Pet Peeves: The Holy Trinity and Beyond

[Sun-Bun]

On 3/26/2018 at 4:38 PM, chocolatine said:

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.

In defense of barn doors: I live in a 2bd/2 bth loft and both my bathrooms came with modern barn doors. They fit the modern industrial vibe in here and allow for privacy in quirky spaces like these that simply can’t fit regular doors. I’ve had excellent locks installed on both of them, and I have a low shelf sitting in front of one of our barn doors as well as a really cool little tagged mural behind the other one.

So if you’re creative and have a unique space that won’t allow for regular doors otherwise, they’re great! But if you’re just doing it for aesthetic purposes alone, that’s just pointless.

[KittyMom4]

Quote

I'll join you in the "old folk" stuff. I had my kitchen semi-redone last year because unlike the typical young HHer, I don't have parents to pay for a complete redo and "ripping" everything out. I wanted a manufactured countertop because I'm looking for less work, not more, although I do love the look of natural stone. I replaced my white appliances with more white. Stainless looks nice, but again - less work with white where not every fingerprint shows and I don't need to polish it all the time. Got my bathroom redone and the new vanity came with a marble top. It's beautiful but I don't like it - afraid to stain or scratch it so I use my other bathrooms all the time, but it came with the vanity which is gorgeous and a real bargain. I"m well past the stage of needing "trendy."

Quoting @AngelaHunter from the People's Court forum, I thought I was the only one who kept the white appliances in my kitchen. I like the brightness as well as the easy care. I have laminate countertops that I may upgrade to Corian at some point down the road, but right now I'm fine with what I have. A lot of people comment to me "oh when you sell buyers will want granite/stainless steel/wood flooring!" good for them, I don't plan on selling any time soon and when I do the buyers can spend their money on upgrades after I hand over the key. 

[seahag50]

I have 4 barn doors.......................they"re on my barn............where they belong

[mojito]

The best place I've seen for barn doors are those hotel-like bathrooms that are in some homes where the sink is exposed to the bedroom, in a wide inset. Very large doors would be silly and take up too much space, so the barn door works there. However, for me, the barn door is a door with the barn hardware and opens and closes like a barn door, not a door built to look like barn door, with the diagonal two-by-four running across it. 

[ehall1052]

Pet peeve: Color choices that are considered “outdated “.  What the heck? Why is color outdated? Isn’t color a preference or a choice? Style is what gets outdated. I love green, hunter green specifically. That’s been my favorite color for almost 60 years! Why am I supposed to love gray now? I don’t like gray, it’s such a non-color to me. Yet, if someone were to see my decor, or closet for that matter (remember when we all had our colors done to compliment our complexion?) and see all the green, it’s outdated? Even if it’s new? To me, telling someone their personal color preference is outdated is insulting.

[CherryAmes]

In a few years, and maybe it's already started to happen, design shows and those "in the know" will have moved on to a new colour and grey will be as outdated as avocado green and burnt orange!  I totally agree ehapp1052 - choose the colours you like and nevermind what's trendy!  The only reason I would ever pay attention to what's in and what isn't is if I were repainting with resale in mind - and even then if I were going to do that I think I'd go very neutral and not try to keep up with the Jones's!

[mojito]

"My white kitchen". "It's so nice and bright". 

I wonder. In a few years, what'll be people's reasons for despising the white kitchen? What will they be saying as they dismissively declare the all-white kitchen a "gut job"?

* "I can't face all that brightness in the morning, it hurts my eyes."

* "It looks like an operating room in here."

[auntjess]

10 hours ago, CherryAmes said:

In a few years, and maybe it's already started to happen, design shows and those "in the know" will have moved on to a new colour and grey will be as outdated as avocado green and burnt orange! 

Also, the Moroccan pattern rugs, which I like, but they are omnipresent.
The other day, I saw CHROME fixtures used, plebian chrome, which I grew up with.  
 

[Nysha]

11 hours ago, mojito said:

"My white kitchen". "It's so nice and bright". 

I wonder. In a few years, what'll be people's reasons for despising the white kitchen? What will they be saying as they dismissively declare the all-white kitchen a "gut job"?

