NWMR: What are your must have features in a new/future house?

Virgo17

We are planning on building within the next couple of years so I'm trying to get my wish list together.  So far, I know I want a mud room with storage, a large kitchen pantry, and I'm thinking about dual washers and dryers.  The laundry piles up quick with 5 family members, plus towels, sheets, bath rugs.  Is it frivolous to want two washers and dryers?

So, what are your must haves?  And what are your dream wish list items?

minirella

Large walk-in closets.

I also love built-ins (out last home had a huge bookshelf/storage along an entire wall and it was awesome; current house doesn't have that.

Oversized or 3 car garage.

My husband wants a built-in safe or armory room. There is a local builder here that has built them in some of his homes and we were able to see them at the parade of homes show.

 

litzo27

I think 2 washers is overkill and not worth the money. Trust me, I get it - we have 5 people too, I just don't think I would benefit from 2 as my constraint is not usually having to do it all fast - I just run a load every other day it seems. I would rather spend the money on 1 top of the line top-loading one.

My must haves or very nice to haves:
- a large walk-in closet
- large dual-head shower in master bath
- mud room
- paved area on the backyard (i.e. not just patio + grass)
- separate laundry room, NOT in the basement but away from bedrooms
- hardwood everywhere!
- eat in kitchen
- a separate bedroom for office away from other bedrooms
- kid bedrooms on the same level as master bedroom or above
- open floor plan for living areas and a tall ceiling in at least one shared room

I wish I had:
- a wider than regular fridge
- top of the line stove
- sub-floor heating (I really wish I had that)
- walk in close in kid's room
- energy efficient windows
- a pantry
- finished basement or at least a basement with installed along-the-wall-shelves, etc.
- a big bathtub

Nice to have but I could live without
- fireplace
- 3 car garage or better yet a separate shed (we're getting it now for the mower, tools, workbench, etc.)
- skylights (pain in the behind to repair)

That's all I can think of now.

jtmomma13

a mudroom is pretty high on my list

I want an open floor plan 

A kitchen with a breakfast bar or island

lots of cabinet space

granite

deep kitchen sink- maybe a farmhouse sink but not white- it gets beat up and gross looking

high ceilings in living room

a fireplace- not so much to light but I really want a mantle

larger front windows in house to let in natural light

a large deck 

3-4 bedrooms all with good closet space

separate laundry space- on first floor or second- just want a specific area for it and I don't like front loaders. They require more care- the front gets moldly. I want top loaders. And I think 2 washers and dryers is overkill. See if you can get an energy efficient oversized washer and dryer. I think having a larger laundry space will help organize and make washing easier.

2 full bedrooms upstairs and a half bath down- one with a good soaking tub

I do NOT want glass showers. or a bath with a sliding door- pain in the ass to clean. 

A finished basement/playroom area with an unfinished area for storage and utilities. 

gas heat and good windows. I would also like ceiling fans in all bedrooms and family room. 

 

PSU_Texan

We are in our forever home and it's nearly perfect (needs new bathrooms as they are circa 1990).  What sold me on the house was the layout for entertaining... all the rooms need to flow together without being one big open space.  I love that the master and 2 kid bedrooms are on the second floor with the guest being on the first floor.  I love that the 3rd floor was converted into big game room so that kids stuff stays out of the main areas.  I love that the kitchen was redone (not totally my style but very nice).  The kitchen is literally the best thing in the house.  I cook and entertain a lot so I love that it has 2 very quiet, efficient dishwashers and 2 ovens.  I also like lots of counter space which it has.  Nice built-ins everywhere.

I think 2 washers is overkill but 2 dishwashers is money. 

The only thing the house is lacking is a good mud room.  The garage is not attached but connected by a covered breezeway.  And when you walk in the back door, you are right in the kitchen and eat-in area.  I hate how things (shoes, bags, etc) congregate right there.  So that would be nice if you are building from scratch.

I also think making sure you spend money on the things that are not seen but really affect life (good hot water heater, good HVAC system) is important.  We all want pretty but function is important too.

bcnoelle

If i were to build: Mud room, Laundry room on bedroom floor, Bonus/bunk room/theater room?, Master bathroom with dual sinks and vanity area and separate tub/shower, Large master closet, Office on main floor, Desk nook in kitchen, Eat in kitchen with additional dining room, Built in cabinets/shelves and fireplace in living room, Large deck, possible fire pit, Large pantry, Vaulted or tray ceilings (especially when thinking the living room and Xmas tree), Possibly 'smart' electrical outlets (re-charge phones? Not sure how outdated they will become), Plantation shutters, Wainscoting, Attractive stairway by entrance foyer if multi-level

asws1208

A farmhouse sink in the kitchen!!!!! I can't stand trying to fit my large pots and pans in one of the tiny sides! 

