Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Property/DIY

Join our Property forum for renovation, DIY, and house selling advice.

Original poster

What item in your house just makes sense?

116 replies

justanothermanicmonday1 · 07/08/2023 23:57

Me again.

I had another thread running looking for a sofa for our new place (new build flat that's currently under construction, 2 double bedrooms + 1 bathroom and plenty of built in storage).

We are moving within the next 6-8 weeks and have a 16mo and a 10 day old.

What item/gadget/thing do you have in your house/flat that just makes sense and you absolutely swear by that I must have.

This could be anything from storage, gadgets, towels, certain brands, pans, anything really.

I have major baby brain/fog and I'm not organised at all.

Suggestions below!

Thanks x

Thank you!

OP posts:
Thread gallery
9
VeronicaBeccabunga · 08/08/2023 11:44

My new kitchen has drawers everywhere possible at under-counter level and those pull-out things they call 'Le Mans' units for the bottom corner cupboards.
We now longer have inaccessible stuff hiding at the backs of storage spaces or have to go down on hands and knees to reach or clean stuff.
I also manged to fit in a narrow cupboard for trays and chopping boards etc, in preference to one of those tiny bottle-racks planners like to use to fill odd gaps.

I'm lucky enough to have a utility room and we bought a cheap white Ikea wardrobe to use as a broom cupboard.

GetOurraMeWay · 08/08/2023 12:53

Boiling water tap
Waste disposal unit in sink
Saves counter space (no kettle or disgusting food waste bin).
Robot hoover
As much storage /shelving as you can manage to build in or buy - with such small kids you have a few years left of drowning in toys! Then all the shoes/coats etc, plus mop, suitcases, buggy etc etc etc

TheCountessofFitzdotterel · 08/08/2023 13:05

My house has a rack on the wall by the cooker for saucepan lids. Genius.

Ohyeahwaitaminute · 08/08/2023 15:43

Get lighting put in every built in cupboard and wardrobe if you can.

tt9 · 08/08/2023 15:50

in terms of mattresses. I recommend hypnos ortho gold. have a lot of muscle issued and this has really helped. bonus if you pair it with a great mattress topper (and a waterproof mattress protector because babies).

a magic corner cupboard that pulls out in the kitchen has been very helpful.

RhymesWithTangerine · 08/08/2023 15:56

Electric sockets at waist height on the kitchen island for being able to plug electric gadgets into. We have some under the breakfast bar to charge things as well.

Alphabet1spaghetti2 · 08/08/2023 16:06

Boring one but a lifesaver - a sure stop water stop cock. Can be put anywhere on your incoming water pipe and can be ‘remote’ from the pipe for easy access and a flick of the switch and your mains water is off. So much easier than grovelling behind kitchen units when there’s a leaky pipe/washing machine etc in a hurry.

Alphabet1spaghetti2 · 08/08/2023 16:07

RhymesWithTangerine · 08/08/2023 15:56

Electric sockets at waist height on the kitchen island for being able to plug electric gadgets into. We have some under the breakfast bar to charge things as well.

Ones with usb sockets as well!

whoruntheworldgirls · 08/08/2023 16:15

Boiling water top
Laundry maid pully airer hanging from ceiling, great for keeping things out of the way
Perfect prep was a life saver for us and she had reflux too, also on gaviscon, i think i did the hot shot, shook, added the gavison, shook then got it back under for the finishing amount of water, had to be quick!
my sister in law loves her robot hoover/mop, i have an aircraft powerglide battery mop, 2 rotating pads with built in water tank, makes cleaning the floor so quick and i chuck a bit of zoflora in with the water.
Cordless hoover
We bought a superking bed, best thing ever!!! Bed from argos, mattress from Ikea

onwardandupwards · 08/08/2023 16:54

A second freezer used for bread, milk, pre prepped meals, yellow sticker stuff ect, a ninja air fryer and a chest of drawers in hall way filled with hats, gloves, sun cream ect

Original poster
justanothermanicmonday1 · 08/08/2023 18:07

tt9 · 08/08/2023 00:27

I love my nespresso coffee maker. boiling water tap will save time. a mini chopper. a large flat bottom wok with lid. you can make so many different things in it and can also use it as a steamer by buying a small trivet.

an instant pot is also great for time saving meals. especially as you can make multiple meals at the same time.

I got the Nespresso machine for my partner for Christmas last year and he absolutely loves it. Best purchase!

OP posts:
Original poster
justanothermanicmonday1 · 08/08/2023 18:08

BarrelOfOtters · 08/08/2023 10:39

A cupboard tall enough for mops, hoover etc = with a couple of plugs in to charge them. Dull but useful.

A shelf built into the bathroom so I could put plants on it - wide enough to take large plants. Love that.

I tried to put a ceiling airer in (laundry pulley) but just couldn't make it work.

Lots of sockets in the kitchen.