* "I can't face all that brightness in the morning, it hurts my eyes."

* "It looks like an operating room in here."

"All this white makes the room look sterile and cold."

When I sold my house in the 90s, my realtor recommended repainting the blue and pink kids' rooms a nice neutral beige. When I sold my house 15 years later, I was told to paint the rooms a nice neutral white or off-white (eggshell?). I'm guessing if I had to sell a house now, it would be a nice neutral gray.

Edited April 22, 2018 by Nysha

[chocolatine]

21 hours ago, mojito said:

"My white kitchen". "It's so nice and bright". 

I wonder. In a few years, what'll be people's reasons for despising the white kitchen? What will they be saying as they dismissively declare the all-white kitchen a "gut job"?

* "I can't face all that brightness in the morning, it hurts my eyes."

* "It looks like an operating room in here."

Someone like my mother would just make a disgusted face and say "it's white". No explanation needed.

[izabella]

White kitchens, gold hardware, and butcher block counters were HUGE in the late 90's and early 2000's.  Then stainless steel appliances and granite counter tops came along, and it all had to go in favor of cherry cabinets.  

[MaKaM]

On 3/30/2018 at 11:15 PM, Sun-Bun said:

In defense of barn doors: I live in a 2bd/2 bth loft and both my bathrooms came with modern barn doors. They fit the modern industrial vibe in here and allow for privacy in quirky spaces like these that simply can’t fit regular doors. I’ve had excellent locks installed on both of them, and I have a low shelf sitting in front of one of our barn doors as well as a really cool little tagged mural behind the other one.

So if you’re creative and have a unique space that won’t allow for regular doors otherwise, they’re great! But if you’re just doing it for aesthetic purposes alone, that’s just pointless.

I added a "barn" door but it is really just a surface mounted sliding door (that I made out of an old louvered closet door) because the bathroom setup has a sink and reach-in closet area you walk through and then you get to the separate room (with a door) for the toilet and shower. The lights over the vanity area are quite bright so the sliding door is to separate the sleeping area and help filter that. I couldn't do a true pocket door due to the electrical and vacuum in the walls so the "barn" was the best solution. I'm only grateful that they are so ubiquitous that the hardware has significantly come down in price. The portion of the wall in the bedroom it covers when opened is small and was unused anyway. So it works for me but it is true that many times they look like an afterthought to hitch on a trend.

 

/marks on the trim around the doorway indicate that the previous owners may have had saloon doors there. 1979 FTW!

 

When I was first house hunting 10+ years ago, I wanted white cabinets during the cherry craze. I felt so cutting edge! I ended up with pine looking ones (Ikea fagerland, they look fine) but in a future kitchen, I might want gray smooth front ones. Nowhere for the dust to settle like on shaker style and gray to hide smudges for a bit longer than a minute. If I get another house in the area I am currently in, the siding will also be mildew green to hide the inevitable mildew.

 

The HHI couple who wanted to be by the ocean in Ecuador but were also crazily terrified by the ocean but then suddenly got over their fear by the final reveal set a new low in terrible writing/false conflict. I can't imagine why you would go on a show with that as your stupid hook and look that stupid in front of everyone unless you knew your friends and family would be in on the joke. Too bad the rest of America just thinks you are incredibly stupid.

[rhofmovalley]

Another ninny..."I love older vintage homes with all the original features preserved! But I NEED an all white updated kitchen with stainless steel appliances, granite and a huge island, oh, and I need an en suite bathroom with a big step in shower and double vanities and I also need a big walk in closet"! 

Jeez...

I want to go on the show just so I can stubbornly refuse to demand an all white kitchen, open concept or hardwood floors. I wonder if the producer will have a fit if I declare I want cherry kitchen cabinets, that I hate islands (I do), that I want carpet and that I hate open concept (I do). And laminate countertops are so easy to keep clean!

[chessiegal]

I was watching the HH marathon this afternoon. On one show, a middle aged couple was looking for a home, and the husband said something about wanting a man cave. His wife said that term "is trendy and silly". And basically told him to forget it. Hee!

