DH and I are starting to think about our next home. We'd like to potentially put ours up for sale in the next year or so, and we've started compiling a list of things we want in our next house (I've learned that these things come with experience---and it just so happens that lots of our "must-haves" contradict each other!). So anyway, what are your must-haves? Or even "nice-to-have"'s? 
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At leAst 2 bathrooms and 3 bed. Anything else I can live with!
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A garage!!!
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A two-car garage. Winters in Wisconsin suck. There is a mile long list of nice-to-haves and really-really-wants, but the two car garage is the only MUST.
Really-really-wants:
- yard
- open floor plan
- mudroomWe are in a house we could live in a long time and most of my wants are met. I would love to have a half-bath for guests, but there is room to add one in the future.
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Fenced in yard
3 beds 2 baths
Separate office/computer area
At least 1 car garage, preferably 2
Basement
Ample storage through-out the house
Lots if windows/sky light for natural light
Hardwood floorsOur house now fits my criteria pretty well except we only have 1 garage. I would've loved it if our basement is a little bigger to prepare for additional storage in the future! I also wished the windows in our rooms are bigger. We do have a skylight in the bathroom which is awesome.
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Double garage, at least 2 bathrooms, at least 4 bedrooms, a study/playroom, a separate dining room, reasonable size enclosed garden...so not much then! But I think our next will be our forever home, so it's worth ticking all the boxes!
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@Mamaof2: Yes! A garage is a must for us too!
@snowjewelz: Ahh, storage... How could I forget that? Our house is NONE right now, and I haaaate it.
@illumina: We'll be in our next house for quite some time, too... At least throughout our childbearing years--probably until they're teenagers. So I really want to put a lot of thought into this & get exactly what we want! We have a lot of regrets about the home we are in now. -
Our next home will be an apartment. I really don't love the maintenenace that comes with a single family home, especially in the winter, when you have to deal with snow.
So must haves: garage parking, elevator from garage to living area (doesn't have to be private, lol).
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A large kitchen, and at least 3 bedrooms plus an office space. I'd really like to build, but land is scarce around here!
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We have two full baths now, but no master ensuite. That will be a must in our next home! A double garage. Oh, and my SO put in a privacy fence himself for this house, and he swears he will NEVER do that again, lol! It was a lot of hard work. Our next house will have to have a good sized yard with privacy fence already installed
I would love a walk-in closet, but we are doing just fine without one, so that's just a "nice to have".
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@Mrs.Someone: We are considering building but it seems so daunting and overwhelming! I wouldn't even know where to start. My dad is a contractor and would be helping us--but still. Also, land is hard to find around here also.
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So I actually care a lot more about the lot than actual features of the house. For example, it has to be on a residential street and it cannot be a corner lot. It also has to have a yard big enough for a swingset and throwing a baseball.
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FOR THE LOVE OF GOD NO CREAKY FLOORS OMG!
Not too much yard, I hate grass! Or at least a yard with other features.
Attached garage and/or automatic garage doors.
More than 1.5 bathrooms.
Dry, finished basement suitable for hanging out or at least storing stuff without fear of mildewNice to have:
Weatherized, all season sun room/closed porch.
A nice stoop for hanging out and people watching.
Fruit trees
A balcony off the master bedroom -
We're pretty fortunate with what we have in our little home. I need to have a bigger kitchen in the next house, and either it has or the ability to add his and hers walk in closets.
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@Modern Daisy: I agree. I don't want to be near any busy streets--I want to be tucked safely inside a neighborhood!
@MoonMoon: Oh, good call with the sun room. I would LOVE to have one. -
-Yard space that can be fenced in
-central AC
-1.5 baths. We work with just 1 right now, and it can be a pain!
-mainly hardwood floors and heated tile
-counter and storage space in a kitchen2 of those "musts" are based on having a dog!
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A bathroom near the family room
Spacious garage, oversized three car
Master bedroom big enough for a King (ha! If only we weren't so naive about a Queen)
Giant great room -
@annie624: I'm sure your dad would be an excellent resource. We remodeled our house (in 2 stages) so I have some idea on where to start at least (with an architect). I'm not sure it will happen for us, since it is so much work! But I love watching Redfin for available properties.
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Must haves:
-3 bedrooms
-Central Air (ok, so this is kind of foolish since summer in Wisconsin is only really 2-3 months tops...but I lived in apartment that did not have central air for 3 years and it was horrendous. Never again!)Would love to have, but could compromise on:
-2 car garage
-Fenced in yard
-1.5-2 baths -
Bigger kitchen
Open concept (kitchen and living room. We have dining and living room now)
Hardwoods floors (carpets in bedrooms are ok)
Garage
Another big yard and nice deck
4 bedrooms + office
2.5 bathrooms (min) -
@Mrs. Lemon-Lime: Oh my word--yes!! We have a queen now and definitely want to upgrade to a king when we have space. I would probably consider that a must for us!
