Thursday 25 September 2014

Home (in my dreams)



I haven't been spending as much time as usual in Blogland recently. I'll maybe go into that sometime. We've been busy and just dealing with what life's been throwing at us of late.

Yesterday evening we went to view a house.

I spotted it last week and we made enquiries. You see, houses in this particular village don't hang around for long. And we'd dearly love to live there.

So, we met up with the (actually very nice and not at all pushy) estate agent and took a look around. Joe was being difficult. He took it up a notch when he spotted a toybox stuffed with cars. But we managed a good nosey and liked what we saw: a nicely-sized back garden leading out onto the village green, a newly-fitted bathroom, inoffensive decor and all the rest of it. We were keen and made that crystal clear.

But then...

A little walk, some time to think and - well, common sense kicked in. We both agreed that, beautiful though the setting, and lovely the garden, and cosy the living room, the cottage was just too small. And not just that. We've been hoping to move further afield (much further). Was this just a distraction, an enticing opportunity to get ourselves some security and a foot back onto the property ladder?


We currently live in a rented house. One of the biggest problems with the house we (finally) sold back in June was the lack of space. And last night's tempting little cottage was certainly no larger. In fact, it may actually have been a smidge smaller.

We don't have any desire to own a 'big' house. In fact, the current place is too big. We live in the 'back' room, whilst the spacious front and attic rooms are pretty much redundant. Our bedroom is vast, but we're not those glamorous types who describe their sleeping space as a 'suite'. No armchairs or TVs in there. Just the basics: bed, drawers and a built-in wardrobe. Not even a dressing table. Although I would like to have one of those.


So, what would my ideal house be? What would it have? What would be the 'deal-breakers' as opposed to the 'would be nice' factors? Well, I often think about that. And I thought it might be fun to write a post on the subject.

I suspect this will end up starting as an 'I don't really want much' type of thing, and end up looking like the longest wish-list ever. But when I think of my 'dream' house, there are certain images which always appear in my head. I'm happy to share. So, let's begin.

Location: In my wildest fantasies, probably some little island off Denmark, Sweden or Norway. But perhaps a little bit more realistically I'd love to live somewhere off the beaten track. Wild, and near water - the sea, a lake, a river. Fields. Dry stone walls. Perpetual autumn's probably asking a bit much though.

Outdoors: Wouldn't we all love to live the self-sufficiency dream? A little smallholding with a bit of an orchard (yes, I'd have a washing line in it). Room for a greenhouse. A few outbuildings. Chickens. Somewhere to sit and take shelter whilst watching the rain.


Indoors: A wood-burning stove. A pantry. A snug room somewhere to line with books and retreat into. A Belfast sink (for doing the hand-washing). A porch at the front of the house and maybe another at the back, with hooks on the wall. Sash windows and wooden floors and quirky little built-in cupboards to store kitchen things and whatever else needs keeping out of view. Deep windowsills to sit on and gaze out from.

We won't get started on wall colours and furniture and all the rest of it or I'll be here all day. Maybe that's one for another time...

I know that, once we do buy our next house, it's unlikely to tick all the boxes. Probably not even most of them. But some things are non-negotiable. And for us, size does matter. Because even though we're not into accumulating 'stuff', and we don't really aspire to huge TVs and an American-style fridge, we are a family who need the space to function. And cute as that little character cottage may have been, a house with no room for a laundry basket or dining table just won't work.

Do you have any ideas of what you'd like in your 'forever' home? Maybe you're lucky enough to live in it already. I'd love to hear what, for you, makes a home (and what, given a free rein, would be put on your wishlist).

18 comments:

  1. I know it sounds corny, but it's all about who's in the house. As long as my family is close, close enough for a visit, bump into them in the shops, send the kids round for a visit, then I'm probably in my perfect home (although a fancy new kitchen would be lovely). Sarah

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That's definitely a good answer! I love that idea - it puts my (slightly materialistic) dreams to shame... but yes, the kitchen's always important. Maybe because it really is the heart of the home?
      S x

      Delete
  2. We live in the house that I bought years and years ago. I have resisted my husbands desire to move to a larger property, I never felt the need to upgrade even though a house with more space was a sensible idea. However there is a house just round the corner from me - if that ever came up for sale I would quite happily bypass the estate agent & knock on the door with my offer.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Strange how some people aspire to live in great big houses whilst the rest of us,well, don't. If the place is practical and I'm not constantly banging into things, I'm happy.
      As for the houses we see locally and wish were ours... yes to that. There are many of those on my list too :)

