AIBU to ask things you have in house that are not low maintenance

[Newdonewhugh]

Hi

I’m building a house and I really want it to be as low maintenance as possible. Can you talk to me about things that have made your home life easier and things that are a nightmare.

Some examples:

A friend told me not to get a handless kitchen as the scoop bits to open the doors are always filthy.

Another thing I want to talk about are these new black taps? Will they save me from the grind of constantly filthy, finger marked stainless steel or will they just be covered in limescale instead?

What about a shower screen? They drive me insane. Shall I just build a wall instead I f shower screen?

Robot hoovers.... are they worth it?

Please help me live a life where I can sit down and relax on a sofa one day.

Oh I thought of something else we have that’s high maintenance: an outdoor sofa with lots of cushions. Sooo comfy but lugging the cushions in and out is a pain (no outdoor cushions are truly waterproof).

Only get an outdoor sofa if you can also fit a large outdoor storage box for all the cushions - and make sure the box is waterproof.

I personally covet a dressing room with loads of wardrobe and shoe space where I can find everything. DD has just bought a house with this and I am jealous as hell! Considered moving but as we are almost mortgage free, its pointless as our current house is big enough.

Op google there was a thread about this 8/9 years ago in property about bathrooms and kitchens specifically "low maintenance" was def in thread title. Helped me with house renovations no end

@bluebluezoo

I would like a proper larder. Walk in closet type thing with shelves rather than keeping everything stashed in cupboards.

Thinking of getting a new kitchen. Wonder if i can have a larder in the corner rather than cupboards 🤔

We’ve got a pantry with base unit cupboards and shelves at eye level. It has four sockets too. It happily sucks up all dry goods, the Hoover, the ironing board and iron, mops, just about everything you never know what to do with. We’re planning to move and I want to take it with us.

Someone mentioned room to have the ironing board constantly up in utility. That is my ultimate dream! House isn’t big enough though. One day.....

Thanks very much everyone. My will to go maintenance free is stronger. Must stay off Pinterest!!

The best thing I’ve learnt from the thread is quick release toilet seats. The excitement I feel about popping one off and washing in the shower, sometime in the not so distant future is pretty pathetic really 😂

I was going to go for the outdoor sofa but you have thankfully reminded me that it will be ruined within a year.

All those wanting Anti Fog Bathroom Mirror - polish it using a little blob of shaving foam or shaving gel. It really works.

Wooden worktops in the kitchen are a really bad idea. You have to oil them regularly when they are young. Then they get marks on them from everything ( hot pans, fair enough, but wet pans too, water marks them permanently) and look crap. Never again.

Induction hobs can't be used with as much stuff as gas. If you're addicted to coffee done in a pot on the hob some will melt on induction hobs.

OP here you go
[[https://www.mumsnet.com/Talk/housekeeping/321309-high-maintenance-bathrooms-let-me-learn-from-your-mistakes]]

[[https://www.mumsnet.com/Talk/housekeeping/320879-high-maintenance-kitchens-let-me-learn-from-your-mistakes]]
Here you go

Not just sockets OP but sockets with USB ports!!!!!

You can get skirting boards where the top bit is just a straight diagonal down iyswim. Dust doesn't collect on them.

This is the kind of skirting board I mean

www.skirting4u.co.uk/skirting-boards/830-chamfer-mdf-skirting-board

Make sure the sockets for your TV are placed so they come below the top of your TV unit.

I wish so so much I hadn't got a wooden worktop in my kitchen. It's just not an appropriate material and basically translates as more housework (sanding and oiling it every few months or at least you're supposed to scrubbing black stains when they inevitably show up and obsessively drying any water around sink etc). I am now hoping someday to be able to get it covered in stainless steel (which would work aesthetically in our kitchen I have decided)

Has been mentioned but handle less kitchen units , brushed stainless steel worktops ( and preferably a moulded sink ) and taps in kitchen & glass instead of tiles behind sink and associated worktops. - I used to have corian top - chrome taps and tiles behind the sink and along that stretch - lots easier to keep the current one cleaner. Had a shaker kitchen once - looked lovely - but quickly got bored of using a toothbrush to clean the corners on the moulding on the the doors. I now have brushed stainless steel worktop in kitchen - bombproof and easy to clean. I have had wood , granite , corian and shiny stainless steel before & ended up with this - looks great ( well in my opinion and in my kitchen ) & so much easier.

Niches in shower to stash shampoo etc those ugly wire things just yuk! Shoe storage lots of. Utility room make sure it’s big, plenty of room for drying clothes as well as stashing coats etc. Walk in pantry, minimises kitchen cupboards and can easily see all your dry goods. If you have a dog outside hot and cold shower for hosing down.

Ooh yes integrated bins, no one wants to see their bins out!

The biggest set into the floor doormat inside front door you can do for foot wiping - I don't really have a hall - more of a little lobby & have had the whole thing carpeted with a doormat type thing. Less cleaning for floors in the actual house

It is astonishing now I think of it how small decisions make a big difference to day to day life

@skymoo1 have that skirting and architrave all though my house. got it cause wanted a more modern look for my house so easy to keep clean. also got the spray painted before installed with no screws

Fancy mouldings on doors and skirting boards are dust traps. Keep everything as simple as possible. Also grey grout for tiling cuts down on discolouration of white. Even better no tiling, use back boards in kitchens. Possible to get moulded shower cubicles.

Recently moved to a house I love. But: Handmade kitchen, obviously cost an arm and a leg, the drawers have dovetail joints and everything. It's SO hard to keep the painted panelled doors clean! Also, it has a skirting board coving around the base - so you can't tuck your feet under and you are standing a couple of inches further from the surface than you would with an overhanging cupboard. Don't do this!!.

What is good is some 5amp lighting sockets (sometimes these are smaller than normal sockets but not always) that are on the lighting circuit- then all your table lamps and standard lamps come on with the wall switch. This is a great idea, esp if you don't have central ceiling lights

spray painting before installation is a great idea! wish I'd thought of that

@DamsoninGin - and OP I absolutely agree with a 5 amp circuit to put on all table lamps at once so you don't have to go round witching them on and off one by one - good idea for low maintenance . Also I think mentioned on another thread get a switch where you can turn off all lights from either front door or near bedroom. I believe rather fancy lighting systems allow you to turn lights on and off from your phone even if you are outside the house ( but that last one is beyond me) .

I haven't read the whole thread so apologies if this has already been mentioned but the best thing we have done is move the washing machine and tumble drier upstairs. Saves so much hassle in carting stuff downstairs and then back up again.