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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To share my property porn peeves

201 replies

Canigetaoooh · 18/08/2023 22:56

I love nothing more than a relaxing nosey on rightmove.

but want to share my dislikes.

new homes. Nothing wrong with them to live in. But we see nothing interesting in themes. They all look kinda “same”.

islands with a cooker or the main sink in them. Happy with a prep sink in them though

stairs in the living room

fully open plan

bedrooms off of the kitchen table or utility room

OP posts:
Thread gallery
5
cocoloco117 · 19/08/2023 12:50

LadyMuckingabout · 19/08/2023 09:59

Yes, sofas in the kitchen must be impregnated with cooking smells. And you’re trying to watch telly with someone banging around cooking, the dishwasher rumbling, etc etc.

I once went to view a house and the garage was converted into a large kitchen. Very nice. EXCEPT the garage was detached, and what you couldn’t see from the online floor plan was that the connecting corridor was actually just a Perspex cover over an outdoor path. I couldn’t compute wanting a glass of water at night and having to unlock the back door, sprint through the night, unlock the kitchen, and then do the reverse. Bizarre.

Not saying that kitchen isn’t completely impractical for any number of reasons, but don’t you have a sink in the bathroom?

Inertia · 19/08/2023 12:58

Kitchen/ ‘family room’ all in one room but the dining table in a totally separate room, do everyone has to trot past the telly and sofa and go down the hall to be able to sit and eat.

Beams.

literalviolence · 19/08/2023 13:11

Open plan conservatories in kitchens.
Multiple en suites in houses with modest or even small bedrooms
Grey everwhere
Sofa in a kitchen but no table
Whole back garden in patio (unless it's very small garden)

BasiliskStare · 19/08/2023 13:30

Ah - I think she of these things are a function of how much money you have. I have a v small house and have a lobby - not a hallway. So I can close the door between the sitting room and the front door but the space is very small. Enough for some coat and shoe storage so it sort of works.

I also have steps going up to the front door which used to have below them an outside storage area, I had it knocked through and now there is a little lobby and a tiny downstairs loo off my kitchen. At the time Building regs said I did not need two doors but I chose to. So little lobby can store hoover etc and more coats , then a separate door into the loo. ( & the loo has a basin and soap and towels etc. It works - for me ) With both doors closed sound does not travel.

Sometimes I think a house is a compromise , but the location of this house suited me so I was willing to live with the compromise. I would love a utility room - but just not enough space - I have a cupboard upstairs with the washing machine / dryer and the boiler

I know if I sold this house and moved somewhere cheaper I could probably get more of what I want but the location suits me so well. BUT in this location I cannot afford all I want.

What I do have is a separate Kitchen diner from the sitting room.

Anyway - it depends on priorities . Friend of mine would never buy a house without a garage / drive. I don't care - happy to park on the street.

I think I once read write a list of your priorities and be prepared to cross 4 of them off because you likely won't get everything.

Just my musing 😁

Biscuitlover456 · 19/08/2023 13:47
  • Grey. It’s everywhere and it’s hideous. Sometimes I look at listings and actually wonder if the agents have uploaded B&W photos. Make it stop.
  • Excessive ensuites. Fine, have one for the master bedroom (still think it’s a waste of space) but one for every bedroom is insanity. Can people really not cope with sharing a bathroom, is that where we’re at now as a species?
  • Fake grass. Genuinely hope this gets banned. Might as well put napalm all over the lawn for the good it does the wildlife. It looks sh*t too.
  • Velvet sofas in jewel colours. I don’t like strong colours anyway but there’s something about these that makes me think in a year or two they’ll look really dated and naff and people then ditch them for whatever the new trendy sofa is. Buy something classic that will last longer!
Wsmi · 19/08/2023 13:57

Biscuitlover456 · 19/08/2023 13:47

  • Grey. It’s everywhere and it’s hideous. Sometimes I look at listings and actually wonder if the agents have uploaded B&W photos. Make it stop.
  • Excessive ensuites. Fine, have one for the master bedroom (still think it’s a waste of space) but one for every bedroom is insanity. Can people really not cope with sharing a bathroom, is that where we’re at now as a species?
  • Fake grass. Genuinely hope this gets banned. Might as well put napalm all over the lawn for the good it does the wildlife. It looks sh*t too.
  • Velvet sofas in jewel colours. I don’t like strong colours anyway but there’s something about these that makes me think in a year or two they’ll look really dated and naff and people then ditch them for whatever the new trendy sofa is. Buy something classic that will last longer!

Can people not cope with sharing a bathroom. Yes because it’s not 1910 anymore.

Anxioys · 19/08/2023 13:59

Grey framed windows. How shit will that look when it's unfashionable. I think they call it anthracite.

Also plastic grass or any plastic plants. These things look awful.

Judashascomeintosomemoney · 19/08/2023 14:07

When you’re looking at a beautiful characterful period house and only realise when you look at the floor plan that at least two of the bedrooms and/or bathroom can only be accessed by going through one of the other bedrooms because when it was built a billion years ago that was ok. Unusable for modern life. Also those EAs that use the 3D image for the ‘floor plan’ with no accompanying 2D image. Nope I’m not looking at it, stop doing it. And when the description includes that the house has either a cellar, or attic rooms or outbuildings, and the EA hasn’t bothered to include pictures of them - why? And this is usually in really expensive houses so I’ve no idea why they wouldn’t want to show everything.

beeonmybonnett · 19/08/2023 14:46

peelyjuice · 19/08/2023 01:56

pink is the new grey

yes, the foyer. However, I don’t like the idea of having a fireplace in my hallway nor do I like open plan living rooms/hallways.

