Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Property/DIY

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

If you were to build your own house what features would you use

47 replies

MikeRafone · 06/01/2025 11:27

In my dreams id love to build my own home to live in

I would include solar tiles, water recycling for all but drinking, insulation, triple glazing

a bathroom dressing room, bedroom layout, downstairs would be open plan living but with a snug

Garage that is wide enough for a car to reverse and a hatch into the kitchen from the garage for the shopping directly from the boot of the car to the kitchen

a utility upstairs for the Landry with balcony drying - if apartments can have washing machines on the 18th floor then why aren't utilities upstairs in homes

OP posts:
JC03745 · 06/01/2025 11:38

My cousin had a hatch in the upstairs hall that they push their laundry down. They have a shute which drops is directly into the laundry basket in the utility. Doesn't help getting the clean laundry back upstairs, but certainly easier to get it down.
I'd love a lift if not living in a bungalow.

JustGotToKeepOnKeepingOn · 06/01/2025 12:01

I'd like a huge airing cupboard.

VaddaABeetch · 06/01/2025 12:03

A laundry room. Big enough to dry clothes.

a steam shower room.

Peanut91 · 06/01/2025 12:25

JC03745 · 06/01/2025 11:38

My cousin had a hatch in the upstairs hall that they push their laundry down. They have a shute which drops is directly into the laundry basket in the utility. Doesn't help getting the clean laundry back upstairs, but certainly easier to get it down.
I'd love a lift if not living in a bungalow.

If I was building my own house I would have an upstairs laundry room and then no need to lug washing back upstairs!

MissAmbrosia · 06/01/2025 12:57

Laundry room also off a dressing room off main bedroom. Kitchen diner with room for a sofa and TV, with a fireplace and doors to the garden. Large walk in pantry and then down stairs loo and lots of cupboard space for coats, shoes, cleaning products etc. Covered outdoor kitchen.

Seainasive · 06/01/2025 12:59

Laundry room, bootroom, workshop and an office are my dream

Hoolahoophop · 06/01/2025 13:04

I just started a thread asking this, not seeing this one!

I'd have a bedroom for each member of the family and a balcony for the master.
A spare bedroom for guests
A large home office
Cozy living room.
Open plan living, dining and kitchen
Walk in pantry
Utility
Hobby/play room
Home gym.
5* Rabbit hotel for rescues!

ILoveAnnaQuay · 06/01/2025 13:07

I don't get the love for upstairs laundry rooms. You still have to cart your wet washing downstairs to hang it out.

MikeRafone · 06/01/2025 13:22

Ive never really understood why a laundry room is downstairs, it makes more sense to me to have it upstairs and occasionally come downstairs to hand washing out in the garden

OP posts:
housethatbuiltme · 06/01/2025 13:25

4 bedrooms

2 separate reception rooms

An office big enough for 2 (or even 2 offices)

2 family bathrooms (1 bath and one big shower)

Utility room or area

Mud room/porch thats not a tiny cupboard (big enough room for 5 people to disrobe wet coats etc... at the same time)

Conservatory/sun room

Low maintenance kid friendly sunny in the evening garden with BBQ area

Big walk in wardrobe, with loads of clothing storage

Boiler not in the bedroom (maybe the utility etc...) and gas/electric meters inside the house and easily reachable but out of the way (like under stairs etc...)

Brown windows made to look like wood (I HATE UPVC white or those painted grey ones)

Sauna (would love but seems ridiculous in the uk)

Electric wood burner style fire (ambiance with no downside)

Parking

Lots of little beautiful classic details like stained/frosted glass/leaded glass, moldings/cornices/coving, dado/picture rails, dark woods etc... but not tiles

Powderblue1 · 06/01/2025 13:25

We have a huge boiler cupboard in our house that is amazing for drying clothes. I hang clothes on coat hangers and dry them on large clothes rails.

We also have a third floor that is just attic space where you go up the stairs and walk through a normal sized door to the attic. It's great for storage and I have extra drying rails in there too and an ironing sauce always set up. I'd definitely choose these again in another home.

housethatbuiltme · 06/01/2025 13:26

ILoveAnnaQuay · 06/01/2025 13:07

I don't get the love for upstairs laundry rooms. You still have to cart your wet washing downstairs to hang it out.

I have literally NEVER hung clothes out, I don't really know anyone that does (in fact most houses don't even have lines anymore) except the little old lady down the street and frankly its a bit odd that we all know what her knickers look like.

housethatbuiltme · 06/01/2025 13:28

Powderblue1 · 06/01/2025 13:25

We have a huge boiler cupboard in our house that is amazing for drying clothes. I hang clothes on coat hangers and dry them on large clothes rails.

