Browse Forums General Discussion 1 Dec 01, 2011 10:22 am Hi All Not sure if this has been done before but we are just in the process of designing our new home and I thought I would put it out there to see what people love about the house the have built, are building or renovating and what they hate or would never do again. Other peoples experiences can always help you see things from another perspective. It can be anything . ok I will Start: My Hates 1) I hate my oven, I hate the brand and the style. Its been nothing but trouble (and it was'nt cheap) and I dont like that its free standing. Will be going with wall oven next time as I am always worried about the littlies touching it etc when I am cooking and everytime I bend over to check it my necklace gets roasting hot and then burns me when I stand up again (Stupid I know but it drives me crazy to the point where it dont wear my necklace anymore) 2) My Study is situated with the minor bedrooms and with babies we cant work in there at night because the printer and that disturbs them. So study next time will be well away from all bedrooms. My Loves 1) My big deep bath, a Champers and a lock on the door and a few minutes to myself - Bliss 2) The way my living flows to the outside alfresco and I can see th kids playing in the yard from anywhere in the kitchen or living areas and am always part of the action even if cooking when we entertain. Ok so over to you guys - Hope to hear others opinions Re: What do you Love.... and Hate about your Home 2Dec 01, 2011 12:56 pm I honestly love everything about mine. Esp the walk in pantry, the locks on doors!, the 3 bathrooms, the deck, the floor to ceiling windows and doors etc sure, would have been good to have built everything bigger, but we didnt have the funds My only gripe is, I didnt think about re charging a laptop while watching tv we put 2 powerpoints where we knew a couch would be, one for a lamp and the other spare. That spare one is used to charge, but you have to pull the couch forward as it is halfway along the wall etc etc pain, we should have put one in the corner on the other wall, hidden from sight lines (as a storage box is there), but easy to get to for recharging. Very minor, and on that 'other wall' there is a powerpoint in the next room, so will one day get a sparky back to fit one this side as well. so we can charge lappies and phones and ipads etc while watching the box. how techno are we!! ps edited to say...have them being charged as we use them I mean. Re: What do you Love.... and Hate about your Home 3Dec 01, 2011 1:25 pm Haven't moved in yet, but had our walk through and the following will really get me: I hate our paint. We picked a low sheen for the door jambs, skirts and arcs and it marks like buggery. I give it 6 months before I re do it. Our walk in pantry I should have picked a cavity slide instead f a hinged door. Now the only way to fix is have a slider mounted in side the pantry but that means a new door. Also not too sure about the location of en-suite backing on to bed 2, but we'll see how it goes. I love our cooktop and oven. Also the fact that we can all be in the central living area doing our own things or be in a separate living space if you want some space. I'm sure I'll love mot living with my Mother in law a bit as well. She's been very helpful, but enough is enough. Re: What do you Love.... and Hate about your Home 4Dec 01, 2011 6:59 pm What a great thread! We are living in a rental at the moment until our house is built. There are LOT'S of things we hate about the rental house & it's brand new!- Master bedroom at the front of the house - we hear every noise on the street & every car going past Hallway is dark because there are no sidelights at the front door Kitchen is crappy & oven is even worse not even worth turning it on! Not enough power points Hurry up with our own house already A bank is a place that will lend you money only if you can prove that you don't need it... Re: What do you Love.... and Hate about your Home 5Dec 01, 2011 10:25 pm Loving - The massive space. The store room in the garage so I can still fit two cars in there + all the usual rubbish. Being able to see the telly from the kitchen bench so I can still watch it while preparing dinner. The long driveway and massive crossover that makes my block look and feel twice as big as it is. Being on a hill so my neighbours are further sperated and we don't hear each others every move. The large entry. Every time I walk through that fronty door I get that grande feeling of being home. Much nicer than the usual dim hallway before ou get anywhere. The massive master bedroom. Even with a king sized bed I an still walk around th rom freely and store more junk in there without getting camped in the slightest. The massive heating and cooling. Haven't even felt the need for a fan yet despite some high 30 degree days. The breeze just blows straight through the front door through the lounge and out to the alfresco. Passive security. I can see the front door and out onto the street (if the door is open) from my favourite position on the couch. Means I can leave the house open without worrying about someone sneeking in and stealing from the master bedroom whilst at home. It's position. I don't have neighbours across the road from me. There is a strip of "nature forever" that the developers have just spent a million dollars on making it all look pretty, landscaping it, adding paths while leaving it full of nice tall trees to block out the other side. Things I hate- I forgot to add a light in the walk in linen cupboard >:[ everytime you try to grab something out you naturally try and flick the lights on and theres just nothing there! No dedicated space for the microwave. At the monment I have to pull it out of the cupboard everytime I want to use it. Easy fixed though. I'm going to drill a hole through one of the cupboards so it can stay in there and the power cord and go straight through to a powerpoint without being seen. No door on the back of the garage yet. Great opening for access. Can fit a bobcat through or big lounges etc, but it means my garage isn't lockable so I can't leave all my tools in there yet.