Confessions of a House Snob

[Civic]

I need to make a confession and FSU seems the safest place to do it. I've recently realized that I'm an incorrigible house snob. I have very high standards and strong opinions when it comes to residences. I like homes to be well kept and well maintained. I abhor cheap repairs or remodeling jobs. I dislike the architectural mishmash that so many contemporary architects resort to in even upscale subdivisions.

I know that in many cases the homeowner can't afford the repair that would best compliment the home's architecture. But I still shudder everytime I see a Tudor style house where the stucco has been replaced by vinyl siding. Ditto with low budget basement conversions or porch enclosures. Shabby, out-of-date interiors depress me.

I try very hard not to let on to people who own these unfortunate homes that their house gives me the blues. People are sensitive about their homes and most of these homeowners are doing the best they can with limited financial resources. But sometimes it takes all of my self-control not to go, "Ugh![' out loud.

There. I feel better now that I finally got this off my chest. My question to other FSU posters. Am I the only one who reacts to shabby or ugly homes in this manner?

[nubka]

Better not ever come to my house...

No, I am not a house snob (unless it stinks!)

[PrincessLeppard]

I'm not a house snob, but I have turned down second dates with men because they wore bad shoes.

So we all have stuff that we're snobby about, don't sweat it.

[soxxy]

Poor table manners.

[danceronice]

Houses, eh, but I'm a car snob. I can't afford what I appreciate, but I have my list of "so not dating THAT" vehicles!

[Norlite]

I need to make a confession and FSU seems the safest place to do it. I've recently realized that I'm an incorrigible house snob. I have very high standards and strong opinions when it comes to residences. I like homes to be well kept and well maintained. I abhor cheap repairs or remodeling jobs. I dislike the architectural mishmash that so many contemporary architects resort to in even upscale subdivisions.

I know that in many cases the homeowner can't afford the repair that would best compliment the home's architecture. But I still shudder everytime I see a Tudor style house where the stucco has been replaced by vinyl siding. Ditto with low budget basement conversions or porch enclosures. Shabby, out-of-date interiors depress me.

I try very hard not to let on to people who own these unfortunate homes that their house gives me the blues. People are sensitive about their homes and most of these homeowners are doing the best they can with limited financial resources. But sometimes it takes all of my self-control not to go, "Ugh![' out loud.

There. I feel better now that I finally got this off my chest. My question to other FSU posters. Am I the only one who reacts to shabby or ugly homes in this manner?

Yep. that's me.

I also realize people can't afford the best of everything, but often times imo, money is not the issue.

[sk8er1964]

You would from my house. Its style is Early American disaster.

Seriously, it is 126 years old. In the 70's, the owner raped it. Instead of fixing plaster etc, he put up cheap wall board. He tore out nice features like arches (why? don't know) and replaced them with ugly cedar-stained boards. He put in ugly drop ceilings. The best thing about our home is that we have an awesome 2.3 ac piece of land and nobody telling us what we can and cannot do with it (ie no homowners association etc).

When we first moved in, we could only afford the things that we absolutely had to pay for - new furnace, roof, etc. Oh, we've painted and done other superficial stuff (like covering up that ugly cedar stain ), but the reality is that this place could use a $50,000+ makeover.

Now that we do have more money, we'd rather spend it on our son's sports, on our travel, on my skating, and hubby's golf. I like to say that our spending priority is for experiences, not things. If that causes "house snobs" to look down on us, I really don't care. I'd rather be a beer snob anyway.

[AliasJohnDoe]

I scowl at unkempt lawns and landscaping.

[Angela-Fan]

I hate a messy house. Does that make me a house snob? I don't know. lol
I told my guy when we get married I would prefer if no one wore shoes in the house. He agreed, which made me . I hate the idea of not being able to walk comfortable bare foot, or in socks, in my own house.

[Anita18]

I have become a food snob. I from chain restaurants now, especially on vacation. We didn't travel all the way out there to eat at Olive Garden!

I've also become a font snob, and this comic sums it up pretty well: http://xkcd.com/590/

[oleada]

I have become a food snob. I from chain restaurants now, especially on vacation. We didn't travel all the way out there to eat at Olive Garden!

