NWR - dream house

An open floor plan is a must

Huge kitchen with tons of cabinets,and decent size bathrooms.

When we moved into our house, we completely renovated the bathrooms to where we picked out every detail. I think a big backyard is important too. Ours isn't huge but I wish it was.

Open floor plan and second floor laundry!

So far these are our lists:

my list:

first floor guest suite (for aging in place later in life)

second floor laundry

attached garage

DH's list:

first floor utility/laundry room attached to garage

5 bedrooms

walk out basement

Master suite (bathroom with shower and tub) and finished basement.

I actually prefer first floor laundy, ideally with access to backyard. Master bath only has to have shower, can't remember last time I took a bath.

Basement with easy access, fulll bath.

After living in apartments where I have to haul laundry two blocks, I want a nice, spacious and organized laundry room. One with lots of cabinets and a folding area.

Also a big kitchen. I cook a lot

Both of us want a big back yard for a dog and extra spaces in the house that could work as offices! I also want at least 3 full bathrooms. He wants a basement but we live in an area where basements aren't too common.

I grew up with laundry in the basement with a laundry shoot until I was about 8, then my parents re-did their bathroom and the laundry moved upstairs. Never carrying baskets up and down stairs was so great - and I didn't even realize it until I moved out and had to start doing it. I hate doing laundry because I have to sort and carry it all through the house. I also can't do laundry when anyone is around because I think it's weird to carry my laundry through my kitchen with company over.

Open floor plan, a walk in pantry for the kitchen, plenty of storage space in kitchen and throughout the house, walk in closet, double sinks in master bath

Definitely a big backyard (not just a lawn--acres) and a porch. 1st/2nd floor laundry, a much bigger kitchen than we have now, master bath, walk-in closet, a window seat to read in and an office space with big windows. And non-textured walls! We have ones with swirls in the plaster now and it's terrible about trapping dust, dirt and cat fur.

Out of curiosity, is this costing you more, less or about the same as buying an existing house? DH and I are discussing the possibility and I think it might be cheaper for what we want than buying, but not sure, especially with needing an architect..

I don't have a dream home, but I have a dream barn that I want in my backyard. I require horses.

@Kayla - I love a walk in pantry too - we grew up with one and it was amazing, there was so much storage space in there!

@Kahlcara - We got the lot for amazingly cheap, and it's in the right area we really wanted. We are in one (cheaper) county for taxes, and another for school (better district). We're also extremely lucky in that DH can do a lot of the work himself. He's actually home this week clearing the lot so we can have the driveway put in in the next month of so to start bringing in fill.

It will end up costing us around the same as if we were to buy a house, because we're being aware of budgeting - but we will end up with much more house, and much more of what we want.

@Faluf - DH is planning a very large garage/workshop building in our back/side yard. I think he's as excited to plan that as he is the house!

An island with a gas cooktop it it so you can engage with your guests while cooking- most homes I see have sinks in them, but with a dishwasher I don't spend that much time at the sink. A separate cooktop and oven, I just think it elevates the look. If you are putting in a microwave do the non traditional Jen air one. I would also do a muted colored subway tile backsplash in the kitchen. A dining room that opens to the living room- some open floor plans have it tucked off to the side. Tiled showers instead of those pre-fab things. A water closet in the master bath. I love jack and Jill bathrooms for guest rooms. 2 shower heads in the master bath. A seat in the shower, for shaving legs. A bonus room above the garage. If you are by the beach/a lake/plan for a pool- an outdoor shower.

I also love the idea of those outdoor rooms in the middle of houses (like they did in the 69/70s). I would put herbs and grass in one so that my little pup could hang out all day and not worry about snakes or other animals.

Sorry. We are house shopping too.....

My dream house will have a big kitchen with plenty of counter space and a walk in pantry. I want the bedrooms upstairs. Maybe 1 downstairs. I need a walk in closet. 5 bedrooms would be the dream: ours, FH office, 2 kids and a guest room. I would love a finished basement. Congrats!

Big yard with trees

Double sink bathrooms

Large open kitchen( rather have a big kitchen than an unused dinning room)

Walk in closet

Storage space!

Big laundry/mud room and living in a cul-de-sac

I love all these ideas - some things that I just figured would be included, but never thought to mention have been mentioned (double sinks, two stories) I think will be helpful when we go speak with the designers to make sure we're not wasting their time showing us things we wouldn't really want.

How many square feet would feel "ideal" to everyone?

As for square footage, I think it depends on what you envision for your future (kids?). I would aim for 2000 personally.