How much living space is enough?

[RichMan]

I recently read an article that stated the average house in the US is 2500 sq ft.
That is a lot of house to pay taxes on, pay utilities on, pay insurance on, not to mention the mortgage.
Why so much space?
My wife and I live in a 600 sq ft cabin and have plenty of space.
How big or small is your house?

 

[Oncefallen]

Believe me, I share your bewilderment. I grew up in a 1200sf house (which was the average size home built in the late 1950's). Since then, homes have progressively gotten larger while the average family size has shrunk. My wife and I live in a 960sf townhome with two dogs and two cats and the only thing I can gripe about is I wish the living room was just a little bit larger and the lack of a garage.

Even though local government constantly talks about creating more "affordable housing", the only thing being built (other than tons of apartments) is large houses, large townhomes, and large condos.

 

[Amanuensis]

I recently read an article that stated the average house in the US is 2500 sq ft.
That is a lot of house to pay taxes on, pay utilities on, pay insurance on, not to mention the mortgage.
Why so much space?
My wife and I live in a 600 sq ft cabin and have plenty of space.
How big or small is your house?

It's about the mood enhancing effect of large spaces using architectural features and interior decoration.

The more space you have the more options you open up for creating sanctuaries and spaces to get away from others when you need to.
2500 is tiny.

If money were no object 20,000sqft or more, on about 80 acres, with a quarter mile drive to get to the front door. That seems about right for that feeling of "elbow room" Of course there is more than just space. You have to decorate the rooms the right way in order to produce the mood enhancing, energy.

And you have to have friends to invite over or it will be rather sad.

 

[Artios1]

Whatever you are comfortable with....everybody is different. For me a 600 sq ft kitchen would be ideal and a 2500 sq ft shop is a must....oh, and a sauna.

 

[TheIndianGirl]

Depends on size of household.

I grew up in a 2400 sq ft two-story townhome and now my parents have a 1500 sq ft townhome. After putting in the furniture in the 1500 sq ft my parents wish all the rooms (3 bdrms) were slightly larger but overall they are happy.

 

[arthurfleminger]

I recently read an article that stated the average house in the US is 2500 sq ft.
That is a lot of house to pay taxes on, pay utilities on, pay insurance on, not to mention the mortgage.
Why so much space?
My wife and I live in a 600 sq ft cabin and have plenty of space.
How big or small is your house?

I am retired and single, living alone now. I completely own my residence, no mortgage, no debt. I have downsized to a small condo, 750 sq ft, in a great neighborhood. I have no stairs to climb, and the monthly HOA fees are reasonable and take care of everything. I am happy with the situation, it doesn't demand too much of me in the way of cleaning and maintenance. Also, in the 15 years I've owned my residence, the Zillow real estate evaluation has grown from $125k to $340k, a windfall for my heirs. Surprisingly, that's a capital gain of over $14k each year, over $1k per month. My heirs will be happy.

I've known relatives who've trapped themselves in large houses, with large yards. They've kept these large estates in their late years, when they could not keep up with their upkeep. These large houses/yards demanded too much from them, they became their tombs, enslaving my relatives to their huge houses, which they didn't need. Don't let this happen to your. Don't let yourself become slaves to the things you own.

Live simply and happily, don't rely on big houses/estates as you grow on in years. Large estates/properties/responsibilities will end up owning you and they will become your living tomb.

 

[Gideon300]

I recently read an article that stated the average house in the US is 2500 sq ft.
That is a lot of house to pay taxes on, pay utilities on, pay insurance on, not to mention the mortgage.
Why so much space?
My wife and I live in a 600 sq ft cabin and have plenty of space.
How big or small is your house?

it's an issue in Australia also. Apartment living has become more popular as there is a great shortage of single dwellings. However, it's tough on families, especially during events like the COVID lock down.

Government policies are not helpful. My friend is looking to downsize. When she does, she will pay substantial costs to sell her home. She will also be slugged stamp duty on the new home. At least she is exempt from capital gain tax. She will still come out in front, but it's not a great incentive to sell.

The property is worth maybe AUD850,000. Stamp duty will be AUD46,000.

 

[Gideon300]

I recently read an article that stated the average house in the US is 2500 sq ft.
That is a lot of house to pay taxes on, pay utilities on, pay insurance on, not to mention the mortgage.
Why so much space?
My wife and I live in a 600 sq ft cabin and have plenty of space.
How big or small is your house?

Further to my previous post, the stamp duty gets paid by the buyer of the property. I realised that my statement is misleading. Even so, she will be up for a substantial amount for anything bigger than a dog kennel.

 

[arthurfleminger]

it's an issue in Australia also. Apartment living has become more popular as there is a great shortage of single dwellings. However, it's tough on families, especially during events like the COVID lock down.