shannm

No carpet
Space for garden
Solar panels
Efficiency
White kitchen
Some kind of sun room for me and the cats to lounge, lol.
Deep sink
Tiled shower
At least two full baths
........,

catahoulatte

Laundry room with shelving

Garage with storage

Outdoor living/eating space in the backyard

Large bathrooms

Not-too-dark hardwood floors (ours are very dark now and show every footprint and dog hair. Drives me NUTS)

dashofreality

Well this really depends. If we go back to the DC metro area, I'll will sacrifice house for commute and not be picky. If we can get out of NOVA then I'll be in house heaven.

Wants - Open layout with an office away from kids play area (work from home). Neighborhood with lots of kids, preferably able to walk to things.

Dreams - Mudroom, butlers pantry, unfinished basement, nice outdoor space and a great shower (I'm really waiting for the giant garden tub trend to end).

ajaan113

Must Haves: 

Good school district 

Near DH's family (my family is on the other side of the country) 

Walking distance to public transportation 

Fenced yard 

Diverse neighborhood 

Finished basement 

2 bathrooms 

3 bedrooms 

Dishwasher 

Driveway

Laundry room 

Dream List 

Walking distance to Metro

Walking distance to the grocery store

A master bedroom (we live in an older home, so no master bath) 

Hardwood

In-law/guest suite

Laundry on the same floor as the bedrooms.

Entry way

Closets that look like the Elfa catalog

ajaan113

dashofreality said:

Well this really depends. If we go back to the DC metro area, I'll will sacrifice house for commute and not be picky. If we can get out of NOVA then I'll be in house heaven.

Wants - Open layout with an office away from kids play area (work from home). Neighborhood with lots of kids, preferably able to walk to things.

Dreams - Mudroom, butlers pantry, unfinished basement, nice outdoor space and a great shower (I'm really waiting for the giant garden tub trend to end).

NOVA wasn't so bad when I lived there. I was inside of 495.

ajaan113

@beaubecca‌ I actually like doing laundry. The only household chore I like to do.

heatherwhite1984

We built our house and customized everything.Our must haves that were on our list. We were able to make them happen and are very happy about it.
hardwood floors everywhere except bathrooms which are tile
energy efficient windows
spray insulation
front loading he washer/dryer on bedroom level
mudroom with large closet
large-ish with great reviews appliances
central vacuum system
radiant heat
finished basement
lots of storage in kitchen
large master walk-in closet
seat in shower
deep tub
keyless entry (can use keys if want to though)
generator that kicks on automatically
surround sound in ceilings
open floor plan

Things that are still on our list but we don't have it in the budget at this time:
paved driveway
fence to block annoying neighbors with their crazy dogs
finished basement (half way there!)
fireplace/woodstove
back deck
outdoor patio/fireplace
two car garage

jenn43

• Main floor laundry (so I don't have to run upstairs or downstairs to change loads) and a laundry chute- we have one now and it is awesome!
  
• Open concept floor plan
• Big kitchen
• Walk-in closet in the master
• en-suite master bathroom with double vanities and a soaker tub
• mudroom
• Craft room just off the main living room with built-ins

groovygrl

On the laundry note I would also like a laundry chute and I am one of the few ppl I know who never wanted 2nd floor laundry. We do a lot of our laundry at times of day when we're downstairs and I would never remember to move it or put another load in if it were upstairs and out of sight or hearing the buzzer... I would love a bigger laundry room- we live in a pretty spacious newer house & I don't know what htey were thinking with this laundry room. It is just hte w/d and a sink in there (I do love having that laundry room sink though, esp when kids were potty training and our DS has encopresis & a lot of poop accidents/issues) and I can just barely  open up an ironing board with enough room for me next to it. I would love the big room w/ folding counters and all that.

One feature that I heard about recently that sounds completely amazing is some sort of building in vacuuming suction thing in your baseboards in the kitchen where you can sweep and just use your toe to open it and it sucks the crumbs in???? Has anyone seen this?

Also I always thought having the faucet above the stove to fill pasta pots would be really awesome.

heatherwhite1984

groovygrl said:

On the laundry note I would also like a laundry chute and I am one of the few ppl I know who never wanted 2nd floor laundry. We do a lot of our laundry at times of day when we're downstairs and I would never remember to move it or put another load in if it were upstairs and out of sight or hearing the buzzer... I would love a bigger laundry room- we live in a pretty spacious newer house & I don't know what htey were thinking with this laundry room. It is just hte w/d and a sink in there (I do love having that laundry room sink though, esp when kids were potty training and our DS has encopresis & a lot of poop accidents/issues) and I can just barely  open up an ironing board with enough room for me next to it. I would love the big room w/ folding counters and all that.