[Mrs. DuRona]

People soooo worried about being able to see neighbors.  What are they doing that they need so much privacy?  I'd rather my neighbors at least know our names/faces in case someone tries to break in when we're not there!  I mean, I get not wanting to be close enough to pass sugar through the kitchen windows, but come on.  No one cares what you're doing, you're not gonna spy on your neighbors.  If you don't want to see other houses, go live in a bunker in the woods.

Also, the people who complain about a perfectly sized bedroom being too small.  Seriously - you're buying a 2000+square feet house, how much time do you spend in your bedroom?  All you need is enough room for a bed, maybe a dresser or 2 and/or nightstands.  It doesn't have to be the size of a studio apartment!

I was watching on Hulu, and found it utterly refreshing when there was a buyer who didn't want "open concept", bought a house that had a semi-opened kitchen and was determined to add a wall to close it off, and also did not like "en-suite" bathrooms because it reminded her of a hotel room.  I loved her.  Her boyfriend, Life, however bugged me big time.

[auntjess]

33 minutes ago, Mrs. DuRona said:

People soooo worried about being able to see neighbors.  What are they doing that they need so much privacy?  I'd rather my neighbors at least know our names/faces in case someone tries to break in when we're not there! 

I never found it a problem, even when several would be outside grilling at the same time I was.
You'd think some of these people were planning to buy bodies in the back yard.

[Bastet]

Whenever I visit areas where backyards don't have walls or at least covered fences, I am a little taken aback by it, even after all these years.  (Here, it's "good fences make good neighbors" all the way.)  Chatting with neighbors in the front yard when we happen to be out picking flowers, bringing in the rubbish bins, etc. at the same time?  Yes, please.  Being out in the backyard at the same time and we can see over each other's fences/walls from certain places in the respective yards, so that we share a wave if we happen to catch a glimpse?  No problem.  But being wide open in my backyard, my friends at my table and theirs at their table, like we're at a park rather than at home?  Hell to the no.

So I understand privacy considerations, but they're so frequently overblown on the show; the HHs who complain about "the neighbors can see us" when that means the neighbors can see them if they deliberately stand at their window and look at an angle to stare into theirs, hang over the fence to look into the yard, etc. bug me.  That's only going to happen if you live next to a creeper.  Otherwise, they're doing their thing and you're doing yours.  It's just part of urban/suburban living that neighbors can see and hear you in some circumstances.  If any such overlap is untenable, these folks need to go rural.

Edited May 8, 2018 by Bastet

[Mittengirl]

When I slipped on the ice on my driveway last December and wrecked my knee, I was damn thankful one of my neighbors was close enough to hear me yell for help.  Does that never occur to anyone?  Maybe it won’t be ice in the driveway, it might be a fall off of something, tripping, or maybe a child needs help (for themselves or a parent).  You never know.

[doodlebug]

39 minutes ago, Mittengirl said:

When I slipped on the ice on my driveway last December and wrecked my knee, I was damn thankful one of my neighbors was close enough to hear me yell for help.  Does that never occur to anyone?  Maybe it won’t be ice in the driveway, it might be a fall off of something, tripping, or maybe a child needs help (for themselves or a parent).  You never know.

A couple years ago, my neighbor fell on the stairs and broke her ankle.  She was alone with her 3 year old and 1 year old.  Because my house was close enough that her daughter knew my face and name; she was able to send her running over to my door to get me to call 911.  Living close enough to know the neighbors is not a bad thing.

[Kohola3]

Indifference to those around us seems to be the sad reality of today. Where I grew up (granted it was eons ago) everyone in the neighborhood knew everyone else.  Every mother knew every kid by name on the block.  People visited over the fences in the back yard on on the porches in the front.  Those were the days when "it takes a village" really meant something. Lord knows none of us got way with anything!

Fast forward to today when people are locked in their homes connecting only with each other using some sort of video device.   The don't know the names of their neighbors because they don't want to or have built high fences so that they are isolated.  Nobody recognizes anyone on the street.  They want acres of land so as not to see another human being.  No wonder there is so little regard for the needs of others - we chose not to see it.

