For me, it's always been the location in general (the feel of the general neighborhood, etc.) - and then the lot itself 2nd.

I specifically bought what may be our "forever" home because of the lot - it is in my desired town/location, and the lot is much larger than normal for that location. It also has the front southern exposure which is my preferred orientation as well.

While I hate remodeling.....I'll do it when it makes sense. I've never found a way to change location or lot size.

This is another interesting topic and I'll be curious to read replies. Different things matter so much to different people. I knew someone who refused to look at houses which didn't have mostly hardwood flooring. I'm like...you realize you can install hardwood, right? Yet she couldn't have cared less about the lot or orientation of the house. Shrug.

(ETA - I realize this sort-of doesn't answer your question. Sorry! :-) I have never looked at an existing house with the mindset that the house itself can't be changed. I am always changing/tinkering and thinking about what I may do next. There is always something next! I run my own (somewhat weird!) personalized cost/benefit analysis in my head before pouring money into a house - but can't quite answer the original question otherwise, because for me the only 2 non-negotiables ARE location and lot.....)

I can't relate totally because we are renovators. I agree with Ally.. Location is first.

No busy road, at least some privacy sitting on deck or lanai, close to shopping and medical needs.

Not negotiable: Single floor and south and west facing exposures.

I hate open concept, but our current home had open concept so we put up a wall and enclosed the kitchen. Then we walked around for a year saying "Mr. Gobachev put up that wall!"

I loathe carpeting but that can be changed.

I understand what you are saying. If the location and lot were acceptable, my must haves are:

• one level living or the ability to add a lift/elevator easily
• ceilings higher than 8 feet
• sufficient natural light sources - windows, skylights, solar tubes
• one tub or room for a tub in one of the bathrooms
• indoor laundry facilities

My added preferences are:

• floor plan with separation of primary bedroom from other bedrooms
• well-designed storage
• powder bath not visible from kitchen or dining room
• direct access from garage to house without going outside
• kitchen separated from main living and dining areas

I totally shop for location, dead end street, treed lot, no close neighbors. Then I can and have easily purchased by the "feel" of the house, the soul, if you will. I can live with lots of different configurations, probably my two must haves are a dishwasher and a woodstove (or it could be gas if it can run without electricity for power outages). And the soul of a house wouldn't speak to me unless it had outside walls that were mostly windows. I want to see outside, feel like I'm outside and not need window coverings for privacy. As I age, I can appreciate all one level, but I LOVE sleeping upstairs with no window coverings, knowing no one can peek in while I'm sleeping and I can feel like I'm in a treehouse.

I agree - location is the number one priority as it can’t be changed. And even if you are a renovator try to put yourself in a different state of mind and think about what your must and must not haves are in a house.

Location, location, location. And we are also renovators, so this is hard.

That being said, in no particular order of preference:

at least 3 bedrooms

no carpeting anywhere. Hardwood or LVP

single level

living room AND family room

adequate counter space in kitchen

kitchen not closed off to family room

main bedroom has to have own bathroom with walk in shower

2 car garage

high ceilings

adequate storage

Single level

lots of light/windows (dark rooms depress me)

wood floors

open concept-for a sense of space

good layout

I’ve always lived in very modest sized homes, so I don’t need a lot.

Yes to higher ceilings, spacious windows and no carpet. The most recent house we bought has very little carpet - guest rooms and upstairs bonus room and that's it. Carpet wouldn't stop me from buying a house as that is relatively easy to change. Some things it doesn't have that I enjoy include no carpet on stairs, no decks to maintain (patio only), no need for shower doors or curtains, no pillars dividing the rooms (we have those at our other house and I just don't care for that look). We have lots of big windows and beautiful views (that's a location feature of course).

Very difficult mental exercise because I have the remodel mindset as others have mentioned. But in the spirit of the question if I could not change anything then the house would have to speak to me and feel like home upon entry - that's totally subjective but I've felt it unquestionably in two homes I've bought so know it when I feel it. But for specifics -

Casual dining space in a kitchen that is at a table not a counter.

A nice tub.

Hardwood floors.

Lots of natural light and with that good cross ventilation.

A dry basement.