HarrietJet · 19/08/2023 14:47

I'd love a fireplace in my hallway...

8misskitty8 · 19/08/2023 14:56

Round here there’s an estate agent who uses the phrase ‘turn key ready’ or ‘in turn key condition’ in alot of its listings.
I’m assuming it’s meant to mean you could just move furniture in straight away or something but some they use it on are anything but !

New builds with tiny rooms, no space for wardrobe but have an en-suite. No storage on upstairs hallway- where do you put towels ?

Plastic grass

Fake fireplaces

BelindaBears · 19/08/2023 14:59

I don’t like kitchen islands full stop. No real logic to it, just instinct, as I do like a peninsula!

nadine90 · 19/08/2023 15:04

I hate when they have a "video" of the property and it's just a video of the pictures with a corny voiceover - I can look at the pics myself ta! I want to see a walk through and all the little corners you chose not to photograph.
So many houses are just completely grey from walls down to cushions and it just looks so cold and boring. My laptop's on it's way out and the colour sometimes goes, I often think it's playing up til I realise, no, just a dull grey house. Other peeves are:

  • en-suites would rather have a walk in wardrobe.
  • when a bathroom has no bath.
  • when a kitchen doesn't have space for a proper fridge freezer, dishwasher and washing machine (if no utility).
  • when someone has taken up all of their garden with a massive conservatory - what's the point of sitting in a conservatory to look out at fences?
  • kitchen island if it means no room for a dining table
  • tiny bedrooms with no space for storage
Jackydaytona · 19/08/2023 15:13

Hate open plan, flat roofs, integral garages, industrial/metal front doors, toilets off the kitchen, too much exposed brick, thatched roofs and pink ☺️

beeonmybonnett · 19/08/2023 15:14

Jackydaytona · 19/08/2023 15:13

Hate open plan, flat roofs, integral garages, industrial/metal front doors, toilets off the kitchen, too much exposed brick, thatched roofs and pink ☺️

Hate toilers off the kitchen too - not sure I want to hear people at the toilet whilst I’m cooking my pasta !! Lol

beeonmybonnett · 19/08/2023 15:14

beeonmybonnett · 19/08/2023 15:14

Hate toilers off the kitchen too - not sure I want to hear people at the toilet whilst I’m cooking my pasta !! Lol

Show quote history

toilets *

mumda · 19/08/2023 15:19

@AndrexPuppy https://my.matterport.com/show/?m=gDDKbKxj1i6

One of these.
A 3d "dolls house" to explore. Sometimes they have outside too, but mostly indoors.

If there's an occulus in the house you can look at them with that.

Explore 11 The Quay - Webbers in 3D

Matterport 3D Showcase.

https://my.matterport.com/show?m=gDDKbKxj1i6

Wintersgirl · 19/08/2023 15:44

The Matterport 3D showcase used to be good but now some fuckwit has decided it's better watched panoramic view, wereas before it was really really good, you got to look how big or small the room is, now it feels like you're in Alice in fucking Wonderland with no concept of the room size because the camera shrinks the room at one end, whilst making it massive at the other, I had to come off one the other day it was so awful. Anything panoramic can fuck off imo.

hdbs17 · 19/08/2023 15:47

No hallway.
Open plan living/dining/kitchen.
All floors in those ultra shiny tiles that are impossible to keep clean.

AgentJohnson · 19/08/2023 15:53

he does the cooking and wants to be able to talk and engage with people while he’s doing it

I will never understand this, how much ‘engaging’ will really be happening around the burners. It has the opposite effect because it’s quite dangerous and folk won’t want to ge to close. It means you’ll have to have the extractor fan obstructing the sight lines or have one of those ineffectual fans that rise up from the work surface. The reality of an island hob won’t match the fantasy.

Wintersgirl · 19/08/2023 15:56

Twee sayings, as in the property is "tucked away"...

Wintersgirl · 19/08/2023 15:59

I will never understand this, how much ‘engaging’ will really be happening around the burners.

Same, i don't like people watching and hanging around the hob making "helpful" suggestions, it would feel like I'm on Saturday kitchen!

Judashascomeintosomemoney · 19/08/2023 16:10

After an afternoon of property searching, two more: a beautiful period property on the outside that has had every period feature systematically removed from the inside and a high gloss kitchen installed…..WITH NO AGA! 😧
And, a bath in the bedroom - usually at the end of the bed. Why?

Notlostjustexploring · 19/08/2023 17:18

A badly designed house. I don't mind an old house with a demented layout because it's been extended or rejigged over several different ownerships, but a newer house that has had no thought to how to best use limited space, so a massive landing but shit room sizes, or badly laid out "routes" through living areas due to stupid door location.

Bay windows at the expense of a better sized room.

En suites at the expense of storage.

Master suites in family houses. I have kids. My bedroom needs are space for a king-sized bed, a decent wardrobe for two, and 2 chests of drawers. I do not want a dressing area, and a walk in wardrobe, and a balcony and a lavish en suite, and a 20ft room, while my kids are in 8×9ft bedrooms.

I'll tell you want I do like. An enclosed living room or lounge (I.e. only one door), at the back of the house.