One feature that I heard about recently that sounds completely amazing is some sort of building in vacuuming suction thing in your baseboards in the kitchen where you can sweep and just use your toe to open it and it sucks the crumbs in???? Has anyone seen this?

Also I always thought having the faucet above the stove to fill pasta pots would be really awesome.

We have this. It is part of our central vacuum system. We rarely use it though. We love the central vacuum system though.

MommyAtty

We are starting to look, which is nuts bc we only moved into this house a little over 2 years ago. We thought we were going to be one and done but changed our minds when one got here. We want comparably sized kids' rooms. (DS is in a much smaller room than DD, which is a big reason we are looking.) Huge closets in each bedroom. A dedicated office with room for 2. A dedicated playroom. (Currently lacking.) A sink in the laundry room and a counter for folding clothes. (We have now and I cannot imagine giving that up.). A huge pantry. An attached oversized or 3 car garage. A fabulous master shower. Our master shower now could easily fit all four of us, and I just cannot deal with a crappy shower again.

groovygrl

heatherwhite1984 said:

groovygrl said:

On the laundry note I would also like a laundry chute and I am one of the few ppl I know who never wanted 2nd floor laundry. We do a lot of our laundry at times of day when we're downstairs and I would never remember to move it or put another load in if it were upstairs and out of sight or hearing the buzzer... I would love a bigger laundry room- we live in a pretty spacious newer house & I don't know what htey were thinking with this laundry room. It is just hte w/d and a sink in there (I do love having that laundry room sink though, esp when kids were potty training and our DS has encopresis & a lot of poop accidents/issues) and I can just barely  open up an ironing board with enough room for me next to it. I would love the big room w/ folding counters and all that.

One feature that I heard about recently that sounds completely amazing is some sort of building in vacuuming suction thing in your baseboards in the kitchen where you can sweep and just use your toe to open it and it sucks the crumbs in???? Has anyone seen this?

Also I always thought having the faucet above the stove to fill pasta pots would be really awesome.

We have this. It is part of our central vacuum system. We rarely use it though. We love the central vacuum system though.

Really you don't? We have dark wood floors and I sweep the kitchen two to three times a day with two kids one of who is a totally slob his food is always everywhere esp if I give him something crumbly like a muffin!!! Haha....I don't really want a dog but wouldn't mind some post meal crumb cleanup...

jlaOK

We are currently building a custom home.  It has been really fun to get in a lot of our must-haves....not so much fun to nix the pricey ones.

Must-have's we are putting into our house:

• 4 bedrooms plus play room
• kids rooms separate from living space
• double sinks in kids room and door separating tub/toilet
• island in kitchen
• open kitchen/living
• double ovens
• 5 burner gas stove
• wine fridge
• large pantry
• separate pantry for small appliances
• large laundry room
• large backyard (want to be able to throw football around)
• covered patio
• walk-in closets in all bedrooms
• larger master closet/bathroom
• tornado shelter
• 3 car garage w/ enough room to fit DH's truck
• room in garage for DH's tools
• upgraded AC unit for house
  

Things we wanted but aren't doing:

• upstairs game room - waaaay too expensive
• sprinkler system - hoping to add this in at the end of construction
• hardwood floors - something we'll add later

Building a custom home has been a lot of fun but also very eye opening.  It is amazing how much a small "add-on" will really cost you in the end.  We have been able to add things that aren't too expensive (like the wine fridge) but have had to limit some things that add square footage as that is what really bumps up the price.

DiveFrog

4 bedrooms

3 bathrooms

2 Master Suites so one could be used for guests (which we have a lot of)

Large Laundry room 

Large Pantry/Costco/Household storage room with space for 2nd fridge and freezer

Generous Mudroom with wood lockers and additional storage

Fenced Yard 

Large deck, or Patio. (Would love a screened porch)

Lots of windows and light, preferably a living area with southern facing windows

Open concept floor plan 

Well laid out/efficient Kitchen with counter seating for at least 4. Non-White cabinets, non-laminate, non- tile counters

One bathroom with a decent depth tub for soaking

3 Car Garage or space for a shed (DH would love if garage was heated)

Ample parking for 3 vehicles and utility trailer

No carpet (wood, tile, cork)

Gas Fireplace

jess9802

*Master plus three kids' bedrooms.
*Walk-in pantry (we have one now in our rental and I LOVE IT)
*Double wall ovens
*Laundry room with big utility sink
*Formal dining room
*Office/den/guest room - so maybe a five bedroom house in reality
*Three car garage with workshop area
*Master with walk-in-closet and bathroom w/tub and dual sinks (I hate only having a shower and a single vanity in our current master)
*My biggest is that the garage is right off the kitchen. I hate traipsing through the house with groceries, garbage, and recycling.

kmh2201

We are in our forever house (at least we intend it to be), but if we could build, I would want (different from what we have now):

-A true laundry room with enough space for washer/dryer, two drying racks, a utility sink, and all of our cleaning/utility supplies

-A true storage room

-No glass shower doors!

