Utopia

Converted barn with atrium, farmhouse kitchen with Aga, not many bedrooms, bathroom with rolltop bath on legs, with views across the fields, room for a few dogs, big playroom for the grandchildren, log fires in the sitting room and library, paddock for pony, couple of greenhouses, tree house, orchard and stream, sun room to watch the sunset, large patio area with pond, walled kitchen garden, coach house for relatives to stay (and tidy their own mess up). Gardener to keep everything in order so I could just potter, fabulous herbaceous borders along the curved driveway, and a lovely pine tree near the front entrance for Christmas lights. 1 million should cover it.

Oh you have made me laugh vampirequeen, I need to laugh as a very good friend of ours died yesterday and I have been feeling very low since I heard the news.
I particularly liked your comment about being bone bloody idle. Good luck with the euromillions tomorrow!

vampire If we both win the lottery there would be a nasty fight as that describes my perfect house( apart from every room would have an ensuite as I have no little ones now.

My perfect house as well, dizzyblonde but with the addition of a couple of lakes for DH to fish and a ghillie/minder to stop him falling in as he's partially sighted.

It does sound rather nice doesn't it? A girl can dream

I think I already have the perfect home for my lifestyle - a one-bedroomed flat with a south facing balcony and lovely views in the most beautiful Alpine scenery. I don't want the work and worry of a garden or a pool as I spend long periods away on various holidays. It is very easy to heat and clean.
If I won a million pounds with my few Premium Bonds, I would give away £700,000 immediately to my large family, because I wouldn't want my estate to have pay 40% in death duties (depending on which country I am living in at the time). I would use the remainder to travel business class - I can't think of any material things I want.
We had a large house with stables and paddocks when my girls had horses and there was always something that needed doing. It was right for me then, but I wouldn't want it now. I like my life to be very simple and uncomplicated.

I would love a large ranch-style bungalow with a wing for me (large bedroom, dressing room and en-suite) and a wing for guests - all bedrooms with en-suites. In between, a large, modern breakfast kitchen, big living area with several comfy sofas, and a recliner just for me! Dining room that would accommodate all the family. Big conservatory and a swimming pool. Solar panels and 'grey water' toilet system. Whatever 'green' heating system is best at the time. Landscaped gardens with fruit trees, soft fruit and a gardener.

A narrow boat with all mod cons, moored in a lovely spot with a view of a village church across the fields. Lovely sunny weather to go with it and clear nights so that we could really see the stars. Wait a minute ! We had one of those but recently sold it as at over 80 we felt we might be becoming a bit of a hazard on the waterways. Ah well.

My dream would be a large, newly built house in one corner of a square shaped, several acres plot. In the other 3 corners of the plot, my 3 daughters would have their houses. Everyone would have their own separate garden. In the middle of the plot would be a huge summer house with all mod cons for those occasions when we all got together. The houses would all be joined by a netwok of paths so the grandchildren could safely walk or cycle to other family members. The only 'luxury' I would like in my own house is a downstairs store-room for storing the Christmas Tree, decorations and all the other Christmas bits and bobs.

My daydreams have altered over the years at different stages of my life I would like to own a small village where my family could each have their own style of home built,at the moment we only have a two bedroom house the only luxury being two loos,but everyone loves to come and stay with us and sleeping arrangements tend to get a bit bizarre at times especially when they all decide to come at once,in my home I would like a big farmhouse kitchen where we could all sit and chat and I had the energy to feed them all there would be a. Huge room for children E is the youngest in the family so her friends could all have their own space...an aga with a constant supply of food a dishwasher,a utility room,a room for the dogs that all come to visit,part of my wish would be that they never moulted they could. Have their chairs and beds in there a boot room for all wet weather stuff and enough cupboard and storage for everything to go somewhere...an ensuite bathroom....am going to be dreaming all day now especially as in my little two bedroom house I have a friend coming for the weekend..my son is coming to stay for a few months ? With his dog as his marriage isn't working,and E is having a friend come to stay over for the whole of summer....random friends in and out an family visiting [we live about 100 or so miles away from everyone] am frantically trying to make storage space also we are due to have a new kitchen installed [bad timing mr council man..but nice to have a new one] and will be with out a kitchen for a week and I am having new carpet fitted throughout...again bad timing....but these things happen and OUR plans where made before this nellies world is organised chaos most of the time....* greatnan* sometimes I wish for a lifestyle like yours where I. Would be the visitor not the visited

