To ask: if you could design your house, what would be essential for you?

[theDudesmummy]

Hi, I know this is not really an AIBU, I am posting here for traffic, but I really would love some thoughts on this. Essentially we are renovating an old derelict stone house completely by ourselves, we have got to the stage where the roof is on and we can start to design the interior. It is basically just walls and roof at the moment, no plumbing, electrics, nothing. So we can put in anything, wherever we want.

The kitchen will be built on at the back, entirely from scratch, it will be big (40 square metres).

So we can put in absolutely anything we want, how we want. If you had the choice, what would you deem essential to include in your dream house. It may be relevant to note that we are older people (50s and planning to grow old in this house) and have only one child left at home, DS is 11 and has special needs (no physical disabilities).

I am looking for ideas not just about big important things, but maybe little features/lifehacks that people have put in their homes or would have put in if they had had this opportunity.

Most things seem to have been covered but I’d double stress getting more sockets than you ever thought necessary.

this is so true, we have 8 double sockets and it makes cooking etc easier, especially if two of us are in the kitchen doing stuff

Once again, thank you to everyone for taking the trouble to comment. We will be taking on board a lot of the ideas...

For me either an eat-in kitchen or a door between kitchen and dining room is an absolute must.

Carrying plates of food through hall ways and/or other rooms just seems so wrong. Especially if the hallways and other rooms are carpeted, so are harder to clean if someone spills juice from their spaghetti bolognese or something.

And even if you keep the plates in the dining room and put the food on the table for everyone to help themselves you've still got to carry dishes through and after dinner everything has to be taken to the kitchen to be washed and then once the plates were dry they'd need to be taken back to the dining room.

I sometimes look at floorplans of houses on Rightmove where the kitchen and dining room are at opposite ends of the house and I always think why was it designed in a way that puts so much extra effort into meal times?

I would make the most of passive solar to warm inside spaces if the aspect is right. I’d also stick in ground source heating if feasible. Some acquaintances have a huge barn conversion that would by other means cost a fortune to heat but it’s properly toasty year round. Good thread.

Our kitchen and dining room will be the same room! That's just the way we have always lived. Any house we have lived in with a separate dining room has ended up with the dining room being an unused room or a storage room...we like to chat/cook/entertain etc in the kitchen (leading through to outside space and BBQ). This is why we are using our entire allowance of the 40 square metres which we are allowed to add on, for the kitchen (although after reading advice on here, will carve some of that off for a pantry and utility/washing machine room).

For sure the pop up electric points

Yes yes to the many sockets, laundry and drying space.

If it hasn't been mentioned, the level the microwave is placed. It should be so you can take things out without lowering them from a height or lifting from below.

When my Australian house was extended (before my time), handrails were put in on the stairs, so handholds both sides. I noticed it a month ago when talking about stair safety with a friend. I've only lived here ten years. :o

Breaking the rules thread rules by moving outside, I would love a verandah, indeed I would have one built if there was room in the front garden for it.

I saw a mock up of a house with stables on the ground floor and a glass floor in the living room looking down on them. Now I think I'd like that - to live above my horses and be able to watch them sleeping.

In reality, the greedy buggers would learn tap on the glass when they wanted feeding and I'd never get any bloody peace!

Mind you, I also saw a floorplan on RM the other day which seemed to only have access to the main bathroom via the window. I definitely wouldn't want that...

I live in a flat now, very big one bed with a cat and dog, I would love a pool and garden, if I buy a house hopefully within 3 years I will be having this.

@echt

Yes yes to the many sockets, laundry and drying space.

If it hasn't been mentioned, the level the microwave is placed. It should be so you can take things out without lowering them from a height or lifting from below.

When my Australian house was extended (before my time), handrails were put in on the stairs, so handholds both sides. I noticed it a month ago when talking about stair safety with a friend. I've only lived here ten years. :o

Breaking the rules thread rules by moving outside, I would love a verandah, indeed I would have one built if there was room in the front garden for it.

My Occupational Therapist recommended this to me about a decade ago. Of course, I never acted on it and have since moved to a house with a much dodgier staircase for my crap knees and feet. Current plan is to keep using the stairs more than strictly necessary for the exercise then move bedroom downstairs when I genuinely can't do it anymore!

Presumably rural. We did this renovation, big utility mud room for coats, dogs etc big freezer, plus a wet room loo shower off it for dogs, muddy rugby players, the odd sick goose, duck , was a godsend. Master bedroom with separate dressing room and bathroom off it.

Lots of light and lots of storage.

A wet room with a shower seat. I'm disabled and shower trays & baths are difficult for me.

