We are discussing buying our retirement home now. A second bathroom and some outdoor space for our weber grill are two non-negotiable things for us.
I am also looking at new apartments for my 25 yr old daughter. For her the new minimum is washer dryer in unit, central air, and dishwasher (very difficult to get all three in the city where she lives for a reasonable rent.)
I currently have three dogs and compete in dog agility with one (two are retired). I need space for that hobby – which means most probably a single family house on a piece of land with room to practice the sport far enough from people that might be annoyed by it! I also need 3 bedrooms with a roomy first floor master. I would like an ADU. I would like a garage. Probably 2000 sf more or less. I want room for my kids to visit and be comfortable – and if we move to the other coast where my kids are – room for my friends to come visit and have some separate space.
I would want quality workmanship throughout the house, but especially the kitchen cabinets and bathroom vanities. A stainless steel sink would be a deal breaker. I worked too hard to get rid of the one I had in this house.
I would need separate living spaces, as we have now. I prefer two floor living, but probably not practical. So the bedroom would need to be far away from the family room. Needs a dedicated laundry room, attached garage, and carpet. I’m very uncomfortable in any room with only wood or tile floors, plus my husband walks around in stocking feet, so slippery floors are a hazard.
It would need the amenities of a larger home such as a guest coat closet and plenty of storage.
I could never live in an apartment. Basically down sizing would not work for me. Hubby doesn’t care.
Location: either where we’re here now or already-selected areas of Northern California
Must be a politically progressive area
Minimum 2 bedroom 2 bathroom
One story or split level (at most)
Either a house with a garden or a condo/town home with a large balcony/deck
A walkable neighborhood with nearby stores/coffee houses/restaurants
Within an hour of a major airport
Washer and dryer in the unit/house is something I appreciate every time I do laundry.
Shower is a must. Don’t care about a tub.
I need to feel relatively safe wherever I live.
Central air conditioning, please (depending on where you live, I guess!)
There is much I like about our house, but I know I could be quite content with bare bone basics.
I would only downsize to a small apartment if it were just the dog and me. I don’t “need” a larger living space, but it sure helps keep the peace between H & me.
I’ve always wanted to live out west near the mountains. I get Lake Michigan instead.
Literally the minimum would be…
Walk or bike to the beach south of the frost line in FL, Gulfside
2 bedroom/2 bath
South facing windows with screened in patio facing south or west
No garage or carport needed
Washer/dryer in unit
Within walking distance to a grocery store, restaurants.
This is the minimum.
We recently stayed in a fabulous oceanfront condo in Hawaii. It checked all of my boxes… if we could get jobs as gardeners there to keep our green thumbs happy… that would be dream retirement. Plus, I think there will be no lack of visitors! 
My kids and I decided fairly early on that we wanted to be close to each other (like in the same city). They are lucky that the kind of career they want can be had in NYC. Recently when I had an opportunity to go to another city for work, both kids asked me to reconsider. They have also told their SOs that they wouldn’t move.
Here is the list for me:
As far as my living space, I want a 2 bedroom/2 baths and a full service elevator building - doorman, super and handymen onsite. I want nice kitchen and bathrooms (don’t have to be big). I don’t need to have a garage/car. My apartment building does not allow washer/dryer in units due to its age and I am quite used to doing laundry in the common area (I can do multiple loads at once and be done with it).
I know there are people with multiple houses, but I prefer to have one nice place and go visit other places. I kind of feel like I have worked hard all my life and I am not into having the minimum when I am older.
What a fun thread.
Like @soozievt, I don’t tick the retirement box, but our family (of four plus two cats) lives in about 1000 sq ft in NYC so much of our home is, well, minimal.
While we clearly decided it was not a deal-breaker when we bought the apartment, I did forgo what I deep down consider a must: an eat-in kitchen or a kitchen with an island and stools.
It is hard to overstate how tiny our kitchen is. You may very well have a larger bedroom closet. It cannot fit two standing adults without choreography. If you open the dishwasher, you half the floor space. Opening the frige door fully blocks your way in/out. It is tiny even by NYC apartment standards. No window.
We have no dining room, our dining table is in the living room. So the eating and the homework doing and the lounging and reading…
… all happens in ONE ROOM.
In some ways, we LIVE in that one room. I mean we have a bedroom and our two boys share a bedroom (bunk) and they have a bathroom and we have an en suite master bathroom, but… if we are awake, we are in the living room. H will hang out in our bedroom after work to decompress, but the kids and I spend most of our time in the living room.
I really wish we had a dedicated eating area separate from the living room.
“washer dryer in unit, central air, and dishwasher” - I’m spoiled and would want those too. My kids move a lot (and have limited budgets), so they sometimes have had to compromise. One of the actually does not use DW even when she has it, so that gives her more options.
