What's Your Dream House?

My dream home would be small, no need to have extra rooms to clean we don't use. I don't need a lot to be happy. I want a craft room, one with custom shelves for all my supplies, an adjustable table for quilting, and a sink. My husband can and will do all the work (making the self and table, installing sink) himself. I don't want to have to worry about getting paint on the floor, so a concert floor or throw rug would be nice.

I want a plum tree so I can eat fresh plums warmed by the sun and remember summers at my grandmothers house.

And thats it, that is all I want in my dream home, anything extra is just that, an extra.

Someplace close to the beach. Like a vacation house. But I'd be living there all the time, so I guess it would be an all-the-time vacation house. On a beach... with rum.

The "Bewitched" house!! I've always loved that floor plan; plus I love open staircases. I loved toward the end of the series when they added the staircase coming down into the kitchen. That was really nice.

Other than that, I've always loved Cape Cod styles - maybe because that style was my childhood home. Since being married, the two houses we've lived in have absolutely no character; one of these days I hope to find a Cape Cod - will probably end up being my retirement home. lol!!

Fun question!!

ETA:... Good grief Donna, what are you drinking this morning? It sounds like you need a good dose of reality juice. Why on earth would you pick up "selfish" in WW post? Seriously? If you don't like someone's question then move on down the list... Don't feel so compelled to be so rude.

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Original....

I pretty much live in my dream home. Our lot is the largest in the subdivision and we do not overlook our neighbors at all, especially from our back area. It is rare to find a lot like ours (as well as the very few other park property and basement lots in this neighborhood ) in an area such as Dallas suburbs that has the wooded preserve behind us and wildlife that frequents my house.

We do share wrought iron fence on the property line with 2 neighbors and 1 neighbor is a tightwad that does not see the value in keeping things upgraded and remodeled. The other neighbor is opposite.. they have the largest house in the neighborhood and are always doing something to upgrade. We are pretty much in the middle... we upgrade pretty often and as needed.

Even the multi million homes are on postage stamp lots and you look into the windows of your neighbors. I HATE that.

We are at a dilemma because daughter has moved out to her condo and is in college. Therefore, I have 3 empty bedrooms, library and game room upstairs that we are re-vamping.

Downstairs has the master, MIL suite, kitchen, formal areas and family areas. I office from the MIL suite area downstairs. We are considering turning my office into a guest room because it would have more privacy for guests.

We already put in nailed down hardwoods in the formal living and dining area. We plan to continue the travertine tile to the family room and have all carpet removed from the house.

We built this house in 2000 and are very please with our location. I will probably die here in this house... I love it.

I will continue vacations from shore to shore... I love the ocean but I don't care to live there.

Another great thing I love about my area is that I am within an hour from 2 great airports including DFW and I can be on either coast within 3-4 hours from stepping out of my front door! Shopping, dining, sports, concerts and the arts are fantastic as well!

Neat question!

My ultimate dream is to have a sophisticated flat in San Francisco, not too big, two bed two bath max, preferably in a classic Victorian, with a small outdoor space with a view. A neighborhood where we can walk everywhere for everything, coffee, markets, restaurants, bars/clubs.
AND...
a beach house/cottage, in the Santa Cruz area. A little bigger, room for the family during holidays, comfy, cozy and rustic. Covered with flowers.
I need BOTH lol!!!

My dream house never gets messy or dirty...that's my big dream!

Pretty much any of the homes on Coronado Island, off the coast of San Diego, would be my dream home.

Hi, Wild:

It is good to dream. Focus on reality, please.
Have you focused on your children's dreams or even your
husband's?

Just wondering.
D.

I am living in my dream home. I feel so lucky!!! My house was pretty cookie cutter when we built it but over time we replaced the carpet with hardwood floors with an inlay border. We replaced the moulding so now the door ways have a 13 piece surround, very fancy. The base boards are 3 piece and quite substantial looking. We have quite a few ornamental shrubs and I love our hot tub outback. I feel like I am on vacation every time I am in it which is pretty frequently. We even replaced the stairs (the company carried the old stairs out the front door with the carpet still on them and brought in the new hardwood stairs built at their factory. We then had a fancy railing installed that I appreciate every day.

I am a mosaic (mostly glass) artist. I have an absolutely awesome studio in my basement but my basement has only a few small window. My dream house would have my existing studio (with built in shelving and an awesome work bench) but on the 1st or second floor of the house in a room that is floooded with natural sun light.

Good luck in pursuing your dream home!! Have you considered renovating? It sounds like you already have a lot of what you want.

First: Donna, bless your heart. You're making some major assumptions in your answer that are based on WHAT? WW didn't say that she was going ahead on buying a home without her husband and kids. She's talking about her dream home. What she's not happy with in her family's current home, and what she'd like. And then she's asking what everyone else is dreaming of. Try reading next time instead of concluding that she's being selfish.