+ the car is covered in dust everytime I get home. The fences as part of the land package are just a bit too high. I had a lovely view over the entire estate and out into the forrest which has now been blocked by a big ugly green fence. It does mean I don't have to wear clothes though Re: What do you Love.... and Hate about your Home 6Dec 03, 2011 1:59 am We've been here 3 years and there's a few things that work /not for us: Not so great: Miele standard oven. The bigger the better—especially around Christmas time Open plan. Yep, it might be great in theory but the surround sound carries everywhere. Render. It cracks. Sure it's spidery veins because we had a good build but it's still there .. annoying. Internal flat paint... ugh. Fingerprints on the walls after kid's birthdays are a nightmare. Main bedroom. It's too big. Yeah, you can oversize your bedroom. What do you do with that extra space? Could've gone elsewhere. You only sleep there after all. Study. Could be bigger. 5 x 2.8 or so isn't large enough when you work full time from home. Floorboard finish.... I'd do it the shiny hard finish on the hardwood floors. Better wear and tear. Dark hallway. Design issue. Still in Love All the light flowing into the kitchen/family/dining room from the huge plates of glass. Wide eaves that keep the sun off the house in summer and let it stream through in winter... (thank you eco architect) Gas heater ... no need for RC aircon in winter... big kiss on romance Curtains on windows ... yeah it's needed especially when there's a lot of it Garden ... oh I love that wall of gardenias Grass... Fu Manchu if you're still on here you deserve a bit fat smacking kiss General Design - kids upstairs, parents downstairs ... love it Wool carpet - luxury under your toes Double shower in ensuite ... love it three bathrooms for three people ... nice huge kitchen ... best part of the house and heaps of glamor to bustle around in surround sound... worth the money Screen doors... summer wouldn't be the same without you Wall of pantry... love Laundry in the garage... easy to live with High cost I'd give up Wooden deck... never use it because we're outside when we're inside and the damn thing needs too much upkeep Bifolds ... nice idea but we never use them because of flies and mozzies and pets etc What I'd do differently Cut the size of the bedroom, reduce the balcony (never use it) and create more zones. I really hate to admit my partner was right . Re: What do you Love.... and Hate about your Home 7Dec 03, 2011 9:25 am Hmmm. Things I love. At first I things didnt spring to mind because we are on the middle of a seemingly, never ending renovation but then I though about it. Love My kitchen. Put hours into designing it and it works really well. Lots of draws, gas hotplate and AEG wall oven (I would rather 2 small ovens than 1 big). Needs a revamp now, especially since I set fire to it but wouldnt change the design My timber floors and cedar french doors. The cedar is similar color to the floor and picks up the red. Higher ceilings Leadlight front door panels and painted door My bathroom. Even after 15 years it is my favorite escape to shut the door and chill out in the spa Our new room being built. Is a family / lounge area and I loove it. Lots of windows in right places so is light but not hot. Double glazed, looks out on a paddock. Its not finished and I already love it (and my hubbie who has done all the work ) Laundry. Great size with drying rails inside so no need for dryer Dont like Main bedroom too small (but one part of the endless renovation is to turn lounge into Main bedroom, so that will be remedied.........eventually) Location. We used to be in a semi rural area but are no on a busy road where idiot tradies do endless wheel spins round our corner in hotted up utes Centre of house is dark Not enough office space. Both of us are self emplyed and I work from home so need a dedicated office Could do with another bedroom...or a door that prevents kids who have left home from moving back Re: What do you Love.... and Hate about your Home 8Dec 03, 2011 3:33 pm Love: North facing 180* view of Brisbane Waters. We don't have a lot of luxurious things in this old run down house compared to what I've read above and what we've lived in previously - but when we stand and look at the beautiful blue water with boats whizzing about everywhere - we don't mind a bit. Now we know why people bang on about water views. Re: What do you Love.... and Hate about your Home 9Dec 04, 2011 12:23 am Wow guys! great responses and some fabulous ideas to put into practice. Its funny that sometimes its the littlest things that just make life so much easier and living in your home so much more enjoyable. Our current house has just gone on the market this week so will definately have to sharpen the pencils and start getting some ideas down on paper. Kiwi - I soooo need a lock on my pantry. I