You have a $5 million dollar budget for a new house. How do you spend it?

[Skald the Rhymer]

Inspired by this (http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=507355)thread.

Let's say that among the many lurkers on the Dope is an eccentric billionaire. Inspired by your eloquence in one post or other, the billionaire decides to give you a gift: he's setting up a $5,000,000 trust which you can use to buy yourself a new residence and furnish it. You can purchase an existing domicile already on the market; you can buy a newly-built house in which you'd be the first-ever resident; you can choose have a house built from pre-existing blueprints; even hire an architect, buy a plot of land, and do the whole thing from scrratch. High-rise apartments & condos are allowed.

There's a few drawbacks. You must complete the project within 1 year. You must move into the new residence immediately after completing the project. You must agree to live in the new residence for at least 2 years. And you don't get to keep any monies left over. Once everything is paid for, the billionaire's clever attorneys and accoutants will make sure that you have enough cash left to pay for two year's upkeep and property taxes, and to handle the enormous hit this gift will surely cause on your federal, state, & local income taxes (as applicable) for the first year. That cash gift will come either from the money you didn't spend on the purchase & furnishings, or, if nothing is from the original $5,000,000, from the billionaire's deep pockets. But you're not going to get living expenses; you can't buy a food, cable or satellite service, a car, etc., out of the trust. But you can put a swing set in the yard, and whatnot.

How do you use this gift?

[An Arky]

I'd buy a really nice regular existing house for about $1M, which I could afford to maintain down the road. Then I would proceed to fill it with art and antiques, about $3.5M. I'd use the remainder for the contingencies outlined in the OP. After two years, I start selling off the art and antiques.

[UncleRojelio]

I'd spend it on a ten acre plot with room for radio antennas and a wind farm. The house itself would have an open layout. There would be a kick-ass kitchen, walk-in freezer and massive bathrooms and closets. I'd have a ten seat theater too. I'd build a detached ham radio shack, the garage would hold four cars and have a mechanic, wood-working, welding shop attached. I'd prolly have a panic room/fallout shelter built beneath the house proper.

[Sunspace]

This includes land? Because that's the first thing I'd get. A vast tract up north in the Beautiful Land. One million dollars would get a ridiculous amount of land near Bancroft, for example. I'm not going to say it would be measured in square kilometres, but it would be close.

Does this include outbuildings and things like roads? With the techniques my friends and I know, the remaining four million dollars would suffice to build a village, not just one house. But one house? It would look more like a college campus, all interconnected buildings, than a 'house'.

[Skald the Rhymer]

This includes land? Because that's the first thing I'd get. A vast tract up north in the Beautiful Land. One million dollars would get a ridiculous amount of land near Bancroft, for example. I'm not going to say it would be measured in square kilometres, but it would be close.

Does this include outbuildings and things like roads? With the techniques my friends and I know, the remaining four million dollars would suffice to build a village, not just one house. But one house? It would look more like a college campus, all interconnected buildings, than a 'house'.

If I didn't explicitly say land was included in the OP, I certainly mean to imply it. Likewise outbuildings.

I didn't think of roads & such because it didn't occur to me. I'm inclined to say "it shouldn't have included roads & such, but as I didn't rule it out and cannot think of a justification for doing so now, roads & such are in like flynn."

[gigi]

I saw this renoed bathroom on a design show once and almost died it was so wonderful. It was really large, with the usual double sink, soaking tub, big shower, and then a dressing room on one side, with closet and drawer space built in along the whole wall.

In the middle of the large room was a front-loading washer and dryer with countertop installed across the top of them. You could pull your laundry out of the dryer, fold it on top of the counter, turn around and put it in the closet/drawers. It was the most wonderful thing I've ever seen.

So it would be like the Kohler commercial: Build a home around this.

[Sunspace]

If I didn't explicitly say land was included in the OP, I certainly mean to imply it. Likewise outbuildings.

I didn't think of roads & such because it didn't occur to me. I'm inclined to say "it shouldn't have included roads & such, but as I didn't rule it out and cannot think of a justification for doing so now, roads & such are in like flynn."Cool. Because somewhere at home I have a ten-year-old sketch I want to scan.