<rant over>

Well, maybe not.  I always roll my eyes when they walk into a bathroom as big as my house and complain that it's just "way too small". What do people do in there, hold seances or play cards or something?  I do what needs to be done and get the heck out.  It's a necessary room, not a lounge.

[laredhead]

To the HH's who complain about being able to see the neighbors, I usually yell back at the TV to plant trees and bushes to block the view.  Oh, yeah, that would require some work on their part, and usually it's the same people who don't want to lift a finger to do anything house or yard work wise except write a check for the mortgage.  I live in a subdivision (developed in 1956) within the city limits, and my lot size is 80 feet by 150 feet, same as most of the other lots.  When I bought this house, it never once occurred to me to question the distance between my house and the neighbors.  If seeing the neighbors is so important, they should tell the realtor before going to see some of those houses in those cookie cutter subdivisions where there is house upon house.  The back yard isn't going to look any different than the front yard as far as space between neighbors.       

[Mrs. Hanson]

19 hours ago, Kohola3 said:

Indifference to those around us seems to be the sad reality of today. Where I grew up (granted it was eons ago) everyone in the neighborhood knew everyone else.  Every mother knew every kid by name on the block.  People visited over the fences in the back yard on on the porches in the front.  Those were the days when "it takes a village" really meant something. Lord knows none of us got way with anything!

Fast forward to today when people are locked in their homes connecting only with each other using some sort of video device.   The don't know the names of their neighbors because they don't want to or have built high fences so that they are isolated.  Nobody recognizes anyone on the street.  They want acres of land so as not to see another human being.  No wonder there is so little regard for the needs of others - we chose not to see it.

<rant over>

Well, maybe not.  I always roll my eyes when they walk into a bathroom as big as my house and complain that it's just "way too small". What do people do in there, hold seances or play cards or something?  I do what needs to be done and get the heck out.  It's a necessary room, not a lounge.

Bolding mine - I want to know too!!  Holding a dance?  Playing Duck Duck Gray Duck?  A spirited game of dodgeball?  Me?  I go in, do my business and leave.  No need to linger!

And yes count me in as someone from the "It Takes a Village" generation:  Born in 1965, everyone knew everyone's business, rode our bikes everywhere, it was awesome!

[Mittengirl]

Back in my day, if you did something you weren’t supposed to while outside, your mom knew about it before you got home.  And you probably got yelled at both by the mom that saw you and then your own. (Also born in ‘65)

 

Another thing I have noticed in all types of neighborhoods is bikes and other toys left strewn in the front yard at night.  Not only would we get in trouble for leaving bikes/toys out at night, we would get yelled at for just laying bikes down (not using the kickstand).  I knew many kids who lost bike use for a week or so for leaving it out overnight. I suppose on one hand if bikes are safe just sitting out, that is a good thing.  However it also seems like kids aren’t taught to take care of/respect their stuff like we were.  Whether or not parents could afford to replace the bike, basketball, whatever, didn’t matter.  If you didn’t take care of it, you went without for a while.

 

My skeptical side thinks that the desire for huge bathrooms is just to one-up their family and friends.  How many times do we hear buyers say that a good sized master bedroom/bathroom doesn’t “look like a master”.  I think they just want their friends to go “OMG! It’s huge!”

[Mrs. Hanson]

5 hours ago, Mittengirl said:

Back in my day, if you did something you weren’t supposed to while outside, your mom knew about it before you got home.  And you probably got yelled at both by the mom that saw you and then your own. (Also born in ‘65)

 

Another thing I have noticed in all types of neighborhoods is bikes and other toys left strewn in the front yard at night.  Not only would we get in trouble for leaving bikes/toys out at night, we would get yelled at for just laying bikes down (not using the kickstand).  I knew many kids who lost bike use for a week or so for leaving it out overnight. I suppose on one hand if bikes are safe just sitting out, that is a good thing.  However it also seems like kids aren’t taught to take care of/respect their stuff like we were.  Whether or not parents could afford to replace the bike, basketball, whatever, didn’t matter.  If you didn’t take care of it, you went without for a while.

 

My skeptical side thinks that the desire for huge bathrooms is just to one-up their family and friends.  How many times do we hear buyers say that a good sized master bedroom/bathroom doesn’t “look like a master”.  I think they just want their friends to go “OMG! It’s huge!”

