Pet Peeves: The Holy Trinity and Beyond

[laredhead]

Roughing it, I agree.  Why not just have the couple look at the camera and say that after viewing the 3 choices, they decided to choose the one they did, and have them tell why.  We don't need more fake drama.  We're adults, and a simple explanation would be more appreciated IMO.

[BlossomCulp]

I was away for a few days staying with a friend who recently bought the kind of house most house hunters on these shows claim they want.  Totally open concept - in that the main living area of the home is essentially one big room.  Now when I say big I'm not kidding, but even with that it was not at all something I could see myself living in, unless I lived alone.  My friend told me she is beginning to hate it!  She can't do anything in the kitchen without either an audience or someone getting annoyed because they can't hear the TV.  And nevermind the dirty dishes in the sink which was what I thought would bother me, she hates that if she leaves stuff out on the counter in the kitchen area that she sees them from the living room area and it (at least in her mind) makes the place look messy and cluttered.  They're already planning to finish the basement and move the living area of the house downstairs.  She also commented to me that the house is always noisy - think hardwood floors everywhere and no walls.  It's not just TV or music or talking, it's footsteps on the floor and if you drop something in the kitchen someone two "rooms" away yells "what happened!"

Edited March 16, 2018 by BlossomCulp

[auntjess]

3 hours ago, BlossomCulp said:

it was not at all something I could see myself living in, unless I lived alone. 

It's an overgrown studio apartment, isn't it? 
The studios were the cheapest, then when you added walls to make rooms, the rent went up.

[BlossomCulp]

That's exactly what it's like!  I mean obviously in most houses there are bedrooms so it's not really just one big room the way a studio apartment would be, but essentially aside from the bedrooms your house, no matter how large, is one big room.  It's not for everyone but if you watch the HH and the flip this house type shows you'd be forgiven for thinking that everyone and his uncle either lives in a house like this or wants to desperately!

Edited March 16, 2018 by BlossomCulp

[Neko]

On 3/16/2018 at 8:02 AM, BlossomCulp said:

She also commented to me that the house is always noisy - think hardwood floors everywhere and no walls.  It's not just TV or music or talking, it's footsteps on the floor and if you drop something in the kitchen someone two "rooms" away yells "what happened!"

I really don't get the hardwood floor obsession.  I don't mind hardwood floors, but I recently saw an episode where the wife nearly had a fit because there was tile flooring in the kitchen, and carpet in the master bedroom.  They ended up buying that house, but she made a big deal about changing ALL the flooring to hardwood, because it was "weird" NOT to have that.  I never thought it was weird to have different flooring, but whatever.  These people are so hard to please.

[chocolatine]

1 hour ago, Sweet Summer Child said:

I really don't get the hardwood floor obsession.  I don't mind hardwood floors, but I recently saw an episode where the wife nearly had a fit because there was tile flooring in the kitchen, and carpet in the master bedroom.  They ended up buying that house, but she made a big deal about changing ALL the flooring to hardwood, because it was "weird" NOT to have that.  I never thought it was weird to have different flooring, but whatever.  These people are so hard to please.

My problem with carpet is that you can never get it completely clean unless you have it shampooed. Since most people only do that once a year or less, you have to live with the dirt and allergens the rest of the time. Some people with asthma or allergies can't have any carpet flooring in their homes. I wouldn't rip out high-quality tile or laminate, but I would rip out carpet.

[Kohola3]

6 hours ago, chocolatine said:

Since most people only do that once a year or less, you have to live with the dirt and allergens the rest of the time.

I have white carpeting and I run my Roomba through the house every day.  It's been down for 3 years and not one single person with allergies (and I have friends who do) has problems visiting overnight and it is still white without any stains.  You just have to work at it.  Some of the carpet hatred borders on irrational. 

I have a friend with hardwood floors and despite sweeping and mopping the dust bunnies are always present somewhere.

[BlossomCulp]

56 minutes ago, Kohola3 said:

I have a friend with hardwood floors and despite sweeping and mopping the dust bunnies are always present somewhere.

Yep!  If you have pets I can see why you might prefer hardwood, or laminate over carpeting but friends of mine with pets and hardwood end up with lots of fluff and hair and whatever in lovely little balls collected under chairs and sofas.  It's not like hardwood magically cleans itself!

