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Post by cmpeter on Sept 17, 2024 13:51:30 GMT
We just sold our house and are in a short term rental while we look for our next place. We want to buy in the next 4-6 months. Sooner if we find the perfect place tomorrow.
Four beds and 2.5 bathrooms
Light and bright
Nothing to update
Primary or a guest bed/bath on main floor or single story
3-car garage or separate shop space for dh
Neighbors you can see but aren’t on top of
AC
I know many say no HOA, but I would like one. Our rental is in a master planned community. We lived in this same community 28 years ago, bought our second house here. They have an HOA. The place is so well maintained, looks almost the same.
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smartypants71
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,843 
Location: Houston, TX
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Post by smartypants71 on Sept 17, 2024 14:28:03 GMT
DH and I are looking to move outside the loop (gasp!) bc I'm sick of people's sh&# where we live now. Since I moved departments, I only go into the office 3x per week, so I'm ok with the longer commute. Here are our requirements:
Must have:
<3000sf
3 beds + study
Primary bath must have large soaker tub with separate shower, water closet. Nice to have would be a vanity area
Large primary closet (obviously)
Pool
Gas for stove, water heater and furnace
Good HOA (see reason for our moving)
Within 10 mins of a Park & Ride
Nice to have:
One story but ok with 2 as long as primary is on 1st
Detached garage
No tile except for kitchen/utility/bath areas
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Post by aprilfay21 on Sept 17, 2024 15:31:54 GMT
We have a large wish list, but only some are deal breakers. With 4 kids and my DH's aunt living with us, we need a lot of space.
Deal breakers
At least 3k sq ft
5-6 bedrooms
Large kitchen with 6 burner gas stove
Eat on island, or dine in kitchen
Dining room
2 offices (one for each of us)
Game room
At least 4 bathrooms with a powder
At least 1/2 an acre with a pool, or room for one
High ceilings in living, at least
One secondary bed down with private bath (for aunt) or a MIL suite
Oversized shower in master
Lots of natural light
Would be nice
Walk in pantry
Space for backpacks/quick launch
Lots of storage
Large laundry room with hanging space and a sink
Undercounter lighting in the kitchen
Backyard you can see from the living/kitchen
Oversized driveway, lots of parking
No HOA
Outdoor kitchen
2 separate toilets in the master
Lots of storage
Space for a gym
Tankless water heater (if not, we'd just install our own)
Double full size ovens
Outdoor seating space in front
Library
Lots of storage
Close to highways
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Post by crazy4scraps on Sept 17, 2024 23:53:23 GMT
I don't think I would like that. Sometimes guest or workmen do come in through our garage and I don't want them seeing my messy pantry.  I like how our garage door into the house opens up into a short hallway with a powder room on one side and the laundry room on the other side. I didn't know some places don't allow it. I never heard that before. I see photos of gas ranges with microwave above them a lot. Here is one: www.donsappliances.com/blog/over-the-range-microwave-styles. Even here in code crazy California they are allowed. Because I apparently look for fire/burn risks everywhere, (  ) when I see those microwaves over stoves, I always shudder at the mental image of someone spilling something hot when pulling it out of a microwave placed above them. I just feel like kitchens these days have acres of countertop, so if I had a new, big kitchen, I'd for sure just leave it on the counter. That fear of mine aside, though, I do wonder why it's a code violation in some areas. I had no idea! I think it’s a greater fire hazard when the cooktop is gas. Have you ever watched one of those cooking shows where they’re cooking something oily and light it on fire, how high up the flames go? Here the code says there has to be 24” of clearance between the top of the stove and the bottom of the microwave, which in many instances would make the microwave too high up for a lot of people. |
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Post by melanell on Sept 18, 2024 10:31:02 GMT
Because I apparently look for fire/burn risks everywhere, ( ) when I see those microwaves over stoves, I always shudder at the mental image of someone spilling something hot when pulling it out of a microwave placed above them. I just feel like kitchens these days have acres of countertop, so if I had a new, big kitchen, I'd for sure just leave it on the counter. That fear of mine aside, though, I do wonder why it's a code violation in some areas. I had no idea! I think it’s a greater fire hazard when the cooktop is gas. Have you ever watched one of those cooking shows where they’re cooking something oily and light it on fire, how high up the flames go? Here the code says there has to be 24” of clearance between the top of the stove and the bottom of the microwave, which in many instances would make the microwave too high up for a lot of people. That makes sense from a practical stand-point as well. I remember when my aunt had her kitchen redone, she was so happy about the idea of modernizing her 1960s kitchen, but the a few of the modernizations turned out to be an issue, and this was one of them. She does a ton of cooking, all from scratch, and she realized too late that when they put the microwave over her stove, which they assured her was the new, best way to do things, that she literally couldn't fit her largest stock pots on the back burners anymore, because the microwave is too low. So if she's using a stockpot, which she does often, and she wants to use the other three burners as well, which she does do with some regularity, she has to try to reach around the stockpot to use the back burner the entire time. Oops. |
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Post by Zee on Sept 18, 2024 19:37:43 GMT
My microwave is above the stove and I'm 5'2" and yes, they're always a bit high! I can get stuff in and out but I have to have a little stool to clean the roof of it properly, and to reach into my highest cabinets (the trials of being short!).
