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[dulwich]

We have bought and ‘redone’ quite a few older/Victorian homes.

First one for me is area/location and how I feel when I enter house.  Decorations, colours, etc. do not affect me - all can be changed they belong to previous owner and we always redecorate to our taste so tend not to bother about way home decorated now but to visualize how or if it would work for us. 

I like to see the ‘bones’ of the place and, so far, have lived and enjoyed all our homes.

[froggy]

One of my pet peeves is a kitchen island with a stoveotp or sink in  it. I like a big island that is all work surface. When I have all my ingredients, rolling pin, etc. I just need the entire surface.

I also could not function now without rollout kitchen cupboard shelves. And I also have what they call "executive height" bathroom and kitchen vanities and counters - makes life so much easier. 

[GingerPeach]

When I moved into my 1970s-built home about 30 years ago, it had awful 1970s overhead light fixtures.  It took me a long time to be able to afford to make changes, but that didn't stop me from wanting to take a baseball bat to that awful round, smoky ball of glass (much worse than it sounds) hanging in the entryway.

I finally offered it as an ersatz "crystal ball" to my then teenage DD for some sort of event at her high school. I never saw it again!  

[Glittergal]

A house that is too close to the neighbors' houses would be my main concern.  

[jubilant]

A bathroom without a window.  I have always found bathrooms with a window much more "fresh". Also, a house with no porch.

[denisemb]

Loved our semi-open concept house with cathedral ceilings when we bought it, but sometimes hate it now.  Living room to the left, kitchen behind wall.

Difficult to hear TV with dishwasher, garbage disposal or coffee grinder running with all the echoes.

Kitties liked it, though.

[Desert Lily]

My tastes and priorities change. I currently live in a single family house. I've been contemplating a move to another state for over a year. At first I wanted a condo in a mid-rise building in a busy downtown area. I wanted a restaurant and a grocer on the main floor if possible and a garage in the basement. I considered a loft as well until I realized that the rooms didn't always have walls.

That's all changed in the last few months. I now want a ranch style condo with an attached garage and a private entrance. No stairs, no elevator. I still want 2-3 bedrooms, 2 full baths - one with a large separate shower, no carpet, and a modern kitchen. I think I'll be condo hunting for a while.

[jeanlake]

Enjoyed your comments. Fun post.

Our first home didn't have a linen closet in the full guest bathroom. We totally missed that one. Great price and we eventually doubled our investment. Shrug. We were 24.

Wouldn't want to do laundry in basement again. Don't like rooms we don't use. When starting a family we bought a large home on courtyard steps. We thought we'd grow into home but there were rooms we didn't use. High utilities. Sold it 4 years later to family with lots of kids. Perfect for them. It never felt like home to me. 

Our purchasing choices improved over the years. Thankfully. 

[LilLadyNJ]

Green plaid wallpaper that was in my current home. It was only in one room, and I couldn't bring myself to sit in that room until I had it removed. Needless to say, I had that removed and painted and I'm happy with the results. 

[AuntG]

Things that don't "wow" me are high, soaring ceilings and over-sized bathrooms.