[Neko]

I can see pros and cons to hardwood and carpet, I just think the aversion the average HHer has to carpet is comical.  Some of them act like their houses are tainted if hardwood isn't everywhere, it's strange.

[BlossomCulp]

55 minutes ago, Sweet Summer Child said:

I can see pros and cons to hardwood and carpet, I just think the aversion the average HHer has to carpet is comical.

Same thing with the stainless steel appliances in the kitchen.  Some of them act like you can't possibly cook on a :gasp: white stove.  The horror!

[irisheyes]

9 hours ago, BlossomCulp said:

Yep!  If you have pets I can see why you might prefer hardwood, or laminate over carpeting but friends of mine with pets and hardwood end up with lots of fluff and hair and whatever in lovely little balls collected under chairs and sofas.  It's not like hardwood magically cleans itself!

I get the fluff in my kitchen (stupid cat), so hardwood everywhere would drive me crazy. Not too mention that with four kids, my house would be so loud. At least carpet absorbs some of the sound. 

Edited March 18, 2018 by irisheyes

[auntjess]

I've always wanted carpet, because that's so much more comfortable for the dogs I've had.
Current one loves to lie in the sun, on nice thick carpet.

[AuntiePam]

40 minutes ago, auntjess said:

I've always wanted carpet, because that's so much more comfortable for the dogs I've had.
Current one loves to lie in the sun, on nice thick carpet.

Same here.  I don't know why some dog-owners say they want hardwood because of the dogs, as if it's the dogs that prefer it.  Yeah, it's easier to clean, but it's cold and hard and slippery.  Sadie the Dog loves to streak from the back door to the front door after coming in from potty, and she wouldn't be able to do that on a hard surface, not without taking a tumble.

[Kohola3]

12 minutes ago, AuntiePam said:

Yeah, it's easier to clean, but it's cold and hard and slippery.

Especially for older dogs.  Mine has troubles with strength in her back legs, I don't need her slipping and sliding.  She needs a padded surface to stay safe. It's worth the effort to vacuum as long as she's able to get around.  Priority one in my house.

[BlossomCulp]

Not to mention doggie toenails on hardwood - click clack click!  I know the solution is to clip their nails but that's not as easy as it sounds!

[Bastet]

I don't particularly like carpet - I have it in one room, which I use as a library/study-type room, because for some reason the builder/original owner put tile in that room instead of the hardwood that's in the rest of the house (other than the kitchen and bathroom), and I can't match 1938 hardwood, so it's either tile or carpet, and I don't like tile in "living" rooms (or bedrooms), just kitchens and bathrooms - and vastly prefer hardwood in terms of looks and ability to keep it truly clean, but, as I've undoubtedly ranted before, I truly love the rare times a HH wants carpet, just to flip the script.

[Nysha]

On 3/8/2018 at 12:03 PM, twinks said:

On 3/8/2018 at 7:42 AM, CherryAmes said:

Perhaps this is an "in your area" thing because around here buyers see a raised ranch or they see a split level.  They are pretty different animals.  For some reason raised ranches seem to be a much more common style of home than split levels - at least for houses built in the last 20 years or so anyhow.

A friend of mine has a raised ranch.  My parents have a split level. I don't consider them similar at all. The split has 3 levels, the ranch has a landing level on the ground floor which is where you enter. I have heard it called a bi-level.

Wow, I've been calling these the wrong thing all my life! My parents owned what we called a split-level house when I was a kid but it was actually a raised ranch house. I rented a split-level house at one point, but we called it a bi-level house. 

[topanga]

7 minutes ago, Nysha said:

Wow, I've been calling these the wrong thing all my life! My parents owned what we called a split-level house when I was a kid but it was actually a raised ranch house. I rented a split-level house at one point, but we called it a bi-level house. 

Ok, help me out. My brother and SIL live in Rockville, MD. Their house has two stories. When you walk through the front door, you either A) go up 5 steps to the kitchen, LR, and 3 bedrooms, or you B) go down 5 steps to the laundry room, 2 bedrooms, and a second living area. The laundry room has a door that leads outside and connects to the driveway and carport.

Is this a raised ranch, a bi-level, a split level, or something else?

