Do I really need a 4500 sq ft home?

[tinkerbell2005]

Never mind that I couldn't afford it, but if I could, do I need it? We don't plan on having more that 3 kids.

Someone told me once about a web site that had house plans that were small and super efficient. Does that ring a bell for anyone?

I'd like to renovate or build something 2500 sq ft or less, preferably less, that meets our needs. What do you all think?

[KarenS]

Honestly, my parents raised two kids in a home that was a little over 1600 sq feet and I NEVER felt that we were crowded or that there was anything wrong or lesser about our house. I simply don't understand the whole need for multi-thousand square feet of house. I have a friend who just bought a 5,000 sq foot house with her husband and she keeps insisting that they *need* all this space. I just don't get it. I personally think it's wasteful.

Personally, I can't see a situation existing where DH and I would never buy a house that big. I figure 2500 sq feet, even with kids would be more than enough.

Karen

[PinkMartini]

ITA with Karen. My FH & I live in a house that's less than 1000 sq ft right now (I think it's somewhere around 700 or so) and we're SUPER crowded right now. It's just the 2 of us, but damn is our house crowded. I can't wait to move to a bigger house. But I definitely don't see the need for a house bigger than 3000 or so sq. ft unless you plan on having 10 kids or something. My FIL's have a 3500 sq. ft house and that house is HUGE. I definitely don't want anything even that big....

[karlatta]

I agree with Karen. My parents raised three kids in a 1500 sq. ft. house. We never felt crowded or like there was a huge lack of space.

DH and I have a 1700 sq. ft. house right now and are planning to move soon. I do not want to move into anything more than 2000 sq. ft. We plan on having four children, and I can't see why we would need any more room than that.

[Delaney21]

DH and I are currently in a 1000 sq ft house and its fine for the 2 of us. It will even be big enough when we have our first child, but we will definitely need to upgrade once we have #2. I would be perfectly happy in a 1800 sq foot house, but its so hard to find one with big enough bedrooms. We will probably end up going with 2500 sq ft.

[KarenS]

I think I need to amend my statement a bit; I do know several people who have extremely large houses and get use out of every bit of them: they entertain frequently and on a large scale and some of them work at home and have extensive offices set up in their homes. For them the cost of having a larger space is validated by the use they make of it. And I honestly don't have a problem with people who just *want* a large house and are honest about it. What I have a problem with is people who insist they "have to have" 5000 square feet and that it's "absolutely necessary" because they're going to have 2 or 3 kids and htey just "couldn't make do" with any less. I know a fair number of those people too.:rolleyes:

Karen

[Southlooper]

I agree with Karen. Personally I wouldn't want a house that big. Forget about cleaning it, but there is also furnishings and utilities! $400 for natural gas? No thank you.

[nuhmah]

We used to rent a 3600 sq foot house, and we used every inch of it. :) We really had to downsize to move into the 2600 sq foot home we bought this summer.

I am a firm believer in the theory that if you have the space, you will find a way to fill it. And we did! Before we moved into that house, we had no formal dining room or 2nd living room - then when we moved in we needed them. Now that I have the DR table of my dreams and a set of more formal LR furniture, I will never part with it! LOL

I should also mention that we are the type of people that *have* to have a guest room (when people stay with us, they stay for like a week), DH works from home a few days a week, and I run a private music studio out of my house in the summer. We need the room for my piano - and I am wanting to upgrade to a baby grand in the next few years.

[amorey]

I personally don't think anyone needs a 4,500 square foot house. The might have it and they might use it, but it's still a luxury. I grew up as a family of four in a 1,100sf house. Right now DH and I live in an 850sf house. I've lived in 550 and even 300sf apartments. When we look to buy our next house, which we plan to live in indefinitely, we'll be looking in the 1,000-1,300sf range. We hope to have two kids. We live in an area with basements though- I think you'd want a little more square footage if you don't have a basement.