No previous flood damage, not in a high flood zone. City water, no septic. Rules (HOA and so on) allow for a veggie/flower garden.

It has to have or I have to be able to add:

A tub.

Hardwood floors.

Lots of windows

Screened outdoor space

Separate DR and EIK.

Office

A view (not necessarily a VIEW, but it has to be pretty when I look outside).

Location

Architecturally interesting

Central A/C (could possibly tolerate mini-splits, but no window units and no swamp cooler)

No stairs

No carpet

Room for at least a 4-top dining table (not a kitchen-counter-only place)

Big enough for each of the two of us to have a get-away area (office, den, music room, etc.)

Architecturally interesting

This. Some homes are just non starters because of when and how they were built

@jakabedy - we also had that requirement in this house we bought two years ago - big enough for us each to have our own get away space. In the past we had a walk out basement and DH had dibs on that living space. In this house we have a bonus room over the garage and that is his. We have our big TV up there so it's not like I don't go there but I pretty much leave it alone; i.e. I accept a certain amount of clutter that I don't have elsewhere.

Architecturally interesting

Such a given it hadn't even occurred to me to mention it. It rules out about 90% of homes out there.

Location — the pedestrian street where I currently live is ideal.

Walkability - grocery store, hardware store, etc (NOT in a shopping center) within a 15 minute walk. Restaurants within a 20 minute walk.

Access to public transportation. Who wants to fight the traffic when there are alternatives.

Climate - no extremes of heat or cold.

House — lots of light, a kitchen designed for daily use and not for show, no open concept, preferably wood floors, a front porch, room for a garden and patio off the kitchen. Extra points for bungalow, Craftsman design, and good craftsmanship throughout a must.

I think that I’ve basically described where I now live. Also a place developed before malls, shopping centers became the norm.

What are some examples of "architecturally interesting"?

@3katz4me my houses to date have been three 1920s homes (Tudor revival, mediterranean revival and storybook), a 1950s Pueblo revival with lovely vigas throughout, and two MCM homes. So, ideally something like that. It could be a newer build, but it would need to be far beyond cookie-cutter.

I feel like I have no right for input as we have lived in the same house for 35 years!

I have looked at houses with my kids though, Here's some items on my list that have not been mentioned.

Coat closets with plentiful storage at the entrances. Living in the Midwest, we have coats for all the crazy seasons we have here.

Southern windows in living areas. Main floor master, can have other bedrooms upstairs.

Enjoy our walk out lower level now but at some point will be willing to reduce sq footage of house.

As few steps into house as possible.

"architecturally interesting ...EXACTLY!

I currently have beams on the ceiling. They radiate out from a center point like a KIVA. Adjoining rooms have pieces of the beams showing through at points. I just purchased a stained glass window for the master bath to give it "more" design "flair".

My neighbor across the street designed their house themselves....and it looks like a modular home inside. It has 12' high ceilings that come together at a point. Also a steep hill in the backyard, so when it rains water runs towards the house. They also have an easement for a future road. A tiny covered deck, I want a BIG-HUGE covered deck with a natural gas hook up for grilling outdoors. I hotly dislike two level breakfast bars. I want a single bowl undermount kitchen sink. A long run of counter space in the laundry room. Radiant heat flooring.

I also want a nice bath tub. A walk-in closet with built in dressers. A minimum of a 4/3/3

No carpet + no LVT = real hardwood floors or high quality engineered wood floors The only exception would be nice wool carpet in the guest bedrooms. I selected a textured wool carpet with a good pad in my daughters bedrooms while they were growing up - it made sense to me because they were playing with each other/friends on the floor in their rooms often.

Pretty views - but like mtn, the view can be created vs. natural (my backyard makes me very happy - especially May - November - I have MANY containers/planters that I design each spring + my neighborhood is extremely pretty - many beautiful mature trees + curving streets with some hills + my neighbors all have nice landscaping + no cookie cutter homes).

Private backyard

No artificial lighting needed during the day = many windows.

We went to an open house last year. We would have bought it, the house was perfect for us, layout, design, location, yard, pretty shed. Except…

The site. Ravine on one side, which feeds into a larger ravine, which is across the lane from the house. Yep, two different tax IDs for the property. And ravines are lovely, but the city has an 11-page document on the rights and responsibilities of owners on ravines.Yikes.