[chessiegal]

11 minutes ago, topanga said:

Ok, help me out. My brother and SIL live in Rockville, MD. Their house has two stories. When you walk through the front door, you either A) go up 5 steps to the kitchen, LR, and 3 bedrooms, or you B) go down 5 steps to the laundry room, 2 bedrooms, and a second living area. The laundry room has a door that leads outside and connects to the driveway and carport.

Is this a raised ranch, a bi-level, a split level, or something else?

I used to live in the same area as Rockville, and we called that house a split foyer or split entry.

ETA: In 1983, we bought a new build in Gaithersburg, MD, just up the road from Rockville. It was sold to us as a split level - you walked into the house and were in the main floor with living room, dining room, and kitchen. You walked up half a set of stairs to the bedrooms and bathrooms. You walked down half a set of stairs to lower level. That builder also offered split entry models, which were when you walked in and immediately went up or down. So those were the descriptions the builder was using.

Edited March 19, 2018 by chessiegal

[topanga]

13 minutes ago, chessiegal said:

I used to live in the same area as Rockville, and we called that house a split foyer or split entry.

ETA: In 1983, we bought a new build in Gaithersburg, MD, just up the road from Rockville. It was sold to us as a split level - you walked into the house and were in the main floor with living room, dining room, and kitchen. You walked up half a set of stairs to the bedrooms and bathrooms. You walked down half a set of stairs to lower level. That builder also offered split entry models, which were when you walked in and immediately went up or down. So those were the descriptions the builder was using.

Thanks!

[auntjess]

Getting back to hardwood floors, the ones now don't require the care that the older ones did.
Johnson's Glo-Coat might do for most of the floor, every week or so, but for high-traffic areas, it was Johnson's paste wax.  
 

[CruiseDiva]

5 hours ago, auntjess said:

Getting back to hardwood floors, the ones now don't require the care that the older ones did.
Johnson's Glo-Coat might do for most of the floor, every week or so, but for high-traffic areas, it was Johnson's paste wax.  
 

I haven't heard anyone mention using paste wax on floors in ages. My mom got it in tubes. She'd take the cap off and step on the tube, then spread it with a machine that was a floor polisher and buffer. Those ancient hardwood floors shined like glass.

[auntjess]

Using the paste wax was my job sometimes.
You can still buy it, I see.

[Kohola3]

I vividly remember the spring cleaning when we had to move all of the furniture out of each room as we waxed the wood floors.  I swear the smell of the wax tainted everything I ate for the week it took to finish the job in every room! To this day the smell of that wax takes me back to my childhood.

[laredhead]

We had hardwood floors when I was a child.  My mother would apply the wax, and my brother and I had the job of polishing and buffing the floors.  As I remember we loved to use the electric floor polisher.  My mom still had it stored in a utility closet when she passed away, even though she had not lived in a house with wood floors for years. 

[Nysha]

If I ever own another home & remodel, I'm going to use wood grain vinyl planking to simulate hardwood flooring because I'm lazy and we're a spilly cat family. Every home I've lived in has ended up with carpet stains b/c of spills and pets, and you never really get cat urine out of carpets. 

[Gothish520]

On 3/19/2018 at 4:55 PM, chessiegal said:

In 1983, we bought a new build in Gaithersburg, MD, just up the road from Rockville. It was sold to us as a split level - you walked into the house and were in the main floor with living room, dining room, and kitchen. You walked up half a set of stairs to the bedrooms and bathrooms. You walked down half a set of stairs to lower level. That builder also offered split entry models, which were when you walked in and immediately went up or down. So those were the descriptions the builder was using.

Yep that's a split level. We bought one in 2012 and I love it! Ours actually has four levels - you go in the front door to the main living area, up short stairs to the bedrooms, down the stairs to an office and the garage, then down another short flight to a finished den. 

[chessiegal]

My Saturday local paper Home section had an article about "tired of stainless?" Try brass! It's not just HGTV. I blame Home Depot and Lowes.

[auntjess]

For refrigerators and stoves?
I liked it for plumbing, more than brushed nickel.  But I have chrome, and that's fine by me.

[CherryAmes]

On 3/18/2018 at 4:54 PM, BlossomCulp said:

Same thing with the stainless steel appliances in the kitchen.  Some of them act like you can't possibly cook on a :gasp: white stove.  The horror!