Remote controlled ceiling fan and light in the bedrooms, we installed one last summer and it's game changer. I'd also go for dimmable wall lights in the living room and bedroom with the switch conveniently placed near the sofa/bed.

@DiseasesOfTheSheep

I saw a mock up of a house with stables on the ground floor and a glass floor in the living room looking down on them. Now I think I'd like that - to live above my horses and be able to watch them sleeping.

In reality, the greedy buggers would learn tap on the glass when they wanted feeding and I'd never get any bloody peace!

Mind you, I also saw a floorplan on RM the other day which seemed to only have access to the main bathroom via the window. I definitely wouldn't want that...

I know a woman who had glass on the side of the sitting area so she could see the hirses. I also stayed in a gite in Megeve there was stable door into the joining barn area & the donkeys could stick their heads into the kitchen !! It was a new build chalet !

If anyone is considering a laundry chute, please do look into the fire protection regulations. They need to be carefully installed and insulated.

We are (again) waiting for our plans to be approved on our 160 year old renovation and extension. Like you, the kitchen will be in the new extension and runs the length of the whole property (back to front) with bifolds leading out the a valley view.

We're housing a pantry in an under stair cavity - custom made to be wider to fit a stairlift for disabled relative who stays with us often) - this cavity will be properly muted out with lights and an electrical socket for the microwave abs toaster. Shelved on one side for food storage.

My favourite thing has been to include a built in shelf area, floor to belong and set-in, for all my Kilner jars. We are real foodies in this house, so I have all different types of flour, sugars, spices, my lentils, dried herbs in jars and they'll be within grabbing reach in the kitchen. I'll attach a pic. This will save me loads of space in the pantry and I really like the look.

No wall cupboards apart from surrounding the double fridge freezer - and they'll go to the ceiling. All storage in wide drawers - invaluable.

I'm also having a walk in airing cupboard (3m x 3m) so not a huge space but much bloody better than the new build deep waist height airing cupboard that I've lived with in my current home - designed by a man I'm sure. Utterly useless and awful for easy access. New airing room will have shelving along the length of one wall for linen and towels and storage cupboards for seasonal duvet changes and luggage storage (we have attic conversion plans so storage is vital). Will possible keep ironing board here as well as downstairs utility room.

I'm also planning on duel powered radiators for the utility room and airing room so that I can hang clothes on rails overnight to dry without having the heating on all night.

DH is the gardener in this house but I love my little herb garden so I've asked the builder to build a double wall along the side of the house so I can have my raised herb garden there. It isn't next to my kitchen but I don't mind that. I day dream about my raised herb garden - snipping away without bending or being on my knees.

This thread is fantastic OP - thank you for starting it and thanks to everyone for their contributions - absolutely invaluable and I've learn SO much (especially re wifi- thanks!).

Heating is my weak point - no gas to this property and currently LPG. Want to consider all options so I may start my own thread soon.

Here's what I'd like my shelving to look like - recessed into a wall is my plan. Taking these out of the pantry will make is so much more roomy for other stuff.

I'm also having a small office for all my school work - currently using a small box room for all my work and DH sees how messy I am so I've bagged a small office in the plans!

This property is remote (although visible from a distance to everyone on the opposite valley) so security for me is key. In my office will be monitors for security cameras, I'm also having the ring doorbell and the whole property is fenced and gated.

Upstairs laundry room.

Pantry off kitchen on an outside wall to hopefully keep it cool.

In the kitchen, hot water tap, lots of drawers, ice & water dispensing F/F. Full height cupboards for equipment storage. Big central island. I would like a marble block inset for pastry work.

USB ports on plug sockets.

A boot room which has access to a full shower room, probably a Jack and Jill arrangement with the second access off the hall way so you can you the loo/have a shower when you come in from somewhere wet or muddy without traipsing mud/water through the rest of the house.

A car charging point, we're all going to need them at some point.

If you are planning to grow old in this house then consider what you might need if you can't easily get upstairs. So co side how you might be able to use a downstairs room as a bedroom. Also if you are having a downstairs shower room then I would make it a wet room.

I'd have a teeny tiny 'room' just for bins

Oops sorry maybe I should rtft before posting and not after.😳

I would want a room dedicated to laundry and clothes storage. Ideally placed next to or near a bathroom. Two washing machines, two dryers and a drying rack. Fitted wardrobes on the opposite wall for clothes, bedding, towels etc. So no clothing in the bedroom at all and it wouldn't spread all over my house!

A dedicated area in the kitchen for baking. With a marble work surface, shelving for mixers/tools and lots of storage for ingredients. Two dishwashers in the kitchen.

A storage space off the living room for Xmas tree/baubles/ decorations etc and to store the vacuum. No more lugging then up to the loft!!