What house feature is a must have if you were building today?
 

Or dream garage/workshop feature perhaps.

9 or 10 ' basement walls. 12' for garage

As noted a basement must be at least 9' ceilings, 10' preferably. Heated floors throughout with a quality condensing boiler. Spray foam insulation. An exterior finish that isn't flammable vinyl siding. Garage access to the basement, even if the garage is detached :) . A real wood-burning fireplace.

Floor heating

Wow it’s so comfortable. It’s a deal breaker for me now

Assuming the majority of people live in a urban area ........ I'd say ......

1) a reasonable sized garage big enough to actually park 2 vehicles in with enough room in it to open your doors and get out of the vehicle and enough room for a shelf or two. To me that's at least 24 x 24 but something closer to 28 x 28 would fit the bill nicely. Most new builds are 20 x 20 give or take a foot and forget about putting your truck in there.

2) a reasonable sized lot with enough room to have a nice deck, fire pit and let the kids and/or dog run around a little

3) air conditioning

4) a shower that isn't one of those plastic one piece 24" x 24" stalls where you are crashing your elbow every time you move your arm - I have a 48" x 60" and it's the greatest shower in the world .......... I will never own a home with a small shower stsll again.

5) gas range or cook top

6) high ceilings and bigger windows in basement - preferably above grade

7) High efficiency furnace, instant hot water, air conditioning, led lighting - the money you save is extraordinary.

8) well ventilated attic space with lots of insulation

9) heated floors in bathrooms (and maybe even basement if the budget allows)

Sunken mechanical room, and all the appliances on curbs.
Now that's living.

At least a triple garage, and air conditioning.

I currently have a 24x28 garage and it's not big enough. If you can't go much bigger than that, at least go taller so you can get a car lift.
Go with 2 garage doors instead of 1.
We have a ranch/bungalo right now. We find ourselves having to tiptoe and be super quiet after the kids go to bed because kitchen cupboards are located on kids bedroom wall. So I would find a design that separated living areas and bedrooms more.
A house and layout to watch (the kids) out back if I'm still in the house.
Got air conditioning this year. Yep, always gonna have a house with that from now on.

ICF construction, south facing windows, and no neighbours closer than a mile.

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Garage/shop non withstanding, MULTIPLE mud rooms. :scared:

A formal dining room.

Attached garage with access to pantry / laundry room
Access from garage to basement
Detached garage behind house so any one going to your detaced garage is seen.
Mudroom

On demand hot water
Wood stove
As many bathrooms as bedrooms
9’ trayed ceilings
NOT some gawd aweful huge roof. I can’t stand a single story house with a roof pitched so high the roof dwarfs the living quarters!
A double sided gas fireplace in the wall between the master bedroom and master bath.

Bathroom, our house has one and it's super convenient.

A urinal...at least in the shop or garage anyways

Agree with good sized garage, need space for two vehicles, shelves, freezer, fridge and all the wife and kids shoes!
Ac is a must
Yard depends on life situation.
The basement needs infloor heat, high ceilings, a wet bar and nice open mechanical room.
At least two bathtubs if kids still at home!
Most importantly though, as we have learned is sound proofing! We can hear our kids talk in the basement, you can hear someone fart in the bathroom and I am sure the kids car hear other things😳

Think ahead. My dad built a bilevel in 1980. He is now 87 and having a horrible time with the stairs.

A bidet :)

House
 

Natural gas fireplace

Minimum two bathrooms (one can be a guest bathroom) and a shop and garage toilet and sink.

Mud Room, preferably with a tile floor for easy mud/dirt removal.

Dedicated laundry room.

On demand hot water

Very large shower with multiple shower heads.

Guess the economy can't be that bad. :lol: I'd be looking at smaller but efficient , but hey that's what I built 20 years ago.

Grizz

Maid.

Wood fireplace, wood stove, gun room

French?

I would love to have the space UNDER my attached garage excavated to be used as extra space / vault / theatre / gun room / etc.. Usually the utilites do not run under the garage slab, so you can make it 12 feet deep it you like.

No. German/English. But grew up in Canada all my life.

If you are building new, garage or house, it seems a shame to me to not prep the slab for radiant floor heating. Even a shop that you can't afford to heat at first is worth prepping for future.

A house and garage in one, that I can clean with a water hose. Don't like vacuming, sweeping, or dusting. It must be cool in the summer, warm in the winter. I like utilitarian features, I don't like fluff and formality. Large kitchen with gas grille, indoor open fire cooking year round. Industrial cooking, butchering and meat processing facilities. Open fire pit in center of home, Open floor plan, only walls would be for bedroom and washroom privacy. Preferably single level, vehicle access to interior. Out of bed into vehicles without going through doors. 16 foot ceiling...

Too damn funny. Excellent retort...for a moose.