What do you live in?

[diy_fun_uk]

Each to their own, however when I see articles about monied people building huge properties to live in, I often think they look cold, uninviting and not at all homely. Don't get me wrong, if I win Lotto I don't doubt I'd move to a larger house, however not a huge house regardless of the win.

I'm single.
I live in a relatively modest 2 bed detached bungalow. Built 1980's.
Other rooms are living/dining room, kitchen, hallway and bathroom.
Small garden to the front, slightly larger garden to the rear.
Single garage and driveway.

As I say it's modest but meets my needs. I wanted detached so I can be that bit noisier without fear of disturbing neighbours and likewise, not to be disturbed by them.

So, what about you? What do you live in? And tell us a bit about it. Also, are you generally happy living there or would you like to move and if yes to what? Upsize, downsize etc?

 

[JP_]

Detached 1930s bungalow, solid walls, front drive, large rear garden, and 2m down the side (not large enough for a car these days).
3 main bedrooms at front, with one small guest room / office space. 2 bathrooms (one a shower room, bathroom not finished!), lounge, and kitchen diner. Both look to garden.

Took me ages to find. I have some very particular things I like and don't like in houses.

• Must be detached - I bought it as a rotten, mouldy 2 bed bungalow as all I could afford
• Lounge and kitchen must face the garden, no the street
• If a house, stairs must not go into a lounge
• If open plan area, must have a snug too
• Lounge must not be close to or under a bedroom - I like to turn the volume up (you can see why I live in a bungalow!)

So I have the house I always wanted, after being on the property ladder for 23 years, and 5 years into renovation. About 1 more year to go ...

 

[charliegolf]

We built ours* in 1995, in 17 weeks from dig to sleep. It's a 1700 ish sq ft detached house, 4 bed, 3 bathrooms, drawings done by me on graph paper with herself holding a rubber and sharp pencil. Then we had a guy draw them up for plans and BR. We bought a one-third acre former agri-industrial plot next to a stream for £26k and built the timber framed house for another £54k. The double garage that we now have was our contingency, so was built about 2-3 years later. We will, in all likelihood, leave from here in our boxes.

*A forumite may well be along in a while to tell me I did not, in fact, build it myself at all. But, just as a plug, to normal folk is not a plug-top, a self builder needn't do everything on the build to claim he built it.

 

[noseall]

Extended (sideways, upways, backways, frontways) 3/4 bed semi.
More than meets the wife's needs. Especially considering that the sheds contain at least 4 tents too.

 

[ajohn]

1911 semi. 3 floors and attic space above some roof slope on the top floor ceilings. 5 bedrooms one a small double. High ceilings A bit stuck here. Decent range of shops an easy walk. Railway station too but can't hear trains. Too much stuff around really as often happens with too much space even when my father in law lived with us with his own kitchen. That could be an en suite for one of the bedrooms now.

 

[Dork Lard]

Dork's house isn't as big as you think, it's a 5 bed Edwardian farmhouse with a hunormous kitchen, but I do enjoy lots of little nooks & crannies. The main thing for me is I was born in what is now my office . . . .

It's not listed but it does have some very interesting & original features. No'1 son has a grand plan to convert the old stable block & carriage house into an annexe so's we can move there & he can move here & then he can look after his ole' pops in his old age . . . No'1 son can go F himself, I fully intend to die in the same room where I was born.

The 'garden' <snort> extends to 4acres but I only tend about 100sq' of it. The paddock has been somewhat neglected after the daughter grew up & moved out but the DiL has plans to rejuvenate it if the grandkids show an interest in the horseys.

My crowning glory is my mancave, where I spend most of my time. I wish I could invite you all round for a BBQ & pi$$up, but I fear some of you may never leave.

 

[motorbiking]

Currently working on a 3 bed detached 1960s house, which I bought after separating with my ex. I live here with my GF and the ex-wife has the previous family home 5 bed detached, originally 1920s. I don't really miss the bigger house, though plot size they are similar. I do miss all the insulation I put in and the solar panels which generated most of my electric. I spend most of my spare time on boats any way so don't really need a big house.

 

[ajstoneservices]

Dewalt steelies, Snickers floorlayers and a polo shirt.

