout shades and get a similar effect. But I think a bonus room is really nice whether you have younger children and need a playroom (keeps the family room and breakfast nook much tidier) or older kids who might like their own hangout area.

b) We are also looking at Dallas builders and I really want a large backyard, too. That's why we don't want a pool - takes up too much room!

c) What about a two story that has a living room or study downstairs that can be converted (by builder) to a guest room w/full bath, for your parents. I notice almost all the two-story homes have the master down and we REALLY want the master up, since we have a baby and anticipate future little ones. I don't want to run up and down the stairs all night and for safety, want to be closer to my kids. Maybe yours are older?

I think a screened porch is a big plus because other posters have mentioned mosquito issues. So for those hot days when one would like to be outside in the back yard, its the next best thing. A sunroom also makes a nice playroom for those of us with babies, who like to keep the family room giant-plastic-toy-free, as much as possible. (But still want a casual TV space for the two of us vs. using a formal living room, which we never would.)

g) Whoever does most of the cooking and dishes should answer this question. In our family we both really want it open (and I think most people do), especially when we are entertaining. Who wants to be stuck off in the kitchen all alone like the help. I figure if it's a formal occasion one uses the formal dining room, which is usually not totally open to the kitchen.

h) I'm curious to see what people think about double height family rooms! I don't really get the point, especially since it makes decorating a hassle and takes away available square footage upstairs.

[KantLockeMeIn]

a) I can't live w/o one. But most of the ones I've seen in the resale market are a small room with a tv and a couch. Mine have been 120" screen projector with home theater reclining seats, sound conditioning, etc. Nothing similar between that and watching it in the living room, but if you don't watch many movies it may be a waste of $.

b) I've gone from living on 2 acres to a postage stamp lot. 2 acres was private, but a *lot* of work. We have plenty of room for the dogs to run around the back yard... that's all that was important to us.

c) Single story homes are less expensive to cool, but more expensive to build and require more land. It's really up to personal preferences.

d) Or are in more expensive areas. We saw a lot of nice single story homes on 1 acre lots in Parker, Fairview, and Prosper. But you paid dearly for the acreage...

e) If you have kids a gameroom is great for a playroom when they're younger and it can grow with them. We're planning on using the gameroom and media room as bait to lure our daughter to have her friends over here when she gets older, so we can keep an eye on what they're up to. If you don't see a use for a poker, air hockey, or pool table room, then you're right... it can be a waste. If it's closed it could be turned into a study...

f) It's nice to be able to enjoy the fresh air without having to deal with mosquitos. It's also nice to eat dinner off the grill in the fresh air without the flies, etc. Depends how annoyed you are with the bugs and how much you enjoy the fresh air.

If you are looking to just provide shade, but not screened in, you can build a pergola.

g) Open floor plans are in right now... so trying to sell a home that is boxed off is very difficult. You're right though, people in the kitchen can distract from the person trying to watch tv in the living room. But at the same time, the person in the kitchen can feel like part of the family while cooking when everyone's in the living room waiting...

h) This one is a double edged sword. two story rooms will make a space feel bigger... which is a huge upside. The downside to me is the heating and cooling. It's very difficult to get the temperature of the two story room to be comfortable while keeping the other rooms on the first floor too hot or too cold. A good ceiling fan on a proper length downrod is a must. We've gone with the two story living room in our current and previous two homes.

[MaryS80]

IMO media rooms are a fad, I'd look for something with a large living room of family room.

Try to incorporate things that are important to you and your lifestyle, or things that will add to it's resale value. A good backyard, and nice kitchen never go out of style simply because thats where guests always end up. These things are also big selling points for buyers.

If you have kids a game room could come in pretty handy as could easily be a playroom. If not you could utilize the space as an office.

As for sun rooms and screened porches I don't see much use for them either.

[galore]

Originally Posted by jacob

I have always lived in apartments, so dont know how day to day life in a house would be.

Expense will be the biggest adjustment from apartment life. Expensive closing costs. Expensive property tax. Expensive mortgage (interest is about as wasted as rent). Expensive insurance. Expensive utilities. Expensive landscaping. Expensive to furnish.

Media rooms, high ceilings, panoramic windows. All nice and impressive. But all get old fast because they cost a ton in interest payments (they are expensive luxuries and not necessary) and a lot to cool/heat.
Don't let yourself be wowed by features that are mostly for show.

Floorplan, e.g. kitchen/family room layout should be personal preference but is fashion. Regardless, if you are concerned about resale, go for location, location, location. The shabbiest home in Highland Park sells no matter the floorplan.

I'd go for the most energy efficient, smallest home that fulfills your needs in the location with the best potential for appreciation and the best commute.

[Guingirl]

Originally Posted by galore

Expense will be the biggest adjustment from apartment life. Expensive closing costs. Expensive property tax. Expensive mortgage (interest is about as wasted as rent). Expensive insurance. Expensive utilities. Expensive landscaping. Expensive to furnish.
.

The good thing about it is that you have some good write offs. You just have to equate as to whether the cost difference for the write offs works for you.