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What is the most wasted feature of your home?

228 replies

bb20038 · 04/09/2022 23:43

Bath tub only the shower part

OP posts:
Need2P · 05/09/2022 09:08

My front garden. We only use our back garden but I think the front is being wasted since it's a reasonable size and there aren't any houses at the front of our property.

MaryVee · 05/09/2022 09:11

How funny life is!

We’d absolutely kill for another bedroom, as we’re bursting at the seams in our flat…and would LOVE to use your unused tennis courts, saunas, and cluttered unused spare rooms and garages!

You are very lucky!!

antelopevalley · 05/09/2022 09:13

Garden.
Kids played in it a lot when young, but as teenagers it holds no attraction for them. It is not large enough for teenagers to play football or do a sport. DP does not like sitting outside. So if I ever sit in the garden, it is just me, while everyone else is inside. So I mostly do not bother.

Tabitha005 · 05/09/2022 09:13

Love all the debate here about baths! We're in the process of renovating our house (moved in 2 years ago) and we're thinking really carefully about the improvements we make - both in terms of whether we'll get maximum value from them, as well as for potential resale value. Our bathroom is small and only has a shower - albeit a fairly large one. We debated whether to install a bath, but ultimately decided to incorporate a freestanding bath into our master bedroom instead.

The bedroom is large, but an odd shape and dark, being around 20' long and 8'6" wide with a window at the far end, but zoning it into two separate spaces has really made it feel less like a 'corridor'. My view was that if someone who buys our house has no use for the bath, it's a lot less hassle to de-install it from the bedroom than it would be from the main bath(shower)room.

The most 'wasted' feature at the moment is the entire wall of glass in the lounge being two large patio doors with fixed floor-to-ceiling panes on either side - I hate it! The room boils in hot weather and you have to keep the doors open all day, with voiles pulled across to provide shade. The windows were almost brand new when we moved in, and replacing them isn't in our immediate budget, but I wish the previous owners had thought about the practicalities of not having some sort of small opening windows, too. I love fresh air all year round, but you can't keep a big door open all year round.

Our garage is also a totally wasted feature at the moment - it's DiY hell and we can never find a single thing in it when we go hunting for a spanner or any one of the fifteen tape measures we've accumulated. I can't wait to Marie Kondo the shit out of it at some point.

Giggorata · 05/09/2022 09:15

Bath here as well. DH insisted on having a bath, whereas I was indifferent. It is a lovely slipper bath with feet which I have never been in. DH once, maybe.

The upper floor in our largest shed. It could be marvellous storage, a workshop, home office, what you will. But the wooden stairs are cobweb ridden and the lower floor is a mess of sawdust and logs, and cobwebs hang down from the beams. So I never set foot in it.
We plan to transfer wood storage and sawing to the next door shed, after which a mass clean up and then we'll see…

The front garden. We have a small area to the side, which has been paved with quarry tiles and incorporates our well and some flower beds, but it faces north and I have no idea how to use it. It feels weird and exposed sitting in it as the villagers walk by.

Nanalisa60 · 05/09/2022 09:16

Front living room (the posh room) plus the lovely gas fire in it, stunning room but we have open plain kitchen living room dining area with doors straight out into the garden so that’s the room every one uses. But this winter I’m going to try and use it in the morning as it’s east facing and if the sun is out it’s the warmest room in the house up until 11am . I have even purchased a new digital radio (second hand off marketplace )to listen to in the posh room.

Swimmingpoolsally · 05/09/2022 09:17

Novum · 05/09/2022 09:08

I'm quite encouraged by the number of people who (like us) never use their bath. I've been campaigning with DH to get it changed for a nice big walk-in shower, but he's resisting it because he thinks every house must have a bath.

Mine thought that too and I do get it, in a family home. We were lucky to have room for a walk in shower too. I’d not say the bath was a mistake but it Is an expensive ornament. I periodically turn the water on to check it still works. I’d say if you’ve only room for one, get the shower. That’s what I’d have done.

It’s so much better and easier with a walk in than clambering over the bath. Any future buyer can put a bath back in.

BertieBotts · 05/09/2022 09:17

I think DH and I having the biggest bedroom - we only sleep in it. But I like the view and our bed and wardrobes wouldn't fit into DS1's room.

SquirrelSoShiny · 05/09/2022 09:17

Big bright entrance hall. It's nice but just empty and we don't quite know what to do with it!

