What's an absolute "No" in your house search?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For me, it's a pipestem. I'm not living on a shared driveway. Give me a house on a street like a normal person, where my house isn't hidden off the street behind two other houses where it's difficult to find and you risk getting blocked in by your neighbors when they throw parties. My friends who live on them love them and I just don't get it.

Also, sunken living rooms. There's no benefit to a step down into a room and it just means you can't expand furniture from an adjacent room into that room. When I've gone to open houses that I didn't realize had sunken living rooms, I've turned right back around and walked out. Hard pass.

LOL...you just described many of the houses in my neighborhood. Still, houses sell very quickly here because of the good school system.

[Anonymous]

Lack of a fireplace. Husband vetoed multiple houses because of this. Of course, now that we finally found one with a fireplace and use it every evening I can agree with him, but at the time it was very irritating.

[Anonymous]

No garage
Busy street
Cul de sac
Corner house
Near high tension power lines
Backing into commercial or retail development
No central ac
Next to rental properties
Sloping side yard
Sloping back yard

[Anonymous]

I’m surprised by the people who don’t like cul de sacs. Do you mean that you avoid purchasing on a street with a cul de sac or you just don’t want to live in the exact semi circle area? I prefer living on a dead end street or cul de sac due to lack of through traffic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Open first floor. I need rooms to retreat to, and I want my kitchen apart from the living room. I know I'm in the minority here.

I’m with you!

Me too

I think the trend is with you and away from too open floor plans.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:bedrooms on different floors-- specifically wanted a house with master and kids rooms on same floor

This was my big one too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No garage
Busy street
Cul de sac
Corner house
Near high tension power lines
Backing into commercial or retail development
No central ac
Next to rental properties
Sloping side yard
Sloping back yard

Let me guess, you are a perpetual renter.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m surprised by the people who don’t like cul de sacs. Do you mean that you avoid purchasing on a street with a cul de sac or you just don’t want to live in the exact semi circle area? I prefer living on a dead end street or cul de sac due to lack of through traffic.

Cul de sacs and dead end streets are bad Feng Shui. Busier thru streets are more auspicious.

[Anonymous]

Shared walls. Never ever under any circumstances. I would rather live in a double wide than share a wall with my neighbor.

Less than an acre is a deal breaker.

In a neighborhood, an active HOA is a must have. I won’t even look at homes without one. On several acres in the country, I wouldn’t care.

Good schools. Even if my kids are in private, we won’t buy in a neighborhood with crappy schools.

Carpet. Gross. I don’t want to deal with pulling it out and paying for hardwood. Also, house must have hardwood throughout. I hate fake wood.

[Anonymous]

1. 4 level Condo
2. Kids bedroom on different floor
3. No window in/near kitchen.
4. South facing front door
5. Home older than 7 years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m surprised by the people who don’t like cul de sacs. Do you mean that you avoid purchasing on a street with a cul de sac or you just don’t want to live in the exact semi circle area? I prefer living on a dead end street or cul de sac due to lack of through traffic.

Yes, avoid purchasing on the street. Who needs the turnaround traffic? There are other ways to get a quiet street, like one that ends in a T short of a main road. I’d prefer a block with cross streets.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No garage
Busy street
Cul de sac
Corner house
Near high tension power lines
Backing into commercial or retail development
No central ac
Next to rental properties
Sloping side yard
Sloping back yard

Let me guess, you are a perpetual renter.

LOL No. I own my dream house, 3800 sf, outright. I took my time looking though and the patience paid off.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Homes without mature trees. I prefer to be on a hill looking at beautiful trees. My shoulders softened just typing that.

This is an interested one, because I definitely see where you're coming from. I'd be concerned that new trees aren't going to survive, as new construction often plants trees in areas that are too small for the roots to develop properly. I also like to be in an established neighborhood, which mature trees usually signify. I don't know if it would be a deal breaker for me, especially if I was looking for my 20-year home, instead of a starter home that I planned to outgrow in 5-7 years, but still a + on my preferred list of things in my housing search.
On the other hand, if I had a house with no trees, then I could plant the type of trees I want to have, instead of trees I don't (like ones that drop berries on my car or fruit trees that attract bees near where my kids play). I'd still want there to be mature trees in my neighborhood in that situation though.

OT - but when you pile the mulch up halfway up the trunk of the tree, you're killing it. in the forest, do you see mounds of dirt/much at the base?

we lived in a newer development and we have the biggest trees on the block because we scraped off all that mulch. some around the base, but not touching the trunk is ok.

try it and you'll see an improvement.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:1. 4 level Condo
2. Kids bedroom on different floor
3. No window in/near kitchen.
4. South facing front door
5. Home older than 7 years.

I think you're dead wrong about the houses built less than 7 years ago-- i think 80s/90s builds are way more solid than anything i've seen being built recently but whatever floats your boat.

[Anonymous]

I wanted a small house, one level, no stairs anywhere, on a large piece of land
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