-Soundproofing in the floors of the master bedroom (guest room is below) and two upstairs bedrooms (kitchen and dining rooms are below), and in the wall that our master bedroom shares with the kitchen; maybe also soundproofing in the wall the the upstairs bedrooms share

 

What we have in our current (forever) house  that we specifically looked for when looking for houses a few years ago:

-4+ bedrooms (master bedroom and one for each kid plus a guestroom)

-main floor master bedroom

-finished basement

-3-car garage

-granite/updated kitchen

-somewhat open floor plan

-low-maintenance floors

-fireplace (we ended up with 2 - one in main floor great room and one in basement family room)

 

A nice to have would be a 3-season porch/sunroom.  Also, maybe the windows with built-in blinds.

groovygrl

jlaOK said:

We are currently building a custom home.  It has been really fun to get in a lot of our must-haves....not so much fun to nix the pricey ones.

Must-have's we are putting into our house:

• 4 bedrooms plus play room
• kids rooms separate from living space
• double sinks in kids room and door separating tub/toilet
• island in kitchen
• open kitchen/living
• double ovens
• 5 burner gas stove
• wine fridge
• large pantry
• separate pantry for small appliances
• large laundry room
• large backyard (want to be able to throw football around)
• covered patio
• walk-in closets in all bedrooms
• larger master closet/bathroom
• tornado shelter
• 3 car garage w/ enough room to fit DH's truck
• room in garage for DH's tools
• upgraded AC unit for house
  

Things we wanted but aren't doing:

• upstairs game room - waaaay too expensive
• sprinkler system - hoping to add this in at the end of construction
• hardwood floors - something we'll add later

Building a custom home has been a lot of fun but also very eye opening.  It is amazing how much a small "add-on" will really cost you in the end.  We have been able to add things that aren't too expensive (like the wine fridge) but have had to limit some things that add square footage as that is what really bumps up the price.

jlaOK said:

We are currently building a custom home.  It has been really fun to get in a lot of our must-haves....not so much fun to nix the pricey ones.

Must-have's we are putting into our house:

• 4 bedrooms plus play room
• kids rooms separate from living space
• double sinks in kids room and door separating tub/toilet
• island in kitchen
• open kitchen/living
• double ovens
• 5 burner gas stove
• wine fridge
• large pantry
• separate pantry for small appliances
• large laundry room
• large backyard (want to be able to throw football around)
• covered patio
• walk-in closets in all bedrooms
• larger master closet/bathroom
• tornado shelter
• 3 car garage w/ enough room to fit DH's truck
• room in garage for DH's tools
• upgraded AC unit for house
  

Things we wanted but aren't doing:

• upstairs game room - waaaay too expensive
• sprinkler system - hoping to add this in at the end of construction
• hardwood floors - something we'll add later

Building a custom home has been a lot of fun but also very eye opening.  It is amazing how much a small "add-on" will really cost you in the end.  We have been able to add things that aren't too expensive (like the wine fridge) but have had to limit some things that add square footage as that is what really bumps up the price.

Get the irrigation...growing the seed or maintaining the sod on a new house is misery esp if you don't have much shade or have tons and tons of shade...worth every penny.

SouthRNComfort

Ooh! I'll play! I tell my husband I want these things in our next house, and he tells me we're never moving: Double ovens in kitchen, in addition to 6 burner gas stove. A pot filler above my stove. Warming drawer, separate from microwave, in kitchen. Wine fridge in kitchen or bar. Washer and dryer on bedrooms level or a laundry chute to the basement. Large walk in closets. Master bathroom: a toilet in its own separate closet. A mud room at back or side door of house. Three season enclosed porch. And finally a garage.

junebugrbig

Must haves that I don't have now:

Pantry

Mud room or space for a mud room type area

Master Suite

Kitchen with enough cabinet space for all my gadgets (have a small galley kitchen now)

Fenced in yard

Must haves that we already have:

Dedicated play area for the kids 

Man cave 

Nice to have but not deal breakers:

Jetted tub

Upstairs laundry

Double oven

Gas range

Walk in closets

ccam

We just built our house in 2012 and my must haves were:

Cape style home with front porch

4 bedrooms / 2.5 baths

Master on the first floor

Open concept in the kitchen/great room

Huge great room with high ceilings

Large walk in pantry

Large island with seating

An extra room or office on the main floor that can easily be used as a playroom

No separate formal living room (had no use for it in our old home)

Large master bath with jetted tub, separate shower, a separate toilet room and double sinks

Walk in closet for me and separate closet for DH

Dark hardwood floors throughout

Mud room with storage and a bench with hooks

3 car garage

MickeyM04

This is a great question...

