The once and future homes

I'm scheduling a handyman to come by and do a bunch of jobs that have been lingering for a while. At this point, even though I'm not rolling in the dough, and with any luck, I'll be finding a new (likely lower-paying) job in the near future (please, please, please!) - right now, I can spare more money than time. So, he'll be fixing the patches in my ceiling and painting it, re-doing the grout and caulk in my tub, building me some -in-wall shelves and doing my pocket door. Hooray! I can't get him until mid-November, but I feel better just knowing it is going to get done! Since he is working near the sprinkler heads, I think I will be taking time off to supervise. Now, I just have to figure out the kitchen, and I'll be in much better shape for moving on.

According to my grad school real estate guru's suggested life plan, I should be buying my next house in 2008. Hey, the guy was buying houses with cash, so he must be doing something right. Between this and my planned home repairs, I've been thinking about what I want in my next house. After all, although the current one hasn't turned out to be the delight I'd imagined, if I can't learn something from it, what was the point?

So, what I would like (in no particular order):
1. An outdoor space for growing plant life, in pots or in the ground. I need greenery to keep me sane, and Smidgen eats greenery if I keep it indoors.

2. More storage space. I've purged, but I still need to hide away so many things - vacuum cleaner, pet carrier, winter coats, umbrellas, yarn, yarn and more yarn!

3. A covered porch or stoop. I like to sit outside under cover during summer storms. Right now, I have an anti-stoop. It goes in the wrong direction.

4. South-facing exposure and lots of windows in general. I lived in an apartment once where my bedroom ran the full length of the south side of the house (okay, it was only like 15 feet). I loved waking up in the winter and being able to sprawl out like a cat in the sun. So cozy.

5. Speaking of cats - An area I can fence in for Smidgen to go outside and play. Whether it's a porch, or a back patio or whatever. The poor thing meows at the door, and really likes going outside.

6. Normally-angled walls. Right now, I have walls with wacky angles and they look cute when nothing else is in the room, but they are a struggle when you try to deal with furniture.

7. No more hobbit holes. Above-ground living from now on, please.

8. Space for a crafty nook, or dare I dream - a crafty room. Somewhere to do quilting and sewing and embroidery and knitting and dyeing. A sink would be dreamy. Sigh.

9. Built-in bookshelves. I love books, their tidy shape, their portability, and of course, their insides! I wish I could have more, but no space!

10. At least two bathrooms.

11. A pantry - a little nook to store spices and pasta and cereal and all that beige food I seem to gravitate towards

12. A foyer, or a mudroom or whatever they call those pseudo-rooms where you can put your dirty shoes and wet umbrellas.

Okay, so maybe I can't get all this in my next house, but a girl can dream, right?