I’m not retired, but I live alone and really want to downsize.
I have a huge dog so a single family home with a yard is a requirement. I also love having a garage and would not want to give that up. I think sometimes I could do with just one bedroom (so none of my family can move in with me!) but then I think I would need another bedroom for the grandkids and/or if I were ever ill and someone needed to stay with me at night. I realize I am not getting any younger so a walk-in shower would be great. My kids live either in the same town or close enough to drive home at night so no one has spent the night with me in several years.
I enjoy my privacy. I don’t think I would enjoy living in an apartment. I just need a small, newer house (hopefully less maintenance) in a safe neighborhood. That doesn’t exist in my town.
We downsized two years ago from the big family house to a townhouse, now that we are empty nesters. We’ll likely move again when at least one kid gets settled post-college. My non-negotiables:
garage (I am not scraping my car in the winter, BTDT!)
2 bathrooms, including master bath
in/near a large enough city to have good dining/entertainment options
dog-friendly
What’s wrong with a stainless steel sink? That is what I am putting in in my new build.
At least 2 bedrooms plus an office with as many walls and doors as possible… That is to say NO open concept,
. I can’t abide hearing noise from someone else’s tv or computer or even doing chores like loading the dishwasher. In unit laundry. 2 full bathrooms outside of en-suite. One far from bedroom so my H doesn’t wake me when he gets ready for his day.
Retirement is a ways off, but I definitely do not want to live in an apartment or condo ever again. My current house, which is a downsize, may end up being the retirement home - one-story, 3 bedrooms, 3 baths, study, living, dining, eat-in-kitchen, 2-car garage, patio. I could downsize again in retirement but need at least 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, study, garage, and patio. I could do without the formal dining as long as there’s an eat-in kitchen. Must be near good trails, within an hour of a major airport, near a good hospital, and be within an hour of my preferred entertainment (theater, concert venues, restaurants, sports, etc.). So basically, I’m probably staying put or at least in the same metro area.
I love my current home but I could easily get by with a much smaller house. I don’t see myself in a condo, townhouse or apartment. I like privacy from my neighbors and I also value outdoor space. I would want 3 bedrooms with 2 baths. The master bath has to have a tub. I would need a house with lots of natural light. I don’t mind an open concept. I don’t need or want a formal dining room. 2000 sq feet would do it. Yard big enough for a dog to run, garden space and room for a bbq and patio furniture. We love to enjoy the sunshine outdoors. I presently have a pool but I don’t need one. My fantasy house would also have a white picket fence in front with a abundance of flowers growing. A front porch that had room for a swing.
I am a maximalist. If I have a garden, I want a gardener. Large, sunny kitchen. No open concept. Hate that. Formal dining room. Comfortable family room. A few bedrooms with enough bathrooms for all. Enough bookshelves. Laundry room with giant counter for folding and racks for hanging stuff. Room for my treadmill. A separate, walled off container for my husband’s clutter.
Definitely fun thread. We have a few years before we can leave, but I daydream all the time. If I never own another home again, I will be happy. I am tired of maintenance and fixing things, and I don’t do yard work. My minimums are different than H’s though. He comes with too… much… stuff… The less I have to dust, the better IMO.
Min - I just want a bed to sleep in, a recliner in front of a TV to nap in, a working kitchen, washer/dryer, and enough space to do yoga/stretch. A working A/C and heat too! I’ve never owned a garage, so I’m OK without that. But good cell/internet/TV service must be available.
Ideally –located in/near mountains. I want to be able to step out my door and run plenty of different routes. Somewhere NOT hot & humid 6-9 months of the year. Near a major airport so I can visit the kids. A large enough city so that it also has good gyms, shops, restaurants, etc. A grocery store with a salad/food bar would be nice. I’ve lived without that for > 25 years now too…
3 bedrooms upstairs
Large open plan kitchen/living room combined downstairs
Island in the middle of the kitchen with at least 6 high chairs (I love to entertain)
Each room has its own bath and downstairs with a half bath.
2 car garage
Full basement would be nice (for the relatives and kids’ friends visits)
Stone patio
Hardwood floor
Walk to groceries, shops (This is my husband’s requirement. He wants to retire around university towns such as AA Mich, Berkeley, LA, Boston, etc.)
About 4 grand kids
Interesting - wonder what the divide is between say yes to open concept and say no to open concept. I’m in the say no camp. So thankful our kitchen is not open. Like @maya54 I don’t want to hear the tv roaring on a show I’m not watching.
That said tall ceilings also make me happy. I’m talking 9ft ceilings, not vaulted.