In the coming months my husband and I will be hunting for our next home, now that it seems our Washington house is sold (until the money is in the bank, I am hedging to avoid jinxing myself!). In the midst of the flurry of counter offers and moving plans this past week, Global Traveler‘s editor in chief Lisa Matte sent me some encouraging words. She shared some of the characteristics and features she would look for if she had the opportunity to pick out a new abode, and it reminded me that while I’m having to say good bye to a really lovely house that has been a welcoming home to our family and friends, I can look forward to finding another great new place. What do I want most in that new home? Hmmmm . . .  One of the shows Harry and I watch fairly regularly is House Hunters on HGTV. We shake our heads when a couple lists their “must-haves” and then proceeds to pick a place that doesn’t seem to come close to those ideals. Or they’ll walk through a home and focus on details which don’t match what they want but are readily fixable, even though the basic layout of the home, neighborhood and lot (not-so-easy-to-change features) match their expressed wants and needs. Of course, when I go house hunting, I will be completely logical and unemotional–a real estate agent’s dream! (And, thankfully, there will be no camera crew around to record any evidence to the contrary.) Okay, so here’s the list we’ll give our agent (I have not consulted on every item with my dear husband, but he will certainly have the good sense to agree with me completely):  The house should be no more than 10 years old (Harry is a fabulous cook but not much of a do-it-yourselfer), have at least three bedrooms and two baths, preferably on one level (we’re not getting any younger!), an oversized 2-car garage, and a great kitchen (gas stove preferred) open to family room/great room which will allow for lots of entertaining. There should be plenty of storage space–cabinets and pantry in the kitchen, roomy closets throughout–and a livable floor plan without a lot of wasted space (at least 2,000 sq. ft., won’t need more than 2,500 or so). Desired, but not absolutely necessary, would be two sinks in the master bath (contributes greatly to matrimonial harmony, we’ve learned) a wood stove or fireplace in the main living space (great for both heat and ambiance) and a good-sized window with a nice view over the kitchen sink (one way to make washing the dishes a little more tolerable). As for the location, I’ve come to appreciate living on a hill as opposed to in a valley (as long as I’m not on the edge of a hill that is prone to sliding in torrential rains). I would want a lot that gets plenty of sun but also has room for some sizeable, attractive trees. The house should be placed so that the back patio/deck is shaded from hot afternoon sun and yet the rooms get plenty of natural light–especially during our dark, dank, short winter days. I’d like room for a vegetable and herb garden that would get sunlight all day, a modicum of lawn to set off nice, deep flower beds and borders, and a driveway that allows at least four guests to park their cars on it while not being so large that I couldn’t clear it of a few inches of snow in a half-hour or so. As for the community, give me a neighborhood with a nice mix of families with kids of all ages, older folks who can tell you about how it all was 50 years ago, and young singles or couples with a lot going on. I’d like to be able to walk to a park or small shops and find that my fellow citizens agree with me that funding schools, public safety, libraries and parks are important in creating a livable and humane environment. That’s not too much to ask for, is it? I guess I’ll find out in the coming months! I’d love to hear what you have found essential to you in a great living space–I’m all ears! Patty Vanikiotis, proofreader