Who gets Preservation magazine and immediately flips to the Historic Houses for Sale section? Admit it, some of you do it. It’s not that the magazine isn’t fantastic; it’s just the draw of beautiful houses available to buy (you know, theoretically). It’s a similar thrill when perusing the Preservation North Carolina website, where all of the houses you could get for a song, as long as you rehabilitate or restore the building. Just imagine owning a beautiful house with so much potential hidden, waiting to be uncovered and cared for and loved. Or how about one of the immaculate properties featured in the magazine? We all love to imagine our dream home, right? Of course.
As I drive through Vermont and browse real estate listings for the fun of it, it leads me to ask myself: would I prefer the perfect house or the perfect location? What goes in your perfect location category? What about under the dream home category? Big house, small house, two stories, porches, floor to ceiling windows, acres and acres of property, mountain views, walking distance to the center of town, on the water, historic windows, fixer-upper, move-right-in, built in bookshelves, claw foot tub… and so on. What will you compromise on? What must be in any house you buy? For me, my house must have a front porch, lots of light, and a bathroom with a window. The perfect house: craftsman or Tudor style. The perfect location: walking distance to a small, active, viable downtown. Ah, we can dream.
So, please, write about your dream house and location!!
Preservation in Pink 
Your dream house/location sounds perfect…let’s be neighbors! For me location is very important. I want to walk to parks, libraries, ice cream shops. I would gladly sacrifice size of house and yard, even style and age, if my neighborhood was walkable. But my dream home has built-ins, nooks, crannies, a squeaky stair, and porch.
I admit it with pride! Its my favorite part of the magazine! And I agree with you with the Craftsman/Tudor thing….and window in the bathroom! Nice kitchen is kind of a must but that can be changed and the neighborhood must have lots of trees too (i hate those new developments when they clear cut everything!)
I want to live in your neighborhood too! I agree on the Craftsman (or any other iteration of bungalow) with a big front porch and lots of light. Like Maria, I also need trees, and like Missy, built-ins would be nice. My big must is a fireplace — not a gas one, a real one. A bathroom big enough to stick my dream bathtub in would also be nice.