Fraaahnces · 05/09/2022 09:18

Me… I am the most wasted feature of our home. I could be doing so much more.

seperatedmum · 05/09/2022 09:20

now? the loft. planning permission isn't granted in this area to extend. there's only a few items in the corner now but no window or ventilation so it can't be used as a bedroom 🤷🏽‍♀️

AuntMargo · 05/09/2022 09:20

AnotherRoadsideAttraction · 05/09/2022 00:18

Freestanding bath used all the time at our home; spot that never gets used is the second balcony off the den!

oh how absolutely awful !

seperatedmum · 05/09/2022 09:23

Coatdegroan · 05/09/2022 01:45

Lockbox/Keysoe
Locked out of it

a locksmith showed me for free how to reset my key-safe so now I can use it. so you can probably get free help too if wished

Poppins2016 · 05/09/2022 09:25

It's interesting how many people say the bath is wasted. I fall into the camp of people who would be put off buying if there wasn't a bath/would have to budget to put a bath back in. I personally don't use my bath very often (although my young children do), but I like having the option available. I wouldn't want/need every bathroom in a house to have a bath, though.

In my house, the attic is wasted. It's.not fully boarded so there's limited area available to be utilised for storage.

Bluevelvetsofa · 05/09/2022 09:26

We do use our spare bedrooms infrequently and one was an office. Since we now no longer need an office, I insisted that DH move his detritus (in a wasted attempt to get him to sort and chuck), it’s been turned into my craft room. I enjoy looking at the shelves of yarn and accessories. He’s infiltrating though; bits and pieces are returning.

Clovacloud · 05/09/2022 09:27

Dining room. We never use it, our parents only come round a couple of times a year for dinner. The rest of the year it’s used for sorting washing and storage. It’s a shame it’s a lovely room but we just don’t use it

Goldi321 · 05/09/2022 09:29

Front garden. Our parking is out the back so back door is used as our main entrance. Front garden is quite big but our house is on a main road so it’s not enjoyable to potter about out there and garden like it is out the back in peace.

honkeytonkwoman38 · 05/09/2022 09:32

We have a large room at the front of the house with a fireplace. I turned it into a cloakroom !

Poppins2016 · 05/09/2022 09:32

@SquirrelSoShiny how much space could be utilised? Maybe a library area (or display shelving if books aren't your thing) with a big comfortable chair or love seat? Or if you want to be quirky, you could string a hammock up in a corner (I saw this in someone's house once and loved it)! Friends of mine have a large entrance hall and have put a big beautiful antique wardrobe in it to house coats and umbrellas.

(Couldn't resist responding to your post as I'm jealous, my entrance hall is tiny and I dream of all the things I could do with something bigger!)

Gerwurtztraminer · 05/09/2022 09:33

MercurialMonday · 05/09/2022 08:38

Drive - previous owner turned entire front into a drive.

We don't drive - and one of the few houses with parking on entire estate - it's a pain as it's block paving and weed heaven.

As PP said with baths - they are useful with young children and when we were first house buying not having one did put us off the house - the drive here will probably be popular if we sell - two /three car parking space.

You could probably make some money renting that out if you dont mind a neighbour parking on it. I have a friend who's getting a reasonable amount doing that (in London where off street parking is gold dust).

Skipsabeat · 05/09/2022 09:40

Our bath is well used, I wouldn’t buy a house without a bath!

Most unused feature of our house is currently the log burner in the front room. Never used it in the 4 years we have lived here as we have small DC and are worried about them going near it. However it will be coming into use this year I think to save on some heating!

viques · 05/09/2022 09:41

AngelinaFibres · 05/09/2022 07:42

My mum has an ensuite and a big, family wet room. She uses one on one day and the other the next day. Keeps everything working properly.

Good idea, it’s sensible to run taps every so often, I remember watching a programme about a new build hospital where they employed someone to run every tap weekly to prevent the possibility of bugs like legionnaires building up in the water system, great waste of public money but that’s another story.

Wexone · 05/09/2022 09:44

I am lucky that old house was designed and built by himself and every bit of space is used. I am though a person who loves my batch. At least once a week would have one so relaxing, helps with aches and pains plus sleep better. In a year now in rental with no bath and god i miss it so much, lucky next rental has one. Current rental is a thee bed cottage. in their wisdom doing it up they put in two toilets. There is no where to store your hoover, mops etc. Toitlet used i say twice in the past year, we converted it to a makeshift storage room, costs hoover everything goes in there.

viques · 05/09/2022 09:46

SquirrelSoShiny · 05/09/2022 09:17

Big bright entrance hall. It's nice but just empty and we don't quite know what to do with it!

Reading nook? Comfy chair, good light, bookshelf, cosy throw.

Office space? desk, chair, smart filing cabinet, printer, good work lamp, router.

Dogspace? crate, bed

TwoLeftSocksWithHoles · 05/09/2022 09:46

@Coatdegroan @Novum @miserablecat

Yes, you're right - it is a rubbish video, this one is a bit better but you need a very thin piece of metal.

(They all seem to waffle on for half the video before they show you what to do)

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