I've been thinking about this for a long time.

[Annie-Xmas]

I would use it as a down payment on Eddie Murphy's $27M mansion, which is currently on the market.

[Gus Gusterson]

I would build a 2500 sqft house using state-of-the art building techniques. It would be as close to zero-energy as is possible today in the northeast US. I would not be able to spend the whole $5 million. I could do it for under $1 million plus the cost of the land it will sit on.

[Quartz]

I'd build a house with 4-5 floors, each a self-contained luxury flat. I'd live off the income from the other flats.

[KneadToKnow]

Same idea as UncleRojelio above. I'd spend $3 million of it on land, $500,000 on the actual house, $500,000 on furnishings, and $1 million on the wind farm and solar panels which would supply power for the house.

[DMark]

Surprisingly, $5,000,000 doesn't even come close to some homes listed here in the Las Vegas area (http://www.homes.com/Content/ListingSearchResults.cfm?PropType=*&MinPrice=&MaxPrice=&Bedrooms=&Fullbaths=&City=HENDERSON&State=NV). That wouldn't pay for their pool...

[Asimovian]

Normal house, about 2,000 square feet of living area, nothing fancy.

Except that it would have a basement with two bowling lanes with all the modern equipment.

[ivylass]

I would probably spend about half on a REALLY nice plot of land...several acres, water side, etc.

The rest I'd consult with Ivylad on.

[ZipperJJ]

Can I set aside money to pay my maid(s) and groundskeepers for however long I'm in the house?

Cuz otherwise, I'm not going above 1 acre and 2000sq ft. Who wants to clean and maintain anything more?!

[XJETGIRLX]

I'd build a reasonably modest home in a decent neighborhood, convenient to everything I need. Then, underneath it I'd build a ginormous, secret underground lair. I would swear the architects to secrecy under penalty of death.

My secret underground lair would have everything I need to survive the zombie apocalypse, including several decades' worth of non-perishable food stores, a huge cache of weapons, and top notch security.

[Skald the Rhymer]

Can I set aside money to pay my maid(s) and groundskeepers for however long I'm in the house?

Cuz otherwise, I'm not going above 1 acre and 2000sq ft. Who wants to clean and maintain anything more?!

If you agree to this today, you have until 24 February 2010 to finish the project. After that date you no longer have access to the trust fund monies, except as is necessary to pay the addtional income tax this gift will obligate you to, and that payment will be handled by the lawyers. In short, no, you can't.

I think An Arky's suggestion of buying art & antiques to sell after the first year is a good one, if you're confident enough of your judgment of the markets for those things to risk it. It's much better than my own idea of buying an estate with a guest house to rent out. And, since homeowner's insurance is surely a legitimate expense, the insurance on them will be covered by the trust (subject to the 5 mil limit).

[buttonjockey308]

I would spend a month traipsing about the blue marble, find several places that I would like to travel to regularly and buy a modest place in as many of them as the cash could afford. I would rent the ones I wasn't using to pay for the upkeep and maintenance and stay at one regularly.

[Skald the Rhymer]

I'd build a reasonably modest home in a decent neighborhood, convenient to everything I need. Then, underneath it I'd build a ginormous, secret underground lair. I would swear the architects to secrecy under penalty of death.

My secret underground lair would have everything I need to survive the zombie apocalypse, including several decades' worth of non-perishable food stores, a huge cache of weapons, and top notch security.

Never, ever works. You have to either design the underground lair yourself and have your robots build it (and that gonna cost you way over $5 million just for the 'bots) or kill the architects AND all the workmen involved in the project. Besides, you don't need a secret underground lair for a zombie apocalypse: just a very well provisioned, armed, & armored one. And, of course, a septic tank.

[KneadToKnow]

several decades' worth of non-perishable food stores

Writing tip: Don't use three words where one will do. If you mean Twinkies, say Twinkies.













:)

[Skald the Rhymer]

Writing tip: Don't use three words where one will do. If you mean Twinkies, say Twinkies[


Twinkies are food? In what sense?

I'm not convinced they're even baryonic matter.

