If you plan to live in your current house "forever", what features do you like about it?
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Anonymous
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The mortgage. It's utterly affordable and allows me to live within my (non-profit, single mom) means. It also leaves me with the funds for improvements as necessary. It's an older house. |
Anonymous
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Interesting. When I think about our home as our "forever home" I think of until the kids go to college since we would probably go retire in Europe where DH is from.
So even though ours is not our forever home, it is for the next 30 years. We love our guest room and guest bath, laundry next to the kitchen, and low deck. |
Anonymous
This is exactly us, but ours is 2000SF on the main floor and another ~600 of living space on the (daylight) lower level. Ours will be paid off in 5 years. We live in Silver Spring, inside the Beltway. |
Anonymous
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I will likely sell it after my kid goes to college, but that is 15 years off. That said, if I did decide to age in place, it has the following:
(1) first floor bedrooms - two of them. (2) first floor full bathroom next to the bedrooms (3) first floor washer/dryer next to the kitchen (4) small porch that could support a wheelchair ramp if necessary. (5) open kitchen that could handle a wheelchair (6) close to buslines if I couldn't drive, and close-in. (7) uncomplicated yards that a neighbor's kid could mow - cheaper than a landscaper. |
Anonymous
| walkability |
Anonymous
| Open floor plan, lots of natural light yet trees that shade the deck. Deck is 2nd story so not too many bugs and we don't look into our neighbors houses (we're above them, on a hill). Our neighbors are nice. Easy to get places from our neighborhood, good food nearby. Nice neighborhood for taking walks. We're happy with the schools. One floor living but good seperation between living area and bedrooms. |
Anonymous
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We bought our "forever home" about two years ago. It's not in the D.C. area. No way would I want to retire anywhere near D.C. It's a neat area. And we always have fun living there. But it's way too cold and way too busy for us to consider as a retirement home.
I love that our forever home isn't huge...just under 3000 sq feet. I can take care of it as we age. We have a beautiful yard. But we're slowly mulching and landscaping so that we'll have less grass to mow. My husband will not hire a lawn service as long as he can push a mower. He is way too picky about the lawn. It's all one story. No stairs to worry about. We are in a golf, swim, tennis community. Our neighborhood has a small water-park with waterslides, a lazy river, and fountains for the grand-kids. My husband and I love to play golf and tennis. The community has an active community center with a lot of social activities. We are close to a hospital. There is very little traffic and the area is very safe. Very low cost of living. ....all things we were looking for when we found our home. |
Anonymous
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huge yard - 2 acres
great price for a million dollar home (some definite perks to a sucky market) well built (older - with brick and stone) plenty of room remodeled kitchen that brings in lots of light 3 full BA with two sinks in each, 1 half bath What's not to love? |
Anonymous
Stairs. |
Anonymous
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We built our home 1 year ago and will likely stay here until our kids are out of college (they're 11 and 9 now) for a total of 15 years. We were in our prior home 13 years. I LOVE our current home but it is very big, has three levels, and no bedroom on the first floor. We're in Arlington, just under a mile to Metro...very convenient now, but that probably won't be workable when we're 80.
One thing I struggle with is the size home we'll need when we're retired. I don't want too large of a home to maintain but I also want a big enough home so that my kids and their families can stay with us when they visit (assuming we don't all live near each other). My sisters and brothers and I are all very close. We'd love to all stay together for holidays but my parents radically downsized and there just isn't room now that we all have families. We can sometimes convince our parents to do holidays at one of the sibling's houses but not every year. |
Anonymous
| Affordable mortgage. Sufficient space. Safe area. Great schools. Friendly neighbors. Laundry room upstairs near bedrooms. Skylights in bathrooms. Large screened porch backing up to wooded walking trail. Walking distance to school, pool, parks, and coffee. |
Anonymous
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Our kids are in college/soon to go to college. We will stay in our house at least another 10-15 years(have been here 15 years already). I like the neighborhood/Maryland, proximity to DC (just outside), the floor plan of the house (open but traditional, big but not too much for 2 people, entertaining space), the kitchen we put in a couple of years ago, the private but small yard.
Longer term we will probably spend half the year at our summer house and have either a smaller house or an apartment here. |
Anonymous
| One floor living, large wooded backyard, which can be kept wild and not require maintenance, no grass or any landscaping. Walkability to most necessary amenities and easy drive to the city amenities. Peaceful, quiet, nice views, nice neighbors. Ideally, I would want an apartment in the city in addition to the home, this will be my cottage in the woods, a retreat, LOL. |
Anonymous
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I am the PP, and yes, I can agree. But we actually sold our rambler and purchased this colonial. After living in a rambler for all of my childhood and much of my adulthood, I couldn't do it again. I needed a change.
FWIW, our office is on the first floor, and it's big enough for a bedroom - but no full bath on the first floor.
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Anonymous
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1) Large open space on main floor.
2) Lots of windows and light on all three levels 3) Sunroom 4) Beautiful neighborhood - lots of big old trees, lots of easements and walking paths. 5) Active swimming and tennis club across the street. 6) Honestly, I feel happy and relaxed as soon as I drive into my subdivision. I LOVE MY HOUSE! |