Can you go too BIG on a house?

[cschin4]

Yes, the layout makes all the difference. I have been in small homes and have been surprised at how big they seem inside because of that.

[mom-from-missouri]

We have a 6+ bedroom house. However one of the downstairs bedrooms ("mother in laws quarters" according to the house plans) we use as an office.

Our basement is only 1/3 finished (a lengthly ongoing project) but we have the bathroom down there finished as well as the kitchen, pantry/storage area and combination school room/guest room.

I'd love to have 2 more bedrooms!!! As our parents age, we are figuring that since I am a stay at home parent, most likely our first option would be to move sick or aging parents needing care into our home. If they require constant care, they would get the office, since it has a bathroom. If they just need checking in on, they would be in the basement with the kitchen & bath guest room and we would lose the school room. The basement also has its own garage, so they could come and go in bad weather as well.

One daughter has medical issues so it is nice for her to have her own room rather than waking her sisters. I suppose we could combine the other 2, but as it is they have bunks for when the older 2 who left home to have a bed when they are here.

Then, I also like my own sewing/craft room so that I can leave a project out until it is done, rather than put it away for every meal using the dining room table.

At my old house, we also had a library, but we have it located in the classroom now, which works well since we homeschool.

If I were to design my own, I would do it entirely different. I think part of it is because I am older and feeling the MS more--I would be on one level with the exception of a small basement for bad weather.

[Goldy1]

I have about 2,000 sq ft. It hink it's perfect, but after having a child I "get" bigger homes more.
My house was sold as 4 bedrooms but one to me is really a den b/c it has no closet and is very small. So my house is 3 bedroom.
I have
1) me and dh's room
2) baby's room
3) dh's "man room/office"
and the den was my office/lounge.
I wish I had the room for a playroom, gym, and my own office. I do not share a desk and computer with dh. I delete all extra type files. He is a clutter bug.
I would not upsize due to this house gives me a lot of financial freedom and energy costs.

[segmond]

if you can't afford it or it's too much work to clean/maintain or most of it is empty, then yes, else no.

[myrdale]

If you can afford to have than many children, you should be able to afford to house them comfortably.

That said, you might want to take the age spread into consideration. Are all the children within just a couple years of each other, or are there 10+ years difference between the oldest and youngest. If so, the oldest will be vacating soon and the remaining siblings can inherit that space.

As an aside, I do think it is proper though for any house to have atleast one spare room for guest.

[segmond]

proper to have a spare room for guest? i think it's proper not to have one. i don't want people staying over at my place. i'll gladly stick em in a hotel for a night or two.

[PrincessPerky]

proper for a spare room?

when we have company we kick the kids out, I have had all 4 in my room on the floor while the guests take the two bedrooms..it was a cozy week, and I have no problems doing it again.

Folk are way to lazy and spoiled in America.

Can't imagine our pioneer ancestors refusing guests on account of no spare room.

Really a room with no other purpose but to house guests? Not that I wouldn't have one had I tons of loot, but to think one was required?

[disneysteve]

As an aside, I do think it is proper though for any house to have atleast one spare room for guest.

We have a very rare house guest, either my mother or my mother in law. When one of them comes, they sleep on the sofa in the family room. It is a sleeper sofa but both of them prefer to sleep on the sofa rather than open the bed.

We do not have a spare room in our house.

[Goldy1]

Speaking of extra rooms, How about extra homes? I am in a moms group and I was surprised that 2 of the 9 of us have up north cottages(not me)
It's sort of a norm for a lot of people to get up north homes in Michigan and travel there on weekends for the laes, snow mobiling, hunting, etc.

Sure thier husbands might have jobs now, but I dont' feel jealous b/c I wouldn't want to be on the hook to pay for them if the job went away.

My prents bought a one bedroom condo in FLorida and want me to travel with my son to visit them (they live in Florida and Michigan) I would have to sleep on an air mattress in the open living room.
I still think a one bedroom is fine for them b/c it's mainly for them, not me but resale might be a pickle as most people want 2 bedrooms, but hey they bought the place (although admititngly on a whim for feat the market would go up and price them out (in 2003 ish LOL it went the other way)

[wnlbutterfly]

When we had guests (very rare) we just rearranged who slept were, basically kick the kids out of their room. We have a 3 bedroom and now that DD is at college, we basically have an empty room now. We have a small ranch but a full finished basement and we are there 90% of the time.