I'm the same way. I love my aunt and uncle, but whenever I visit and we go out to dinner, their first choices are always Olive Garden or Red Lobster Also, my friend's parents invited us to dinner one night, which was very kind and generous of them, but they picked TGI Friday's. I mean, you're in New York City and you go eat at Friday's?!

[sk8er1964]

I scowl at unkempt lawns and landscaping.

I hate a messy house.

That, to me, is different. If it has to be shabby, at least it can be neat!

[Rock2]

I'm a house snob in the sense that I find it disappointing that people don't take pride in where they live.

I"m also perplexed by a lot of new construction. Layouts and designs that are impractical.

[KCC]

I don't like clutter. I'm fine with outdated or a mish-mash of design, but feel my blood pressure rise when there is so much stuff in a room that it is just chaos. Unfortunately, many of my family members' homes are like that.

[cygnus]

I know that in many cases the homeowner can't afford the repair that would best compliment the home's architecture. But I still shudder everytime I see a Tudor style house where the stucco has been replaced by vinyl siding.

Stucco? On a Tudor house? Surely you jest milady? A true Tudor house should have nothing but wattle and daub between the wooden beams, or just possibly red brick.

[Anita18]

I'm the same way. I love my aunt and uncle, but whenever I visit and we go out to dinner, their first choices are always Olive Garden or Red Lobster Also, my friend's parents invited us to dinner one night, which was very kind and generous of them, but they picked TGI Friday's. I mean, you're in New York City and you go eat at Friday's?!

My dad's like that. It isn't that he's a picky eater, he's just lazy and doesn't want to work up the effort to find a restaurant close to home that isn't Sizzler's. With chain restaurants, you do know exactly what you're going to get. But still! Didn't travel all the way out there to eat or buy stuff I could get at home!

Yelp is my new best friend.

[galaxygirl]

I hate a messy house. Does that make me a house snob? I don't know. lol
I told my guy when we get married I would prefer if no one wore shoes in the house. He agreed, which made me . I hate the idea of not being able to walk comfortable bare foot, or in socks, in my own house.

Don't ever get a dog or cat, then. They like to wipe their butts on the carpet when they have a klingon, if their little butt itches, or even just for the hell of it. Seriously.

[Anita18]

Don't ever get a dog or cat, then. They like to wipe their butts on the carpet when they have a klingon, if their little butt itches, or even just for the hell of it. Seriously.

I'm Chinese and we've never worn shoes inside the house. It's way more comfortable and the dog won't wipe his butt ALL over every square foot of the carpet, while people will walk all over the place eventually.

I don't understand why people wear shoes inside their homes. It just makes it dirtier a lot faster, and it's more comfortable to walk inside in socks! But then again I don't understand why some people wash their dishes twice when using the dishwasher.

[Japanfan]

I need to make a confession and FSU seems the safest place to do it. I've recently realized that I'm an incorrigible house snob. I have very high standards and strong opinions when it comes to residences. I like homes to be well kept and well maintained. I abhor cheap repairs or remodeling jobs. . . .I try very hard not to let on to people who own these unfortunate homes that their house gives me the blues.

But do you have a hardcover copy of Karl Marx's "Communist Manifesto" in your library? Are you familiar with the most important passages?

If not, I might consider you the unfortunate one and not invite you to my home for a dinner party. I don't invite people over to impress them with the quality of my home (which I rent ) and the size of my paycheck. How boring is that? Hopefully I have more of substance to offer.

And have you considered that having a well-kept and maintained home takes a certain amount of money and time? Do you think that those who lack sufficient money and time are inferior to you? Goddess forbid one can not afford the highest quality of laminate or is too busy to dust on a daily basis (or pay the maid's salary). What might the in-laws say? For shame, for shame.

So what if you have lots of money to spend on your home? Does that make you special?

You can't buy creativity, humor, love, or intelligence - those are the things that make a house a home and make the people who live in it desirable company.

But don't lose hope. I'm sure that being a house snob with a longing for expensive gold bathroom fixtures is a curable condition.

[Anita18]

Plus, not everybody has a good visual eye when it comes to design and/or decorating. Nor do they have the time or be arsed to learn, on top of all the OTHER things in their lives that demand attention. That's why I don't hold any of that against anyone.

Although I do try to avoid making such mistakes myself, because I'm a visual person and I enjoy learning about it.