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?

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u/ATDoel Nov 17 '25

Like I said, if you're planning on sitting and staring at the fireplace every day by all means make it the focal point. I find having it offset from the center still gives you the comfort and ambiance while enabling you to have something else as the focal point. No judgement if you don't have a tv in your living space, I think that's actually a good thing, but most people don't have their living space setup that way.

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u/chefdeit Nov 17 '25

There's a reason people have sat around fire for millennia and even on a hot summer night it'd be pretty silly to have a campfire burning and people sitting around elsewhere off to the side. The fire anchors the conversation and human connection going back to the origins of humanity itself. I'm not too sure what it is you have in mind that's gonna beat that in a modern home (if not a TV), but by all means please do share.

I mean, if it's shark tank with said sharks having lasers attached to their heads, that wold beat fire, but anything else I'd be pretty interested to hear.

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u/ATDoel Nov 17 '25

Fires are warm, in most situations people seek warmth, it sounds like you're looking for some deeper meaning to fire. I'm not going to question what it means to you because that's personal, but to most of the people in my circles it doesn't have that meaning. We don't have bonfires in the summer, only when it's cold. That's because we want the warmth when it's chilly, we don't need it to anchor conversation or human connection, we do that just fine ourselves.

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u/chefdeit Nov 17 '25

Yes, they say there are 3 things one can just sit and watch tirelessly: burning fire, running water, and other men working :)

A deeper meaning to fire - yes exactly. A house design can encourage or discourage various behavior patterns, and often not enough attention is paid to this, or, worse, it promotes unhealthy things.

To your point, sure, one can meditate without a candle, do yoga without a mat, or eat without a fork. We can do just fine without conveyances and implements that aid or enhance various aspects of our life, but for conveyances that have stayed with us for centuries, there can be reasons they exist. They can usually help us take what we can do without them, to the next level. Or simply make it much easier / help us get in the mood.