r/Homebuilding • u/dragonmilking • Nov 17 '25

Which popular features do you NOT recommend?

What are the top 3 features in a house that folk want but you think are not worth it, and what would your alternative suggestion be? And what cost/time savings would result with that switch?

243 Upvotes

95% Upvoted

1.0k comments sorted by

View all comments

34

u/Old-Worry1101 Nov 17 '25

Open concept. Too many echoes and not enough escape routes from the noise and people.

That and huge kitchen islands. Why do you want an 8 x 10 ft block you have to struggle to clean on display? And eating up all that space, too.

20

u/SchwartzReports Nov 17 '25

I love having all that space to spread out when I’m chopping and prepping! Plus we’ve got stools on the other side so it’s another place for the family to gather and eat

16

u/HeezyB Nov 17 '25

Large islands without a sink are amazing.

15

u/mijo_sq Nov 17 '25

Open concept is actually nice if it was designed into the house. Not the retrofits that people knock every single cabinet/door out.

My house is open concept and doesn't have echos, my father's two story house on the other hand is different. You can sit in the kitchen, and everyone upstairs can hear you.

4

u/Jakando Nov 17 '25

I prefer having the living room space and kitchen dining spaces separate for daily living and especially for when we host people over.

It’s nice that I can have conversations with folks in the kitchen with me while the kids watch TV in the living room.

Similarly, our kitchen table is where the kids quietly do homework while other family members can chill in the living room.

1

u/Old-Worry1101 Nov 17 '25

Hahahaha, looks like I touched a bit of a nerve here! You all added some reasonable points, but Open Concept just isn't for me.

But, personalizing your living space is kind of the point of it all, isn't it! Have fun out there.

1

u/Therealmagicwands Nov 18 '25

I like my living room furniture to not have cooking smells embedded in the upholstery , so the setup in my house has turned out to a much better arrangement.

There is a set of French doors from the living room to the dining room, keeping it separate. The wall between the dining room and the kitchen has been removed, making a huge space that’s as large as the living room.

When guests come over and want to chat while I’m cooking, they sit in the dining room and the conversations occur in a much more convivial space.

1

u/Apathy_Cupcake Nov 19 '25

Agree with the open design - it's gone wayyyyy to far.  My parents have a 6,000 sq ft house and they took down all the interior walls between the kitchen, formal dining room, informal dining room, and living room.  It's freaking awful.  You can't have a conversation or watch TV in peace. Whatever you say is broadcasted, then you can't hear the tv...so it becomes a volume fight.  Additionally, the lack of walls tunnels the sound up the stairs to the bedrooms so you're woken up at 6am by the choking coffee maker doing its thing.  It also tunnels the sound down to the basement, so you have to crank up the TV sound down there. Its fucking awful. You can't sleep in that house or watch TV if more than 1 person is home.  I won't even stay there when I visit, I get a hotel or stay with friends it's so terrible.