Dream House

I have a dream to own a house. I want to take that house and make it a home. What's your dream house?

My dream house has changed over the years. It started out as a castle (when I was 4) and by the time I was a teenager, it had morphed into the house I left in Arizona (The big one with a window seat you could sleep in).

Now, it has changed from a big, new, fancy house on tons of land to a smaller, more manageable space. I toyed with the idea of a "tiny house," but that really isn't feasible with my desire to make my house a place people want to visit.


Here is my current list of desires:

Neighborhood:

• Safe
• Friendly
• well-kept (people water and mow their grass)
• educated (think good schools for the kids)
• not exacting (low/no HOA fee)
• has kids who play outside 

Yard:

•  Anywhere from a quarter of an acre to a half acre (I wouldn't say no to a full acre, if I didn't have to mow the grass)
• ample shade and sun areas
• fruit trees (1-2) or space for some
• garden space
• zoned for chickens and bees (beehives sound like an adventure)
• fenced (we have a dog and I want him to run free)
• English flower garden (think wildflowers all growing together in a mishmashed fashion)
• At least one maple tree
• swing set or tree fort
• shed or garage for woodworking and projects
• Porch or deck for rocking chairs and porch swings

House:

• 3-5 bedrooms 
• Nice kitchen that opens to an eating space for 6+
• Master bathtub
• 2 living rooms of some kind
•  High ceilings (i.e. not 7 feet)
• A place for coats
• A pantry
• A space for vacuums, etc
• An open layout, but not a complete lack of walls either
• If it has stairs, the staircase should have a wooden banister and the ability to have an under the stairs closet. 
• Carpet in the bedrooms
• A place to sew
• A place for the computer 
• Air conditioning and efficient heating

Beyond that, I want something I can invite others to. I no longer feel the need for a huge house, as I like cleaning a small space, but I would love a place to hide the mess of life sometimes. I think a shed/garage and/or a second living space would solve that. Then I'd have room to have laundry out or work on sewing projects without making everyone else claustrophobic in the process.

Someday, I'd love to have my parents come to stay with us. I think I'll feel like I've arrived when that happens.

Hey, if you never dream, what do you have to shoot for in life?