Oh vampire you have made me realise how much I appreciate what I already have! From one window of my bedroom I look out at the Malvern Hills and from the other side is a view over the Severn valley. I'm not even sure if I would move if we came into lots of money. First I suppose I would give my sons and their OHs enough to have a house they could manage but not enough money to give up work.

Perhaps a bigger garden if I could have help with it and perhaps turn our house round so the garden would be south facing. An interior designer as I can't decide what to do with the main areas of the house and someone to do the decorating.

A tree house for when the GSs get a bit older.

I would have a man come and do the housework for a change and someone who just appeared at the times when we don't feel like doing things for ourselves to do whatever but who disappeared the rest of the time.

Someone to change my bed every day as there is nothing nicer than getting into a clean bed.

ClaraB so sorry to hear about your friend - hope you are ok

I am a bit dubious about the wisdom of having all your adult children living 'on site', even in separate houses. Would there not be a temptation to interfere? I loved my own mother very much, but I know that if we had lived where she could watch all our comings and goings and what visitors we had she would have annoyed me by commenting. I think it is a good idea to let your children go, emotionally and physically. I would not be considering going out to New Zealand if I could not have my own independent accommodation and I have reassured my daughter that I will not expect to be included in her dinners and bbqs for her many friends.

A single storey, olde worlde cottage with 3 foot thick walls, "lumpy bumpy" on the inside, stone flagged floors (but with under floor heating), and ingle nook fireplaces. 4 bedrooms, 2 of them en-suite, modern kitchen and master bathroom. But best of all, it will be facing the sea in a very remote spot, with only a tiny garden, or, preferably, none at all.

I already have mine, apart from old git next door!

I'm with you jeni (not literally) but I really love our home - though I might put on a new roof, just to be on the safe side!

Enough land to keep lots of animals like horses and dogs, and vegetables fruit and a glorious garden - of course I wouldn't get any older - this is utopia!

whitewave - that what was just what my daughter and SIL wanted - and now they have it in New Zealand.

Talking of land....We have had a huge stroke of luck. Our one acre paddock has been full of docks, thistles and nettles for years because we are now too doddery to chase after pigs or any other four legged beasts. Our chickens do the best they can but the weeds have taken over. However....A turf producing company has been growing top quality grass on the two fields next to us. They needed somewhere to store machinery overnight and dump their mountains of grass clippings which then get spread back on the fields in the autumn. We agreed to let them use our paddock and in return we will get all the weeds sprayed, the field levelled and sown with top quality grass seed. All DH will have to do next year is cut it twice a week with his ride on mower.

Our two DGSs were delighted. One shouted, 'football pitch', the other shouted, CAMPSITE, which will solve our accommodation problems in the summer as we no longer have any small DGCs and all the family have tents. RESULT!!!

What a nice story, Merlot, it is heartening to read of a good outcome!

I have won on the Euromillions but it hasn't changed my life. Well it was only 4.50. (My phone keyboard doesnt have an English pound sign on it)

We often discuss what we would do with a large win and usually end up disagreeing about who we would help. Daft really cause we could help everyone we know in some small way.

I would love a cottage with a large garden in a small village and a large villa in the sun so that all the family would have somewhere to go for holidays.

merlot lovely story happy ending love the idea of a campsite....could it bring an income during the summer.....

The family refer to developments as 'The Legend of the Grass Mountain,' Greatnan. If we get a hot sunny spell in August after all this rain I'll be walking round with a peg on my nose. Never mind. It's only for one year and will be worth it in the end.

That really is a stroke of good fortune, merlotgran - keeping on top of large expanses of greenery can be a bit of a nightmare the older you get!