People Are Sharing How Badly Designed 2022 Homes Are, And It's Fascinating To Me
BuzzFeed
3 min read
Reddit user u/wazzel2u asked, "What is a terrible trend found in new-home design?" People provided some new-home red flags and telltale signs that scream, "This new home is, um, not made well."
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Here's some of what they said:
1."Open floor plans. There is a reason there is a wall separating the kitchen from the rest of the house: Kitchen fires likely stay in the kitchen and don't travel throughout the house."
2."Cabinets that don’t go all the way to the ceiling! I hate that gap — it’s wasted space, and it’s impossible to get up there to clean it."
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3."Bathroom sink faucets with very short spouts. Just why?! I wanted to change out the one in my house with one with a longer spout, but all the available models have the same jam-your-fingers-into-the-back-of-the-sink-when-you-wash-your-hands short spout. The only faucet with a decent spout was a single laundry faucet model. And it only looks good in a laundry room."
4."Ductwork in the floor instead of the walls or ceiling. It really isn’t more energy-efficient. The floor vents make arranging furniture a pain. One, I can’t have a full-size sofa because it would cover the vents. Two, pets pee down them. Three, stuff falls into them. Four, kids drop things down them."
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5."Big, built-in garden tubs. They waste water, and you only get to enjoy them for a few minutes after they’re full because the water gets cold."
6."The Apple approach to design infecting other markets, emphasizing 'sleek' appearance over actually being functional. For example, handles on the cabinets and drawers instead of having a notch to open it from below. Which is unintuitive and puts extra strain on the hinges from the inevitable upward pressure from this awkward way of opening cabinets, wearing them out faster than just having a normal handle."
7."Unlike older houses, new houses have zero overhangs, so they're susceptible to water damage during storms."
8."Too many peaks on roofs! Between all the dormers and individual peaks, every new house looks like a Disney castle. It wastes so much space and heat, it doesn't shed snow well, and they leak."
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9."Built-in microwave ovens that are at a 4-year-old's or a cat's access height."
10."I can't stand how clothes closets are now being built in the bathrooms. I don't want the steam and the smells getting into my clothing."
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11."Modular houses — with some of them, I've seen such poor workmanship. Wanna cut an hour or two off the work done today? Don’t paint the reveals behind closet doors. Didn’t cut the sheathing right? Just tape over that 3-inch gap."
12."Hollow interior doors that don't keep sound out from within the house and hallways — especially hollow bedroom doors when you're trying to sleep."
13."New homes often have fake granite cabinetry. It's often cheap and cracks very quickly."
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And lastly:
14."The worst trend in home design is definitely the 'Welcome to my garage' front of suburban homes. Why can’t you let me park on the side? Why can’t I have a nice front of house without a huge-ass utility door like a goddamn barn!?"
Did they miss any? Let me know in the comments below!
Note: Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity.