Here I am again dreaming of all the modern conveniences one could have if they lived in a brand-new, loaded with amenities apartment.
I could spend several paragraphs here talking about history, and how I have loved living in old (like, approaching 100 years old) buildings since 2010, wondering, who lived here before? what kind of shop was underneath (in the case of my old loft) and what were they thinking?! (in regards to some decor choices). However, this kind of nostalgia has worn thin as I’ve had to deal with crumbling plaster leaving the floor coated in dust, wonky doors that sometimes latch and sometimes don’t, windows that have been painted shut (in this place) or that let the wind in (at our old loft).
I find myself wishing, simply, for drywall and modern double pane windows.
So, without further ado, here is my wishlist for our new place. I know that within our price range, our next place be an apartment unit as opposed to a rental house, and it will NOT have all of these things… but it is nice to dream sometimes, isn’t it?
- Lower level (to make taking the dog out easier)
- Drywall walls! (building newer than 1960s, 1970s)
- Wood or tile floors (for cleanliness)
- Dishwasher (we are SICK of doing dishes by hand!)
- Hot tub! (Tons of places in San Diego offer a hot tub, so this makes the list!)
- More than 6 sq. ft. of kitchen counter space
- Large-ish windows in each room
- Gas stove (definitely not a deal breaker, but it’d be nice)
I’ll be taking a copy of this list me when I go apartment hunting, too. It’s so easy to forget stuff like this in the heat of the moment, when touring an older unit with lots of “character.” However, if it doesn’t have at least a couple of things from this list I’m gonna rule it out!!
What’s on your wish list for your next place? If you don’t plan on moving, what would you update in your current place, if you were able?
My Friend Staci 
Hi Staci! I found you on Etsy and started to follow your blog a little before your Europe trip. It turns out you were there when my husband was there too! Anyways, I have lived in California and the Midwest both, and California is another world when you talk about apartments! Make sure you have plenty of them lined up before your move. It is a little bit like New York in a sense…a lot of word to mouth kind of thing. It took us around two months to move into our place and it wasn’t what we wanted…price are crazy too! I hope that helps!
Thanks a bunch, Aracely! I’ve been doing tons of scouting on Trulia and Craigslist and will make a visit prior to our actual move date. I have lived in San Diego before so I know the neighborhoods I’m targeting too. I’m gonna try to lock something down by the end of Aug! Wish me luck! :D
Well, we bought a major major major fixer upper complete with painted shut and drafty windows, crumbling horse hair plaster walls, and oh, who can forget the mice and the bats. But…we’re fixing it up, slowly slowly slowly. Sometimes the “character” makes up for the mess and we can see what it will be one day through all of the dust.
Other days we just want to burn it to the ground.
I can tell you’re enjoying working on your house, even with all the frustrations that come with it. Just perservere because I love reading all about it! ;) I think if I owned a place, the character would be more endearing because I would have the incentive and freedom to keep/ditch/update certain aspects and make it feel old and new at the same time. :)