swear everytime I turn my back theres a chair pulled up to it and another pack of biccies has disappeared. I need shares in Arnotts . I also have the same issue with powerpoints behind lounges. I went and got small extension cords and tucked them just behind the lounge so i can get to them easy but so they are also just away out of sight. Chrisandkate - definately like the idea of having open plan but also seperate spaces as well. A must as my monsters get older and start having friends over. Buttercup - our bedroom is behind our garage - just love it. I agree I hate hearing all the street noise. Hope you get into your place soon Meatbag - as nice as neighbours are (sometimes) its nice to have some nature around you isn't it. We have a creek at the end of the street and I love all the birds etc even if they getting are up at 4am at the moment. Lots of space to store your junk is a must, especially for hubby - he has soooo much - I of course have none . DeeElle - so glad you mentioned the floorboard finish. Want to go with timber next time but with the kiddies it needs it to be hard wearing so will definately go hard and shiny. - What sort of wood is yours. We are looking at grey Ironbark or Wandoo. Love my wool carpet too and curtains. Your house sounds just gorgeous. tjilpi - A well designed kitchen is heaven. Will be putting alot of effort into getting mine better this time. Also high ceilings - Just love them Could not live without them now. Amadio - oh to have water views - or any views. You Lucky thing, Im jealous Keep it coming guys Re: What do you Love.... and Hate about your Home 10Dec 04, 2011 8:25 am Great thread, I love it!! Love: Having your own home - Living in a rental now, I can say from experience, the best bit is owning your own home (or the bank owning part!!) so you can do whatever you want in your own space, such as, hang pictures and paint walls, etc. The list of things I loved about our last homes were numerous but some little things that spring to mind are: spa in ensuite to get away from the world (or kids at least), pot drawers in the kitchen, sensor light in pantry, sink positioned to see TV and family, outside undercover decking for outside meals, internal access from garage, swimming pool, I could go on and on.... Hate: Not too many things I can think of but I did hate lack of bench space in laundry (which I will be getting in new place) and small oven (big one in new place), formal lounge/dining that we never used!!! (Don't get me wrong - extra living areas are fantastic if they serve a purpose but ours was at the front of the house away from everything - would have been better to put doors on it and make it a cinema room or similar) Love to hear what people spent extra money on and wished they hadn't..... Re: What do you Love.... and Hate about your Home 11Dec 04, 2011 11:32 am Charley We've got spotted gum throughout, including the stairs. We originally had a urethane finish but after some water damage we went for a more 'modern' acrylic matt finish. Ugh. It might look pretty but the wear and tear is dreadful—scratches everywhere and peeling in hard wearing spots like the study . The stairs are still in the urethane finish and look fabulous in comparison. It does yellow the wood slightly but TBH I'd never do acrylic again. Especially in such a well lit house. The other thing I'd do is add more cupboards. You can never have enough. A linen cupboard in the hallway (taking up space in the garage but who cares) would've been ideal. I'd probably put a power board on the island bench as well, but now I'm being fussy. One of the great things we did was put in a small appliance cupboard in the kitchen for the toaster and kettle. Makes a real difference to the minimalist look. Love it. Re: What do you Love.... and Hate about your Home 13Dec 04, 2011 9:13 pm 2 months in and the only thing I really hate is how I overlooked the positioning of two light switches. They're in stupid to reach spots lol. Honestly outside of missing a couple of powerpoints, there's not a thing I wouldn't do again with my house. Would maybe try and include a butler pantry into the kitchen as we're doing it tough for space, but I don't know how that would of got incorporated into our house without chopping off my theatre room (Which aint happening!) Love my house Land Deposit - 18/12/2009 Became a land Baron - 21/12/2010 Site Start - 27/1/2011 All moved in!! Re: What do you Love.... and Hate about your Home 14Dec 05, 2011 10:44 am Armadio, your views sound great. would be nice to wake up to that each day Mine isn't a big or flash place. We moved it here from somewhere else, and have been renovating ever since Once our new room is finished our house house will be a grand size of about 20 or so squares. Re: What do you Love.... and Hate about your Home 15Dec 05, 2011 11:16 am Love this thread ...good work Charnley!!! Love:The open living plan and the centralised kitchen from where I can pretty much see all the living areas....the family,dining,alfresco,rumpus and study! Also love the bedrooms together so when we have little ones it's easier to check on 'em Love my Kitchen!!!the highlight of our house Hate:the ducted heating and the dust it throws...portable heater even though much more expensive is so much better Could have done differentlyWish we hadn't removed the feature tiles to the ensuite splashback during tender.....totally worth the money We forgot to add a light in the walk in Linen Re: What do you Love.... and Hate about your Home 16Dec 06, 2011 5:28 pm We've