Things I want in a house

I am in no position to get a house anytime soon. I know this. And I am renting a great little house for a great low price. But I can still dream can't I?

I think this dreaming was brought on by a house in town I have discovered on my walks with Winchester. It is old, maybe craftsman styling. It has wonderful stonework evocative of the old world and an arched door in a small turret! Yes, this dream house has a small turret for an entryway. But it is not a huge house, and it has not been kept up well. And for me, that adds to the allure.

I want a house with potential, to use a coded real-estate word. I don't want it to be perfect. I want to be able to make it better, to make it mine.

I want quirks. The house I'm in now has quirks. Like a lack of 90 degree angles where the walls meet the ceiling. My dryer is in the kitchen by the stove, while the water is halfway across the house by the shower. These are not exactly the kind of quirks I'm after, although these don't bother me now. I'm thinking more along the lines of the fact that my house was formerly a doctor's office built in 1917 or '18. Another quirk of my current residence that I love is the double doors. I have about 3.5 feet between the interior doors and the exteriors. This is perfect for getting in and out with Winchester and storage.

Good bones, electrical, and plumbing. Give me atrocious wallpaper, mismatched carpet, even drywall issues and I'll fix it. But I there are things that I won't have the expertise or resources to deal with and those are the big things. I want problems that are cosmetic.

Trees. Trees take a long time to grow tall, so I want them already in place.

Garden potential. As a child I loved the book and the movie (the 1993 version) "The Secret Garden". Sure it was a nice plot, but I really loved that the garden had potential and that it was resurrected. When Dickon cuts the rose bark back to show Mary the "quick" proving that the garden is not dead, but dormant it was magical.

Dog friendly yard. I can fence it if need be.

Window over the kitchen sink. I just don't know how anyone gets by without one.

This list could go on and on, but it is probably best that I don't ;)