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Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: Amenities you always wished you could have in a house and now you hate them

[ Edited ]

Fun thread.   We have about all that was mentioned in the original post.  After 15 years, I am still thrilled with it all.  We have open concept being able to see from the kitchen into the step down den, breakfast nook and formal dining room (and out the windows in all these rooms).  Somebody was in the kitchen the other day and said I see a bird at the birdhouse outside your dining room (three rooms away)  We have a Jacuzzi and although not used often, we love it. Even without the jets, the big deep tub is wonderful - (same with our stone wood burning fireplace, glad to have it even if we don't use it often).  We have an eat in island and use it daily.  I sit there and watch the wildlife outside the kitchen window. All on one floor and we didn't know how grateful we would be for that until my husband had to have a leg amputation.

 

I will agree with the other posters that I have no desire to maintain a large deck.  We have lots of acreage so we have plenty of places to sit and entertain.  We have a small front porch and small covered back porch (which is very cozy and  lovely).   My son has a huge wrap around deck and he is always doing some kind of upkeep.

 

Same with a pool - we live down the lane from a huge sailing lake and have three ponds on our farm so that is enough recreational water for me.  

 

Enjoyed reading this thread.  The only thing that we needed in this house was more pantry type storage so we added one whole wall of very sturdy shelving in the spare room that we use as an exercise room. Worked out great.  I told my husband I would never fill up all those shelves but certainly did (quickly).  Smiley Very Happy  I not only have food supplies but cleaning supplies, toiletries, etc., a shelf for indoor gardening stuff and a shelf for my small appliances, holiday platters, etc., that aren't used that often. 

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Re: Amenities you always wished you could have in a house and now you hate them

We have a 1966 tri level. Talk about a real bomb in floor plans, lol!  We step down on step to living room and up another step to dining.  Totally useless room.  I use it for a buffet table once a hear at Christmas.  But what do I do with a 100 year old dining table?  If I get rid of the dining table,  it matches the buffet and china hutch.  Very old beautiful wood. Its like I feel I would have to get rid of all 3 pieces.  

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Registered: ‎04-04-2014

Re: Amenities you always wished you could have in a house and now you hate them

@Mindy D , hello!  

 

I think your your post goes to the heart of the grass looking greener on the other side.  I’ve had many of the amenities you list in my homes in Virginia and Kansas City (while working) and Waikoloa, HI (newly retired) but still love my down-sized townhome in Henderson, NV outside Vegas.  Each place and home has been a Paradise in its own way, I’ve just had to look for it to see it.

 

While my master suite is huge, which I appreciate, the kitchen, dining and other areas are smaller.  I’ve found I don’t need so much “stuff” although I still have to admit to still liking shoes, bags and clothes -just not what goes beyond the limits of my closet now.

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Re: Amenities you always wished you could have in a house and now you hate them

Life is tough when one lives in luxury.

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Re: Amenities you always wished you could have in a house and now you hate them


@vermint wrote:

We removed the wall between the kitchen & dining room 6 years ago...and I still love it! However, the living room is two steps down, so we can't see the messy kitchen once we leave the table.

 

Things I wouldn't have again:

1. High ceilings--20 ft. in the living room, 15 ft. in the bedroom. Can't get up there to clean them (and they need it!) without putting up scaffolding. 12 ft. would be my absolute limit now.

 

2. Those high ceilings also have wood beams that collect cobwebs..I can usually get them with an extension pole covered with an old tube sock, but the beams have a rough finish, so some is always left behind. Never again would I have beamed ceilings.

 

3. Jetted tub--we did get rid of ours years ago, and put a big shower in its place. In fact, we don't have tubs in either bathroom anymore, and I don't miss them.

 

4. Real hardwood floors. They're only in the kitchen/hall/dining room, but we have to stay in a hotel when they're refinished (and they need it!) because you can't go anywhere else in the house without using the hall. If I were to do it over again, I would install luxury vinyl planks in Every. Single. Room.

 

5. Carpet...again vinyl planks in every room.

 

6. Formal dining room...we rarely use it, and I'd rather have a big, open living/kitchen space with room for a big table.

 

We built this house in 1986, when we were young & flexible, and could do things like climb ladders!