WW: I love our home. I'll love it even more when we do some remodeling. The kitchen and baths are all original to the house. 1970's. Including the faaaaabulous appliances. So I'm looking forward to tearing all that out.

It really is our dream home. Tons of room (4br/3ba. 3400sf, big wooded lot). It just needs to be brought out of the 70's!

One story, mid century modern. 4 bedroom, 4.5 bath. The house would flow around a central courtyard which is accessible to all rooms. Pool, gardens, ponds, water fountain and outdoor kitchen in the central courtyard. Attention to details, natural materials. Private outdoor space off master for use only by us. Outdoor master space should connect bedroom and bath with an outdoor shower. Private seating area/bar/library accessible only by master. Lots of windows, lots of natural light. Lots of built ins all through the house. On acreage, lots of land, 100+ remote acres. In the remote hill country.

A two bedroom home with two master bedrooms, one for my aging
MIL, with easy access for the aging such as one-level (no steps to get into the home), wheel chair assessible and hard floors for a wheel chair(just in case she or we need one. I'd like a back yard that is private where there are no neighbor's windows on a 2nd story. I'd like to have the windows and doors at the front and back of my house facing north and south, with limited
sunshine so I can keep all the drapes open during the day without the extra heat. Lots of windows to let in the daylight. Screened in porch to limit the need to wear insect repellent when enjoying the outdoors.) But also an open porch when bugs are not a problem. Three car garage. You said Dream Big, so here is the finale:
A large shop storage area for our projects and our memorabilia and our
junk with a garage apartment above for guests or visiting children. I
might even put 4 double-bed bunkbeds in it with a kitchenette.

Actually, I'm sort of living in my dream home... that is, I would HATE to move from our cozy little bungalow (It's about 1,260 square feet- pretty small). That said, I'd love a few modifications...

We already gutted our attic a few years ago, raised the ceiling and now it is our master bedroom. I'd love to put a half-bath up there.

I'd like to revamp the kitchen; rebuild the cupboards, get a stained concrete countertop and fun tile backsplash. I'd be willing to trade our big picture window for some sort of garage-style pull-up section of that south-facing wall, so the eating nook could just be...voila! outside!

A big clawfoot bathtub to soak in would be marvelous. Let's make a second full bath in the basement and somehow magically get that tub down that narrow staircase!

Other than that, honestly, I don't want a big house (too much to clean) and I am so happy where I am. While I enjoy visiting and looking at other people's houses, this is just so 'home' for me, I can't imagine moving, even to a 'perfect' house.

Oh, and a magic fairy would come and sort all of our *stuff* so that our basement would be more well organized! It's all about how you use the space.

I have so many.

For TV/movies:
I love Hanna's house on Pretty Little Liars. The crisp clean look. I like the entry with the staircase and the kitchen.

I recall liking the house on Father of the Bride with Steve Martin. The tree lined streets and picked fence.

I also like single story houses that you can see the back yard when you walk in the front door with multiple glass doors leading to the pool, outdoor kitchen and play area. No neighbors in sight, but not too remote. I would like to go to the store quickly, I just do not want a neighbor seeing me in my back yard.

My must haves are mature trees and a porch/deck. Ideally I would like a 'green' home with geothermal heating/cooling. I would like to live within a few hours of the ocean. I feel a bit trapped in the midwest. Other than that, I have always wanted a laundry chute.

I like so many different types of houses that I don't have a dream home.

I want to live in a yurt but my husband won't go for it. That being the case, we are planning to move to the east coast and live in a small house that doesn't have a lot of unnecessary space.

I love my current house. It was my dream house when we bought it almost 10 years ago. I intended to die in this house.

But then my Fibromyalgia changed everything. So my dream house has changed. I want my new house to be based on VisitAbility.

I want a house that has a no-step entry and one entire first level that has everything I need on it: a full bath, a master bedroom, a half bath, full kitchen, dining room, living room, laundry room, everything one would need to live entirely on the first floor. I want everything to be wheelchair accessible in the event I ever have to use a wheelchair in the future. Even my countertops. I want everything handicapped accessible including the shower. I want the second level to be low... Ranch style. If there's a lower level, like a basement, I want that Ranch style as well. Few steps. Something easy to add a stairglide to later if necessary, or simple lifts similar to an elevator.

If I had this sort of house now, with plenty of room in the upper level for my girls to each have their own rooms, I'd be blissfully happy.

Having lived in a 4br & finding that it really means a 1br w/4 storage rooms, my dream home instead wold have large spacious living areas for entertaining, with separate quarters for guests.

Also, I'd love a walk-out basement with doggie-doors leading to a private fenced kennel area, and a walk-out deck above off the main floor for enjoying the view of my 35+ acres.