Government policies are not helpful. My friend is looking to downsize. When she does, she will pay substantial costs to sell her home. She will also be slugged stamp duty on the new home. At least she is exempt from capital gain tax. She will still come out in front, but it's not a great incentive to sell.

The property is worth maybe AUD850,000. Stamp duty will be AUD46,000.

Apartment dwelling may be the only opportunity to many in the USA. The prices of all kinds of housing, condos/townhomes/houses have soared out of reach for so many Americans, especially young Americans just starting out. My small condo has appreciated an average of $14k per year, each year for the 15 years I've lived here. There is no way that non home owners can save up enough to keep up with the price rises, even if both are working and have good jobs. Because the prices of apartments are also soaring, which sucks up any possible saving for a home purchase.

Things didn't used to be that way. My father spent his career in the US military and later worked for Civil Service. He never made much money and my mother worked very hard in the house raising 5 children. But, we always owned our own home, and they were nice homes as we relocated place to place. We never wanted for anything.

In 1970 I was washing dishes part time after school. One day, the short order grill cook asked if I'd help him out over the weekend. He was unskilled, in his early 20s, and making $2 an hour. And he wanted me to come over and help him paint his 3 bedroom house, a nice house. He was getting married and wanted to move his new wife into their home. What short order cook can afford a house nowadays? The answer is none.

Used to be that working families could afford to own their own homes, but that's no longer the case. I don't know what, but something really went wrong and the American dream of home ownership has disappeared for many.

The latest trend in my neighborhood is for multiple families renting a condo in order to have some kind of residence that they can afford. And, of course, many adult children, and their children, are living with their parents, forever. Not a good situation.

 

[Billyd]

The older you get the smaller the house you wish that you had bought. We have two bedrooms and a bathroom that we never use. Unfortunately, we still have to clean them, and make sure that no pests (rats, mice or bugs) take over.

If your last child has left home, sell the big house and buy a small one closer to the church, grocery store, doctors office and restaurants.

 

[Robertt]

lving space needed comes down to how much you love the presence of othes in your life.

I have found modern society we are taught we need to be independent. we dont need anyone. even churches teahc we only need JESUS. so when we in families and build our home we continue to live our own independant lives. so we all need a room each. with its own bathroom. large TV on each bedroom wall.

Space in lounge and kitchen so we dont cross one anothers path.

 

[Lanolin]

I am not sure those stats are accurate and averages would be misleading, its better to get the median.
and number of people per dwelling,

does this include ALL the houses in the US as those that can actually afford them seem to build humungous ones. So probably the stats are skewed because of the richer homes.

if people have spare rooms they may rent them out or have guests.

I dont think theres anything wrong with living with parents it is better than living in an insitution or an orphanage. there is also flatting but flatting has its pros and cons.

dont understand the tv thing, if someone has four tvs in a room thats a bit much.

I always thought homes in the US were oversized. But then everything is. I remember going into one and they had basement, a front room nobody ever went into, huge open plan kitchen, and that was not even bedrooms, which I cant count. Most being two storey. then a 3 car garage. the 'master' bedroom has an ensuite.

in nz a basic home is 3 bedrooms and 1 bathroom. There might be a garage or just a car port, though now modern homes the garage is built into the home. Then kitchen and living room, and laundry and thats it.

No basement or attic and only one floor. It might have. deck but that is extra. You start out small and then extend if you need more room. You dont have to yell to see if anyones there or run round the house trying t find someone. or drag a vacuum cleaner for what seems like miles if its all carpeted.

I thought the home depicted in the movie War Room which a family of 3 lived in was super excessive. But then I thought ok its the movies, not reality so what do I know. of course wealthy families would have bigger homes. so maybe its just rich people and they soon find out they live beyond their means, and fill up their homes with STUFF.

In movie War Room, the mother could afford to clear out a closet and have a prayer room in there, but, for most people, they cannot do this and put their clothes somewhere else as or even FIT in a closet.

 

[seoulsearch]

I recently read an article that stated the average house in the US is 2500 sq ft.
That is a lot of house to pay taxes on, pay utilities on, pay insurance on, not to mention the mortgage.
Why so much space?
My wife and I live in a 600 sq ft cabin and have plenty of space.
How big or small is your house?

Whatever you are comfortable with....everybody is different. For me a 600 sq ft kitchen would be ideal and a 2500 sq ft shop is a must....oh, and a sauna.

I've really enjoyed reading this thread -- I'm always interested in how people live and what their living styles and preferences are.

For the past several years I've been really interested in minimalism. I recently saw a video that really summed it all up with: 1. minimalism isn't for everyone; 2. minimalism has different definitions for different people; and 3. minimalism is like the length of a good movie. Some movies need only 90 minutes to tell a good story while others might need 4 hours.