 

[diy_fun_uk]

It's not listed but it does have some very interesting & original features. No'1 son has a grand plan to convert the old stable block & carriage house into an annexe so's we can move there & he can move here & then he can look after his ole' pops in his old age . . . No'1 son can go F himself, I fully intend to die in the same room where I was born.

lol, quite right!

 

[Mottie]

3/4 bed semi.

So is that a 3 bed with a dodgy loft conversion?

 

[noseall]

So is that a 3 bed with a dodgy loft conversion?

3 beds and an office in the small bedroom.

 

[conny]

1876 semi detached 2 bed cottage with kitchen and kitchenette originally.
Previous owner, (before our LL bought it), modernised it by building a sideways extension to double the footprint. Now has 4 bedrooms, breakfast room, kitchen, large lounge, utility room, bathroom and our bedroom has an en-suite. He started to convert the loft but never got to finish it so we have a large, floored loft with cellotex between the roof joists and thats it.
Medium sized front lawns with a large gravelled drive that can hold 6 cars at a push and a massive back garden which looks across a meadow on the side. Across the road from the front garden is just fields to left, right and centre. Considering what we have I think we pay a very good rent, (in fact he could get much more but wants to keep us as tenants as we look after it so well). We have no intentions of moving in the foreseeable future because it's out in the countryside and we love it.

 

[festive]

Dork's house isn't as big as you think, it's a 5 bed Edwardian farmhouse with a hunormous kitchen, but I do enjoy lots of little nooks & crannies. The main thing for me is I was born in what is now my office . . . .

It's not listed but it does have some very interesting & original features. No'1 son has a grand plan to convert the old stable block & carriage house into an annexe so's we can move there & he can move here & then he can look after his ole' pops in his old age . . . No'1 son can go F himself, I fully intend to die in the same room where I was born.

The 'garden' <snort> extends to 4acres but I only tend about 100sq' of it. The paddock has been somewhat neglected after the daughter grew up & moved out but the DiL has plans to rejuvenate it if the grandkids show an interest in the horseys.

My crowning glory is my mancave, where I spend most of my time. I wish I could invite you all round for a BBQ & pi$$up, but I fear some of you may never leave.

Hah very good love my man cave but its sometimes my office too, and i want it to be for pleasure only, so just having the garage rebuilt to house my office also. Yes kids dont you love them, why do they all seem so entitled, ok some of them, we often like to go 'ski' ing. (spending kids inheritance).

 

[big-all]

i bought my first house in 82 it is a 3 bed 1907 terrace house-----

i say it is because i still live here i have been in the house now for over 1/3 off its life
i never seen the point off moving from A house that was warm with 2 receptions and 3 beds and 2 adults and a son with a small ish quiet garden in a nice area walking distance to work and the town
i dont do any thing because "its expected " i do it for my own [and family ] benefit
no extensions the usual double glazing pvc soffits and gutters and my lovely 10x12ft wooden workshop now 17 years old without any decay looking as good as new

if you are happy where you are why keep moving each time becoming more and more a slave to work to pay an ever higher mortgage

 

[kingandy2nd]

Some of you may have seen my house as it’s the subject of a build thread at the moment.

It’s a poorly built, 1970s estate house We picked the house as it was in a good plot with the potential of extending (as we’re now doing). We wanted a detached after issues with a noisy neighbour in our previous terraced house.

It’s in a village, so peaceful. We’re 100m as the crow flies from the beach, and I can get to my office in Liverpool city centre in around 30 mins on the train, or 25 mins in the car. Other half’s family are 10 mins drive away (she likes that, me not so much).

There’s only two of us, so the 5 bed house is far more than we actually need, but it’s amazing how you can fill the space with stuff! The double garage (part of my build) is what I’ve always aspired to as I’m into cars, but now I have it I want a four car garage with space for a lift ).

My other half would probably stay here forever more, but I’m always looking for the next upgrade/project. I really enjoy DIY, so I need to feed my hobby. Eventually (on retirement) I’d like to relocate to the real countryside or possibly abroad. Therefore I figure the more equity I can build as we move up the property ladder now, the more options we’ll have in 15-20 years when we get to retiring.