Least Favorite Home Characteristics

SoCal78_IHB

SoCal78_IHB

New member
Having been a homeowner and living in several types of homes, I now know what I do and don?t want out of my next home. These are some of the things that are deal-breakers for me.



My first is a galley-style kitchen, particularly when there is a door at or near the end of it and the path of foot traffic moves through the kitchen. When I am in the kitchen, I like my space and do not like people coming in and out for various reasons ? because they need to access the garage, a patio or a different area of the house. When you have a pot of hot water and a knife lying out, you do not want your kids running by to get somewhere or your spouse bringing a laundry basket through. Also with the galley kitchen there is something I don?t like about the continual row of cabinets and counters. It feels as though you are standing in a hallway? as though the space is not important enough to be acknowledged as a room, but just something to pass by.



I also do not like small windows, decorative or otherwise. They are too small to provide adequate amounts of natural light but they are large enough to rob you of privacy. Finding the right type of window treatment for them seems to be difficult. Window treatments seem to overpower them.



I will never buy a house that does not have a window in every bathroom that contains a shower or tub. When you are dealing with moisture, in my experience vents and fans do not cut it. A window is necessary to rid the room of the humidity (for mildew purposes but also if you are a woman and applying makeup in the bathroom at the vanity afterward.)



An entry-way is a must. I agree with bk?s post on foyers. It baffles me when I see a front door open directly into a living room and there is no introduction into the home.



I do not like when the kitchen is in the line of site from the front door. Guests can see any dirty dishes in the sink from the moment they enter the house. It's an instant turn-off unless you can keep it spic and span all the time.



I do not like split-level homes where the kitchen is upstairs. Lugging jugs of water and heavy bags upstairs is not very practical.



Those are just some of the things I like least in a home and are the first things I look out for when searching for a house.
 
[quote author="SoCal78" date=1224483138]I do not like when the kitchen is in the line of site from the front door. Guests can see any dirty dishes in the sink from the moment they enter the house. It's an instant turn-off unless you can keep it spic and span all the time.</blockquote>


Psst! www.flylady.net (always put the dishes in the dishwasher, even if you have to hand wash some of them later).
 
[quote author="EvaLSeraphim" date=1224484035][quote author="SoCal78" date=1224483138]I do not like when the kitchen is in the line of site from the front door. Guests can see any dirty dishes in the sink from the moment they enter the house. It's an instant turn-off unless you can keep it spic and span all the time.</blockquote>


Psst! www.flylady.net (always put the dishes in the dishwasher, even if you have to hand wash some of them later).</blockquote>


Isn't that the best? I've actually been using Fly Lady for about 3 years now. Love it.
 
I agree with most of SoCal's unWanted list. Here are a few of my own:



1. Kitchen w/ no island: Nowadays, this is become as important to me as any of the big appliances. I prefer a sink in that island and it to serve as an eating bar too... but that's just me.



2. Master bath with only 1 sink: Every master should have 2 sinks and if possible a vanity sitting area.



3. Master w/ no walk-in closet: Need I continue?



4. No interior paint: I realize many people don't think of this but I don't know how many houses I've looked at (especially newer ones) that still have the "builder white" everywhere. Paint is so inexpensive, can be done yourself and makes a house look much more customized and personal (well... hot pink and neon green may be a bit too personal).



5. No covered front door area: I've been sort of spoiled with this in all of my homes and it's something I think that is necessary... not just for your own convenience but also for that of your guests. I doesn't even have to be a porch.
 
I don't like when the garage door directly enters the house. I would like a "mud room" an area between the garage and then the main part of the house- a place where my family can take off their shoes (we don't wear outdoor shoes in the house), kids can put book bags, jackets, etc..
 
I agree with all of your comments above. I also do not like when you must pass through your master bedroom's en-suite bath in order to access to your closet! It is impractical and there is something weird to me about storing clothes next to moisture and humidity. In my opinion, the closet belongs on the other side of a bathroom where the master bedroom is. (I am writing this with my current IAC apartment in mind.)



The jury is still out regarding my feelings on a "water closet". I see that they allow a person privacy while their spouse is using other parts of the bathroom such as the shower or sink. But, if privacy is an issue then why aren't showers sectioned off too? It seems like lately all of the new homes I've looked at have the water closet feature i.e. single toilet in its own room.
 
[quote author="NewToOC" date=1224561390]Carpeting in any area of the bathroom. This seems much more common on the West Coast.</blockquote>
Agreed.



I recently looked at a $6k lease and although the 1st floor flooring was travertine and wood... from the stairs up it was base carpeting... not even upgraded padding. The master suite was enormous with not 1... not 2... but THREE separate areas outside of just the bed and bath area... but the entire master bath suite (plus exercise room) was carpeted in that cheap builder carpeting.



My realtor asked if they were willing to negotiate on the lease amount and their realtor (at the time) said that this was $2mil+ house and should be renting for more than $7k.



Not with that carpet.
 