Are you my twin?  My dad got annoyed if he came home and bikes were in the breezeway.  He once loaded my bike (which I paid for myself - fancy 10 speed) onto his utility truck and took it to work for a week.  

Per the bolding:  nowadays that mom of the kid you yelled at would show up, yell at YOU for making junior upset then stalk and harass you on social media.

We once had an above ground pool - nothing fancy but a pool.  We had these dirty filthy kids who always wanted to swim.  I was like, no, because 1) they were filthy and 2) they were the types to climb over our fence and help themselves, day or night.  I told them they could not swim, if their parents did not like it they were welcome to come and talk to me.  They never did.

[Kohola3]

5 hours ago, Mittengirl said:

And you probably got yelled at both by the mom that saw you and then your own.

If you got smacked by one of the nuns, you got smacked again when you got home for "making Sister hit you".  Those women took no prisoners and there was no talking your way out of it.

[Mrs. Hanson]

13 hours ago, Kohola3 said:

If you got smacked by one of the nuns, you got smacked again when you got home for "making Sister hit you".  Those women took no prisoners and there was no talking your way out of it.

I escaped attending Catholic school!!!

[BlossomCulp]

I went to Catholic schools but the nuns in my elementary school were awesome and by the time I got to high school the only nun we had wore civvies and could have passed for one of the older students!

[Kohola3]

30 minutes ago, BlossomCulp said:

I went to Catholic schools but the nuns in my elementary school were awesome

Catholic elementary school in the 50's.  Sr. Mary Attilla the Hun was the Principal.  Sr. Mary Genghis Khan was my 8th grade teacher. I bailed out for high school.  Thank heavens my mom was a Presbyterian and let me decide.

We also had to address our neighbors as "Mr." and "Mrs."  No first names allowed. I doubt that's the case any more - but maybe not if nobody even knows their "oh so terribly close" neighbors.

Edited May 10, 2018 by Kohola3

[BlossomCulp]

6 minutes ago, Kohola3 said:

We also had to address our neighbors as "Mr." and "Mrs."  No first names allowed. I doubt that's the case any more - but maybe not if nobody even knows their "oh so terribly close" neighbors.

That hasn't been the case since my own kids were little - if not before.  I would go visit my parents and say hello to "Mrs Smith" next door and my kids would be running over calling her "Jane".  No way when I was growing up in the late 60s/early 70s would a neighbour have told us to call them by their first name!  And I still have a hard time doing that!  People of my parents generation are Mr and Mrs to me!

[Mrs. Hanson]

4 hours ago, BlossomCulp said:

That hasn't been the case since my own kids were little - if not before.  I would go visit my parents and say hello to "Mrs Smith" next door and my kids would be running over calling her "Jane".  No way when I was growing up in the late 60s/early 70s would a neighbour have told us to call them by their first name!  And I still have a hard time doing that!  People of my parents generation are Mr and Mrs to me!

Me too!  (Born in 65)  I called my future inlaws Mr/Mrs until we got married and even then it felt odd calling them by their first names.  When I reached adulthood, my neighbors growing up were like, "Call us Jim and Marie!"  I said, "Okay......Mr Smith."  Seriously, I could not do it!

[CruiseDiva]

Here in the south children call adults Mr or Miss, but use the adults' first names. For instance, I'm Miss Lindy and my husband is Mr Bill.

For some reason all adult women, married or single, are Miss.

[aguabella]

On 4/21/2018 at 10:31 AM, ehall1052 said:

Pet peeve: Color choices that are considered “outdated “.  What the heck? Why is color outdated? Isn’t color a preference or a choice? Style is what gets outdated. I love green, hunter green specifically. That’s been my favorite color for almost 60 years! Why am I supposed to love gray now? I don’t like gray, it’s such a non-color to me. Yet, if someone were to see my decor, or closet for that matter (remember when we all had our colors done to compliment our complexion?) and see all the green, it’s outdated? Even if it’s new? To me, telling someone their personal color preference is outdated is insulting.

I agree - color's a personal preference.  I don't believe anyone is "supposed to love gray" or any other color, for that matter.  If you don't plan on selling your home in the relatively near future, go for it!  The sky's the limit!

