Tuesday 28 February 2017

Why dont we have these features in UK homes?


I love this house.  I am unsure of what the ground floor room is for?  Maybe an elderly relative or for when you retire?  I love the toilet and the way the kitchen/diner has a view right through to the sitting room, but there is a wall to stop guests from seeing the dishes and in my case, when I need to disguise that food hasnt turned out how I like.

I love the tap on the kitchen sink.  We now have one that extends and has 2 spray options, but I like how this one is long enough to go around the whole sink and looks more controlable.  On the stove area there is a special fish cooking drawer?!! wow.

And a new to me idea, no tumble dryer but the bathroom turns into a drying room?  Again, it rains in this country a lot, why dont we have this?  Although I do think a bath that reheats your bath water maybe a little like a lobster being cooked in a pot and I think that is a step too far for me...  But being able to swill the bathroom floor down like when washing down a dairy, there are drains built into the floor.  Genius.  No need for a mop bucket, this should also be in a kitchen and porch area.

Did you see that they have strict laws to stop your neighbours house from blocking your light.  We should have this here.  (Before some one spouts the right to light, good luck with trying to fight that in court.  People are now able to build with out planning permission, as they can build within permitted development.  Although in some cases they need the neighbours go ahead, their roof pitch or angle of the roof could still cut out your light.  Again, this could be a costly bill to go to court for.  you need big deep pockets.  Your neighbour can build a single storey extension with a height of up to 3 metres to the apex, your window will be lower than this...)

A tap in the drive to attach a hose to wash the car or water plants!  Fabulous. now if it was connected to under ground tanks that collect rain water that would be amazing.  Can you see I am gathering ideas for our next house???  lol  

Hows it going?  We were OK through storm Doris, just a half hour of the power being off, storm Ewan gave us some more high winds.  It is quite cold out, and now from being warmer than Greece last week, we are going to be colder than Moscow...!!!  And they say there is no such thing as global warning.  Other than these storms we seem to be having, I actually remember it raining more when I was a kid.  Not as heavy as we are having it now.  But I do defo remember always going to school with an umbrella, maybe not a coat but the umbrellas was always in my bag.  I know I live in a different county away from the sea now, but am I dreaming this up that it rained more often?  Am I just remembering drizzle?  

What gadgets do you think every house should have?  Just incase we have to build a house...

9 comments:

Sadie said...

I always thought it rained more when I was a child too. People moan about how 'rubbish' our summers are, but actually, our summers are very long nowadays. I can remember school summer hols were always rainy - drizzly rain - my younger brother and I would be outside and try to build dens out of wood behind the shed but have to give up because the rain wouldn't stop! Ah. Good times :O) x

local alien said...

Is there anything they DIDNT think of ??? Special flush for male or female. No loo paper? Here we have to put it in a damn bin afterwards. Love that they take their shoes off before entering in the house. Do you think you could train friends and neighbours to follow that rule?
So many ideas...if you can pay for them. Great video!!
Brilliant weather here but cold, damp nights.

northsider said...

Hi Sol, If we ever build a dwelling again I would make sure there was a basement to sleep in during the gales. We live next to the coast and our detached bungalow doesn't like the gales, nor do we.

Chickpea said...

When we stayed in Finland the house we rented had a heated cabinet in the hall where you could put your coats and shoes etc to dry when you came in from the rain/snow. Really useful, better than a dripping coats everywhere.

Sol said...

Yay Sadie, I'm not making it up. I remember I used to be playing in the garden and it raining a little. And my parents just letting us get on with it. But today, the rain was so heavy, it was like when we were on holiday in Sri Lanka, it would rain so hard for 10 mins, then the sun out like nothing happened. today has been like that! werid right?!?

Hey Linda, I know I think we should have all of the best bits of every countries homes. So we can live in the best way possible and save the planet along the way.

I was brought up to not wear shoes in the house. I used to have a sign that said

"there are 2 choices in this house, remove your shoes or scrub the floor. Your choice". I fell out greatly with my MIL years ago over this. Till I pointed out that dogs wee and poop on the pavement, its been washed away a little with the rain but it is still there and you want to walk that filth in my house... None of my friends allow shoes in the house. Maybe it is more a thing now. Although when we visit family in Canada they dont wear shoes in the house, maybe it is because of the snow and slush? Same in the Ukraine. It is extremely rude to the lady of the house, if you were to enter their home with shoes on. Its a sign of disrespect, like you think their house is dirty and you wont take your shoes off because of it. We have lots of home made slipper socks my mum knits loads of them. Although I have found them extremely cheap in Primark. But my mum likes making them. People can take them home with them or leave them, I will wash them and put them in a little bag with their name on. I actually take my own with me when visiting my friends. I would be horrified if I trod dirt in their carpet or rug. Its one of the reasons I love out porch... it has a bench to sit on to take your shoes off, some where to put the shoes and coats. It keeps it all tidy. Go on, put a sign up. No shoes beyond this point, like my mum. Everyone obeys the sign. get a few pairs of really cheap slippers. Or do what my Aunt does and only allow visitors in a certain room, and have a hard floor that is easy to clean.

Hi Dave, a basement would be a luxury wouldnt it. I am not sure that I would trust a builder to make it dry and even then I think in England you would need a pump to get the water out. I agree about the gale winds, we chose this house as it and the village are on the top of the hill. But it means we are not going to flood. I couldnt cope with that again.

Hi Chickpea, when Posh Boy worked in Norway, we dried our coats on the under floor heating in the porch area!!! You can get those heated drying cupboards over here. I saw them in John Lewis I think. They were showing someone how one works. And they were trying to show that it meant less ironing..? Hope you are feeling better and getting some rest!

local alien said...

I wish we could get everyone to take their shoes off. Some people do. vaso our neighbour and her family always do because they know their shoes are dirty from working outside. One friend always brings knitted slippers with her....but the rest??!! They would be so offended, especially the greek men.
Good for you that you have everyone trained. I agree it saves so much work.
HA we get wood, machines and all sorts of filthy stuff dragged thru the living room from front to back of house. Bad house plan!!!

Janie Junebug said...

The Japanese house has many nice features, but it's very expensive. As for my choices, a house can never have too many closets and cabinets. I would never buy a house that has only one bathroom.

Love,
Janie

Sol said...

Ha ha Linda, I had part of a motor bike on newspaper on top of the kitchen island when I came home Saturday. I freaked out. we have a huge garage amd a workshop but it was in the kitchen!!!!

Sol said...

Hi Janie! Hope`you are well! We wont ever go back to one bathroom, unless we think we are adding another. Yes lots of cupboards! The surveyor that came to value the house, love the built ins in the porch. Little did he know they are the pax system from Ikea, he said, ohhh what did these cost £3,000? I said I didnt know, but in real life they only cost £360 with all of the baskets and shelves. got to love apartment therapy ikea hacks I have seen over the years.