No pool thank you, but a Koi pond would be serene, and a river with a pair of otters on the property. 8-stall barn with airy riding arena, well-graded pastures, & a clubhouse for hosting Hoof&Woof Wine & Cheese events.

In the main house, I want a state of the art kitchen with plenty of room so hubs & I don't collide, and French patio doors leading out to the gourmet BBQ outdoor living patio...

Damn Woman, how can I possibly live in my house now? Must... Contact... Realtor... ;) T.

EDIT: Can you build a storm shelter in the back for a game room for the kids? This might be a less expensive way to go.
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I guess the house I have but bigger. I would love to have a kitchen that is a cook's kitchen and an eating area. Yes, the formal dining room and living room, family room really TV/movie room, four bedrooms - one a guest with bath. Three car garage with storage.

In the back I would like a workshop for my sewing and crafts and a workshop for hubby and his electronics and ham equipment.

Now that the kids are gone I just want something that we can enjoy and not rattle around in. A fireplace in the living room for a bit of relaxation and an entry way. My neighbor's porch in the back would be a bonus for outside entertaining.

So I guess a 2500 house and 2000 workshop in back split in half would do it.

At my age I am not interested in moving much as we moved so much military wise and I have been in my home 23 years. It has kind of grown on and around me and I feel happy and safe. My neighbors have come and gone but it is a quiet street and I enjoy it with mature trees that we have planted.

the other S.

PS the other thing would be the selling and moving and all that. Plus the cost of another home in case over a million just to get what you want in a time in world that is so uncertain. All we really need are four walls and roof. I too used to dream about the dream house and realized I am happy with what I have got.

I grew up in Dearborn, Michigan during a time when Ford was doing well and donated quite a bit to the schools. We went on a lot of field trips and among my favorites were the Henry Ford and Dodge mansions. A lot of small, convienient details. My Grandmothers house (in the same city) also had a lot of charm and cool details-like a room hidden behind a built in dressers.
We really lucked out with our neighbors-they are awesome! But I would love to revamp our floor plan (there was an addition added on the back of our house that wasn't thought out very well-you have to walk through the entire house to reach the 4th bedroom) and add in lots of small details,
extra storage, a pantry, built in bunks with a slide, reading cubbies built into the kids rooms with plenty of book shelves. We have a carport-I'd make that a garage with a built on mudroom.
Sigh. All in due time.

WW-

Thanks for your question. Here are elements that I've always wanted in a home, not necessarily all in the same home, but things I thought would be good fun.
- a turret and a widows walk.
- a number of screened in porches/ balconies including on the upper levels.
- a hidey nook under the stairs.
- a library with a ladder.
- a great hearth the type you could spit a cow on.
- a historic building that has been repurposed as a home (i.e. a firehouse, a library, a bank, a courthouse).
- a building with a fractional address (231/3 Addlow street)
- A browntone in Manhattan/ london/ boston with its own garage and garden.
- a home at an elevation which requires using high elevation cooking instructions.
- a home on the mountains/ at the beach/ lakefront.
-a home with a guest house.
- a whitewashed home on Santorini/ Bermuda.
- maybe a spot in sub saharan africa, in the thick of jerusalem, on madagascar, under the sea, on the sydney coast, on the isle of mann.

bedrooms/ bathrooms/ closets/ laundry rooms craft rooms and offices are all fine, but not where I take my flights of fancy. Besides, when you live in 900 sqft junior four, with no EIK, no laundry, one shared bath, no dining room, no office, no play room, no craft room, no control over your thermostat, and poor natural light, everything else, is likely a step up in those regards.

Thanks,
F. B.

my dream home is in Monaco

Hmmm....next door to KCmomof1! ;)

My dream house would be a four level split with a walk out basement, four bedrooms, office and lots of closets, right in the exact location I now live. As for esthetics, I am not picky. No carpet and as long as the kitchen and bathrooms are functional I can wait to renovate.

ETA: Mamazita just reminded me how much I love Santa Barbara!!

You can get that veranda down here in the south!!!

With 4 boys and a husband, we needed a bigger house. When we moved her from California, it was a big shock in the difference in housing prices.

We were able to get a 5 bedroom home and a 3 car garage for a lot less than we thought we would pay. We're not far from my in-laws. Tyler uses one section of the garage as his tool shop and we park the ATVs in the front.

We needed outdoor space too. We were lucky to get a home that fit us, a pool and 1 acre to boot. Tyler has made part of it a race track for our ATVs. It's not huge, but it works for our family.

Where would be dream house be?? Somewhere next to the ocean. Maybe my own island? Yeah. My own island.

I have 2 versions of "dream house"... The DREAM BIG house (the one I fantasize about when I play the lottery twice a year) is a gorgeous 5 bedroom house on the island of Kauai with a big modern kitchen and a boatload of windows that faces the ocean (with a private beach just steps away).