I grew up in a big house, way too much cleaning for rooms that were never used. My grandmother had a big house also, and she had two rooms in her home that she put fancy white furniture in, it was suppose to be when company came, but it was NEVER used. I often think of things they could have used the room for but instead it was kept like a museum "for company".

I used to think I wanted a big house, but no more. Unless I had the money to hire a housekeeper!

[wincrasher]

I love having a big house. I have 4 extra bedrooms and bathrooms. I love having guests over, especially from out of town that I don't get to see much. Or if I have a big party and some folks have alittle more to drink than they should.

There really isn't that much cleaning required if rooms are empty.

What I didn't want was a formal living room. My old house had one - a room with expensive furnishings that was never used. At all.

[MonkeyMama]

There really isn't that much cleaning required if rooms are empy.

No kidding. I don't get the cleaning thing at all, but I am no neat freak. We still have 2 full baths and a kitchen, just as we did in our 1200-square-foot condo. We now have 2600sf. I don't find the cleaning to be much more (though the kitchen and baths are larger. But time-wise, it's not a lot more). What else is there to clean, really. We no longer have empty rooms, but the rest of the house needs little upkeep. Plus there are 4 of us to share in the chores. Before kids, we had empty rooms. There was NOTHING to clean in half the house. So the cleaning has never really put me out.

Utilities are cheaper than our condo - due to superb energy efficiency. I am with you there too.

I just want as much home as I feel as useful. I personally probably wouldn't want much more room. But I can see why others would.

[MonkeyMama]

I have about 2,000 sq ft. It hink it's perfect, but after having a child I "get" bigger homes more.
My house was sold as 4 bedrooms but one to me is really a den b/c it has no closet and is very small. So my house is 3 bedroom.
I have
1) me and dh's room
2) baby's room
3) dh's "man room/office"
and the den was my office/lounge.
I wish I had the room for a playroom, gym, and my own office. I do not share a desk and computer with dh. I delete all extra type files. He is a clutter bug.
I would not upsize due to this house gives me a lot of financial freedom and energy costs.

My spouse and I felt we overall had plenty of toom in our 1300sf condo. We really wanted more space for kids, than anything.

Your post reminded me though. A relative has a really small house that cost a small fortune. I never really thought much about it. Not like there is any other option for them. Though my spouse can not imagine how they live without the office and all that (now that they have 2 kids). So the other day she mentions she hides in the garage at bedtime when the kids are freaking out. Oy vey! I had a new appreciation for my larger home. I hadn't really thought about it, but there home is very square. There is definitely NO privacy in that home. I would go nuts, personally. I'd survive if I had to, but I'd probably go nuts. Kicker is theie house cost 3 times as ours anyway. (We moved somewhere cheaper!!!). They both work full-time and have some ungoldy mortgage for the privelege of 900 square feet. Ugh!

[maat55]

In 1970, the average house size was 1100 sq feet. In 2005, it was around 2200.

This is one of the reasons for the low savings rate in america.

[markusk]

I watch HGTV often. There are some very common comments from the prospective buyers.

1. Renovated kitchen; granite counter is a must; most people want stainless steel appliances (white is "dated")
2. "Master suite" that has to have a connected (private) bathroom with 2 sinks, shower AND bath.
3. New or renovated bathrooms
4. "Open floor plan." This means the kitchen should be open to a family room or living room or dinning room. The kitchen should not be enclosed or be in its own room. Open floor plans are "good for entertaining guests."
5. Every person should have their own bedroom.
6. Home office

I guess I could go on and on....In general, I guess I also like what is on the list. Personally do not need a formal living room or dinning room. An extra bedroom for potential guests is a real plus.

HGTV also has the enjoyable International addition. Curiously some of the women buyers (Spain/Partugal) commented that they prefer to have a closed in kitchen so that people do that see them cook -- to concentrate on the cooking, to be able to "present" the food to everyone when it is done, don't want people "looking over their shoulder" while they cook.