As dh and I are house shopping, I have said that one of the most important things to me is that the house be low maintenance. We had more or less chosen a house, then dh got cold feet. Anyhow, DH says a house is as low-maintenance as you make it. There is some truth there, but I've been trying to make up a list of things that help make a house easy to care for in itself. This is partly as a checklist when we're looking at houses, and partly because, heck, I just think he's wrong.
Here's what I've got so far:
Plenty of storage space:
Big closets in the bedroom. (Enough so everyone can keep their crap in their own room.)
Coat closets.
Shoe storage near the doors.
A place to keep the vacuum when you need it. (Central vacuum would be nice!)
Cupboards in the bathrooms for towels.
Appropriate storage:
Big storage for things like kayaks and bikes and weed whackers.
Closed storage for things we don't want to look at.
Ideally, glass fronted book cases for books, flush with the ceiling (no dust.)
No HUGE storage spaces (like attics) where you can just stick things and forget about them. (We have that problem now! Another suitcase? Throw it in the attic!) Closet=good. Junk drawer=good. Junk room or shed or attic or basement? NOOOOOO!
Hard surface floors (easy to mop) with machine washable, non-slip runners in high traffic areas. Easy to sweep and/or vacuum.
Well-placed ceiling and wall lights with easy to clean fixtures (recessed lights or glass/metal shades.)
Ceiling fan only if the ceiling is vaulted.
Metal roof would be nice.
Dog friendly: a dog door that leads to a fenced area with no muddy spots or places where skunks and raccoons can hide out.
Air-lock type spaces around entrances - porches, mudrooms, where people can take off their shoes and coats and leave the dirt outside. And paths leading to the door that are paved, brick, or otherwise clean.
Smooth design in kitchen:
No hardware (knobs, visible hinges.)
Easily cleaned counters and cooktop. Kitchen counters with integral backsplash.
Cupboards for big things, small things, heavy things. Special cupboard for trash & recycling.
Kitchen shelves that are designed to hold what you need (LOTS of kitchen cupboards.)
Cupboards that go to ceiling, with no dust trap on top of them.
An eat-in kitchen (not a separate dining room) to keep all the food in one place.
Even better if there is room for a screen (dd likes to surf music while she eats.)
No food all over the house - just in the kitchen or outside.
I plan on getting an entertainment armoire, with doors (they are so cheap on Craigslist) and using it to contain our laptops, phones, printer, cables, chargers, as well as our small flat screen television.
Simple windows without a lot of nooks and corners to collect dust. Identical blinds (roller blinds with chains are my favorites) on all the windows so we don't have to fuss with curtains. (Curtains are dust collectors and curtain rods, hooks, rings, etc. are a pain to deal with. And expensive.)
Rooms that are big enough for their purpose: A living room should be able to hold a sofa and two big chairs (or the equivalent) a coffee table, side tables, lamps, piano, books - without feeling cramped.
Bedrooms should be big enough for whatever sized bed you are going to use; you should be able to walk all the way around the bed to make it; also space for dresser, nightstand, a chair or coat stand for dressing, a full length mirror.
All rooms painted the same color (cuts visual clutter.)
High quality scrubbable paint.
Identical fixtures - same doorknobs, light fixtures, light switch plates, faucets, etc. throughout. Makes it easier to repair/replace things when they are all the same
Extra nice if everyone can have their own bathroom, though that is rather luxurious. (Living with a teen and a professional performer, I get little bathroom time. And they are both bathroom readers too.)
Trackless shower door (if any.)
Lots of hooks in bathrooms. And bedrooms. Hooks are great.
Laundry/cleaning room, with cupboards for cleaning supplies, ideally with space to dry things or access to space (such as garage/covered area/deck with clothesline in it.)
I like gardening, but don't want a fussy garden:
Perennial fruit trees.
Perennial flower, herb, and vegetable beds.
Greywater irrigation system (from laundry and showers/tubs.)
We are not bringing a lot of furniture with us, and very few decorative items. All our furniture is already very durable or it would be destroyed :)
A place for everything.