[PunditLisa]

I'd buy a darling oceanfront condo overlooking the Pacific Ocean in Maui.

[NinetyWt]

This includes land? Because that's the first thing I'd get. A vast tract up north in the Beautiful Land. One million dollars would get a ridiculous amount of land near Bancroft, for example. I'm with you there.

I'd spend 3 million on land. Here that would buy me about 1000 acres. I'd put in a perimeter road & mark the boundary with a plain barbed-wire fence.

Then I'd build an earth-sheltered home as close to the center as I could.

The rest would go into utilities, and a lake for my hubby. Oh, and cows, he likes cows.

Parts of this could be in harvestable timber, so hubby could go ahead and retire. Me, I'd keep on working.

[Dewey Finn]

There's a few drawbacks. You must complete the project within 1 year.
That's probably the biggest limitation. Because while I can imagine a nice house I'd like to build, the realities of planning board approval, builder's schedules and so forth may make the one year timeframe difficult. So I'd probably look at what existing homes are available, perhaps in Manhattan.

[Skald the Rhymer]

There's a few drawbacks. You must complete the project within 1 year.

That's probably the biggest limitation. <snip>

I 'spect the OP did that on purpose. Everybody knows what a dick he is.

[control-z]

Realistically, nothing. I wouldn't want a 5 million dollar house because the taxes and insurance would be hugely unbearable.

Otherwise if that wasn't a concern, the house would be large but not huge. But it would have forests, parks, ponds, several levels underground, hiking trails, a large garage with many cars, and a small movie theatre.

[Skald the Rhymer]

Realistically, nothing. I wouldn't want a 5 million dollar house because the taxes and insurance would be hugely unbearable.

Otherwise if that wasn't a concern, the house would be large but not huge. But it would have forests, parks, ponds, several levels underground, hiking trails, a large garage with many cars, and a small movie theatre.

Just because you have a $5 million dollar budget doesn't mean you have to spend it all. You just can't spend any more than that, and what you leave unused goes back to Lex Luthor (minus whatever amount the accountants figure you'll need to cover the taxes. Man, what will be an annoyingly recursive calculation).

[Nava]

Can I wait to see whether I've been accepted into uni or not? It changes the location I'd choose (Edinburgh or Barcelona). I'm assuming I'm not obligated to sleep in the house every night, because if I am, then it limits work options (I'm a consultant and tend to take international projects; my governments are happy to consider that I "reside" in a house I actually see once every few months, as the legal setup allows it) - plus I get nervous if I have to stay put, as opposed to wanting to stay put.

[Skald the Rhymer]

Can I wait to see whether I've been accepted into uni or not? It changes the location I'd choose (Edinburgh or Barcelona). I'm assuming I'm not obligated to sleep in the house every night, because if I am, then it limits work options (I'm a consultant and tend to take international projects; my governments are happy to consider that I "reside" in a house I actually see once every few months, as the legal setup allows it) - plus I get nervous if I have to stay put, as opposed to wanting to stay put.

I don't see why not. The one-year-countdown doesn't start till you say, "Cool, where do I sign?" Just don't sign till you're ready to start.

[Skald the Rhymer]

That's probably the biggest limitation. Because while I can imagine a nice house I'd like to build, the realities of planning board approval, builder's schedules and so forth may make the one year timeframe difficult. So I'd probably look at what existing homes are available, perhaps in Manhattan.

It saddens me that it has not occurred to you that that problem is best solved with bribes. Many, many bribes. The Grand Nagus died in vain, in seems.

[Johnny L.A.]

I've no need for a $5 million house. I'd build the most energy-efficient house I possibly could, about 4,000 or 5,000 square feet. (I want a couple of workshops and rooms for my collections.) Any leftover money would be for a compromise of land and efficient small dwellings ('outbuildings', if you will :D ) that could be rented to people who need them.

[Skald the Rhymer]

I've no need for a $5 million house. I'd build the most energy-efficient house I possibly could, about 4,000 or 5,000 square feet. (I want a couple of workshops and rooms for my collections.) Any leftover money would be for a compromise of land and efficient small dwellings ('outbuildings', if you will :D ) that could be rented to people who need them.