[quote author="NewToOC" date=1224561390]Carpeting in any area of the bathroom. This seems much more common on the West Coast.</blockquote>


I agree. When the toilet overflows you're immediately in trouble.
 
[quote author="NewToOC" date=1224561390]Carpeting in any area of the bathroom. This seems much more common on the West Coast.</blockquote>


Stay with brown color carpet just in case clogged toilet and the overflow water. Never use bleach base toilet bowl cleaner (99% of all chemical) because any splash or droplets will bleach out the dye of carpet.
 
1) Bathrooms without windows

2) Kitchen hood without external vent

3) All bedrooms upstairs (for 3+ bed units)



When I look at a house, the first things I'd look for is how the property makes me "feel". Then I look at the kitchen, bathroom, master bedroom closet, etc.



Preferably, the toilet should have its own room, or at least in a section w/door away from the sink counter. I don't like designs where your tooth brush is sitting next to the toilet.
 
This might be nitpicky but the way the double-sink is set in relation to the dishwasher is important to me.



Since I wash small dishloads... the order from either left to right or right to left is 1) sink with disposal (so any food can get munched properly) 2) sink w/out disposal (for rinsing) 3) dishwasher (for drying).



I've seen houses where that sink-e-rator sink is the one closest to the dishwasher and that annoys me... or even worse... the dishwasher isn't near the sink.



And I'm not a fan of those pseudo laundry rooms that are actually the passageway from the garage to the house... sure it satisfies JoonB's "mudroom" need but it really isn't a "laundry room" (plus they should all have sinks).



And maybe this is a topic for another thread... but what you prefer... downstairs or upstairs laundry?
 
That's a good point about the sink. I won't get too upset if the garbage disposal is on the side furthest from the dishwasher, but I definitely can't imagine the d-washer not being next to the sink. (Having to drip wet dishes to the other side of the kitchen or across a row of counters - ick.)



I have not yet had the pleasure of living somewhere that the laundry is on the upper level with the bedrooms (assuming a 2-story with all bedrooms upstairs.) I can only imagine it must be a wonderful convenience not having to carry heavy baskets up and down the stairs. My only concern might be if there was any water leakage... you probably don't want that to occur on a second floor... just like it's worse if a toilet or bathtub overflows on the second floor. If I buy another 2-story, I would love to have upstairs laundry. That would be my preference... next would be upstairs laundry even if it has flimsy shutters covering the machines... after that I would prefer downstairs laundry (in a laundry room)... next would be laundry in garage... then my last would be downstairs laundry that is out in the open.
 
I like having our washer and dryer upstairs - no more schlepping the baskets up and down the stairs. Also, since it's steps away from my room, I just bring in the laundry directly from the dryer and can watch tv while putting the laundry away. If it was downstairs or in the garage, I'd likely forget about it. I guess I'm pretty spoiled now.



Our condo has a tandem two car garage. I doubt I'll ever agree to that again. It irks me that the garbage cans have to be near the garage door leading to the house and that we have to take both cars out of the garage to take out the trash. I've also messed up my purses and (and the walls) trying to squeeze between the cars and the wall. Seriously, there are paint scuffs all through the garage. I don't think I would like living in a split level where you open the door and all you see is stairs. That feels odd to me.



Most other things, I think I can live with. i'm not terribly picky but if I could have anything I wanted, I'd like a yard please and a warming drawer in my kitchen.



I used to read fly lady too. I even was on the email list but then found it was too much. I probably should revisit to put some good habits back in place.
 
[quote author="ohnelly" date=1224674248]I used to read fly lady too. I even was on the email list but then found it was too much. I probably should revisit to put some good habits back in place.</blockquote>


Yeah, the number of emails a day is insane. I ended up putting myself on their "away on vacation" list or whatever it's called - a temporary suspension of the emails and I've left it in that status for a couple years! Now I just follow the daily routine of making the bed first thing, getting dressed to the shoes, (I'm trying improve on swish & swipe), do the 15-minute declutter / cleaning in that week's zone. I also visit the website everyday to see what Kelly's mission for the day is in the zone. I do a load of laundry, a load of dishes, and 5-minutes on putting out a hot-spot. I no longer do the "27 Fling Boogie" but I try to do the 5-minute room-rescue if I have the time or energy. And of course, I shine my sink everyday! Even if you can't keep up with the emails just cancel them and follow up on your own time or create your own easy routine, even if it's just baby steps. It helps. I am so glad to have found other Flylady followers! Oh, here come the "purple puddles!" (I am sure the men reading this are going, "What the HECK?!") LOL
 
[quote author="SoCal78" date=1224675323]Oh, here come the "purple puddles!" (I am sure the men reading this are going, "What the HECK?!") LOL</blockquote>


And I now have red wine sprayed across my keyboard. :)



I created a separate folder and direct all the e-mails there. I delete all the testimonials, and drag and drop the daily missions onto my task list (then delete the e-mail). They are sending out a weekly e-mail now (in addition to the dailies), so you could get all the daily missions for the week, print them out, and check off as you go.



And sadly, no, I don't get any commission from this.
 
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