I saw a show the other day, I'm pretty sure it was one of those vacation show ones and the woman acted liked she'd walked into Little House on the Prairie when she saw that the perfectly nice kitchen had perfectly nice white appliances.  Honestly I do get that everyone has their personal preferences but we aren't talking avocado green appliances from the '70s or Ma Ingalls wood stove from 1880 here!  These are relatively new, if not new, appliances that you are getting FREE with the purchase of your house.  To act like you couldn't possibly even consider using these appliances let alone buying a house that has them is just NUTS!!

[CherryAmes]

On 3/24/2018 at 3:15 AM, Gothish520 said:

Yep that's a split level. We bought one in 2012 and I love it! Ours actually has four levels - you go in the front door to the main living area, up short stairs to the bedrooms, down the stairs to an office and the garage, then down another short flight to a finished den. 

You are describing my parent's house - the one they had before they retired anyway - they reached a point where all those stairs became an issue.  Anyway that house was really nice for our largish family,  It wasn't really a huge house but because it was so spread out it gave us all some private space which in a family with 4 kids wasn't always easy.  I did find it could be noisy though.  You sneeze upstairs and someone in the basement would say "gezundheit"!

[Gothish520]

1 hour ago, CherryAmes said:

I saw a show the other day, I'm pretty sure it was one of those vacation show ones and the woman acted liked she'd walked into Little House on the Prairie when she saw that the perfectly nice kitchen had perfectly nice white appliances.  Honestly I do get that everyone has their personal preferences but we aren't talking avocado green appliances from the '70s or Ma Ingalls wood stove from 1880 here!  These are relatively new, if not new, appliances that you are getting FREE with the purchase of your house.  To act like you couldn't possibly even consider using these appliances let alone buying a house that has them is just NUTS!!

Agree 100%! That's another one of my biggest pet peeves - someone walks into a perfectly fine kitchen or bathroom and says "gut job"! It's ludicrous and makes them look foolish and greedy, IMO. Nothing wrong with good quality, functioning white or black appliances. Nothing wrong with a single sink vanity with a regular faucet instead of one of those fancy bowls or waterfall taps. Although, I admit I would love a big walk-in shower.

I also loathe when people go on and on about gas stoves. In fact, one of my requirements when looking for a home was no gas ANYTHING. I've had bad experiences with gas, as have family members, and I just don't like it or trust it. I'm no gourmet cook - electric is just fine for me, and I suspect it would be just fine for most of these people who claim that they really need gas to whip up their most likely nonexistent five course meals.

[Gothish520]

1 hour ago, CherryAmes said:

You are describing my parent's house - the one they had before they retired anyway - they reached a point where all those stairs became an issue.  Anyway that house was really nice for our largish family,  It wasn't really a huge house but because it was so spread out it gave us all some private space which in a family with 4 kids wasn't always easy.  I did find it could be noisy though.  You sneeze upstairs and someone in the basement would say "gezundheit"!

Haha, it's true about the noise thing sometimes, especially if someone drops something or slams a cabinet. I think someone mentioned that upthread - we're always yelling from another room "what's that? Are you ok?" 

I can see the stairs being an issue as you get older - the family who lived in our home before us raised two kids in it, and as they got older, they basically lived in the finished den, which has a kitchen and was accessible through the street level garage - they only had to go down one short flight of stairs. I don't think anyone ever thinks "I want a split-level" when searching for a home - my husband wanted a raised ranch or a ranch with a finished basement. I'm not usually a fan of raised ranches, but I kept an open mind, and I would've been fine with a nice colonial or cape, or even a renovated Victorian. We found our house online and looked at it as part of group of four or five houses. It had everything we were looking for and was well within our price range, so we had to go for it. I love it - it's unique and funky and cool!

Edited March 25, 2018 by Gothish520

[auntjess]

1 hour ago, Gothish520 said:

Nothing wrong with a single sink vanity with a regular faucet instead of one of those fancy bowls or waterfall taps.

A friend looking for a new house said she wasn't about to buy a sink that had to be washed on the OUTSIDE too.

And the split foyer home was bad when my mother got older, and unable to do steps safely.  I couldn't leave her alone, because she couldn't answer the door, and of course she'd try if someone knocked, or she wanted to get the mail.
Up until then, it was fine.