been in about 21 months. Love almost everything ... - lots of different spaces in the house to suit our mood - garage connected to the house so we can get the shopping in without getting wet - laundry in the house - hate washing clothes a lot less when it's not all grotty from dirt from being exposed to the elements - starting a yard from scratch - so much easier to maintain when you start from nothing - play room/theatre room - love watching movies and playing games in here. - no tv in the lounge - love being able to sit and talk rather than ppl getting distracted by tv... Things i'd do different.... - make the door to the balcony bigger so we get more breeze in summer - rangehood seems too short - we keep banging our heads on it when we cook Things I might regret later... - no shower downstairs...maybe when i'm old and hate stairs this is going to come back and bite me Re: What do you Love.... and Hate about your Home 17Dec 06, 2011 11:24 pm Oh Oh - I forgot a "I Love" - I love that my washing line is undercover. How sad is that Out of my whole house (and its a very nice house) I love that i have a roof over the washing line. It is just perfect with the amount of washing I have to do with the kids. Even in Winter everything drys within a day. So many Kitchen loves out there. Going to make sure my next Kitchen is a dream, Granite, walk-in pantry (with a lock - thanks Kiwi). Lots of bench space and Im going to get all the smart little gadgets like bin drawers and intergrated dishwashers oh and one of those really awesome fridge drawers. Hang on a minute - I have a budget DeeElle - love spotted gum - just gorgeous. Also I have snuck a look at Dollars floors - she has Ironbark and I luurrv it. Will definatley go with with the urethane finish. I also love not having to rent but I think we will have to rent while we build to free up the finances. Hopefully it wont be too bad if I know I have a nice house to move into at the end of it. Will need to remember lights in linen cupboards. Lucky hubby is a sparky so he is pretty switched on (pardon the pun) with all that stuff. Still jealous about the water views - maybe I will have a pond Re: What do you Love.... and Hate about your Home 18Dec 08, 2011 3:30 pm YES!! we have an undercover clothes line too..LOVE IT! hey, bring on the rain showers at 2pm..dont care we have a walk in pantry but NO DOOR (you just walk in, love it, like going into a shop to choose things) and yes, locks on the master bed, and all the bathrooms, never had that before. Had to lean forward to keep the door shut, not attactive, and not a relaxed way of sitting just had to comment re the clothesline, am grateful every day for it! (sad...must get a life) Re: What do you Love.... and Hate about your Home 19Dec 08, 2011 8:08 pm Only two hate,s small ensuite and didn't go 31c celling in the living areas but when your on a budget you have to be realistic Like all the rest of the house and so do my kids thats the main thing Re: What do you Love.... and Hate about your Home 20Dec 08, 2011 10:37 pm This is a bit of fun but also very interesting... We have been in our new house for 8 months it's only small and we are only here for a short time as we are currently building (hopefully) our dream home on the same property. Essentially this house has been my 'play' house... I love the look of the light coloured, natural stone tiles in from front door to the kithcen/meals rear outdoor area but they are painful to keep clean. Next house spotted gum, everywhere except wet areas. Love niches in showers but carpenter hub does not want these in our new house, he found them tedious and also just thinks adds higher risk of leaking even though he waterproofs like a man possessed! Love outdoor deck and surrounding established plants - instant garden never done it before, I found this really enjoyable. We used recycled corrugated iron (from the house we demolished) on one side of decked area and it looks great also hides a very ugly existing fence and adds a rustic dimension to the area that I love. Hate the oven and hotplates, basic range so hoping to have some really nice appliances in our new house. Hate, hate, hate the single door pantry (plans had double pantry however, cabinet maker changed the design with no consultation) new house has a walk in pantry, new kitchen designer and I have spent a great deal of time planning my new kitchen, big lesson here. Love big laundry so I can leave ironing board up all the time and still have plenty of room to move around. Love the look of the long cylinder chunky push front door handle but hate once it's locked from the inside we cannot open with a key from the outside very annoying. Most of all I love the light in the house however, I am worried that our new house will not have as much natural light, hub assures me once it's plastered and painted it will be lighter than it appears now .... hope so. Finally I don't really like the colour of the white birch windows, a bit too creamy so next house I have selected a whiter/beige colour and I have also tall large sliding magnum windows balcony upstairs and to deck area downstairs - these went in a few weeks ago and love, love, love them. Thanks mate. Yeah good points! Leaning towards Option 3 to get a bit extra space in the cabinets but not going too crazy high (and expensive). Would require a mini… 13 40698 This is the current bathroom with a european laundry. Overall internal dimensions are 3.69 wide and 3.65m deep, including the footprint of the laundry. There is a toilet… 0 11278 |