Size of home

[rob62521]

Our house is around 1500 square feet. There are two of us. We have three bedrooms and 1.75 baths. In Central Illinois having 3 bedrooms is the most sought after. I would agree having a second bathroom would be best if you have anyone living with you.

[zakity]

We have a 1024 sq ft house for five people. It is cozy here, very cozy. I could see this house being perfect for two people or for a couple with one child or two of the same sex children. We make it work. It isn't always easy though. As the boys grow, the house keeps shrinking. We also homeschool, so we are always in our home and using it. If we all worked and went to school, we would be "visiting" the house more and I don't think it would feel quite so small.

We have two bedrooms, one bathroom, a living room, a kitchen, and an attached two car garage. DH and I have the small bedroom (12x12) and the three boys have the large bedroom (12x16?). We are a very open family (which is good because we only have one bathroom). We try to stay out of the bathroom if someone is showering, but, sometimes, you just can't wait or we are all getting ready at the same time.

The house is on a little over an acre and we have a shop that is 30x36 (1080 sq ft). (Did I happen to mention that I live with males?) DH and at least one of the boys spends a lot of time in the shop.

[LittleGopher]

We have a 1200 sq ft house, and there are six of us here (mom, dad and four girls.) My oldest has finished her first year in college, so is now home on breaks and during the summer.

We use four rooms in our house as bedrooms - the oldest shares with the youngest. Previous to college, the oldest two had their own rooms, and the two youngest shared. Way back when the girls were little until oldest hit middle-school age, they all shared a room, and we had a playroom (napping siblings could then be in the bedroom) and a computer/sewing room (off-limits until kids were old enough) on the main floor. We have a great backyard, that we fully utilized especially when the girls were younger - all seasons, most weather. As the girls got older, the rooms have been bedrooms, though we still occasionally shuffle around who's where (latest was last fall as the oldest headed off to college.) In other words, we make the space work for us and our changing needs!

As for our bathroom space (one full bath and a tiny one with toilet/sink we created in an upstairs hall closet).... suffice it to say, my oldest didn't have to do much adjusting to the dorm life. A family is all about sharing a life (and space) together!

[disneysteve]

I learned my square footage from Zillow.

Zillow only has data for homes sold in recent years. We've been in our house for over 16 years so no data. There are 2 other identical homes on the block but neither of them has sold in over 15 years either.

[Snodog]

Zillow only has data for homes sold in recent years. We've been in our house for over 16 years so no data. There are 2 other identical homes on the block but neither of them has sold in over 15 years either.

It must vary by location then because all the houses around here including ours which we bought 13 years ago have square footage listed.

[Joan.of.the.Arch]

I think that what zillow has will depend on how much info your local government has put online. If it is not online, zillow cannot give you the info. Similarly, if there are mistakes in the public info, zillow will repeat them to you. I've been in my house 17 years and zillow does have the info you can also get from our tax assessor's office. That info was put online long before zillow started up. Some localities may not have finished the chore of digitizing property records, or may have decided to start the work beginning with a certain date later than disneysteve's house purchase.

[Seeker]

What size homes do you have for the # of people living in your home?

I am thinking of buying a home. I am not having kids, so the only people living in the home will be my partner and myself. If my partner and I part ways I would be the only one living in the home, although I would perhaps get one roommate in that scenario.

The home I'm looking at right now is 1,488 sqare feet. It has 4 bedrooms, 1 nook (tiny sewing room or something like that), and a bathroom. My intentions would be to make one of those bedrooms a bathroom if I buy this home. So that would leave 3 bedrooms, 1 nook, and 2 bathrooms. I like the 2 bathrooms so that I could have a bathroom on each floor of the home. However, since I am really into sustainability, a 1,488 sqare foot home seems a bit large for me and most likely 1 other person. Although, there is the chance I would at points be living there alone. My plan right now would be to have the 3 remaining bedrooms be: master bedroom, spare bedroom, and office. And I know I wouldn't use the spare bedroom much at all, and the office, who knows, I may just sit in the living room with my laptop at times.

I can afford the home with or without another person, this is more about not wanting to waste resources I guess. Initially when looking at homes my ideal was 2 bedrooms, a nook, and 1.5 bathrooms.

Any thoughts?

Thanks!

My thoughts on this matter boil down to two words: look elsewhere.

If your "ideal" was 2 bed, 1.5 bath, why are you even considering this place with only 1 bathroom? Dealing with contractors for timing, planning, rerouting plumbing, city codes, etc. makes for a lot more work then simply packing up and moving in. To me, a change in the current configuration would "break" the deal.