[Mrs. Hanson]

9 hours ago, CherryAmes said:

I saw a show the other day, I'm pretty sure it was one of those vacation show ones and the woman acted liked she'd walked into Little House on the Prairie when she saw that the perfectly nice kitchen had perfectly nice white appliances.  Honestly I do get that everyone has their personal preferences but we aren't talking avocado green appliances from the '70s or Ma Ingalls wood stove from 1880 here!  These are relatively new, if not new, appliances that you are getting FREE with the purchase of your house.  To act like you couldn't possibly even consider using these appliances let alone buying a house that has them is just NUTS!!

Yep - now when my mom passed, we gutted the kitchen - it had yellow laminate counters for goodness sake!  The stove only had two burners that worked and the oven only worked when it wanted to work.  The floor was old....so yeah.  Out with the old in with the new.

I agree the HH'ers look very foolish and very greedy when walking into a perfectly good kitchen that was probably remodeled three years ago and announce "Total gut job!"  I am like, really?  I will take that kitchen!

Now my hubby, before he met me, said he lived in a home with just one sink, not a double sink and his take is: "Never again!"  Apparently it is a pain to not have double sinks in the kitchen.  Bathroom - we are good with one sink!

[Kohola3]

4 minutes ago, Mrs. Hanson said:

Apparently it is a pain to not have double sinks in the kitchen. 

It's all a matter of preference. Never had a double sink in any kitchen. Never needed one.  Never regretted it.

[Bastet]

12 minutes ago, Mrs. Hanson said:

Apparently it is a pain to not have double sinks in the kitchen. 

All the HHs wanting big, single farmhouse sinks in their kitchens - regardless of whether farmhouse remotely matches the style of their kitchen - must have missed that memo.

(I like a double kitchen sink best.  In theory, I really liked the double sink where about 3/4 of total space is apportioned to one sink and 1/4 to the other, but when my parents put one in their kitchen, I realized I preferred the standard double.  [My mom likes it, however, and that's what matters.]  I do not like single sinks at all, as I confirmed upon staying in a vacation rental with one.  So, yay, now I know exactly what I want when I remodel my kitchen.)

Edited March 25, 2018 by Bastet

[CherryAmes]

When did barn doors become the must have for houses?  Personally they are not to my taste but to each their own.  However when they are remodeling and insist on barn doors no matter what room or what style of house I can't help thinking "seriously??"

[Kohola3]

8 minutes ago, CherryAmes said:

When did barn doors become the must have for houses? 

I have always thought that they were hideous as well as a waste of space.  You can't put anything on the wall where they open, you can't lock them, they don't keep sound out - or smells for that matter.  I really didn't think they would last this long.  And, yes, you'd think buyers would be a little more judicious in how they fit with certain styles of decorating.

[chessiegal]

People who complain about electric cooktops should purchase induction cooktops. I know several people who can't get gas and got them and love them - say they are just as good as gas for controlling heat. It was what I was planning on doing when we moved, but the guy we bought the house from (who built it), put in an in-ground propane tank that heats the house and hot water, and is plumbed to the stove.

[irisheyes]

2 hours ago, Kohola3 said:

I have always thought that they were hideous as well as a waste of space.  You can't put anything on the wall where they open, you can't lock them, they don't keep sound out - or smells for that matter.  I really didn't think they would last this long.  And, yes, you'd think buyers would be a little more judicious in how they fit with certain styles of decorating.

My sister put one in for her laundry room, because it was in a small hallway where the swing of a regular door just wasn’t going to work (according to her engineer husband), and installing a pocket door was expensive.  But, just to put them in a random spot cause they’re “in”?  Sorry, no. I have no place for one in my house. 

[doodlebug]

6 hours ago, Kohola3 said:

It's all a matter of preference. Never had a double sink in any kitchen. Never needed one.  Never regretted it.

I’ve had both ways and much prefer a double sink. Makes it easier to  multitask when cooking or cleaning up.  However, when I bought my house 26+ years ago, the old and out of date kitchen wasn’t a deal breaker and I lived with it for about 5 years until I could afford to remodel.  Then, it was another 20 years until I did my ‘dream’ remodel using top of the line materials and appliances.  Now, I’m done and it only took 26 years!

