Things I hate on homes

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't understand what's wrong with pavers. We replaced our ugly concrete driveway with pavers -- they're beautiful but expensive. I don't get it.

I'd like to do this as well, but haven't gotten around to it.

What's "wrong" with it is that it takes some cash. The OP probably has scant cash but thinks her refined taste makes up for it.

[Anonymous]

--carports
--when you see more garage door from the street than you do house
--McMansions w/ brick on the front and siding on the sides/back
--wall to wall carpet
--boring white walls

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:--carports
--when you see more garage door from the street than you do house
--McMansions w/ brick on the front and siding on the sides/back
--wall to wall carpet
--boring white walls

I love carports on mid century modern houses, and I would so rather see "boring" white paint that I could live with temporarily rather than some of the eye searing disasters I saw while house hunting. Searing hot pink that they weren't too careful with in one house, dripped all over the kick boards.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:--carports
--when you see more garage door from the street than you do house
--McMansions w/ brick on the front and siding on the sides/back
--wall to wall carpet
--boring white walls

I'm with you on the carports. If you are going to the trouble to build a roof, why not finish it off with a couple of walls and a door?
I also don't care for plush or cut pile wall to wall, but some berbers in the basement don't bother me as much - as long as it is new/clean

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:--carports
--when you see more garage door from the street than you do house
--McMansions w/ brick on the front and siding on the sides/back
--wall to wall carpet
--boring white walls

I love carports on mid century modern houses, and I would so rather see "boring" white paint that I could live with temporarily rather than some of the eye searing disasters I saw while house hunting. Searing hot pink that they weren't too careful with in one house, dripped all over the kick boards.

There's a happy medium somewhere between white and searing hot pink. I'd paint over either one before moving in but kudos to the hot pink family for at least having some personality.

[Anonymous]

Agreed about the garage doors. Why would an architect have a front entryway and a gigantic two car garage as the front of a house?

[Anonymous]

It's not a kick board. It's a baseboard. I think you're conflating it with a toe kick, which is the notched space at the base of cabinetry.

[Anonymous]

So far this thread has been dominated by the post-1980 crowd. Knock yourselves out, but I live in town and here is what I hate:

A lovely red brick Colonial from 1928 made from real, $$$ material (slate, brick-thru walls, old-growth wood, etc). And what's that cancer incongruously tacked onto the side, back, and jutting out of the 3rd floor? Why, yes, is a super cheap addition made from all the shitty cheap Home Depot-grade materials you can think of.

It's really important that the cheap addition (which contains granite or marble countertops, I -guarantee- that splurge) be Optic, blinding white. Why: so it contrasts as much as possible with the patina on the red brick and tan stone of the original house.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:--carports
--when you see more garage door from the street than you do house
--McMansions w/ brick on the front and siding on the sides/back
--wall to wall carpet
--boring white walls

I love carports on mid century modern houses, and I would so rather see "boring" white paint that I could live with temporarily rather than some of the eye searing disasters I saw while house hunting. Searing hot pink that they weren't too careful with in one house, dripped all over the kick boards.

There's a happy medium somewhere between white and searing hot pink. I'd paint over either one before moving in but kudos to the hot pink family for at least having some personality.

And there's a difference between "boring" and "elegant".

[Anonymous]

Garage doors on the front of a house is utterly HIDEOUS and tacky. The garage doors can NOT be on the front of a house.

Hate all to wall2wall carpet (crapet). Having a mice carpet (like a pretty wool Stark) bound and used as an area rug or cut to a rooms dimensions with a few feet of wood flooring showing in a border is very pretty though.

And, of course the houses with an more $$ material on front (brick or stone) and nasty siding on the other 3 sides. Also, too much mixed material on the outside of a home (stone and brick and clapboard and raw deck wood etc....).

Drywall. Sadly though its unavoidable these days. Our houses have all had plaster walls but you can not avoid drywall if there is an addition or renovation.

Low ceilings

Most of this stuff is only found on new houses and I (usually only) like older house.

[Anonymous]

Please, all you PPs with such highclass taste: post pictures of your own stunning abodes so we can all bask in your glory.

[Anonymous]

Actually, if you're willing to pay more you can have a plasterer come and skim-coat your newly installed sheet rock. We did.

[Anonymous]

OP, I only know what 2 of the things on your list even are. WTF?

[Anonymous]

Crown Moldings - I especially hate when I hear people refer to it as architectural details. It was invented to hide all the problems right angles can cause in a building. I hate it and think it's ugly;
Opening the front door right onto the staircase;
Walking right past valuable, rarely used real estate(ie living & dining room) to the back kitchen/great room, which is the only space that gets used;
Too much ornament;
raised panel cabinets;

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't even think that house is in the DC area.

However, it actually reminded me of this house, which I like a lot (FU hardi-plank haters):

http://slideshow.mris.com/slideshow.cfm?ListingKey=90085830147

I am totally shocked that someone put a home on the market with actual color on the walls. Gorgeous.