Outbuildings are permitted. Outhouses are not. Anyone who assays to assemble an outhouse will be buried alive in one, assuming one can be found for the burial.

[Johnny L.A.]

Outbuildings are permitted. Outhouses are not.

Oh, there will be internal plumbing! :P :D

[Influential Panda]

Lots of glass. Lots and lots of wide open spaces and room for natural sunlight to come in. All of the glass would have one of those buttons you can hit that makes it instantly black. If there's any money left over, I add a bowling alley.

[Quercus]

(minus whatever amount the accountants figure you'll need to cover the taxes. Man, what will be an annoyingly recursive calculation).No recursion necessary. Algebra is your friend. Total gift = (Intended Gift) / (1- marginal tax rate).

Anyway, if I wasn't trying to game the system by getting a house I was planning on selling, I'd start making progressively more ridiculous offers on the nicest houses in my neighborhood or the nearby one (the nicest ones are worth a lot more than mine). Which will get me probably into the seven-figure range depending on how ridiculous. Then a money-is-no-object complete renovation to add solar panels, super efficient everything, whirlpool, and professional-level kitchen (one year? oohh, that just makes it easier to burn through the money). Whatever is left goes into antiques and art. I think without a mortgage, I could pay the tax on that.

[Skald the Rhymer]

No recursion necessary. Algebra is your friend. Total gift = (Intended Gift) / (1- marginal tax rate).




Why did you kick my joke in the shin? What the hell did that joke ever do to you? It's a very small and feeble little joke that spent all of 8th grade crying in the locker room because the bigger jokes were mocking it and giving it atomic wedgies. Now you have to come along and kick it. Why?

[gigi]

Outbuildings are permitted. Outhouses are not. Anyone who assays to assemble an outhouse will be buried alive in one, assuming one can be found for the burial.

Why are you pissing on the the idea of an outhouse? Or, if you prefer, poo-pooing it? It saves water and creates nice fertilizer.

[Skald the Rhymer]

Why are you pissing on the the idea of an outhouse? Or, if you prefer, poo-pooing it? It saves water and creates nice fertilizer.

In my childhood, I was deeply traumatized by outhouses. The mere mention of them still sends me into a venomous rage. Your post so infuriated me that I walked outside, found a puppy, and picked it up intending to snap its neck. Happily, the puppy's mother was in sight, and being a Presa Canario, was able to rescue her child and maim me for my vile plan, as was only proper. I am typing this with my nose, as it will at least half an hour before my arms can be reattached. Stupid socialized medicine.

[gigi]

If there had been an outhouse nearby, you could have stopped its jaws with a corncob.

[Sunspace]

We don't need outhouses. It's quite possible to recycle human waste indoors using a commercial composting toilet (http://www.envirolet.ca/). Hardware stores in cottage country have them on sale all the time.

As my cousin said, "It's a hell of a lot cheaper than building the biggest septic system on Miller Lake." Well, actually, he didn't. But he should have.

[rocking chair]

i am amused at the "huge tracks of land" referenced above.

as for me.... private island off of maine, wind and solar, either update existing house/s or build new.

[Skald the Rhymer]

If there had been an outhouse nearby, you could have stopped its jaws with a corncob.

Have you lost your mind, woman? I was about to murder an innocent puppy. I DESERVED to have my arms ripped off and my left liver eaten.

[gigi]

i am amused at the "huge tracks of land" referenced above.

He was impressed by my..."lofty goals".

[gigi]

Have you lost your mind, woman? I was about to murder an innocent puppy. I DESERVED to have my arms ripped off and my left liver eaten.

You were provoked--you couldn't be held responsible for your actions. It was an early childhood trauma--"The Shithouse Defense".

[An Arky]

If you agree to this today, you have until 24 February 2010 to finish the project. After that date you no longer have access to the trust fund monies, except as is necessary to pay the addtional income tax this gift will obligate you to, and that payment will be handled by the lawyers. In short, no, you can't.