      Delete
  3. I have loads of ideas!! As I was driving home from Penzance this morning, I saw my dream home, but the location was wrong (main road). It had a veranda style porch at the front. Properly Waltonesque. It was a little bit dilapidated, and in need of tlc. It wasn't big. But it was big enough. It was lush. I got all that as I whizzed by at forty miles an hour too ;)
    Hope all is well with you. Sending much love,
    Leanne xx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Have you noticed how there are lots of beautiful properties on busy roads? I suppose when they were first built the roads were much quieter and their positions were actually quite sought-after.
      That house sounds lovely though, and I've always wanted a veranda... I bet if it was near me I'd be going past on foot and looking over the fence in a slightly creepy way.
      As for what's going on here: a day at a time. It's hard but we're just plodding on. Thanks for the good wishes - they're appreciated xx

      Delete
  4. I think I might be living in our forever home.... I am not sure how I feel about this! There is a lot of potential in the house but it is a 1920s semi detached pebble dash house in the middle of Glasgow. I quite like your dream home wish list, particularly the orchard, the windowsill deep enough to sit on, and the pantry. I really want a pantry. I am not too keen on remoteness though, I would be forever driving 4 children to and from. Have a lovely rest of the week. Cx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I do have a soft spot for 1920s houses. My grandma lived in one and that had a tiny kitchen but it came complete with a dark, chilly little pantry and a porch out the back.
      In my romanticising about living out in the wilds I hadn't even thought about all the driving involved, which is typical of me!
      Have a good weekend, Christina. Hope you get to put your feet up a bit - that's what I'm planning to do around here!
      S x

      Delete
  5. It is funny, my fantasy home - that I build in my head late at night when I cannot sleep - is of course totally different from my real house that I actually live in and is also totally different from any "dream house" that I would actually own if everything was perfect and I could have exactly what I wanted. I hope that in time you can work out your list and find somewhere that matches it as perfectly as possible and that you love it for a long time to come!! xx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Amy! I know what you mean - sometimes I watch TV and there are these outrageously wealthy L.A. types residing in sleek, glossy homes complete with designer kitchens and swimming pools. I think how nice it would be, living as though you're in a magazine.
      But in reality I'd want to be in wellies and an apron, pegging out my washing and making a pot of tea :)
      S x

      Delete
  6. For me it would have to be an en-suite bathroom. I can go without many things but I do like having my own bathroom that I haven't had to share with four sons!

    ReplyDelete
  7. I'd live in a hovel if it had a swimming pool! Truly I don't want that much from a house other than a good supply of hot water and a roof that doesn't leak, but if you're asking about my dreams, an 'indoor' pool, purely for swimming, in never lounging by.

    Did you see my post with the pic of the lake we were (are? I'm not sure) looking at a house by?

    Lovely post Sarah :)

    ReplyDelete
  8. I feel very fortunate to be in my "forever" home already, especially because we moved a lot in the early years and never felt settled in any of those places. But we've been here five years and it feels like it's the place to stay for a good long time. I think I'd like to have a little more room and a more intuitive kitchen layout, with more cabinet space, but that's a want not a need. I hope you find the perfect-for-you home but you've got time and I'm glad you're not rushing or feeling like you have to settle.

    ReplyDelete
  9. I'd love lots of the same things as you, and I'd like bees in my orchard as well as chickens please. A nice house just outside of our little town would suit me fine. But in the meantime, I'm not complaining about what we have already, although it is so very far from grand. I do hope you find somewhere that you love. You are in a very strong position to move quickly, being in rented accommodation. It's an exciting time. CJ xx

    ReplyDelete
  10. I love your home wish list Sarah! It's very similar to mine! We live in a house we built ourselves. Not physically building but we project managed and were involved in the planning stage. And in the decorating. I constantly dream of finishing it but it is fun waiting for time and money to accumulate to get things done! The funny thing is although the house is a new build we love older houses and are trying to introduce period style to our home. Wishing you a lovely weekend and hope you are well. Sending love and hugs, Bee xx

    ReplyDelete
  11. Size really does matter. The last house we bought was too small but had a charm that we fell in love with , and that blinkered us from the size issue. In my experience once you start having the conversation where you justify ways you could cull down your belongings to fit in a house then you know it's not the right move.
    I'd compromise on everything for size and location - the nice bits can be added at a later date:) x

    ReplyDelete
  12. we're thinking about more space (inside and out I think). We moved here as a twosome and are now a foursome so it's taken some squeezing in....I wanted a dishwasher in my forever home and when we got the kitchen done (who needs a back door?) I got one...so maybe we're here??!! I'd like a downstairs loo...I'm anticipating the second round of potty training and that would be a great help! A porch front and back would be good too!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Can I come and live in it too?! It sounds utterly amazing! I know deep down that we'll probably never be able to afford the kind of space I'd like, so I've learned to love what I have and be grateful. However, that doesn't stop me looking at farmhouses in West Sussex at £1 million quite often...John calls it my house porn. x

    ReplyDelete

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...