And, furthermore, if you don't believe in the power of staging, it's the same answer - to me, anyway.  As the homeowner, it's your choice, i.e. not the realtors'.  (BTW, staging doesn't increase the value of your home - its purpose is selling a home faster, in my experience.)

Sure, the realtors make suggestions.  (Gray simply happens to be the favorite neutral of choice for new home staging, currently.)  If another neutral coordinates better with your decor, making your home feel fresh, new and (especially) larger, use it.  Your realtor will be extremely happy!

BTW, a lovely shade of green was the Pantone color of the year for 2017, IIRC.  Hey, sounds like you're a trend setter ehall1052!

[aguabella]

On 5/14/2018 at 10:12 AM, CruiseDiva said:

Here in the south children call adults Mr or Miss, but use the adults' first names. For instance, I'm Miss Lindy and my husband is Mr Bill.

For some reason all adult women, married or single, are Miss.

Cool!  It's official, "Miss CD"  !!!

[Mrs. DuRona]

So, my husband and I have decided to begin the process for buying a house.  We went to an open house yesterday to kind of get our toes wet, and the realtor actually said "it's been updated with stainless steel appliances..." My eyes rolled so hard, especially because the fridge?  Wasn't stainless.  It was one of those kind with the shiny front and an obviously painted silver sides/back.  I wonder how many people on HH are actually looking at stainless...

Thankfully, he agrees with me on having an enclosed kitchen/defined spaces and hardwood/laminate flooring.  I just hate vacuuming, especially on the stairs, haha.  I have promised myself, however, I will NOT turn into one of *those* house hunters...

[auntjess]

1 hour ago, Mrs. DuRona said:

Thankfully, he agrees with me on having an enclosed kitchen/defined spaces and hardwood/laminate flooring.

You should go into some "open concept" houses, and say "well we'll have to put walls up..."

[Mrs. DuRona]

16 hours ago, auntjess said:

17 hours ago, Mrs. DuRona said:

Thankfully, he agrees with me on having an enclosed kitchen/defined spaces and hardwood/laminate flooring.

You should go into some "open concept" houses, and say "well we'll have to put walls up..."

Hahaha, genius!

[BlossomCulp]

Watched one of those flip shows last night and the way they insisted that they had to have a huge kitchen even if it meant taking space away from the dining and living areas just killed me.  I mean I do understand wanting a nice kitchen but do people really think they are going to spend most of their time in there?  Now I will concede that my grandmother did seem to spend most of her time baking but she also spent a lot of her time in the kitchen cleaning it!  Anyway am I behind the times?  Do most people spend their time in the kitchen nowadays?  If I did that I'd be eating more - this would not a good thing!

[auntjess]

28 minutes ago, BlossomCulp said:

Now I will concede that my grandmother did seem to spend most of her time baking but she also spent a lot of her time in the kitchen cleaning it! 

I did a lot of baking, but I had a nice kitchen table--feet on the floor for me--where I could roll out things, ice cakes, peel, chop, etc.
And the dumbest thing to me, is having a backsplash, that has lots of grout, which if you actually prepare food near it, will get stained.  I'm always wiping tomato or chocolate stains off.
 

[roughing it]

On 5/21/2018 at 1:12 PM, Mrs. DuRona said:

because the fridge?  Wasn't stainless.  It was one of those kind with the shiny front and an obviously painted silver sides/back.  I wonder how many people on HH are actually looking at stainless...

Now I don't have a SS fridge (mine is black) but my daughter has one and it's stainless steel on the front but painted gray on the sides.  Maybe they all are??

[CruiseDiva]

38 minutes ago, auntjess said:

And the dumbest thing to me, is having a backsplash, that has lots of grout, which if you actually prepare food near it, will get stained.  I'm always wiping tomato or chocolate stains off.
 

DH hates tile backsplashes with grout so we had the same granite on the countertops installed from the top of the counter to the bottom of the cabinets. Very easy to wipe clean. And it looks great.