Another concern was that the yard sloped down from the street behind. Naturally, heading to the ravine. So we were on the lookout for signs of water in the house. Didn’t see any, but we have been seeing stronger deluges the last several years and it’s only a matter of time, for water infiltratiob and for ravine erosion.

So we passed. But we still drive by, calling it ”the house we didn’t buy”.

Too bad, because the house and yard by themselves were perfect for us.

Architecturally interesting and/or some history. “Character,” I guess. So I don’t think I could live in a new build. I would rather have banged up baseboards than perfect new ones.

Location, in all that entails.

Eat-in kitchen plus dining room.

Hardwood floors, good windows, and some kind of entry/foyer/mudroom.

A garage, and a patio and/or porch. Some garden space but I don’t need a big yard.

More than one ”living room” — we almost made an offer on a very cool house before we bought our current house. One thing that stopped us was that it had a living room that wasn’t very big, and no other space to hang out. DH watches a lot of sports on TV and I need somewhere else to go, even if it’s just a spare bedroom made into a den.

If I can’t renovate, the kitchen and bathrooms have to be attractive and in good working order. I don’t care about a tub but I need a dishwasher!

Bonus points for a screened porch. That is the one thing I miss from our old house.

A nice primary bathroom. laundry by bedrooms, it can be stackable in a closet though.

A sunroom, a walk ability score above 70percent, plaster walls, Radiators for heat( I hate forced air heating) but i also want central air on a separate system.

Natural finished hard wood floors through out. Architectural features, ie moldings, built ins and window seats does not need to be all but at least one of these. Lots of light both natural and added.

Curb apeal. I love a sigh of relief as I turn into my property even before opening the door. Oh i want a vestibule too for both aesthetics and function.

Roarah, i love that — a sigh of relief! Thats high on my list. Neighbors not too close, a place to be outside where no one sees me and I dont see or hear them.

Natural light! First floor primary suite. Washer dryer on the main level . Room for guests away from me!

This really isn’t too hard after reading most of the comments. Our current home which we semi-designed and built 26 years ago, has most of the things I would want again. When we do move, unfortunately it will be to a smaller lot (Something we dread) and probably slightly smaller house (which is ok for me, but DH hates the thought). The must haves:

- hardwood floors (our current ones are white oak)

- one level on a generally level lot with lots of windows

- larger main bedroom and bath with large shower but extra BRs can be smaller

- some sort of room for DH to watch sports and old movies/tv series

- warm tiles in bathrooms

- a kick-azz pantry or butler’s pantry

- kitchen will need to be already renovated to our liking or able to be renovated to suit our requirements

- Screened porch. I’m with you 3katz on preferring a stone porch over a deck.

- No busy street

- excellent insulation everywhere (for noise as much as weather)

- Large garage with attached storage space

- spacious utility room with a deep utility sink

- sunny spots for a garden outside; i can deal with poor landscaping but really don’t want to do so if it can be avoided

Our mid 1950s ranch works pretty well for our needs. Previous owners added a staircase to access the walkout basement (plenty of storage, laundry room, a playroom, a guest suite and an office.) They also enclosed the carport to create a family room and revamped the kitchen. This was in the 90s, so we did a kitchen refresh 5 years ago or so.

We added a master suite a decade ago. No tub, but one could be added. Love my heated bathroom floor.

Things my house doesn’t have that I’d like: laundry/utility/mudroom on the main floor, a garage, two ovens, a foyer, a powder room, and a screened porch with a fireplace.

Ahhh @porkandham - screen porch with a fireplace. I've wished to have one of those for a long time - just because I'd seen pictures of beautiful porches with fireplaces. Once we ended up with gas fireplaces indoors I envisioned a wood burning fireplace in the porch. Alas, I do not have one and probably never will and of course it would be nice to have not must have. When we were looking for our current house I did look at one with a fireplace (gas) in the porch and I though I might finally get one but alas that house had some problems I didn't want to have to deal with.