I think An Arky's suggestion of buying art & antiques to sell after the first year is a good one, if you're confident enough of your judgment of the markets for those things to risk it. It's much better than my own idea of buying an estate with a guest house to rent out. And, since homeowner's insurance is surely a legitimate expense, the insurance on them will be covered by the trust (subject to the 5 mil limit).

I was thinking of commissioning myself to be the artist and the art being $3.5M in gold sitting in a giant Campbell's Soup can.

[Skald the Rhymer]

You were provoked--you couldn't be held responsible for your actions. It was an early childhood trauma--"The Shithouse Defense".

That's just silly. Are you Oprah now or something? :cool:

[GuanoLad]

I like the idea of a sustainable eco-friendly house. It seems to be all the rage, even though it effectively does nothing much and would only really work if everybody on the entire planet did it, for the next two hundred years.

So I'd still build an absurdly large house, designed to look something like a castle (though not overtly, just in certain stylistic flourishes) with all the mod cons, but using green sustainable materials. A long tree-lined driveway, underground parking, and a huge lawn, would also be a must.

I'd have to make sure I can afford to maintain it all, but then if I'm not paying a mortgage then it should be within my budget.

I'd spend the majority of the money on making it high quality, no cheating or cutting corners, and being all it needs to be to be liveable for me, and yet still practical and adaptable for anyone who comes after me but may not like my quirky sense of style.

[bengangmo]

In my childhood, I was deeply traumatized by outhouses. The mere mention of them still sends me into a venomous rage. Your post so infuriated me that I walked outside, found a puppy, and picked it up intending to snap its neck. Happily, the puppy's mother was in sight, and being a Presa Canario, was able to rescue her child and maim me for my vile plan, as was only proper. I am typing this with my nose, as it will at least half an hour before my arms can be reattached. Stupid socialized medicine.

Just make sure to be careful of any long drops that might be on your property when you recover, I wouldn't want you to be overly traumatised.

[Magiver]

I'd build a house on a lake with a nice carriage house on the edge of the property. At the end of 2 years I'd sell the house, partition the land, and live in the carriage house.

[lobotomyboy63]

1) Two-lane bowling alley, fully automated.
2) Professional quality billiards table.
3) 36 hole putt putt course that I would design.
4) Complete video game systems room, plus some classic arcade games.
5) State of the art home theater.
6) Hot tub, swimming pool.

Also....

Need a water feature. Maybe an atrium, centrally located, with a waterfall that can gently babble or roar or anything in-between, depending on the remote control's setting.

I also want a floor plan that allows a large, meandering aquarium. Imagine halfway up your bedroom wall, there's part of the aquarium...it continues down the wall to your MBA, then on to the kitchen, into the living room, etc. IANA architect---maybe you couldn't run it through load-bearing walls. But your prize angel fish might be in the bedroom this morning, in the kitchen this afternoon, etc. It would be kinda kewl if they could swim "upstairs" too.

[horsetech]

I think a 10-stall barn ought to do it, with an indoor riding ring (with its roof covered in solar panels, some of which would power giant fans and a sprinkler system, the others ). 100 acres, with 4-board fencing and a strand of hot wire on top with solar chargers. 1/2 acre sacrifice paddocks with bluestone for winter (mud season). Frost-free hydrants outside every field. Large, heated wash stall. Rubber paving stones in the aisle and wash stall, concrete floors with rubber mats in the stalls. Outbuilding for storing hay and straw with covered walkway to barn. Big outdoor ring.

The house would be next to the barn. Nothing huge, but with thick double-layer brick to help keep it cool in the summer and warm in the winter. Decent sized kitchen with at least two sinks. Built-in cat perches and elevated walkways. At least two closet-sized places with kitty doors and exhaust fans for litter boxes.

If there's anything left over, microphone in barn with hard-wired speakers in the bedroom. I love the sound of horses snuffling and calmly munching hay at night. It's very relaxing.

Wait, what's that, you say? I blew all the money just on the horses? I guess you'll have to put a loft over the barn for me to live in, then.

Of course, this is all for after I've gone through vet school, internship, and residency, and have settled down somewhere, preferably on the East Coast/Upper Midwest.

