Whether you are just toying with the idea of moving to the country or you have your first farmhouse showing coming up this weekend, it is wise to jot down the things you want in a home. We can help with our customizable country house wish list!
Making Your Country House Wish List
We were flying blind when my husband and I saw our first country home. Being unsure about our specific wants left us feeling scattered. It was time to get organized.
The internet was not much help. I spent hours searching for a list of basic features I should look for in a country house. All I could find was information about moving to another country. Finally I settled for digging through stories about rural resident’s mistakes and home buying regrets to cobble together a checklist of sorts.
From that, my Country House Wish List was born and you can download it for free here!
What is Included?
The wish list has space to enter fifteen of the items you want to have, nine spaces for the things you must have (like the number of bedrooms, bathrooms, etc.) and five nice to have line items. Beneath that is a handy Be Sure to Consider section that details some of the most easily overlooked farmhouse necessities.
Now that we have lived in our farmhouse for 5 years, here are the things I would put in my must-have column:
A Big Pantry
You need to make sure the kitchen already has a deep pantry, room to build one or space for a hutch that could function as an additional pantry. Why? Because it is likely that you will live farther away from the grocery store and keeping a well-stocked pantry will become vital. If you typically cook boxed meals, you need to have room to keep 2 weeks worth of meals on-hand and rotate them. You will probably grocery shop every 7-12 days but if you become ill or hemmed in by storms and can’t make it to the store for a while, you need to be able to rely on your pantry.
GFCI Outlet & Room for a Second Fridge or Freezer
Shortly after you move in, you’ll be elbows deep in a Saturday project, tired and dirty from a good day’s work. The idea of grabbing something quick and easy for dinner will be very tempting. In the country the fastest food is what is in your freezer. It is almost an hour round trip to our closest fast food, which is a Sonic. The need for a second fridge or freezer won’t be obvious until after you have been living in your farmhouse for a couple weeks. Even if you don’t currently own one, check and make sure there is a GFCI (ground-fault circuit interrupter) plug and space somewhere in the house or garage to add an additional freezer later. You will be so glad you did and it helps the resale value of a home. It is also wise to measure the space where the kitchen fridge goes to determine if yours will fit. (This may be how you do end up owning a second fridge!)
Ample Kitchen Cabinet Space
In the country you truly do cook at home much more. Make sure you have the cabinet space for all your pots, pans, wooden spoons, the rolling pin and other necessities you love to use. Most people want a big country kitchen and there is a reason for this. Buying a home with a tiny kitchen will be a constant source of annoyance.
Full Size Oven
You might be surprised by how many cottages have a tiny, built-in oven. Open the oven to make sure the interior will admit 18 inch wide, full size baking sheets. We saw one house that had teensy oven barely wide enough to fit a medium pizza box. Go for the large oven because you’ll use it almost every night.
Deep Sink
I can’t tell you how many pairs of mud-caked shoes I have washed off, how many big mixing bowls I have scrubbed nor how many sink-full-of-suds projects I have used my country kitchen sink for. More land means more dirt and more things to scrub so opt for that deep sink!
Workshop or Extra Garage Bay
This was number one on my husband’s wish list and for good reason. At the very least you are going to need space to store a riding lawnmower unless you want to pay someone $100 per week (yes, per week) to mow 1 or 2 acres. You’re also going to own and use more tools in the country. Shovels, rakes, hoes, push brooms, leaf blowers, tree trimmers, hammers, screw drivers, power tools – all of it needs to be accessible. If you are planning to use the garage for vehicles, you are going to need a workshop or shed space. If your country dreams include owning chickens or even just feeding the deer, bins to hold the 40-50 pound bags of chicken feed and deer corn need their own place to sit. Luckily most properties over 1 acre already have extra storage space like I’m describing so all you have to do is measure the space and plan accordingly. (Just for reference, a medium sized riding lawnmower is roughly 3×7 feet.)
Home Office
This is a nice option that is quickly becoming a necessity. Even if lockdowns never happen again, there may be days when storms, floods, ice or other localized disasters somewhere along your commute prevent you from making it in to work. While you are at the house showing, check your cell signal inside the home to ensure you get good reception. (It’s on the printable checklist if you forget!)
Sunny, Open Space for a Garden
We love trees. We wanted a treed property but I knew I also wanted to have an orchard, a garden and an herb garden so 6 or more hours per day of sunshine is a must. Even if you don’t want to garden one bit, make sure there is some sunlight somewhere or the ability to cut back or remove branches you could live without to let some sunshine in. You’re likely to at least end up with a pot of basil, rosemary, green onions or another favorite herb that you get sick of running to the store to buy fresh. Keep your eye out for that patch of sunshine if the house you are considering comes with heavily treed acreage.
Room for a Chicken Coop
This was on my must-have list and I had to do a bit of research to figure out where the best spot was to put a coop. I learned that chickens are a bit like flowering annuals: they like morning sun, afternoon shade and shelter under the branches of a tree is best in hot, humid Texas. In colder climates, coops should face south to get the maximum amount of sun exposure.
Consider a Guest Bedroom
Guests are going to love visiting your relaxing farmhouse! Your home is probably a far drive from the closest hotel and if you want family to visit, they need a place to stay. The guest bedroom closet can be a great place to store extra packs of toilet paper and paper towels to ensure you always have a supply of those items on-hand without stuffing the kitchen full.
So, what will you add to your list on your hunt for the perfect homestead home?
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