Are there no other houses for sale that meets your ideal? Personal space requirements are unique to individuals ; and I'm pretty sure that I wouldn't even consider less than 1.5 bath; number of bedrooms I'd be variable on, but bathrooms are critical

DH & I live in 1000 sq ft (approx, and maybe including a 2 car garage), 2 bed, 2 bath condo. We don't appear on Zillow either.

[disneysteve]

I did a little searching on zillow and if their data is accurate (which I tend to doubt knowing their history), it would appear that we are somewhere in the 2,300 sq. ft. range. Again, that is 3 bedrooms, 2-1/2 baths, full basement that is under all of the house except the family room, and an attached 1-car garage on a 1/4 acre lot.

[PrincessPerky]

Less than 1100 sq ft, 7 of us, 2 bathrooms. 3 bedrooms, and not much else.

Unless your partner is a slob, or you entertain frequently...what do you need 2 baths for? Kids make em pretty important to me.

Not that it matters, it is your house, get what you like.

[cschin4]

First, do you really want a house with all the upkeep and maintenance. Do you like to mow, garden and do you yard work, along with constant repair and upkeep on a home. Personally, if it were just me and my spouse, I would seriously consider a townhome or condo.
But, if you want a house, I don't think the sq ft you are talking about is over the top or too much. We had a 2700 sq ft home for the 5 us (3 kids under 14) and it was frankly too big. And, with my son now being 14, in a couple of years he is flying the coop. So, i found that house just too big and overwhelming and the yard was too big as well. I was happy to sell that and we moved into a nice 2 story with about 1900 sq. ft and it is more than enough. I love having less space to clean and i find there is more of closeness to our family simply due to proximity whereas the other home had much larger rooms and everyone had their own space. I think this is better for my younger daughter as she was kind of getting left out in the play by her brothers so now they are around each other and playing together more.
Also, when the kids get tired of being in the house, they go outside. There is a huge group of kids their age here and they get together nightly for games of flashlight tag, football, biking or whatever. Sometimes less is more.

[strigiformes]

My thoughts on this matter boil down to two words: look elsewhere.

I agree. There is a LOT of property on the market in most places right now. Maybe your area has escaped that so far? Or is there something else about this particular property that you really like?

My husband and I live in a 2154 sf. house with an additional 1440 sf. guesthouse on 3 acres - main home is 3BR/2FB, 'guesthouse' is a huge open space with an office area (that could be a BR) and full kitchen, 1.5 baths. Husband and I are here full time, stepson half the time - so 3 people. The extra house used to be a home business for the previous owner, which is why it has such a strange setup. We use it as a gameroom/climate-controlled storage. It works beautifully as a fun place for stepson and his pals, and a man cave for husband. There's also a large paved area behind it that was once used for business parking that is now a basketball court/parking for the RV and ranger.

I tell you all that because this property was almost exactly what we were looking for, and it's really very atypical for a residential property. It sat on the market for a long time before we finally found it (and that was 3-4 years ago when houses in this area were selling fast). You really can find something that will suit your needs without having to do major renovations if you're willing to keep looking.

[LivingAlmostLarge]

1800 sq ft 3 bd 2.5 bath condo. Layout is not the greatest, 3 stories, master on top with shower, 2 bedrooms/laundry with bath, and living/dining/kitchen open layout and 0.5 bath. We preferred it prior to baby because it was more private than one level condo living. NOW, it's a PAIN and it's not laid out right. Oh well, it was a good price and we are living here until we move out of state. Then a single family home.

Layout to a house is KEY.

[wincrasher]

I have a 3800 sq ft house, 5 bedrooms, 4 baths and a bonus room. It also has a large deck and a 2 car garage. It's all just for me. I've got one bedroom in use as a home office. Another is dedicated to my baby grand piano.

Size matters is a myth. It's all about efficiency. My old house was much smaller, but cost alot more each month in utilities. I do have someone come in once a week to do some light cleaning. I find the outside maintenance, lawn care, etc. to be more time consuming.

Lately with all the bargains out there, I've been thinking about a move-up house. Something in the 5000-6000 sq ft. I'd love an exercise room and a dedicated shop/hobby room. I'd also like a 4 car garage.

[Joan.of.the.Arch]

I've been reading this forum on small houses. Smaller Homes - GardenWeb

Small is defined there as 2000 square feet and under.

[ThriftoRama]

I live in a 1443 sq foot house. 3 bed, 2.5 bath. extra bed/office in the basement. When we bought it, it was just me and hubby, and it seemed gigantic. If you aren't having babies, it's the perfect size. Easy to maintain, cheap to heat and cool, etc. We also have a basement of equal size, if we want to spread out... But, our house seems tiny now that we have 4 kids, and will seem even smaller the bigger they get, so we may have to move up and out.