[BlossomCulp]

My parents don't have a double sink and I find it annoying but not as much as I find their lack of counter space near the sink annoying!  It's as if whoever designed the condo they live in assumed no one would ever wash dishes at the sink.  Somehow I don't think I'm the only person out there who doesn't use the dishwasher for everything.  And there is always the dark days when the dishwasher is broken so the ability to wash, rinse and stack dishes somewhere does come in handy!

On the topic of barn doors, I admit I'm dumb, I kept hearing these referenced but had no idea what it actually meant,  Then I saw a show where they added one and, well, they do look like a barn door (well from a trendy high end barn) I can see them in some places but agree they aren't suited for all rooms or all houses.  I suspect these are another trend that will be "gutted" when people are renovating in a few years!

[laredhead]

Weighing in on the double vs. single kitchen sink topic, I always had double sinks in every kitchen of the several houses I lived in since 1970.  2 years ago, I remodeled my kitchen (gutted) to finally get my ultimate dream kitchen after 40+ years.  Of course, I planned for and ordered a very large, deep double SS sink.  On the day it was to be installed, it was discovered that it was damaged, but because it was a special order a new one could not be delivered for about 3 weeks.  I didn't want to delay the completion of the project, so I went to the store where the double sink had been ordered, and they had one exactly like the double sink, except it was a single - same size, just a huge single, deep bowl (9" deep).  I made a snap decision to buy it instead thinking I might be making a huge mistake, but I wanted workers out of my house, dust gone, and to stop having to use the bathroom sink to clean dishes.  Within 2 days, I was in love with the single sink.  It is big enough to bathe a baby if needed, soak large pots and pans like lasagna pans and large roasting pans, etc.  I went to the dollar store and bought a very cheap plastic pan to use to hand wash small items when necessary, and it is stored in the cabinet under the sink when it's not needed.  I have a dishwasher which I use almost daily, so the sink stays clear of dishes for the most part.  Everyone who has seen the new kitchen comments favorably on the sink.  Yes, it's a matter of preference, but w/o the damage to the double sink, I would have never known I really prefer a single sink.          

[BlossomCulp]

2 minutes ago, laredhead said:

I went to the dollar store and bought a very cheap plastic pan to use to hand wash small items when necessary, and it is stored in the cabinet under the sink when it's not needed. 

My parents sink isn't as large as yours sounds but I think it's big enough to accommodate a plastic pan and have room to rinse - brilliant idea!  Thanks :).

[CruiseDiva]

16 hours ago, CherryAmes said:

When did barn doors become the must have for houses?  Personally they are not to my taste but to each their own.  However when they are remodeling and insist on barn doors no matter what room or what style of house I can't help thinking "seriously??"

They're even showing up in hotels. We've stayed in a few Hampton Inns that have them to cover the closet and adjacent bathroom door openings. You can only close off one space, either the closet or bathroom. They don't close very well and don't lock. I hated that.

[auntjess]

I've had double sinks for years, and couldn't do without one.
You can have pans to be washed in one, and still have access to the garbage disposal.
Large pans, I'm fine with soaking one end at a time.
I wouldn't want a farm sink, because it would take so much water to get any depth.
What I miss now, is a big laundry tub, for bathing the dog.

[chocolatine]

The reason I don't like barn doors is that you can't use the adjacent wall space for furniture, shelving, or artwork. Also, if it's the bathroom door, you can't hang anything on the inside of the door. It's inefficient all around. Also, every time I hear "barn door" I think of the saying "closing the barn door after the horse has bolted."

Edited March 26, 2018 by chocolatine

[Gothish520]

On 3/25/2018 at 7:06 PM, Kohola3 said:

It's all a matter of preference. Never had a double sink in any kitchen. Never needed one.  Never regretted it.

I grew up with a single kitchen sink, it was never an issue. We washed the dishes by hand and had the faucet running the whole time - soaped up the dishes and rinsed them in fresh hot water. I have a dishwasher and a double sink now, but the second sink is only a small one. It's ok for filling some pots and bowls that need soaking, but I could live without it.

[Mittengirl]

I had always heard “Close the barn door” as a euphemism for “your fly is open”.