We also have a third floor that is just attic space where you go up the stairs and walk through a normal sized door to the attic. It's great for storage and I have extra drying rails in there too and an ironing sauce always set up. I'd definitely choose these again in another home.

That attic space sound like what I want as a walk in wardrobe type space... stair up then just loads of storage for clothes etc...

Belathecreator · 06/01/2025 13:30

I would have a study accessed through a door in a bookcase.
I would say, floor to ceiling bookshelves but DH has already built them.

Worldgonecrazy · 06/01/2025 13:31

A kitchen built for my (average!) height. I dropped the cupboards two inches in my current kitchen but still need to climb on the surfaces or use a stool to reach to back of the top cupboards.

I would love a massive walk in wardrobe for my clothes.

olderbutwiser · 06/01/2025 13:34

I did build my own house.

The two things I miss about it most are the built-in vacuum cleaner, including a port by the door for vacuuming the cars, and the wet underfloor heating. Other big wins were outdoor power points and an outdoor tap on each of the outside walls (it was a fairly big house). And power and water taken to my large greenhouse.

I miss that house, but don’t miss the marriage or XDH.

olderbutwiser · 06/01/2025 13:35

housethatbuiltme · 06/01/2025 13:26

I have literally NEVER hung clothes out, I don't really know anyone that does (in fact most houses don't even have lines anymore) except the little old lady down the street and frankly its a bit odd that we all know what her knickers look like.

😱😱😱

Seriously?

Am I now the little old lady down the street???

RockingLock · 06/01/2025 13:36

Hoolahoophop · 06/01/2025 13:04

I just started a thread asking this, not seeing this one!

I'd have a bedroom for each member of the family and a balcony for the master.
A spare bedroom for guests
A large home office
Cozy living room.
Open plan living, dining and kitchen
Walk in pantry
Utility
Hobby/play room
Home gym.
5* Rabbit hotel for rescues!

Happy to say I have all of these without the rabbit rescue (but do have a very spoilt house rabbit).

WhatTheFudges · 06/01/2025 13:36

A huge hallway big enough for a Xmas tree!

Bodeganights · 06/01/2025 13:37

A small library, the utility room upstairs, 2 bathrooms one with bathtub, one with shower, a porch, a mud room, plenty of parking, a garden room, a decent sized hallway where our shoes and coats will fit, a much bigger garage, and enough grounds I could start a small sanctuary for animals.

BigDahliaFan · 06/01/2025 13:39

A walk in pantry
Underfloor heating
Loads of insulation
Wood burning stove
A big ensuite with his and hers sinks.

NetballHoop · 06/01/2025 13:41

A walk in dog shower room accessible from the front of the house.
Soundproofed bedrooms so I don't hear my DC's shouting while playing on their computers.
An enclosed porch that can be used for receiving parcels.
A walk in larder.
Self cleaning toilets, like the public toilets that clean themselves after every use. I don't mind cleaning mine, but the others can make do with public style facilities.

hattie43 · 06/01/2025 13:42

I'd like a sundries room , laundry , dog shower , storage for outside wellies etc , pantry . Then I'd like a fabulous hallway to have a statement Christmas tree.

TeabySea · 06/01/2025 13:47

Ooh, I like this.
Solar, recycled water, heat pump, triple glazing- everything as eco as possible. General style of the house would be a Geogian manor/rectory.
Downstairs:
Boot room from garden into house with drying space.
Generous hallway with a high ceiling, and room for an armchair or two.
Lounge with an open fire, large mantelpiece and comfortable sofas.
Library that opens onto a conservatory, and then the garden.
Study with good storage.
A kitchen that we could sit in. A sofa in the kitchen and space to spread out.
Walk-in pantry .
A Utility room with good cupboard space and racks to dry clothes.
Double garage with a door through to the kitchen (or hallway)
Guest bedroom with ensuite.
Separate toilet with washbasin and shower.
Upstairs:
Wide corridors and a large landing with a window seat.
3 or 4 bedrooms at least double so that there's actually room in them. Our room and DCs to be ensuite with walk-in shower . Separate family bathroom with a deep bath.
Dressing room.
Rec room for DC.

Other features:
Attic space that you can easily stand in, and with more storage.
Small observatory in attic.
Generous gardens, including kitchen garden
Wide staircases.

Dreamingofgoldfinchlane · 06/01/2025 13:47

WhatTheFudges · 06/01/2025 13:36

A huge hallway big enough for a Xmas tree!

Yes! We designed our orangery to be double height specifically so we could have a huge Christmas tree. I love it - it's stunning from both the inside and outside.