The cupboard for the mope/hoover etc is on my Pinterest board 😂 x

OP posts:
Original poster
justanothermanicmonday1 · 08/08/2023 18:09

neonleopard · 08/08/2023 11:08

More storage than you think you need! E.g. wish I'd got the kids beds with storage draws underneath. Kallax units from idea hold loads and are great for toys.

Also love having X2 clothes airers and X2 laundry baskets and an ikea sock dryer peg thing (and an outdoor rotary dryer for summer) - makes washing less of a faff.

Shark hoover with handheld attachment - easy to clean up crumbs after dinner etc.

Big cheap low pile rugs to keep floor clean and looking tidy (Asda, dunelm, Amazon) - I usually only keep for a couple of years then replace as they always get grubby/worn and I like changing the look too. Wish I'd put some rugs in bedrooms too as our plush carpet has flattened out really quickly.

Those storage units look great. Thank you. Definitely needed.

We have the shark hoover already. And will be adding the clothes dryer to the list along with the two washing baskets. Definitely needed now with 2 little ones 😂

X

OP posts:
Original poster
justanothermanicmonday1 · 08/08/2023 18:12

TakeMe2Insanity · 08/08/2023 11:31

Where we have our kettle/coffee machine we have rack attached to the wall so we can hang cups. It means they are where you need them but not on the worktop.

A game changer has been an actual place for coats/shoes/bags.

Love this idea. Also saw this and added it to the list for storage/space savers. You get them from ikes for £3.50 I think for the wooden version.

What item in your house just makes sense?
OP posts:
user1471538283 · 08/08/2023 18:28

I don't have much in the way of fancy in my new home as I'm doing it up but I do have really thick black out curtains so the bedrooms are really dark. I've also got a bin in a cupboard which I love! And a decent mop.

I'd love a dishwasher again and a washer with a high speed spin.

garlictwist · 08/08/2023 18:32

Genuine question - what is the point of a boiling water tap? I get it in an office or something where there's loads of people wanting to use it, but in a house it takes like two minutes to boil a kettle if that.

CatherinedeBourgh · 08/08/2023 18:39

SollaSollew · 08/08/2023 11:13

Bissell carpet/upholstery cleaners. I have the Power Clean (the cheapest upright one for large areas) and Spot Cleaner (small handheld), they are magic and with 3 kids and a dog I now couldn't live without them. I started with the spot cleaner for doing sofas and bits of carpets/upholstery but bought the bigger upright one and I do the rugs with it once a month and they look (and smell!) like new. Only two small problems...1. do not look at what is coming out of your carpets if you're squeamish, 2. the cleaning solutions aren't cheap especially when your friends keep borrowing the cleaners!

You can use very dilute laundry liquid on the Bissell cleaners, I've never used their own cleaning solutions.

Riapia · 08/08/2023 19:30

Instant pot and air fryer.

KievLoverTwo · 08/08/2023 19:40

Things I would like:

One of those fancy vacuuming systems they have in America where you have various holes in walls to plug a hoover straight into.

A water softeneing system because limescale is a massive pita and my hair always feels like straw.

Long tall drawers for things like spices that slide out all in one.

Whirly trays in corner cupboards so you can access all the space.

Things we have that make our life easier:

A double butlers sink in the kitchen and another in the utility. Idk if I would go with porcelain though, ours got marked pretty quickly.

Things this house should have but does not:

Light switches in sensible places, not all clustered in one confusing mess. Actually they managed to install one hall light that can only be turned on and off upstairs.

Zoned Thermostats NOT on external walls. We get brutally battered by harsh winds and the heating comes on too much and is far too hot as a result.

Thing I will never have again:

Underfloor heating underneath thick stone floors. Five hours to heat up, 48 hours to cool down after it builds and builds and builds (on 18/19) so I can't even stand in front of the cooker!

sueelleker · 08/08/2023 19:57

Ifeelsuchflutterings · 08/08/2023 00:08

Laundry chute from the dressing room to the utility room below, although I wanted a dumb waiter to bring the clean laundry back up too!

Im visually impaired so its way way easier not trying to walk downstairs with a basket full of laundy when I cant really see the stairs but honestly I would totally reccomend it anyway

When my DH was ill, before I lost him, we had a home lift installed. It was dearer than a stair lift, but worth every penny. It's brilliant for carting laundry between floors, and also for bringing packed suitcases down.

Mapletreelane · 08/08/2023 20:38

Wall mounted cordless vacuum. So easy for a quick vacuum just to keep on top of things.

WashableVelvet · 08/08/2023 20:45

Black out blinds/curtains and built in storage. Tado thermostats on every radiator, so we can zone the heating much more effectively - it’s made the house a lot more comfortable than previously having a central thermostat plus manual TRV valves on each radiator.

WicketWoo · 08/08/2023 21:53

No it so good for the OP in a flat but for anyone with a house - moving the washer and drier upstairs. So much less hassle than carrying everything downstairs and then carrying it all back up again

Original poster
justanothermanicmonday1 · 09/08/2023 03:26

tt9 · 08/08/2023 21:04

Saving these. Thank you! Exactly what I'm looking for x

OP posts: