In your plans think about all the places you might want electrical outlets. Inside and out. See what you can upgrade. A 1950’s house has some drawbacks because the electrical needs weren’t as great back then. You might find only a couple outlets per bedroom (where we’ve gotten used to four). Get mundane and think about TV, computer and cable needs.
Thanks for all the comments. We’ll be in southern California about .5 miles from the beach. I’m envisioning lots of walks on the beach but hadn’t thought much about all the gear as dh and I are unlikely to go in the water, etc. much. However, in light of future grandkids (in my mind at this point), preparing for the eventuality of more interactive beach outings with gear, wet suits/towels, etc, outside shower or accessible bathroom is a great idea.
The garage leads to a utility room/laundry area. Will make sure we have good storage there and will think about the flooring for that area. At this point, all the flooring has to be replaced and we’re inclined toward engineered wood. Until those imaginary kids come, I think it’d just be a matter of having a place to rinse our feet off.
We’re thinking about an outdoor living space in the backyard that’s covered. In the front, you enter a gate and then there’s a very nice sized private courtyard where we’d do our entertaining. We’ll likely put a built in gas grill there.
We have a great room now and really love it and will do the same in the new house. As, @4kids4us mentioned, though, it’s really important to have a second space for the person who doesn’t want to do what’s happening in the common area. This house has a small den and we’re trying to figure out how to keep it. That and the added powder room are at the top of my list (not counting updating the kitchen and bathrooms).
Love all the ideas. Feel free to keep them coming!
Congratulations
I’m about 1/2 mile from the beach and I’ve been fine with outdoor light finishes and my grill. Granted my house is above sea level so not sure if that makes a difference for the salt air. We have an outside shower and also a bathroom that can be reached without going into the main house. The shower was used when the kids were young. I can’t think of the last time we used it. If it is expensive to bring the plumbing to the outdoor shower area I wouldn’t consider it a must have. Most of the beaches have a shower and H rinses his feet at the beach before he comes home. I do like having an area to hang surfboards and wetsuits in the garage.
I love my bottom drawers in my kitchen. I don’t have them in all of the lowers but I wish I had them. Best cupboard is a lower that fits sheet pans and cutting boards.
My biggest suggestion is to figure out where the afternoon sun comes in and to have a overhang or shade structure on that side of the house. In the summer and fall my ocean facing side of the house gets really warm in the afternoon. I like that I have dining on both sides of my house. When one side is uncomfortable we can dine on the other side. I love my large patio sliding doors. I love that when I’m inside I feel like I’m outside. A lot of people I know have put in the sliders that open all the way up. ( I’m blanking on what they are called) While they are lovely they don’t keep the dog or bugs out.
Lots of natural light – that you can control if needed.
Folding glass wall/partitions (like NanaWall) that connects indoor to outdoor.
Flexibility to allow multiple uses (Instead of thinking of a room as a den, or bedroom, or family area, for instance, locate it such that it could be any of the above).
Longer hair and a flatter stomach.
(I’m remodeling something else.)
Yep, you need that outdoor shower if you live by the beach ( and possibly a simple washing machine in the garage so you don’t have to bring wet sandy towels inside). If you live by the beach you need really good insulated windows.
We use our outdoor porch a lot. Outdoor kitchens aren’t great at the beach unless they are hardscaped ( stone instead of stainless). Having outdoor seating is nice. Also having a great grill connected to propane is useful. We BBQ a lot and also have a smoker which we use a lot.
Be careful if you put in hardwood floors. The tiny pieces of sand can get embedded in the finish. We don’t use shoes indoors but it doesn’t completely eliminate sand. Having an outdoor awning or umbrella is really useful so is an outdoor sectional especially one that seats many people so you can entertain outside.
Don’t use Harvey type/manufactured floors on porches or stairs. They can get really slippery and dangerous ( especially in the Winter if it gets icy). It’s actually worth it ( if its in your budget to get mahogany decking. It lasts forever and holds up well.
Have good drainage around your house and good shades/window treatments. We have a high window that can open remotely and it takes a lot of moisture out of the room. Have a good fan also. You might also think carefully about the heating-cooling system. Ours came with our house. But I’d pay a premium to have one that is hyper efficient.
A rack of solar panels could do that and offset your electric bill…
Another consideration: you may want to have some provision for storage of watersports equipment (e.g. surfboards, kayaks, etc.). You may want to put an outside storage area in the back yard with a faucet and hose to rinse off the salt. Put an extra-wide gate in the fence to make it easier to move the watersports equipment in and out.
Consider combination locks for those who do not want to lose their keys in the water or sand at the beach.
Conversation Question: What home “requirements” do you have that was not the case in younger years with first house purchase?
I’ll start with our list:
- more than one bathroom
- master bathroom (and 2 sinks in master bath)
- dishwasher
- eat-in-kitchen
- AC
- sprinkler system (but that is probably a CO vs NY thing)
- washer/dryer NOT in the basement (love ours upstairs now, but main floor ok too)
- 2 car attached garage
- good closet space (we lucked out with it in first house, but it was not a must-have)
- cellphone reception
@colorado_mom I think it’s hilarious that you mention cell phone service! It’s actually a big issue at my home. I live on a peninsula on the ocean with a big hill. No decent service at all. No towers nearby. Guests wander around the house and yard with their phone up in the air asking me where to get service (back corner of yard)
I have seen pics of the home and I know the location. It’s such an adorable place!!
Outdoor ‘living room’. Huge resale value in So California. Covered with enough space for small fireplace/fire table, comfortable seating and possibly dining. Electrical outlets and gorgeous lighting in the covered area.
BBQ close to kitchen access. If you are limited on space, just have a BBQ. No need for big outdoor kitchen. More important to have lots of comfortable inviting seating. It is used more than the BBQ. Maybe some counter space next to BBQ for holding tongs, platters, etc
Huge sliding/pocket walls to outdoor living room. Open those up and you’ve just doubled your living space
My outdoor shower is luxurious and private but it is only used heavily by surfers (my tenant surfs every day). In general, regular guests won’t use it and you have to force kids to use it. Such as, ‘House full of guests, everyone under 30 has to take a shower outside!!!’ It is only a summertime vacation novelty. Maybe just a higher hose bib type of thing for washing off feet. It’s cold here in the winter (or at least we think so) so no one will use the outdoor shower except surfers. If you do decide to have an outdoor shower, make sure you run hot water to it.
Outdoor storage or racks on dead side of house for beach gear, boards and bikes, unless plenty of organized room in garage for all the stuff. Having a beach house adds a whole new layer of ‘stuff’.
Kitchens and baths are a giant book of ideas.
If you entertain a lot, a powder room is handy. I entertain a lot in my yard, so I remodeled recently and added bathroom access from the covered patio area.
Larger mud/laundry room. Especially with a beach location. A lot of storage in that room as well as a utility sink. Might be nice to have an adjacent powder room.
We put in a heated floor when we remodeled the master bath. Love it!
Unlike a poster upthread, I love a jack and Jill bath. We have one upstairs and no one has to traipse down the hall only to find it occupied.
The cell reception issue is real. My parents lived their last 30 years in a house in a very wooded location (great in your 50’s not in your 80’s - topic for another thread…) and cell reception was a real issue. We had to stand in a few select places on the deck to (maybe) get reception.
OK @FallGirl… would love to hear discussion about wooded (or other potential pitfall) location for seniors? We still dream of a wooded retirement location, and are fast approaching (probably “in”) senior territory.
Renovated a Tampa house several years ago. Love the drawers on each side of the stove. Pantry cupboard with heavy duty roll out shelves hold a lot of weight and make access easy. Soft close cabinets are wonderful. Chose granite but would do quartz in any future house redo. Did tile floors but luxury vinyl now available would be softer and yet not in danger of water damage. Would not do open shelves- cupboards keep dust out (and hide things).
Outdoor shower came with the house and it is nice after using the pool.
Bathroom sinks should be just big enough and not take up counter space like too many I’ve seen on home shows. Only need tooth brushing/face and hand washing room without splashing. Function over looks every time! I like Corian sink/counter combos in baths- no seams to get grungy and softer than stone. Can push water right into the sink if splash as well.
If the woods are highly flammable, that could be an issue for anyone in terms of potential need to evacuate if the woods catch on fire.
I live in a very wooded area of NW CT. Actually most of NW CT is wooded. It’s a really lovely place to live, and we have a nice lake at our corner with a private neighborhood beach too. We really like the woods and wouldn’t want to live all the time where there weren’t trees.
Just wish the house was a little smaller.
Right now, a panic room.
In addition to your list (down here a sprinkler system would mean for the lawn, and not inside for fire safety - if that’s what you meant), I want:
36" wide doors and 48" wide halls
5’ turning radius in at least one bathroom, in the master bedroom and in the kitchen
higher electrical outlets and lower thermostats, light switches, etc.
no raised thresholds, no steps, no wall-to-wall carpet
a hand held shower head on a long slider bar for each shower
grab bars attached to reinforced wall studs in the bathrooms (some double as towel holders, toilet paper holders and shower shelves)
- all of the above is to make life easier the next time one of us needs a wheelchair
For better indoor air quality, I want a whole house ventilating dehumidifier (Ultra-Aire Santa Fe with optional fresh air vent) since an ERV increases humidity if run during shoulder seasons when there’s no demand for A/C.
All LED lighting with a mix of wall sconces, switch controlled lamps and overhead fixtures. Most lights to be on dimmer switches and/or occupancy sensor switches. Countdown timer switches on bathroom fans. A combination of motion sensor and dusk-to-dawn outdoor lights and more low voltage landscape lighting (all preferably dark sky type.)
H would add a large fiberglass pool with pergolas and other shade structures nearby.
Our first house was <900 SF, 2 bd, 1 ba with no laundry, an ancient oil furnace, 1950s kitchen, squirrels in the attic, and drafty windows to which we applied heat-shrink plastic inside to seal them for the winters. I’m very grateful that we can seriously consider the upgrades I listed.
Must haves… per my Mr.
No sprinkler system and no lawn. Ripped the sprinkler system out at the present abode
Mirror TV in the bathroom.
A 400 amp electric panel. Why? Just because.
A solar roof and a few battery packs.
Bb, why no lawn? What do you have?