 

 

@vermint   I have hardwood flooring through the house, and after twenty-four years, still doesn't need refinishing, maybe because I wear slippers or am barefoot around the house.  I am having luxury vinyl put down in the rec room soon, still worried about it, but being a rec room, it was a must rather than hardwood.

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Registered: ‎10-25-2010

Re: Amenities you always wished you could have in a house and now you hate them


@Financialgrl wrote:

@Snoopp wrote:

I have hardwood in my kitchen and next time I want to find tile or the vinyl planks.

 

I have a long shelf in my foyer that is too high to dust.  I never want another dust collecting shelf again.

 

i want a bigger laundry for my next house.


I have the exact same list minus the shelf.  I wonder for those that have wood floors what happens if you need to replace a few planks bc I know they can stop making them.  

 

I'm in a single family home (one level) and wood floors were standard they were put throughout the whole house except the bedrooms (carpeting).   Also the wood floors are over a cement slab making it hard on your feet and back (unless I wear padded slippers) while inside.  I asked why I never had that issue in my last one level house - reason is bc it had a crawl space.  I'll never make this mistake again.  


I have a hardwood floor in my kitchen and everywhere else on my first floor, including my powder room and I love them.  I hated the vinyl flooring in every kitchen I have ever had.

 

I fortunately, have real solid wood boards.  They were not prefinished by the manufacturer.  They were installed as raw wood, then refinished when they were laid down.

 

I don't think they will ever need replaced as they can just be sanded and refinished.  Of course, if anything major happens, they can be replaced individually.

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Re: Amenities you always wished you could have in a house and now you hate them


@lovesrecess wrote:

We need to downsize but stay in our part of town.  Have found almost every home we have looked at has sunken living rooms and huge, space-wasting wet bars with three walls. DH cannot do steps...so the sunken living-rooms are a dealbreaker when there is almost no way to eliminate them. We even had a contractor look at one and he said due to the ceilings the floor could not be raised to eliminate the step-down. As you get older, stairs and even a single step-down can be a problem. DD has a sunken den and more than one older family member has fallen on the step-down. Even the grandkids, when they are toddlers, have a hard time. The wet bars are a waste of space, especially when we don’t even drink. We have one in our house now and never use it. Many have turned them into office or computer space, but I don’t want to eliminate the sink in ours. Can’t imagine why these became so popular back in the 70’s-80’s. Another amenity we see a lot of are atriums...waste of space. Skylights we have and would never want them again...too bright, leak, and are the first thing to go in a hail storm,

 

A few years ago my friend bought a home because of the wet bar!  It serves as a quite extensive coffee bar, hot chocolate bar, iced tea bar.  She decorates it for the seasons.  She has 2 small children and I'm sure it will get used a lot. 


 

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Re: Amenities you always wished you could have in a house and now you hate them

I don't like everything about my small town home, but I'm comfortable and that's what is important to me.

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Registered: ‎12-08-2010

Re: Amenities you always wished you could have in a house and now you hate them

I too have enjoyed reading this Thread.

 

In 2002 we had to move (due to Husband's promotion).  Needless to say, I was NOT a happy camper.  Happy for the Husband of course, as he had worked so hard for this, but not happy about moving.

 

As for our home here in PA?  I loved it when I walked in the front door, and I still love it.  

 

So, getting me out of here would take two things.  One being my last breath.  The other would be for my Husband to become "temporarily insane" and say, "lets move back to Minnesota."  "We will get a house on the North Shore, right on Lake Superior!"

 

Yeah, that would do it!  Again, thanks for the great read.  Heart

If you want to change the tenor of your interactions, you must become aware of the impact of your words...Karen Casey
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Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: Amenities you always wished you could have in a house and now you hate them


@Carmie wrote:

@skatting44 wrote:

what kind of hardwood floors  did you install to go with your cherry cabinets ?

 


I am guessing this question was meant for me??

 

I have red oak hardwoods in their natural color...no stain on them.  They go great with my cherry cabinets and wood trim.

 

I am attaching a pic that I took of my dog, but you can clearly see the floor and cabinets.

 

My dog matches too!

 

914CD97E-5B85-4647-9FBA-4C677636D1BB.jpeg


I just LOVE Cavaliers!!  I miss mine....they are the sweetest dogsWoman Happy

 

The unfinished red oak does look really good with the cherry cabinets...great idea!