What do you look for in housing?

[haha]

Interesting ,do you thik we are drawn to the scenes of our youth ? I grew up in a small town that I could walk or bike ride to everything and that's what appeals to me now .

Maybe so. I have never thought of that. But I do notice that I see much of what I do and am planning to do as a return to former times rather than something new that I never before enjoyed.

A friend was telling me that she is ushering at a theater downtown to see the shows free. I did this in high school, and saw many excellent plays. So as soon as they need me, I'll be ushering again-almost 50 years later!

If you go to the small town, I hope you will like it.

Ha

 

[Moemg]

If you go to the small town, I hope you will like it.

Ha

I could not return to the area I grew up in . It's too remote but a smallish town in driving distance of a big city would be nice .

 

[grumpy]

We are in a single level house of 1800 sq ft. in a gated "55 or better" community. It is ideal for us. It has a large master bedroom and master bath, an office with a sleep sofa and a small guest bedroom, and a good size family room where we spend most of our time. There is a two car garage and a small patio in back. The house backs to a wooded area with no houses behind us. The community has lots of amenities including walking trails, indoor and outdoor pools, fitness center, card room, cyber cafe, etc. We are 25 miles from downtown. Other than the very bad traffic in this area it is a great place to live. Being retired, we just avoid planning any car travel during rush hours.

Grumpy

 

[lazygood4nothinbum]

it should be small because i don't like to spend a lot of time & effort cleaning & i prefer intimacy over grandeur; also i appreciate the efficiency of well designed, functional spaces.

i've spent the last 14 years gardening and i'm tiring of that so it should have minimal yardwork.

i'm an emotional guy so it should move me.

it should come with good neighbors who are friendly and helpful if need be but there shouldn't be a lot of rules that i have to follow.

it should be surrounded by beauty, with nature easy to the eye and calming to the spirit.

as i like to swim it should be surrounded by lots of water.

it should be warm in winter and not too hot in summer.

and if i decide that i do not care for my neighbors or i am just ready for a change of scenery, it shouldn't be locked into any location.

i should just be able to weigh anchor and sail off to another port or the leeshore of another island or to find a peaceful cove to settle in for the night.

 

[W2R]

After reading LG4NB's discussion of nice neighbors, I realized that I need to add something about that:

Ideal surroundings:
Quiet, walkable suburban or small town neighborhood. Near medical facilities, shopping, and a university. Low housing prices, low crime, no hurricanes, low cost of living.
Flat lot with privacy fence, at least 100' x 100'. Nothing but grass, for low maintenance. No neighbors on that block (cemetary? pasture? undeveloped forest? empty, unsold homes?).
City water and sewer; cable TV/internet available. No homeowners' fees or associations.

Ideal house:
One level, no steps
1800-2000 square feet
9-10 ft flat ceilings, large rooms
3 bedroom, 2 bath
2 car attached garage with electric opener and door into kitchen
Huge well lighted (4'x6'?) tile shower in master bathroom. Tile floor.
too much closet space!
Alcoves, architectural details, built-ins, especially in living room
At least six pairs of French doors (one more than I have now); crown and baseboard molding, stained glass
large family room that I could turn into a home gym
walk-in closet in Master Bedroom, with laundry facilities in it or close by.
Master bedroom at least 14'x16', other bedrooms at least 11'x11'
Kitchen cabinets with slide-out shelves; lots of drawers; recessed lighting.
Pantry for food storage
highest quality materials - great insulation, hardwoods, granite, slate.
new roof

 

[flipstress]

I want housing to change through time and I want contradictory things.
...
For now I will stay here; I'll re-evaluate when the cat dies (5 to 10 years?).

I'm like Khan with her changing-with-the-times and contradictory desires. We have no cat though, fortunately (or unfortunately, which means we'll have to decide when we have to and not postpone for the love of a cat.)

We live in a small house on a small corner lot in a small university city. Even though the lot is small, I still find yardwork and gardening to be a chore.

Part of me thinks we should have bought a condo to free me/us to just concentrate on career/work and fun. Currently, the high condo prices, the high condo fees, privacy issues for BF, and bad selling-market for unloading our house are obstacles.

When we retire, I would like a bigger house in a bigger lot still within this city. I'd have more time for a vegetable garden, and I'd have friends over more frequently, so I'd like a bigger combination living/family room and a bigger kitchen.

I haven't thought of the even later phase when we are even older and/or tired of maintaining a bigger lot. We'd probably have to go to condo or apartment living, and then eventually assisted-living arrangements.

I like this thread--I'm getting ideas and also getting to know forum members more in terms of what they/we value.

 

[Ronstar]

We live on 5 wooded acres on a lake. 3600 sf, 3 car attached garage and 2 car detached garage. Lots of yardwork and house maint chores that I enjoy - but it seems like too much to keep up with in pre-retirement with hobbies,etc. I cant wait for full retirement when I can spend endless hours around the house and yard with no work responsibilities. I just dont know how I'll be able to this physically when I'm 80.

 

[W2R]

We live on 5 wooded acres on a lake. 3600 sf, 3 car attached garage and 2 car detached garage. Lots of yardwork and house maint chores that I enjoy - but it seems like too much to keep up with in pre-retirement with hobbies,etc. I cant wait for full retirement when I can spend endless hours around the house and yard with no work responsibilities. I just dont know how I'll be able to this physically when I'm 80.

This is a concern to me as well. I will have much less responsibility of this sort in my ideal home (that I plan to look for in Missouri in 2010 after ER) than you presently have, since I am looking for around 1900 square feet on 1/3 acre. But still, how will I care for it as I age?

I am thinking that before I reach my 70's, I will probably be able to afford a yard man, a handyman, and maybe even a maid to do the heavy cleaning. I already have a lawn guy, though he won't touch the shrubbery or do anything but mow. He is worth every penny that I pay. I was knocking myself out mowing it myself until I was 56 years old and decided to hire someone to mow. If I keep my yard simple, with nothing but grass, all I'd need for the yard is to have the grass mowed.

Still, by age 80 or 85 I will want to sell my home and check into one of those continuous care facilities. That way, as I become more feeble, I will have staff to dress and bathe me, to check on me, and to make sure I am taking my meds, not wandering by the side of the freeway, and so on.

 

[Meadbh]

What you look for in housing changes over your lifetime. For almost 20 years I have lived in a house in the burbs. My next move, I think, will be to a condo. Ideally it will be newer, energy efficient and overlooking water.

 

[HFWR]

• Texas Tornado proof
• Rain and gray water collection for irrigation
• Solar panels system tied to the grid
• Super-duper insulation, caulking, windows, doors
• High-efficiency appliances and HVAC. HVAC somewhere other than the attic...
• Wiring - electrical, network, CATV - designed for ease of troubleshooting and upgrading
• POU water heat
• Low-water/maintainance lawn and landscaping

 

[deserat]

W2R - you've described my perfect house, too. Only thing NO grass - too much work - prefer xeriscaping.

 

[W2R]

W2R - you've described my perfect house, too. Only thing NO grass - too much work - prefer xeriscaping.

You have great taste, then! Great Minds Think Alike, as the saying goes.

What I'd really like is just concrete all over the whole lot, since I never use my yard. It is just a buffer zone between me and my neighbors. But, a concrete yard would make resale a problem, I'd expect.

 

[HFWR]

What I'd really like is just concrete all over the whole lot, since I never use my yard. It is just a buffer zone between me and my neighbors. But, a concrete yard would make resale a problem, I'd expect.

Astro Turf...

 

[W2R]

Astro Turf...

Green paint.