[msrachelj]

On 4/23/2018 at 3:07 PM, izabella said:

White kitchens, gold hardware, and butcher block counters were HUGE in the late 90's and early 2000's.  Then stainless steel appliances and granite counter tops came along, and it all had to go in favor of cherry cabinets.  

agreed. insane .

who the HELL can afford to update their kitchens every 5 , 10 even more, years? i put in granite countertops, stainless steel appliances and neutral light oak cabinets and it's gonna stay that way till i die. took me 20 years to do that. i hate watch this show because i want to punch these entitled couples in the throat most of the time. especially the young first time buyers who have to have everything perfect immediately. i live in an old house that i will never be able to make look the way i want. we busted our asses working our whole lives and still had to settle for a busted fixer upper., ok. rant over . but you get it. 

Edited May 25, 2018 by msrachelj
grammar

[roughing it]

4 minutes ago, msrachelj said:

i want to punch these entitled couples in throat

LOL.....me too!

[msrachelj]

On 4/30/2018 at 11:57 PM, rhofmovalley said:

Another ninny..."I love older vintage homes with all the original features preserved! But I NEED an all white updated kitchen with stainless steel appliances, granite and a huge island, oh, and I need an en suite bathroom with a big step in shower and double vanities and I also need a big walk in closet"! 

Jeez...

I want to go on the show just so I can stubbornly refuse to demand an all white kitchen, open concept or hardwood floors. I wonder if the producer will have a fit if I declare I want cherry kitchen cabinets, that I hate islands (I do), that I want carpet and that I hate open concept (I do). And laminate countertops are so easy to keep clean!

just like the clueless dummies who look at old homes and are pissed there is no en suite! or open concept. geez, here goes my b.p. again! i also hate open concept. my dream home is a1920's craftsman with cozy rooms and lots of wood. maybe in my next life because hubby insisted we buy this huge ol shack and i'm stuck in it. if i would have known he was going to so lax in fixing it up i would have balked but good. i'm mad at myself. i wish i had the "problems"  most of these buyers do! 

On 1/29/2018 at 11:54 PM, auntjess said:

When I was a kid, that's what everyone had, and the old people then, like my great aunt, had the octagonal black & white tiles, which still reminds me of the smell of original Lifebuoy soap.
I loved my grey & white bathroom, and my pink & grey one.  The yellow & brown one, not so much.

I can see this, especially if there's height disparity.

i love old tiled bathrooms. so much so that i am redoing my crappy ol bathroom vintage style with 1920's fixtures (that i was lucky enough to have given to me because, wow, they are not cheap). new tile on walls and b&w tile floor. 

[BlossomCulp]

2 minutes ago, msrachelj said:

if i would have known he was going to so lax in fixing it up i would have balked but good. i'm mad at myself. i wish i had the "problems"  most of these buyers do! 

We made the mistake of buying what turned out to be a fixer upper earlier in our marriage so now that we're looking to move with retirement in mind it's the last thing my husband wants.  The problem is just as we are looking to downsize housing prices in our area are going crazy.  In the towns we're checking out all we can afford right now are tired fixer uppers that have clearly seen better days.  If we'd been ready to move even a year ago we'd have found something - now?  I really don't know.  So yeah, my sympathy for the entitled little twits who not only want it all but can afford it!! is severely limited!

[msrachelj]

On 2/25/2018 at 5:24 PM, answerphone said:

I notice the men say "industrial look", everyone mentions Craftsman, mid-century modern, French Provincial, Tuscan, etc. I've never heard anyone say those in real life and mid century modern just means 65 years old.

And no one ever says "floorplan", they say "nice bones", no one says "master bath", they say "en suite", no one says, "I like both white and wood cabinets, it doesn't matter".

When my husband and I looked at homes, we just wanted the nicest neighborhood we could afford, best floorplan, close to good schools, nice layout in the kitchen.

We didn't care if one light fixture was ugly, if a room needed to be painted... Those are easy and inexpensive. And I never yelled, "Total gut job!"

what i would give for some of those rooms that they called "total gut jobs"! and i'm also tired of them complains about paint and fixtures. good grief , a chimp could fix that!

