Since we shared our house wish list back in the fall of 2010, we’ve been meaning to update it. I recently found the original list tucked into a vase on the bedroom floor, and it was fun to see that, after seven years of homeownership, much of it remains the same. We crossed items off as they changed and added new ideas over time — even when we weren’t actively looking for a house, whenever we thought of something for our “someday house” we jotted it down. Not surprisingly, the essentials stayed consistent, but our nice-to-have list expanded as we discovered new things we’d appreciate, even if we didn’t strictly need them.
Must Haves:
- Four bedrooms (or three bedrooms plus an office), with at least three bedrooms on the same floor
- At least two full bathrooms but no more than three (three full baths sometimes felt like too many tubs and showers to maintain, so we were open to two or two-and-a-half)
- Within our budget
- A private street with limited through traffic so Clara could safely ride her scooter and, later, learn to ride a bike
- About the same square footage as our last house, give or take 100 square feet — nothing dramatically larger or smaller
- Not a new build — we prefer homes with character and the potential that comes with older properties
- Good schools — Clara’s schooling was non-negotiable; a great neighborhood school mattered more than a showy house
- Walkable neighborhood — we love long evening walks, so safety and sidewalks were important
- A relatively flat backyard without dangerous drop-offs for Clara and Burger’s safety
- A safe, well-cared-for neighborhood so we wouldn’t risk over-improving our house in an otherwise neglected block — essentially, the “pick the worst house in the best neighborhood” approach
Nice To Haves:
- A private backyard — our first house’s mix of lawn and woods felt like the ideal yard
- A kitchen that could be opened up into a living or family room — we love removing walls to create more open, airy spaces
- Extra-high ceilings when possible — they’re often out of budget, but still something we notice (our unfinished storage room offered a chance to loft the space someday)
- A brick exterior for low maintenance and classic curb appeal, though we were open to other options if a two-story brick home proved too costly
- Direct access from the kitchen to an outdoor BBQ or dining area without walking through multiple rooms — we enjoy outdoor meals and planned to add a French door from the kitchen to the deck when needed
- A window over the kitchen sink that looks out — both of our previous homes had windows there, though they faced sunrooms rather than open yards
- A real pantry — our first house had none and the second only a tall cabinet, so a true pantry with a door was on the list
- Sidelights flanking the front door — we thought they might be out of reach for our budget until we found a house with them
- An actual foyer or entryway, since our first two homes opened right into the living or dining area
- For two-story houses, we preferred the front door not to open directly onto the stairs; offset stairs feel less cramped
- A garage — our first house had a double garage, the second only a carport, so we wanted the convenience of enclosed parking and storage
- An existing deck or patio would be a welcome bonus, even if it needed some updating
Our new house ended up meeting all the must-haves and nine of the twelve nice-to-haves. It doesn’t have extra-high ceilings, the backyard could use more shrubs for privacy, and the kitchen doesn’t yet open directly onto an outdoor dining area. Those are all things we can explore over time, and we’re optimistic that at least two of those items can be accomplished eventually — so it should be fun to see how the place evolves.
How about you — what do you look for in a house? Do you keep separate lists for must-haves and dream features? We find that splitting “needs” and “wants” into two lists helps clarify priorities and makes trade-offs easier when touring homes.