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The biggest flaw, and a total deal breaker for me, is not having a half bath for guests.
My house has a full bath on the first floor of my Cape as I have a bedroom on the first floor. My guests use that as I wouldn't want the expense of a 1/2 bath.
As it has been repeated many times before here on C-D, every nuance in a house is not going to be everyone's cup of tea. You take the good with the bad, and strive for the lowest priced house in the neighborhood in the best location, location, location!
IMO, many of those things aren't subjective. They are true design flaws that could easily have been avoided. The house was designed or renovated by someone inexperienced at living in a home with other family members.
Some of these are well known flaws. I figure one of the issues is that some builders use young male designers, who really don't know about these things. Ask any middle aged woman who has raised a family in a house. She'll tell you. Or better yet, hire some female designers.
A hot pot or pan on the very edge of an island which is in a walking path? That is a HUGE no-no. Common sense is called for.
Original Poster: It appears you would be much happier if you would design and build a home instead of wasting so much time, energy and being stressed about homes already built.
Most homes are built properly. It's just that there seem to be more than usual these days of those with known design flaws.
EVERYONE knows to put the den doors to the back yard on the SIDE of the room, and not smack dab in the middle. EVERYONE knows it's extremely dangerous to put a cooktop on the very edge of an island that is in a walking path. There's a reason stoves are usually on the countertop facing the back wall.
These are usually NEW homes, or RENOVATED homes. The older homes were usually not built that way, of course.
The bedrooms being all upstairs doesn't happen often, and it IS an original design flaw that appears I think usually during the 1980s build period. Those homes linger on the market. They're hard to sell. As are homes iwth the only downstairs bathroom being thru the master bedroom. That's a hard sell. But if they decrease the price, it'll sell. It decreases the value.
Pre-existing houses all have quirks. Curiously, some of the best designs are the smallest houses. I once lived in a converted carriage house that was maybe 20 x 30 feet and just a pleasure (for what it was). RVs are often better designed than houses.
These are usually newly built homes (particularly with the doors in the middle of the den leading to the back yard, and the custom cabinetry built around a stove or cooktop, leaving no work space or space to put a plate to serve from the stove), or renovated homes. The original pre-existing homes were not built that way. I can tell because I can see that it was renovated, and by other homes in the area.
You'll find some of these design flaws in current new construction, not even built yet. They draw up a design and use it over and over. Which is fine. But some of these are well known design errors stemming from common sense and using a house over time. The worst one is the cooktop at the very edge of the island, which is in a walking path. That is very dangerous and should never have been done. Looks like those I've seen are original to the fairly new construction houses. The cooktop on the island is a trend. That's fine, but it should be in the middle of the cooktop, keeping hot pans away from the edge, where they might get knocked off and burn someone.
EVERYONE knows to put the den doors to the back yard on the SIDE of the room, and not smack dab in the middle.
No, that is a personal preference of yours.
You have no idea how others lay out that room, and they may LOVE the doors in the middle!
Quote:
Originally Posted by bpollen
The bedrooms being all upstairs doesn't happen often, and it IS an original design flaw that appears I think usually during the 1980s build period.
All upstairs is what probably 90% of the homes are here. The 1980s have nothing to do with it, as bedrooms upstairs are in older stock and in new construction.
Again, not a flaw, but your preferences.
I agree with those that say you should build, as you DO have a long list of personal preferences.
The bedrooms being all upstairs doesn't happen often, and it IS an original design flaw that appears I think usually during the 1980s build period. Those homes linger on the market. They're hard to sell. As are homes iwth the only downstairs bathroom being thru the master bedroom. That's a hard sell. But if they decrease the price, it'll sell. It decreases the value.
This is regional. I grew up in the land of the center hall colonial and all bedrooms being upstairs was common. They just started building some homes with a bedroom on the first about 15-20 years ago.
Really most of your list seems like personal preference, like the grey and the door placement (It wouldn't bother me). And not everyone buying a house is a middle aged woman, thus not all homes should be built for one.
IMO...
A hot pot or pan on the very edge of an island which is in a walking path? That is a HUGE no-no. Common sense is called for.
Exactly! These "flaws"/"defects" (as you put it) are of your own opinion- but to lay blame on a "male designer" is ludicrous. There are many other issues that come into play that can severely hamper "design" because of "cost"- or vise/versa.
Ayup, all bedrooms upstairs was the most common arrangement of the late-nineteenth and early-twentieth century two-story homes in the historic neighborhood where my father grew up.
A stove or cooktop with workspace only on one side, when that space is small.
Cooktops on the island in the kitchen. Apparently the new thing.
A two story house with all bedrooms upstairs? People aren't going to be aging in THAT home.
The only entrance into the house from back yard is through the den. Muddy feet from gardening, muddy paws of dogs, wet kids. All trekkng through the den, not to mention interrupting anyone watching tv or whatever in the den.
A brand new granite countertop...and a brand new tiled backsplash....that don't match or even go together. The builder had some leftover tile in his warehouse? Or the owner got a great deal on that tile for the backsplash?
A totally different color scheme in the interior than the house is outside. Jarring, to say the least. (Gray exterior, all tan and whatever inside)
Gray everything! Gray brick exterior, a professional gray interior job (every room a different shade of gray), charcoal countertops, painted gray kitchen countertops, gray swirl bath countertops. Sheesh! That house becomes thousands of dollars of redo work just because of color.
I'll only talk about the ones listed above rather than quote your whole list.
1) If the kitchen space is small, chances are they couldn't have more workspace for the stove
2) Cooktops on the island are not a new thing. My parents last house, built in 1991, came with a cooktop on the island. So we're looking at no less than 24 years for this "new thing."
3) My guess is that at least 70% of homes in this country feature all the bedrooms upstairs. It was only as baby boomers began retiring that first floor suites landed on the horizon. But most retirees I know live in a traditional home with all bedrooms on the second floor.
4) Mudrooms ARE a new thing. Most houses more than 10 years old will not have super-fancy mudrooms unless they've been renovated recently to accommodate such a need.
5) Perhaps the backsplash doesn't match in YOUR opinion, but the homeowners love it that way.
6) Who on earth takes note of the exterior color of a house and gets irritated when the inside isn't the same color? My outside is brick with black shutters, but my inside is bright buttery yellow as well as deep navy blue and deep dark red. I didn't realize being so matchy-matchy was a thing?
7) Grey is a hot color and has been for a few years. Will the fad last? Time will tell. But it's considered a good neutral for those who don't want all beige.
The bedrooms being all upstairs doesn't happen often, and it IS an original design flaw that appears I think usually during the 1980s build period.
You're wrong. Period. How old are you that you don't know that most 2 story houses for hundreds of years had the bedrooms only on the second floor? You want a first floor bedroom set, you buy a single story house like a rancher.
Last edited by Tiffer E38; 12-01-2015 at 01:47 PM..
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