My dream house would be:

1. In a great school district

2. 4 bedrooms - all on the same floor of the house

3. 2.5 bathrooms - 1 would be a master bath, then the other full bath on the same floor as all the bedrooms.  (We looked at so many houses where all the bedrooms were on one floor and shared 1 of the 2 full baths and then the other full bath was in the freaking basement...why would you have the second full bath in the basement??)

4. A huge finished basement ideally parsed out into like a playroom area and a storage area.  Is there such a thing as a basement that has separate rooms? 

5. Big laundry room - ours isn't big but it has tons of storage (cabinets, shelving racks, chest freezer) and it has been a godsend for us.

6. Fenced in yard with a deck.

7. Because I'm kind of a brat like that, everything would be pretty "new"--hardwood or hardwood laminate floors, stainless steel appliances, backsplash in the kitchen, cherry cabinets, granite countertops, etc.

8. Kitchen pantry, ideally a walk-in

9. Walk-in closets, at least in the master bedroom

Our house has maybe 40% of my requirements.  And yet I'll probably never move because I FREAKING HATE MOVING.

SunAndRain

On central vacuuming: I had this in a beautiful home we were renting. I hated it. I didn't feel the suction was strong enough for carpets or rugs.  The hose was very thick and cumbersome.

On hating laundry: perhaps a laundry service would be more beneficial to you than a second washer dryer? Considering the cost savings of the units themselves, along with the water and electricity (or gas) savings, it might not be a bad ROI. Plus there is the time you would save.  FWIW, all DH's work shirts are sent out for laundering and ironing.  Everything else I wash, but I really don't want to spend my time ironing his shirts. Anyway, you can always try out the laundering service.  Some even pick up/drop off!  Otherwise let it be DH's chore to haul the bags to/from home.

MamaBovs

His & Hers walk-in closets.  Sounds snobby but I could never go back to sharing a closet!

jcrising

We are building soon as well, so it is on my mind! 

Mudroom and laundry room are key.

Also a dedicated office and a playroom (or area in finished basement). 

Open concept living/dining/kitchen

soaker tub in master bath

would love a screened porch (we may not have room but it's a dream item)

walk-in pantry

extra fridge in basement or garage for overflow staples (drinks/butter/eggs/bread/etc)

fireplace with mantle

window seats

I agree with PP that two washer/dryers are overkill.  Just get a large laundry room with large capacity washer/dryer.  How often do you really need to do two loads at the exact same time?

jcrising

jlaOK said:

We are currently building a custom home.  It has been really fun to get in a lot of our must-haves....not so much fun to nix the pricey ones.

Must-have's we are putting into our house:

• 4 bedrooms plus play room
• kids rooms separate from living space
• double sinks in kids room and door separating tub/toilet
• island in kitchen
• open kitchen/living
• double ovens
• 5 burner gas stove
• wine fridge
• large pantry
• separate pantry for small appliances
• large laundry room
• large backyard (want to be able to throw football around)
• covered patio
• walk-in closets in all bedrooms
• larger master closet/bathroom
• tornado shelter
• 3 car garage w/ enough room to fit DH's truck
• room in garage for DH's tools
• upgraded AC unit for house
  

Things we wanted but aren't doing:

• upstairs game room - waaaay too expensive
• sprinkler system - hoping to add this in at the end of construction
• hardwood floors - something we'll add later

Building a custom home has been a lot of fun but also very eye opening.  It is amazing how much a small "add-on" will really cost you in the end.  We have been able to add things that aren't too expensive (like the wine fridge) but have had to limit some things that add square footage as that is what really bumps up the price.

I get the concern about add-ons as an expense, but if you want hardwood floors, it will be cheaper and easier to do them now rather than put some cheaper flooring down that you will have to rip out and then put in new floors.  That seems like it should be a priority in your budget -- Floors take days for stain/lacquer/glue to dry, so you will have to move everything out of whatever area you are working on and wont be able to use it for several days.  Why not do it now before you move yourselves and your furniture in?