I think a big part of how much room people feel they need (or can afford) depends on their personality and interests. I've known some men who don't understand why some women want a lot of space inside the house because all they could live in a tent, but yet if they could, they'd have a garage the size of a pole barn. That's not a cut on men at all, that's just saying, some people might want just as much or more space than the next person, just in a different form.

I'm the type of person who always tries to find "just enough" space and with a tiny yard because for me, the maintenance is a bear and a half. But I know plenty of people who feel imprisoned unless they have at least 20 acres to roam, or at least, a very large garden and yard.

Hobbies can also make a big difference. The serious cook obviously dreams of a kitchen the size of what some would call a living room, and as someone who has dabbled in sewing, it's much easier to have a dedicated space/dream room in which you can set up all your equipment and lay out projects so that they can just stay in one place as you work on them.

I'm also someone who has to have real printed books, because the kinds I've collected over the years are ones that show you how to make something and aren't the kind you just read and get rid of. Techniques change over the years and sometimes you find the best techniques in older, out-of-print books that you never want to throw away.

I find Kindle and the like to be very impractical because a book will often have different steps for, let's say, assembling a sleeve, and there might be bits and pieces of information on pages 4, 11, 65, 132, etc. I find it much easier to have a physical book on hand in which I can just mark and flip the pages, rather than deal with flipping or scrolling a digital screen.

The last time I moved, I had about 10 boxes alone that were just books, and I joked with the movers, "Can you tell I'm a big nerd?" But they said that was actually pretty lightweight compared to other jobs they'd had.

My parents never understand my need for space because one of their main hobbies is golf, so all they need is space for their golf clubs. I on the other hand, have to find a way to store all my books, sewing machine, ironing board, 2 standing carts of necessary supplies for cutting, pressing, marking, measuring, etc., bins of fabric and trims, a mannequin for fitting, etc. Most serious sewers these days have 2 machines (a sewing machine and a serger,) and many more supplies and much fancier equipment than I have -- thereby, also needing much more space.

I think anyone, from the home cook to the woodworker to a guy who loves tools or working on cars knows how frustrating, restrictive, and a hindrance to productivity not having enough room to work can be.

I would love to only need one small corner of a room for my hobbies and that would be it, but that's just not how I'm built. God fills people with all kinds of interests and pursuits, and unfortunately, some of them just take more room than others.

However, I do try to only take on as much space as I need because I don't want to waste or pay for anything extra that isn't being used.

I love looking at living places of all kinds, big and small, but I also always wish that the bigger houses would take some cues from smaller dwellings as far as really making the most of every bit of space.

 

[Genipher]

I am not sure those stats are accurate and averages would be misleading, its better to get the median.
and number of people per dwelling,

does this include ALL the houses in the US as those that can actually afford them seem to build humungous ones. So probably the stats are skewed because of the richer homes.

if people have spare rooms they may rent them out or have guests.

I dont think theres anything wrong with living with parents it is better than living in an insitution or an orphanage. there is also flatting but flatting has its pros and cons.

dont understand the tv thing, if someone has four tvs in a room thats a bit much.

I always thought homes in the US were oversized. But then everything is. I remember going into one and they had basement, a front room nobody ever went into, huge open plan kitchen, and that was not even bedrooms, which I cant count. Most being two storey. then a 3 car garage. the 'master' bedroom has an ensuite.

in nz a basic home is 3 bedrooms and 1 bathroom. There might be a garage or just a car port, though now modern homes the garage is built into the home. Then kitchen and living room, and laundry and thats it.

No basement or attic and only one floor. It might have. deck but that is extra. You start out small and then extend if you need more room. You dont have to yell to see if anyones there or run round the house trying t find someone. or drag a vacuum cleaner for what seems like miles if its all carpeted.

I thought the home depicted in the movie War Room which a family of 3 lived in was super excessive. But then I thought ok its the movies, not reality so what do I know. of course wealthy families would have bigger homes. so maybe its just rich people and they soon find out they live beyond their means, and fill up their homes with STUFF.

In movie War Room, the mother could afford to clear out a closet and have a prayer room in there, but, for most people, they cannot do this and put their clothes somewhere else as or even FIT in a closet.

What part of the US did you visit when you toured the house with the basement? Mid-states often have basements because they're threatened by tornadoes.
I'm on the west coast and a lot the houses around here have basements. Not sure why. Our house has a basement and it's the perfect temperature for food storage.

I remember thinking the same thing about the War Room movie. Every little bit of space in our house is used. I can't imagine having a room or even a closet to turn into whatever I wanted. At least, not until the kids grow up and move out.

We have 2100ish square feet. But there are 10 of us. We definitely need the room.