Then the more realistic, yet still not within the realm of reality dream house would probably be in the same town I live in. I love where I live, it's beautiful in wine country, and I have a great job. Plus my kids are still going to school and play sports and have friends and I wouldn't want to uproot them. That dream house has a big modern kitchen and plenty of bedrooms and baths, but would be on a larger lot. It's got beautiful hardwood floors, lots of windows and plenty of storage. And most of all I want a big closet and a master bath to die for!

We just moved to ours!!! HUGE bedrooms, a formal living room that we use as an office, formal dining room that we use as a playroom until our kids are older, walk in closets in each bedroom, central vac and intercom system, beautiful foyer, front covered porch, two car garage, landscaped, large unfinished basement with tons of potential for later years, tons of cabinets, three bathrooms, on a cul-de-sac, walking distance to the school, library, park and while not a huge backyard, it opens up in a way that it appears to be much larger than it is. Icing on the cake is the additional three kids that live around us that my kids have become friends with!

My dream home is simple. A four bedroom house with an awesome Master suite, and at least 2 1/2 bathrooms. I would love a kitchen that is big enough to move in, a basement, and an office. I would like a bigger size yard for the kids & dogs.

Down the street from my parents, grandmom and siblings. It would have a sunroom and a exercise room and a gorgeous mitchen. I really enjoy cooking and baking.

the one i live in!
but i have other ones too. there's my mountaintop cabin, my lake house in the forest, my beach bungalow, and my ranch on an open grassland.
the main thing is privacy. i don't want to see or hear neighbors, ever. that's really my only beef about my little farm.
:) khairete
S.

Right now my home is about 95% my dream home :) We had it built just over 5 years ago.
2 things I would change right now if I could ~ my driveway! It is a nightmare in the winter. It's about 75 yards long and fairly steep. We live in the county, in a snow belt and in the PNW. We get a lot of snow and there are days where I can't get up or down my driveway. We do own our own plow but sometimes that's just not enough. We need our own sanding truck too :)
My basement is only half finished. Our gun room/man cave and our guest room is done but the main den is not. I would really like that finished but we don't have the $ right now.
Other than those 2 things I LOVE my home and where we live!

We talk about new houses all the time! Mostly because we want a little further north in our county.

We have a good sized yard (for us), we have a 2 car garage, a finished basement, and a designated office. Our kitchen is workable (I love the finishes, but would like more room) and our living room is plenty big. I do wish we had a bigger dining area. It fits our table for 6 just fine, but having a separate dining room would be nice...though I'm sure it would rarely get used. We also have a front porch, even if it's small...but that was a must for me.

I would LOVE to be able to give all of my kids their own bathrooms. That's my big dream. And a nice laundry room/mud room.

We currently have 4 bedrooms and 2.5 baths. We also have another bedroom and bathroom in the basement, but I don't count those since we don't use them (and the bathroom isn't finished yet).

So I guess I'm not unhappy with our house, but I think we all have wants.

I love your area in NOVA - in fact, I am headed there this weekend. Relatives in Great Falls and Reston. Sounds like you already have something nice. Why don't you consider some renovations? Can you add a porch? Redo the kitchen?

i like our home. i am not in love with our home. what's missing? well for starters, a basement. we had a home with a basement when we lived in MD, which also had a huge separate laundry room, with lots of closet spaces.
i would also like a home that is all red brick. but, for now and for the time being we live in a neighborhood with HOA, which is a must for us, because it makes people keep up with their yards.
as for my dream home, that will be when we retire. we would like to move either to charleston, sc or west palm beach, fl. close to the ocean.

My only wish my home was just a little bigger. I let go of the dream when this was my dream. When I purchased this home, I could look out the windows and see the mountains. I could open the blinds upstairs on the back wall and see all the Vegas lights. The trees grew and development continued up the mountain behind us. Everything was lost. I am just glad we didn't pay a premium for the view.

I think that I am pretty much in mine. I wish that I were more into dressing it up, because the potential is sooo good. (For example, I really do not care about the yard, until I am expecting company. The aesthetic maintenance kinda goes by the wayside, because my focus is always on how functional it is and can be.) When we set out to buy a house, I had a list, and my house hit on every point and then some! So much happened during the process--and even since--to confirm over and over that this is MY(/our) house.

I don't fantasize too much about moving, but when I see houses that look like resorts, I wish that I could at least spend some time there barefoot. Then, I start imagining what all it must/would take to maintain such luxury--daily cleaning and dusting, yard maintenance, HOA dues and immediate responses to any violation (like cleaning second-floor shutters immediately following a dusty rain), etc.--and I float right down from those clouds.

Yeah, I know, I could ruin a wet dream with all my practical logistics. I wake with a smile, though, because my home is certainly where my heart is. I think that my dreams these days consist of an electronic fence around my corner lot, to keep the kids and dogs from running through and thinking of it as public space.