That said, we love our house, but we're hoping to start up a house hunt just about when the snow melts. It's strange to admit it out loud (or, for all the internet to read), but the good thing is that we're not in a hurry. Our current situation is fine, for now, but because we're not rushing to find something, we have time to work on little areas of ours that need work and won't feel quite as pressured to buy something we don't love.
It's not a huge move; we're still going to be in the same relative area, but hopefully safer and with more space for the little guy to play. That said, I thought I'd share Had's current thoughts on the house situation (which, quite honestly, change a little depending on the day). He has consistently asked for the following:
- More land to "run and run and run." I've asked for awhile now whether he wants a house in a "town" with people around to play with or in the "country" where he can have lots of room...and this is what he says.
- Places to play. We take this as either a room that's big enough for him to use also as a playroom, or a specifically designated place that IS a playroom
He doesn't ask for much. Gotta love a 2-year-old. His mom and dad, however... Well, here's what we're hoping for:
- More space, but not too much. We currently have a 3-bedroom, 1-bath house that clocks in at around 1,000 sq. ft. If we could have a house with an extra bedroom (or a 3-bedroom with an office or playroom area, or finished basement) and maybe an extra half bath, we'd be happy.
- Bring on the charm. Our current fixer-upper is charming. There are soooo many cookie-cutter homes that lack things like substantial woodwork or built-ins or, well, much of anything. I personally prefer homes from the first half of the 1900s. I'm flexible...but within reason. ;-) I will also gladly work to bring it up to modern standards, while maintaining its character.
- Centrally located. We'd like for our commutes to be 30 minutes or less. Currently, Dave's is around 25 minutes; mine's 15 minutes.
- A bit of land. Again, not too much, but enough that Had and any future siblings or friends have space to roam. I'd like to be able to garden. It's also a bit of a dream of Dave's to have a barn or garage for strays. Just call him St. Francis of Assisi. But, if we didn't get a country home and instead had a nice backyard in a safe neighborhood, we definitely wouldn't mind.
There are other things on our list, like particular townships near friends or a particular price-range or yes-to-hardwood-floors-no-to-oil-heat, but everything is flexible to an extent. We'd like it to be a place that we enjoy for many, many years to come, so we're picky about some things, but willing to work with others. Certain aesthetic issues can be remedied, but other bigger updates may not be in our budget long-term. But, seriously, I'm so glad that we don't have HGTV right now -- watching the house hunting couples walk into a place and put their foot down over bad wallpaper or easily-amended ugliness is frustrating!
That said, I thought it'd be fun to share a couple of the "wow, that would be AWESOME" mental wishes for a future home. I can't wait to get my DIY on and put some fun, love and life into a gem of a space.
For some weird reason, I'm really into bungalows from the '20s and '30s. It's not a deal-breaker, but these have me weak in the knees.
Then, there's my husband. When we drive around the neighborhood where he grew up, he swoons over these cottage- or English-style houses. I'm not against them, but they're not my favorite. Again, it's not a deal-breaker, but these are the styles that make us sit up.
Let's head inside our "dream house." I don't have an idea of specifics (unless I'm thinking about "the one that got away" last year; it was the perfect size and had no work to be done, so of course it was out of our price range), so I'll just share a couple of things we'd love to have or create over time.
Let's head inside our "dream house." I don't have an idea of specifics (unless I'm thinking about "the one that got away" last year; it was the perfect size and had no work to be done, so of course it was out of our price range), so I'll just share a couple of things we'd love to have or create over time.
Our current kitchen is a pretty good size and has amazing light, so it's going to be hard to find something by comparison. However, it doesn't always function very practically (hello, 1925 dwellers). So, given what we've already seen on the market, I'm pretty much positive we'll have to do a makeover in the kitchen. Enter subway back splash, stage right. I love this stuff, and chunky open shelving comes in a close second.
This may not be exactly what we're thinking, but the idea is here (and isn't it gorgeous?). Wood floors? Yes. Fireplace? Definitely. (Bonus points if it works.) Space for entertaining/hosting holidays? Hopefully.
We currently use an entire bedroom as an office. We'd LOVE to be able to have similar (or more) space for another one, or even part of the basement, but if we need to be creative, this set-up is awesome and simple (and cheap).
A kid space is pretty high on our list. The zillions if ideas I've seen floating around online have me itching to create a fun place for Hadman (and any future siblings). Chalkboard paint + homemade tent + reading area + art area + dress-up/stage area = fun. I'd also LOVE to put a piano in this space, as well, since our current place can't accommodate one. (sigh) Plus, if we decide to homeschool, it could double as a learning room.
So, what do you think? Are any of these items on your wishlist? What are some must-haves for your dream house?
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