 

[Lanolin]

What part of the US did you visit when you toured the house with the basement? Mid-states often have basements because they're threatened by tornadoes.
I'm on the west coast and a lot the houses around here have basements. Not sure why. Our house has a basement and it's the perfect temperature for food storage.

I remember thinking the same thing about the War Room movie. Every little bit of space in our house is used. I can't imagine having a room or even a closet to turn into whatever I wanted. At least, not until the kids grow up and move out.

We have 2100ish square feet. But there are 10 of us. We definitely need the room.

It was New Jersey
Also homes in Ontario, Canada also have basements. But then they need to deal with snow.

in nz most basic homes dont have a separate pantry, you just put all your food in the kitchen cupboards or fridge, or maybe a chest freezer in the garage.

yea the hobby thing is something else. Since one of my 'hobbies' is gardening, I dont need much indoor space.
I have two bookshelves that I have in my bedroom though, but I also borrow books from the library, I dont collect that much books.

I basically fit most everything I have into my bedroom, because if I encroach on mum and dads spaces who have an extra room each filled with records or sewing, I never hear the end of it. I just need my own bedroom, I dont want anyone elses things in my own space, and then coming in and out of my room. I have shared with my sister when I was younger, but I think its importants for parents to leave child spaces alone, if you dont sleep in that room, you shouldnt need to go in there.

Not that there arent big houses in nz, there are homesteads and 2 story homes and mc mansions too, but just not in the neighbourhood/suburb I live in. I thought it was maybe a class or rich peoples thing to have more space than you need, and then require a whole team of people to hire to look after it -housekeeper, gardener, cook, cleaner, chauffeur, maid, butler etc. Like Downton Abbey or soemthing

I have cleaned a 2 story home before as one of my students jobs, took a whole day to clean every week, so yes, bigger house just more cleaning. And if its a wooden house, more painting every few years. Unless you want your home to rot and leak, which it will if you neglect to maintain it

 

[Lynx]

lving space needed comes down to how much you love the presence of othes in your life.

I have found modern society we are taught we need to be independent. we dont need anyone. even churches teahc we only need JESUS. so when we in families and build our home we continue to live our own independant lives. so we all need a room each. with its own bathroom. large TV on each bedroom wall.

Space in lounge and kitchen so we dont cross one anothers path.

Yeah, I'm about the same. Gimme a table for my computers, a bed beside it, a space for an 88-key keyboard and a shower/toilet (I think they call it a half-bath in real estate circles) and I'm a happy camper.

I'm not only a cheap date, I'm cheap to live with too! (But I'm still single, by design.)

 

[Lynx]

My parents never understand my need for space because one of their main hobbies is golf, so all they need is space for their golf clubs. I on the other hand, have to find a way to store all my books, sewing machine, ironing board, 2 standing carts of necessary supplies for cutting, pressing, marking, measuring, etc., bins of fabric and trims, a mannequin for fitting, etc. Most serious sewers these days have 2 machines (a sewing machine and a serger,) and many more supplies and much fancier equipment than I have -- thereby, also needing much more space.

Ah but how much space do all those golf courses take up?

Their hobby takes up a LOT of space. It's just not space indoors.

 

[RichMan]

Different needs for different people.
Wife and I love the outdoors. Spend as little time inside as possible.
So 600 sq ft works out great for us because we have 187 acres to roam over.
Our cabin is really just one big (20 ft by 30 ft) room. The only walls inside are around the bathroom. The kitchen is in one corner, the bath in one, sleeping in one, and living in the forth.
A wood burning heater in the center.
We do have a 10 ft by 20 ft porch on the front and a 20 ft by 20 ft screen porch on the back.
Wife loves it. Takes an hour a day to clean, leaving the rest of the day for doing what ever.
We have a 20 ft by 20 ft wash house and workshop/garage.

 

[Oncefallen]

Yeah, I'm about the same. Gimme a table for my computers, a bed beside it, a space for an 88-key keyboard and a shower/toilet (I think they call it a half-bath in real estate circles) and I'm a happy camper.

I'm not only a cheap date, I'm cheap to live with too! (But I'm still single, by design.)

Actually a half bath is just toilet and sink (more commonly on the main level of a multilevel home) what you're talking about (toilet, standup shower, and sink) is a 3/4 bath, a full bath is tub, toilet, sink. Of course now the common master bath is what they're calling a 5 piece master that has a tub, separate shower, toilet, and 2 sinks.

 

[Lynx]

Actually a half bath is just toilet and sink (more commonly on the main level of a multilevel home) what you're talking about (toilet, standup shower, and sink) is a 3/4 bath, a full bath is tub, toilet, sink. Of course now the common master bath is what they're calling a 5 piece master that has a tub, separate shower, toilet, and 2 sinks.

Tub, AND shower, and TWO sinks... but no bidet?

You know how often I have wished I had a bidet?