As an example: No proper entrance space. The back door opens into a tiny tiny laundry filled with discarded shoes and empty washing baskets, plus half a sandpit on the floor! The front door is a slider into the lounge. Like RIGHT into the lounge. Like you pretty much walk into the side of our couch. So a priority for us was entrances where we can DUMP STUFF... but in a way that it actually looks like it is meant to go there! Best idea EVER, (IMHO, because it was my idea. Biased you think?), is that we're planning a walk-through utility / mud-room (aka "laundry" in normal NZ speak, please excuse my heavily-influenced-by-Pinterest speak). So from the internal access garage, we'll walk into the mud-room where we can dump our bags / boots / coats / kindy artworks / shopping etc. Huzzah, all our crap is already put away!
Wow, that was a lot of detail for a laundry room huh?
Our general brief is prob pretty standard: 4 bed, 2 bath plus guest toilet, 2 living (one lounge, one rumpus down the boys' end of the house), kitchen with walk-in pantry, open-plan living. Storage, storage and more storage, cos man do kids have a LOT of crap that goes with them! What's that you say? I'm the one with all the crap? Interesting point....
Um what else... I wanted to be able to see the boys playing outside (in their future sand pit) and in their rumpus room from the kitchen. Cos we all know I spend most of my day in the kitchen, baking homely treats and cooking gourmet dinners for my lucky husband. We want to position the house to make the most of sun in the winter, and shade in the summer. Also want to screen out the neighbours, and focus the living to open out into the heart of the site which is surrounded by trees so makes for private outdoor living. Not too much to ask within our budget, right? Right??
I guess time will tell!