5 Things you can skip while Building a Home

We have seen many new homeowners in our stores who insisted on the list of amenities they should have in their new home. What do we mean by amenities? Amenities are valued additions to a property, e.g. professional lighting, landscaping of the garden, to having special finishes for the walls and top notch appliances. We overheard so much of them as these new homeowners were shopping tables or shelves to accompany these amenities.

Some people seemed to be very particular or even dead set to having certain features in their home. But one thing we realize, are these amenities really required? Here’s a quick list of house amenities we feel are no longer a necessary:

• Open floor plans
• A bathtub in every bathroom 
• A swimming pool at home
• Marble countertops
• Telephone landlines

Open floor plans

The open concept trend requires fewer walls to make a home look larger than its actual footprint, making this trend very popular. However, over the years, this trend eventually got people to be bored and many felt that it was more difficult to separate the living spaces and decorate them as such. Another drawback of this trend is that entertaining at home became a challenge. For instance, if you are hosting guests, the kitchen clutter will always be in sight, unless you tend to keep things neat and tidy all the time. 

A bathtub in every bathroom

A good looking bath does wonders for the bathroom, so it is quite tempting to want one in every bathroom in your home. If you have small children, having a bath tub maybe more convenient. But, if not, think about how often you really take the time to soak yourself in one? Stick to just owning a shower and not to get too hung up on a feature you might not even use very often. 

A swimming pool at home

Not long ago, having a swimming pool at home may symbolize a big status coveted by many. Everyone wanted a swimming pool that is large, along with a garden and a nice outdoor area. 

Owning a swimming pool requires many responsibilities and expenses to maintain, e.g. the cleaning, renewing the filter, adjusting the water balance. The swimming pool is still one some peoples’ wish lists, but don’t let the lack of space in your home as well to burden you to saving an ample space for your pool when you can utilize it for other rooms.

Marble Countertops

Homeowners tend to spend a lot of time and money on their kitchen counters. But do you know that there are more alternatives these days for marble countertops? For instance, laminates are now a popular alternative! Yes, owning a marble countertop are beautiful and durable, but there are more factors to consider when owning one, such as the price and maintenance. Marbles tend to stain easily and not the best choice for families with children.

Telephone landlines 

Owning a dedicated phone line has become an option nowadays for offices to even homes, let alone having multiple phone lines! Having a phone in every bedroom used to be a requirement, but these days, people are so used to their mobiles. Telephone landlines should just be installed in the kitchen or probably the main bedroom and nowadays, your internet provider provides a package for all your internet service, TV, and phone. 

If you are a new homeowner or renovating your current home, consider writing down your must-haves at home and ask yourself why would you need them? Do the amenities you wrote provide a function that your family needs and will use? Or are they just your personal preference that are “nice to have” or an “absolute must”.