[CherryAmes]

3 minutes ago, msrachelj said:

what i would give for some of those rooms that they called "total gut jobs"! and i'm also tired of them complains about paint and fixtures. good grief , a chimp could fix that!

I am still kicking myself over turning my nose up at a house we saw years ago because the owners had painted or wallpapered every single room blue.  The house was perfect for us, great neighbourhood, nice layout, awesome price.  But all I could see was blue.  Hindsight being 20/20 I think we'd still be in that house today if we'd bought it.  And knowing my husband and I it would probably still be blue!

[msrachelj]

2 minutes ago, BlossomCulp said:

We made the mistake of buying what turned out to be a fixer upper earlier in our marriage so now that we're looking to move with retirement in mind it's the last thing my husband wants.  The problem is just as we are looking to downsize housing prices in our area are going crazy.  In the towns we're checking out all we can afford right now are tired fixer uppers that have clearly seen better days.  If we'd been ready to move even a year ago we'd have found something - now?  I really don't know.  So yeah, my sympathy for the entitled little twits who not only want it all but can afford it!! is severely limited!

i sympathize! i wish my husband wanted to move. he refuses to believe this home is going to be a burden now that we are getting up there or near to getting up there! i hate the stairs already! and theres no upstairs bathroom!  and we have way too  much acreage and weeds. ugh. and i hate country living. boy, did i make a big mistake!  of course if i had an extra $50 grand or more laying around, i'd like it a lot better! so right that it's almost impossible to find a home you can afford anymore.

although i have no sympathy for the twits. you don't have to move into a perfect house when you are young, especially when you can afford to have renovations done by professionals as you go along. we did not and it shows!

2 minutes ago, CherryAmes said:

I am still kicking myself over turning my nose up at a house we saw years ago because the owners had painted or wallpapered every single room blue.  The house was perfect for us, great neighbourhood, nice layout, awesome price.  But all I could see was blue.  Hindsight being 20/20 I think we'd still be in that house today if we'd bought it.  And knowing my husband and I it would probably still be blue!

i have regrets too. but that last line was funny!

[CherryAmes]

58 minutes ago, msrachelj said:

i have regrets too. but that last line was funny!

Funny and true I'm afraid!  I always roll my eyes at the HHs who say "total gut job" over minor cosmetic stuff  because I bet you dollars to donuts that most of the time they end up living with whatever issue they thought there was and don't do anything about it.  I know it's not just me that ends up living with a paint colour I wouldn't have chosen or carpets when I wanted hardwood or whatever because (a) money and (b) utter and total laziness.  Although maybe (b) is really just me after all :).

Edited May 25, 2018 by CherryAmes

[msrachelj]

15 minutes ago, CherryAmes said:

Funny and true I'm afraid!  I always roll my eyes at the HHs who say "total gut job" over minor cosmetic stuff  because I bet you dollars to donuts that most of the time they end up living with whatever issue they thought there was and don't do anything about it.  I know it's not just me that ends up living with a paint colour I wouldn't have chosen or carpets when I wanted hardwood or whatever because (a) money and (b) utter and total laziness.  Although maybe (b) is really just me after all :).

nope. not just you! especially the $$ part. money doesn't buy happiness but it really really really helps!

[laredhead]

Some things can be overlooked and let go for a few years until you have the $$ to fix them.  I moved into my house in 2003 knowing it was going to need some TLC and the first thing I wanted to do was remodel the kitchen.  Fast forward to 2016, after years of having to install a new HVAC, insulation, exterior drainage, tree removal after a hurricane, exterior paint, new roof, etc. - all of the usual and unusual things a home owner has to do - and the kitchen had finally managed to get to the top of the "to do" list.  It took me 13 years of planning and hoping for it to be a reality.  I look back at the pictures of it and it really was pretty awful, but I just got used to it and took care of more urgent needs first.  I'm amazed (sarcasm) that I was able to prepare meals using white appliances, ceramic tile counters (they really were icky), several drawers that could not be opened, and no range ventilation hood.  

I sneer at some of the HH's we see who declare gut jobs on rooms that could be OK for a while.  Unless you have a pot full of unlimited funds, it's probably not a good idea to spend it all at once since you never know when something is going to happen that isn't covered by insurance.