well it's been a shitty month... Basically what I've found out is that the government is going to be buying my house and land to tear it down and put up a road. What that means is that i'm looking for a new house. I've been doing a lot of thinking of what I want in a house, what I don't want, some things I need, etc. I remember way back when on the old RMMB we had a thread about bad-ass things that could be done to a house. There were links to things like companies that made hidden staircases and the best types of insulation. I know we've talked about fantasy houses, but for the sake of keeping me sane and giving me good ideas to look for, what are some things you'd like/seek out in a house? Do you want the beautiful brick front or the 50 acres of land? Is it worth pursuing the home with a pond or that much better to go finished basement? Focus: What things do you look for/try to avoid in a home? Alt Focus: What kind of badassery would you put in your home if you had the fundage?
Deep toilet bowls. Deep bathtubs (for a completely different reason). High ceilings. Digital temperature control. And, given the choice, I like a nice bay window.
A big enough garage to fit 3 cars, a lift, a workshop and a motorcycle working station. And a driveway to fit the car and bike trailers.
When I was eleven I only wanted two things in a house: a cool under-the-stairs closet and a laundry chute that would drop clothes directly into the laundry room from upstairs. Now I only want one of those things. Laziness - more important than aesthetics.
Shooting range in the basement. I wonder how much it might cost to do this. Depending on the backstop you put in and the ventilation system it probably wouldn't be too horrifically expensive if it were a part of the original construction rather than an add-on. More realistically, one thing that'd be really nice is a walk-in booze closet. Something like in this video. Actually, seeing as how awesome all the wooden panelling looks, I'd be happy if my laundry room looked like that.
If you're going to spend that much change just buy a large piece of land in the middle of nowhere. Then the whole world is your shooting (And semi-small explosion/ huge fucking fire) range and whatever destructive thing pops into your mind. Ask me how I know this....
Did anyone else see this thread title and instantly think this was a thread about Milhouse? Focus: A living room in the basement kicks ass, especially if you live somewhere hot.
I'm big on high-pressure showers. I was spoiled growing up by basically a hydro cannon and now every other shower I use feels like I'm being peed on [which, surprisingly, I'm not really into]. I'm also big on avoiding too many huge trees. I've spent far too much of my life raking. An indoor pool, or an indoor-outdoor transition pool would be amazing.
We did this in an executives home, his bathroom to be precise. The company I worked for specialized in AMX and Crestron control systems. He had the ability to call out the channel he wanted, to dim the lights up and down, turn the fan on, and answer the phone all by voice. I cant tell you how much it cost, but I have a feeling he spent a boatload of cash for that function. My budget is more Control4 and a subscription to nuts and volts, but I think I could make it work for a lot less. Focus: I think this is wicked cool, a spiral wine/booze cellar. http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/wine ... ars-074465
Radiant floor heating everywhere but, the garage. I'd also suggest buying the really nice hardware and appliances instead of square footage. Also, I'd like a lot of acreage, cause they aren't making any more. http://www.greenriverstone.com/ This is probably crazy fucking expensive but, super cool. Fossils, in your counter top? (Sounds like something Mariah Carey would have to have in her dressing room before she performs.) http://www.hastens.com/en-us/ An awesome bed. If money wasn't an object, I'd have one of these in every room. I'd also look into solar/wind power. If anything, to avoid paying those ass-munchers at the electric company.
I had a house with radiant heating and it sucked ass. Imagine walking into the house you've left empty for 4 or 5 days in 10-20 degree Fahrenheit temperatures with the thermostat set at 45-50. Normal heating starts blowing hot air as soon as you turn up the thermostat and if worst comes to worst you can camp out by a vent for an hour or so until the temperature reaches tolerable levels. Not so with radiant heat. It takes about 12 hours to raise the fucking temperature 25 degrees. Unless you want to get intimate with a space heater I would highly advise against radiant heat, I'd rather pay the extra $10 a month power bill for instant heat.
I don't have to have a fancy house, but when I finally end up buying a big boy house it has to have the following: - Pool, and a cool backyard/patio area with possibly a fire pit. I'd probably end up doing most of the work myself. - Bar. Again, something I could build myself. - Basement big enough for a couple of rooms, a man lair to get away. - Showers for tall people - Medium sized yard. I grew up having to mow acres and acres of lawn and that shit gets old fast.
Lots of electrical outlets. Take the number of outlets found in a normal home and multilpy that by 5, that's how many I want. My old house had 1 on each wall, I had to use extension cords everywhere. A pit bike track in the back yard. There is nothing funner than getting drunken adults on kid motorcycles and racing. Brick. I loved my brick house. It's low maintenance and doesn't look trashy.