That pup will grow up to break out in a cold sweat whenever anyone mentions SDMB. Darn right you deserved to have your arms rearranged.

[furlibusea]

I like the idea of an orangery. If I could have an indoor swimming pool in the orangery and it wouldn't kill the plants that would be even cooler. The real things I would do would be to fix this house. I would do it big though, not quite a complete demolition but pretty close. I don't think I could put my orangery in the back though and a swimming pool would probably screw up the septic tank something fierce.

[Declan]

A little fixer upper like this should be fine

modest little cottage (http://www.desertusa.com/mag99/apr/stories/bios2.html)

What can I say , I like the idea of going from summer to winter in a few moments.

Declan

[RandMcnally]

In my finished basement I want a small kitchen, family room, wet bar, guest room, nice bathroom and a weapons room with a ton of weapon and ammo for all plus food that could last thirty years (I.E. Twinkies).

Goddamnit, I'm prepared for any sort of apocalypse (the sad thing is that these are genuinely my plans).

[Magiver]

1) Two-lane bowling alley, fully automated.
2) Professional quality billiards table.
3) 36 hole putt putt course that I would design.
4) Complete video game systems room, plus some classic arcade games.
5) State of the art home theater.
6) Hot tub, swimming pool.
. 7) racketball court with a big screen TV built into the back wall.

[Critical1]

Buy out the entire top floor of a condo complex some place, also get the condo below whatever happens to be my favorite, outfit my condo with every thing I want, put a stairway down do the one below, then with whatever is left fill the remaining condos with loot to keep me going for a few years,

honestly I would flat out ask if I could use the cash for my Business that I am in the process of planning out but I think the condo Idea works for me, Now if you dump the one year rule thats a whole different story.

nice plot of land someplace where I wont get crushed in an earthquake or smothered by volcanic ash, nothing huge but say 3-10 acres or so depending,
build a nice very energy efficient house with some really funky design ideas that is 3 stories in places, 2 for about half, with the ability to use the roof as a giant deck.

then (well I guess this part would really come first) Dig a big ass hole and make it a huge complex underground, I mean a fully functional bar/nightclub with pool tables and all that, workshops for woodworking and whatever else came to mind, a go-cart track (electric) and just get crazy, maybe an underground pool that has trees and plants growing around it.

I would go frakin nuts if you handed me 5mil and said go to town on a house design

[missred]

Hmmm....

First thing would be to have something that I could live off the grid with...solar/wind/water generated power, gravity fed water supply, etc.

I would likely choose something on twenty acres or so up in the hills. I would also want outbuildings...a two car garage, workshop, gardening shed, possibly a small barn for a few goats, a pig or two and a chicken coop. I would also have a couple of small guesthouses for family and friends when they came to visit. Silly as it may sound, I also think a well planned mini-golf course would be a lot of fun. Plenty of wooded area for hiking would be a must, as well as an indoor pool with a steam room and outdoor hot tub.

For the house itself, 2-2.5K square feet...nothing that would be a burden to clean...in either an old farmhouse or log house style. I would have a safe room, a good sized kitchen with a pantry and a couple of sinks, a laundry room with an ironing board that I never had to take down, a nice master suite, complete with a master bath with a walk in shower, a spa tub and a dressing room. The main necessity, though, would be the studios...an art / craft studio, complete with a darkroom and a music studio with recording capabilities. It would also have to have a huge wrap around porch, with swings and rockers...perfect to take a glass of tea or an adult beverage, the instrument of your choice and some friends for some picking and grinning. Oh, and there would be little to no carpet anywhere.

I would have to have a job that I could telecommute to realize this, though, as the area that I would like to have this built is notoriously lacking good jobs.

[Loach]

The house I have is a good size with a few acres and a nice view. First I would pay off the mortgage. Normal repairs top to bottom. New central air. Get rid of the above ground pool get an in ground pool. Hot tub next to the deck. Using the existing rooms or expanding a couple, a game room, an excercise room, a wet bar. Turn the living room into a mini movie theater. Professional landscaping. Whatever is left over I'll spend on hats.

[lobotomyboy63]

7) racketball court with a big screen TV built into the back wall.