Oh...we have now tried the $300 a month HOA. That's NOT for us either. A bunch of old men mis-managing money. We've had two "special assessments"......it's hard to watch. We thought gates would be a great idea too. They only work about 50% of the time. Deliveries are left sitting in bulk, for residents to pick up and self deliver. One resident gave a "shout-out" invitation to kids to come party at his sons 16th Birthday Party he threw. Had dozens of spoiled brat kids trying to get through the gates without a code....he didn't provide. Every privilege gets abused.

@nicole - yeah, HOAs aren't for everyone and of course they don't all come with gates. I've lived in several and in my experience they're only as good as the board of directors and it's difficult to get anyone to step up for that job. People just want to complain and not contribute enough $ to do what needs to be done. DH and I have both been on HOA boards and it is truly a thankless job. I was fortunate enough to be on one with several GW caliber women and we made a very positive impact on the community. It's astonishing how many people buy in an HOA, don't read the rules and are then PO'd that they can't do whatever they want.

All of our current homes are in HOA/POAs. We're okay with it. They have their advantages. One has gates - a PITA for a lot of reasons. I think they invite troublemakers. We previously lived in an unusual city that was one big gated HOA with private roads. Services divided between city and HOA responsibility. After many years they removed the gates because they were more trouble than they were worth. Since the roads are private they now just threaten interlopers with arrest for trespassing.

3katz - completely agree with your first paragraph. Heck I have written almost the exact same thing myself! I get it that some people don't like HOAs. And yes, some boards are awful. But please, if you hate them, then for the love of squirrels, just don't buy in one!

So many people cause some much grief because they want to argue over rules they voluntarily agreed to. I have had so many people say they hate HOAs. Great! If you know that, then choose wisely. The good news is this is still America and we still have free choice. It is not compulsory to buy into one. 😄🤷‍♀️

We "like" the HOA rules. That's NOT the HOA problem we have currently.

These old blokes don't know how to place a work order with instructions of "The wood they want for the log replacement on the gate"...for instance. They ended up getting a poor quality replacement with NO recourse. Or bats were getting into the lodge. It needed the roof eaves to be sealed. They were going to spend $20K, until I found a place that would do it for $3300....one fifth the price. They had no idea if the lodge septic tank had ever been emptied, no idea who to call. I gave them a name...they called. The place had just done OUR clean out 12 months prior, sent us the receipts, said were good for another 5 years. When the drip sprinkler system stopped working, they turned it off...let the tress and plants die. We dug it up, it had a kink under a tree. Got it working & replanted. I refused to put up or take down Christmas lights. A volunteer took them down, left the lights in piles on the ground. THIS is what happened!

This is the type of HOA stupidity we have. I took over...but have after 7 years stepped down. I'm ready to move. I don't care to work 40 hours a week...free of pay for the rest of my life. I'd like to just be retired.

These HOA men are 15 - 18 years older than I am. Most are engineers or Dr's. They have NO trade skills. They ALL belong to "The Gentlemens Club". No women allowed. (Yes that's illegal) They also have a Men's breakfast club.

Yikes! HOAs?

I’ve never lived where there was a HOA, and I doubt that they would aopreciate my no-lawn-ever-again gardening style.

I plant for pollinators, not for a board’s judgement. Although with water restrictions in force during droughts, landscaping rules might now include lawn elimination.

I’m a big natural light person, and so is DH. He brings a compass to houses when we are looking at houses. (And we have made auite a few moves inour 35 year marriage.)

We’re big on hardwood floors,but they can be installed.

Flow is big for me. I need to see a way to make the space work for our dynamic. That’s a big issue for me.

We’re house hunting now (for a winter escape) so this is a big conversation topic.

@localeater - where are you looking for a winter escape?

@3katz4me - Others may not really consider it a winter escape, we are looking at Southern NH. We actually love winter, but our community is very small, and in winter becomes smaller. I would like some place more robust and active. Additionally, since we are so far away from everywhere it is difficult for our children to visit. One of our sons lives in the EU and when he flies in to Logan it’s about a six hour drive. I need to have a place closer to a big airport.

@localeater - I think I know what you mean. It sounds like our lake place - lovely but kind of isolated and not much happening in the winter. Also about three hours from a big airport.

Ooh, ooh, like Portsmouth?

Yes. Portsmouth and a couple other towns are contenders.