I've never been aware of how high code says it has to be but my last 3 houses all had it above the oven and two were new construction, so, obviously to code.
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smartypants71
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,843
Location: Houston, TX
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Post by smartypants71 on Sept 18, 2024 19:41:46 GMT
My microwave is above the stove and I'm 5'2" and yes, they're always a bit high! I can get stuff in and out but I have to have a little stool to clean the roof of it properly, and to reach into my highest cabinets (the trials of being short!). I've never been aware of how high code says it has to be but my last 3 houses all had it above the oven and two were new construction, so, obviously to code. I would still prefer my microwave to be over the stove vs the ones that function like a drawer. I absolutely HATE those and would rip out in a heartbeat. Mine in my house now is wall-mounted and it is at a perfect height. |
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Post by Zee on Sept 18, 2024 19:51:12 GMT
My microwave is above the stove and I'm 5'2" and yes, they're always a bit high! I can get stuff in and out but I have to have a little stool to clean the roof of it properly, and to reach into my highest cabinets (the trials of being short!). I've never been aware of how high code says it has to be but my last 3 houses all had it above the oven and two were new construction, so, obviously to code. I would still prefer my microwave to be over the stove vs the ones that function like a drawer. I absolutely HATE those and would rip out in a heartbeat. Mine in my house now is wall-mounted and it is at a perfect height. I forgot that in the basement we had them put in a kitchen and they put the microwave down low. The ceilings are not as high so maybe that is why, my DH ok'd the layout and I didn't bother much with input into layouts, only finishes. The hood vent is in a cabinet above the hood. It's a little weird. It's weird having it low down there. It's not in a drawer though. It rarely gets used but one day MIL may have to live with us so, it's all fitted out as an independent apartment. |
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Post by melanell on Sept 18, 2024 21:25:17 GMT
My microwave is above the stove and I'm 5'2" and yes, they're always a bit high! I can get stuff in and out but I have to have a little stool to clean the roof of it properly, and to reach into my highest cabinets (the trials of being short!). I've never been aware of how high code says it has to be but my last 3 houses all had it above the oven and two were new construction, so, obviously to code. I would still prefer my microwave to be over the stove vs the ones that function like a drawer. I absolutely HATE those and would rip out in a heartbeat. Mine in my house now is wall-mounted and it is at a perfect height. I've seen those drawer unit ones and also ones just low in an open spot below counter height. I just like them at counter height, myself. That could either be wall-mounted as you said, or even just sitting on the counter, especially if I had the size kitchen that is often built in average size homes these days. |
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Post by crazy4scraps on Sept 22, 2024 3:06:58 GMT
My microwave is above the stove and I'm 5'2" and yes, they're always a bit high! I can get stuff in and out but I have to have a little stool to clean the roof of it properly, and to reach into my highest cabinets (the trials of being short!). I've never been aware of how high code says it has to be but my last 3 houses all had it above the oven and two were new construction, so, obviously to code. I’m also 5’2” and mine is above the cooktop too but our cooktop is electric so the code is different and it can be lower. I want to say it’s 18” above the cooktop with a small wide cabinet above that. I can reach the whole inside to clean it without needing a stool. If it was 6” higher I don’t think that would work for me at all. |
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Post by chaosisapony on Sept 22, 2024 3:13:30 GMT
I want one of those big old laundry rooms that has natural light, tons of storage space and its own sink.
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Post by compeateropeator on Sept 22, 2024 8:05:49 GMT
For me here in the northeast, my two top wishlist items would be a full house generator and a screened in porch.
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Post by Merge on Sept 22, 2024 22:09:20 GMT
For me here in the northeast, my two top wishlist items would be a full house generator and a screened in porch. Ohhh, good point on the generator. Also on the wishlist for us if our next place is in Houston. Screened in porch/patio would be nice, too. |
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smartypants71
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,843
Location: Houston, TX
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Post by smartypants71 on Sept 23, 2024 14:59:30 GMT
DH and I went to look at a house yesterday, and I would like to add to my list of dealbreakers.
I prefer not to have neighbors who mow the lawn topless. I wish I were kidding, but that house quickly got crossed off the list. I might have let it go, but they also had a boat being stored in their side yard, plus a giant camo-covered dually with a flat tire in the driveway. I just feel like they don't match with my aesthetic.
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Post by Merge on Sept 24, 2024 3:09:12 GMT
DH and I went to look at a house yesterday, and I would like to add to my list of dealbreakers. I prefer not to have neighbors who mow the lawn topless. I wish I were kidding, but that house quickly got crossed off the list. I might have let it go, but they also had a boat being stored in their side yard, plus a giant camo-covered dually with a flat tire in the driveway. I just feel like they don't match with my aesthetic. See, that’s what you get house-shopping in the burbs. 😂 |
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I like how our garage door into the house opens up into a short hallway with a powder room on one side and the laundry room on the other side. 
) when I see those microwaves over stoves, I always shudder at the mental image of someone spilling something hot when pulling it out of a microwave placed above them. I just feel like kitchens these days have acres of countertop, so if I had a new, big kitchen, I'd for sure just leave it on the counter.