8) Multipurpose gym area. You'd have hoops up but also the permanent anchoring stuff for a good volleyball or badminton setup. And you'd have the lines on the floor for shuffleboard. Plus, a bigass trampoline.

[Broomstick]

Doesn't matter if I can buy a property or find one that can be modified, but here's what I want:

1500-200 square foot house as eco-friendly as possible either getting all energy off the grid or having sufficient back up wind/solar/whatever to make it livable if the power goes out. Everything insulated, at least double-panes on the windows (I'm assuming I'll still be in an area that experiences winter). Safe room/basement for shelter in emergencies. Bathroom must have big tub suitable for long soaks, but it doesn't have to have fancy airjets and crap, the old-fashioned low-tech variety is OK. Separate shower. Modern, energy-efficient appliances in kitchen and utility room.

Ample two car garage.

A secure outbuilding for storage, or a really big attic.

An acre suitable for gardening. I would also use the budget to improve the soil (if needed), put in foot paths, landscaping plants, raised/bordered beds, and so forth.

And this is where it gets a little crazy: additional land at least 7,500 feet long and 50 feet wide free of trees and obstacles and leveled. Yes, I want a runway - not 7,500 feet, more like 5,000 feet with buffer zones at each end. This would require this entire set up to be outside the suburbs, of course.

Need at least one hangar large enough for at least two GA airplanes.

Need building to secure all the landscape maintenance equipment required for the lawn, garden, and runway.

[Skald the Rhymer]

The house I have is a good size with a few acres and a nice view. First I would pay off the mortgage. Normal repairs top to bottom. New central air. Get rid of the above ground pool get an in ground pool. Hot tub next to the deck. Using the existing rooms or expanding a couple, a game room, an excercise room, a wet bar. Turn the living room into a mini movie theater. Professional landscaping. Whatever is left over I'll spend on hats.

I'm not sure how you're going to justify "hats" as "home improvement expenses" to the trust officer.

[Atrael]

Methinks some of you haven't done any home building recently. We spend around $500K on our rennovation for a 3000sq ft. home, and I still didn't have everything built to the quality level that I'd have done if I had more money. I probably could have sunk twice the money into a house that was no bigger at all and just had better materials, solar/wind power augment, more automation in the home....stuff like that.

As for my dream home, I'm pretty much living in it. I spent a lot of time and effort to get the exact house I wanted. I'm of two minds about outbuildings. On one hand having a detatched workshop/garage/exercise room with an in-law or guest suite above it is a nice idea, practially speaking anyone I'm inviting over is family and I'd want them to be close so we could all hang out. So I'd probably go with a concrete structure maybe 40' x 40' as the first floor/basement. This could be divided into the workshop/exercise room/ garage. Then above that 2 other floors. The concrete first floor would be buiried so that it in effect became the "basement". Living where I do, you can't really dig out a real basement, so this would be a way around that. The other two floors would be of similar size to what I have now. Maybe another 1000sq ft. That would add enough room for a small office, and to expand the guest room to have it's own bathroom, and make the kids rooms the same size (right now one is markedly larger than the other). Most of the money would go to wiring the house as a digital house with good home automation hardware/software that was designed to be upgraded easily. A good stamped concrete driveway instead of the gravel would eat up a chunck, landscaping cost more than most people realize. Maybe an inground pool.

Just those small increases in size from what I have now would probably eat up $4mil easily. That's not even getting into expensive materials like marble or real hardwood floors.

[DeadlyAccurate]

I'd have a 2500 sq. ft. house built with full solar energy. Every room would be fitted for Internet access. My living room would be designed around a home theater setup (digital projector, of course, because I can't see myself ever going back to anything smaller). I'd have a largish gym (bigger than the spare bedroom I use now, but not extravagant). My kitchen would be state-of-the-art. Large master bathroom with steam shower, soaking tub, double sinks, toilet room separate from the shower/bath area. For my yard (only about an acre), I'd hire someone to create a low-maintenance, low-water wildflower garden that covers the vast majority of the yard. No mowing.

My house would not be exceptionally large, but it would be of the finest quality and with the most conveniences.