Sounds like a huge place, but I really just want an eat-in kitchen and living room, bedrooms and baths. We really only need one shower/tub. A lot of houses have all sorts of strange alcoves and nooks, bizarre open floor plans that seems to waste a ton of space. And full baths for every bedroom - seems extreme, and more to clean.
Here's what I've got so far:
Plenty of storage space:
Big closets in the bedroom. (Enough so everyone can keep their crap in their own room.)
Coat closets.
Shoe storage near the doors.
A place to keep the vacuum when you need it. (Central vacuum would be nice!)
Cupboards in the bathrooms for towels.
Appropriate storage:
Big storage for things like kayaks and bikes and weed whackers.
Closed storage for things we don't want to look at.
Ideally, glass fronted book cases for books, flush with the ceiling (no dust.)
No HUGE storage spaces (like attics) where you can just stick things and forget about them. (We have that problem now! Another suitcase? Throw it in the attic!) Closet=good. Junk drawer=good. Junk room or shed or attic or basement? NOOOOOO!
Hard surface floors (easy to mop) with machine washable, non-slip runners in high traffic areas. Easy to sweep and/or vacuum.
Well-placed ceiling and wall lights with easy to clean fixtures (recessed lights or glass/metal shades.)
Ceiling fan only if the ceiling is vaulted.
Metal roof would be nice.
Dog friendly: a dog door that leads to a fenced area with no muddy spots or places where skunks and raccoons can hide out.
Air-lock type spaces around entrances - porches, mudrooms, where people can take off their shoes and coats and leave the dirt outside. And paths leading to the door that are paved, brick, or otherwise clean.
Smooth design in kitchen:
No hardware (knobs, visible hinges.)
Easily cleaned counters and cooktop. Kitchen counters with integral backsplash.
Cupboards for big things, small things, heavy things. Special cupboard for trash & recycling.
Kitchen shelves that are designed to hold what you need (LOTS of kitchen cupboards.)
Cupboards that go to ceiling, with no dust trap on top of them.
An eat-in kitchen (not a separate dining room) to keep all the food in one place.
Even better if there is room for a screen (dd likes to surf music while she eats.)
No food all over the house - just in the kitchen or outside.
I plan on getting an entertainment armoire, with doors (they are so cheap on Craigslist) and using it to contain our laptops, phones, printer, cables, chargers, as well as our small flat screen television.
Simple windows without a lot of nooks and corners to collect dust. Identical blinds (roller blinds with chains are my favorites) on all the windows so we don't have to fuss with curtains. (Curtains are dust collectors and curtain rods, hooks, rings, etc. are a pain to deal with. And expensive.)
Rooms that are big enough for their purpose: A living room should be able to hold a sofa and two big chairs (or the equivalent) a coffee table, side tables, lamps, piano, books - without feeling cramped.
Bedrooms should be big enough for whatever sized bed you are going to use; you should be able to walk all the way around the bed to make it; also space for dresser, nightstand, a chair or coat stand for dressing, a full length mirror.
All rooms painted the same color (cuts visual clutter.)
High quality scrubbable paint.
Identical fixtures - same doorknobs, light fixtures, light switch plates, faucets, etc. throughout. Makes it easier to repair/replace things when they are all the same
Extra nice if everyone can have their own bathroom, though that is rather luxurious. (Living with a teen and a professional performer, I get little bathroom time. And they are both bathroom readers too.)
Trackless shower door (if any.)
Lots of hooks in bathrooms. And bedrooms. Hooks are great.
Laundry/cleaning room, with cupboards for cleaning supplies, ideally with space to dry things or access to space (such as garage/covered area/deck with clothesline in it.)
I like gardening, but don't want a fussy garden:
Perennial fruit trees.
Perennial flower, herb, and vegetable beds.
Greywater irrigation system (from laundry and showers/tubs.)
We are not bringing a lot of furniture with us, and very few decorative items. All our furniture is already very durable or it would be destroyed :)
A place for everything.
Sounds like a huge place, but I really just want an eat-in kitchen and living room, bedrooms and baths. We really only need one shower/tub. A lot of houses have all sorts of strange alcoves and nooks, bizarre open floor plans that seems to waste a ton of space. And full baths for every bedroom - seems extreme, and more to clean.
Low maintenance house - what is it to you?
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