@Mrs.Someone: It's fun to daydream about, if nothing else!! -
@Smurfette: Your list sounds a lot like our current one!
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I'd say our must haves are:
- At least 4 bedrooms
- At least 2.5 bathrooms
- A decent sized kitchen
- A decent sized backyard
- Attached garageThings we'd like but would compromise on
- Backyard has trees and is private
- A finished basement
- Big living room and dining room for entertaining lots of people. -
@annie624: The only complaint I really have about our house is the kitchen. Long and narrow. I want a bigger one! Pref. a square with a big island! Once we get the basement finished, we will more then enough bedrooms, already have 4 baths (one is the only finished thing in the basement). I can live without a garage, we are now, but it would be so nice to have.
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Open floor plan
3 bedrooms, 2 bath
Extra room for playroom
Fireplace
Fenced in backyard
Garage
Large kitchen -
3 bedrooms
2 baths
nice, safe street/neigborhood to walk in (we have dogs as well as LO) -
4 bedrooms
big closets
full basement, preferably finished
good schools
reasonable property taxes
fenced yard -
Must haves:
4 bed
2.5+ bath
good school district
lots of light/windows/airy feel (i.e. a good layout I guess)Wants:
Modern kitchen/bathrooms-- or price that justifies my redo'ing them immediately
Private fenced yard, at least 1/4 acre lot
vaulted ceilings
2 separated living areas
3rd full bath -
We just bought a new place, and the must have that I absolutely couldn't negotiate is a dishwasher. we've been in this rental a year without one and I am SO looking forward to having one again!
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I don't know if we'll ever sell our house but one thing I would love is more privacy and a lush, big backyard.
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Our must haves:
3+ bedrooms
2 bathrooms
Dishwasher
Nice backyard/must be able to fence
Basement
Large open kitchen. -
A nice driveway!!!
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We are starting the process to househunt, so we've been working on this list.
Must-haves:
3+ bedrooms
2+ bathrooms
Basement
2-car garage
Mounted microwave (ours is not mounted, and it takes up a ton of counter space, and with the way our kitchen was built it is not possible to DIY unless we completely gut and rebuild the entire kitchen)
Large kitchen
Good schools
NOT within an "oh we were just in the area and thought we'd stop by" radius of my ILsLike-to-have:
Master suite w/double vanity
Open kitchen
Fireplace
Fenced-in yard -
My must haves include a mud room, a pantry room and a root cellar!
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Living in an apartment in NYC now, I'm looking for a driveway and the ability to control my own heat.
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Thankfully we hit all of our must haves and most of our wants with our current house, it was sooooo worth waiting forever until the perfect place came on the market.
Must haves are:
-at least 3 bedrooms, if there weren't 4 we wanted the option of finishing the basement or a walk up attic to get a guest room.
-min. 2 bathrooms
-nice street
-garage
-AC
-nice kitchen (we knew we wouldn't have the cash to redo it in the next few years)Would be nice:
-practical updates like plumbing, windows and roof (all the houses here are pretty old) we did get this
-eat in kitchen
-pantry
-decent closet space + storage for holiday things etc.
-mud room-- this is one thing we didn't get and while we are making do for now we hope to do a renovation in a few years to the back of our house and a mudroom and pantry are two major points on the list. -
At least 10 acres
4 bedrooms
master bath and large closets (prefer walk in)
Either renovated old home, or reproduction old home (needs to fit in with the environment, so old farms house, old colonial, etc.)
Pantry space and in place cold storage or a spot where this could be added
Office -
@littlebug: OK, I LOVE the in-law/radius thing. SO true.
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A second bath and a third bedroom! And real closets!
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We are house hunting for our forever house right now, so I have quite the list going.
Must haves:
- excellent school system
- at least 4 bedrooms (I would prefer 5-6) and at least 3 baths
- good guest space with its own bathroom (both of our families live far away and we host holidays, so I want enough space for both sets of parents to stay at the same time)
- open kitchen/family room concept
- newly updated kitchen and baths
- big yard
- "neighborhood" feeling - I want a big lot and don't want to be looking into my neighbor's windows, but I want to be on the type of street where kids could play outside and where there are neighbors nearby if you need anything
- library/office
- 2-car garage
- central AC
- at least 2 stories
- hardwoods throughout (except basement)
- closet/storage space
- landscaping
- double sinks in the master bathNice to haves:
- pool
- bedroom-level laundry room
- deck or patio
- high-end chef's kitchen
- at least 1 fireplace
- 2+ acres
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