The geek engineer comes out in me with questions like this. Avoid - Any and all structural issues, particularly with the foundation. If the house is older it should be clear if there are problems. Structure is only easy and cheap to correct during the building process - A house built on a steep incline. If it's at the top, odds are it will start to slide down. If it's at the bottom, enjoy your flooded basement. - Homes where it's obvious a laymen has "fixed it up." Plumbers and electricians and all the other trades don't train/apprentice for 5 years because the stuff they do is easy. It's not easy, and you shouldn't be messing with your house if you don't have a good idea of what you're doing. - Block foundations. They suck. You'll find this out if you ever need to trace a leak. Look For - A good, straight roofline. Stand back on the street and look at the roof (especially in older houses). Even if the rest of the house appears, at first glance, to be shit let the roof tell you what's going on. If it's straight with good right angles and sharp peaks and valleys, it's telling you the walls are still square and true, and that the foundation is at least reasonable. (Remember: I'm talking about the roof line, not the shingles or the soffits.) - Good upkeep. It's a good sign if everything's been well maintained. Is the deck properly stained? Sills on the windows caulked yearly (if needed)? If all the little details are there, odds are your house has been cared for. - Untouched. I prefer to do the reno myself...if someone else has done it you'll be paying for their effort, plus who knows if the idiots had a clue what they were doing. I could go on and on, but this is long and boring enough.
I'm an architect and after working in commercial for a bunch of years left and found a job in residential about 3 years ago. I have a fantastic worksheet document that will allow you to analyze your true needs and develop a program based on what you are truly looking for in a house. It allows you to prioritize spaces and gain an understanding of what you need, what you'd like and what would be fantasy, along with what is completely unnecessary. PM me and I can send you the file. It'll give you some good food for thought. It won't help so much with your questions about ponds and land, etc. but it is a great tool for you to narrow your requirements down and organize everything so that if you ever want a house built for you, you have an understanding of where to start. If you are looking to buy an existing built house, this could help you narrow down places based on rooms needed. I mentioned in the fantasy house thread that kitchen and master bath, to me, are the most important spaces. Open plans that focus on a large kitchen always feel much larger and more comfortable to me. If you do any real cooking or entertaining, a functional kitchen is needed. I'll never have enough counter space. Ever. Things like ponds or major land quantity, materials, etc. are pretty user specific and everybody will have different opinions. In reality, hidden anything is getting harder and harder to do based on code issues. You still need to have viable access to all spaces. Egress needs to be met everywhere. It's not like in the old days where you could do anything. You could make two walls have an 18" space between and have a secret passageway. Secret stairs still need to meet rise/run requirements. Width requirements and door and landing requirements. This is not to say that it can't be done, but it's an obstacle. Building costs are done a lot of times by square footage. Having secret anything would add significant SF and make costs jump. Plus, resale would be shot. This is downer realistic me talking. Fantasy me with no budget says fuck it, create whatever the hell you want. Your only obstacle is money. You can get a structural engineer to figure anything out. What can be done today is astounding. Just expensive. With money, you can afford to push the envelope and still maintain code compliance.
If you want to use the basement as a man-lair, living room, etc., make sure you remember to put in a bathroom. It's a little thing, but it's so much easier when there's a basement bathroom as opposed to having to go upstairs to the main bathroom. When we put on the addition to our house my dad made himself a wine cellar and a man-lair, what my friends call the Gentlemen's Club, in the basement. A couple of the perks of the room include several humidors, a large wine fridge (in addition to the wine cellar) ten feet away, a beer fridge, and a ventilation system that allows him to smoke cigars in the basement without my mom complaining. He was also toying with the idea of installing a tunnel system from his room to the garage, under the garden and part of the yard, but that idea was scrapped due to impracticality (read: mom shot it down). When I build a house I would love to have a tunnel to the garage, or to anywhere really.
Living in an apartment right now I desire two things more than anything: a dishwasher and a better oven/stove (preferably gas stove). A laundry chute would be great in a house where the washer and dryer were in the basement, I've always wanted one. Other things I would really want would be good water pressure in the shower, a big, deep tub (I'm 6' tall, I like to be able to relax without my knees sticking way out of the tub), and a big basement that could be made into whatever I wanted. My uncle also made a theater room in his basement with all the works. Really big comfy chairs, huge screen, and a beer cabinet. Watching movies when we visit is epic. I would love to have one of my own. Also, this house without question: http://www.cracked.com/video_17435_the- ... alaxy.html
Really, The most important thing in my house is the Bathroom. I love my baths, and right now I've got an old Victorian claw foot tub I can almost lay in. It's fantastic. One thing I'd like is a really nice glass shower with a rain spout. If I had my dream bathroom I wouldn't care about the rest of the house. I don't really cook, and spend most of my time reading. The only other thing I'd invest in is alternative energy. Solar, wind, some water collection and recycle systems. Radiant heating floors. I'd like a fireplace too. That's about it though.
I'd love to have a full recording studio in a soundproofed and finished basement. I'd also like a second level deck, maybe going around the perimeter of the house. Finished attic, an open kitchen with all sorts of cooking goodies. A functional bathroom would be nice, but I do love those showers with all the jets on the sides. Separate garage for cars. Oh, and I agree with the stripper pole thing.