I feel that I would rather not put all my resources into my home. If I live in a smaller house I can fill it up and furnish how I like and not break the bank. There's extra money for dinners out and vacations and other non-house stuff. Plus, I hate cleaning! ;)

Someone told me once about a web site that had house plans that were small and super efficient. Does that ring a bell for anyone?


Check out The Not So Big House (http://www.notsobighouse.com/).

[Clubqueen]

DH and I recently moved into a house that's 1885 square feet. And that's without a finished basement. We'll probably be at around 2200 when it's finished. And although we don't have a formal dining room, I'm very happy with the space we have.
That's not to say that I have anything against bigger homes. But to me, the bigger the house, the bigger the bills. More property tax, higher heating & cooling bills, etc. But if you can afford it, well, that's different. :)

But I know of people who have bigger homes (my in-laws included) and don't even use all the space. They have formal living and dining rooms that they barely touch. To me, that's just a waste of space. Why have the room if you're not even going to use it? To show off 'fancy' furniture?

I plan on using every square inch of my home. :D

[DiscoDiva]

I can't imagine what DH and I would do in a house that big! I'd probably have most of the rooms shut off (A/C and doors) to cut down on utilities, and I'd HATE to clean it all. We're happily in a 1700 sq. ft. home now and I could see us going up to 2000 sq feet, but that's about it.

[vjel]

I agree that most could do just fine w/o all that space, we certainly did growing up. But I also agree that if you have the space, you could prob find use for it. I also think the more room you have, the more clutter you can collect (we have this problem at times)

We would LOVE to have a 4500sq ft house (but I wouldn't love cleaning it! lol)...but having a house that size would be more to say "in your face" to DH's family. :o :p (hey I'm being honest ;) ) They are a pretty successful bunch and like to show that off by what they have. Sometimes we get sucked into/caught up in that competition. But the fact is, we have a pretty decent size house as it is (over 3000sq ft) and it meets our needs just fine.

[Sophia]

We have two children and another on the way and I don't know what we'd do with that much space. We have about half that and it's perfect for us. We're not big on entertaining.

[Pink_Converse]

We have close to 3,000 sq. feet and it's definately not needed for us. We just got a really good deal on a older house. It's nice but you end with things like a gameroom (you never go in), a music room, a guest room (that rarely gets used), and still have two rooms for the kids and one for you. It's too much to clean too. And you hang on to so much more crap. And everyone wants you to store things for them at your house.

I spent part of my jr. high and high school years growing up in a travel trailer with my brother and sister. Now THAT is cramped.

[Kimberland30]

We have a 1700 sf home and use every bit of it without being crowded. I guess it really depends on what you must have, and what you want. We have a den and separate living room, eat in kitchen, 3 bedrooms (one is a guest room) and an office. We only have one daughter (16) and when she moves out for college, we'll probably move our office into her room and make our current office (which was a garage but was converted into a bedroom) a gym for my DH.

We'd like to eventually enclose our back patio and make a game room with a pool table and bar, but that is way off in the future. I don't wish we had a larger home because our utilities are enough now, and I don't like cleaning what we already have. :) I'd rather use the extra money that we aren't paying on a bigger home for stuff like entertainment and eventually a boat.

[tinkerbell2005]

Lots of good points. Thanks for giving me a reality check. It is really easy to get sucked into the idea that you need a huge house. The energy bills would be out of control and I would end up closing off rooms as well.

I guess what I really want to do is design the layout and rooms that I want and that I know we will use. I would like a large formal dining room and a smaller eating area in the kitchen for everyday. But, I don't want a formal living and an informal family room. I would like W/D on the top floor, not the basement. I would like a Master bedroom on the main floor, not the top. Little things like that. I don't know what the best way to go about that is. Can you build a house of your own design or do you have to use the builder's floorplans?

[Hangin'in]

I think it's pretty presumptuous to say that nobody NEEDS a house that size. Just because you (general you) were raised in smaller homes doesn't mean that others were. If you were raised in a big home, then it's very likely that you would choose to live in a bigger home when it comes time to make that decision.

I do not remember my family living in a home less than 4500 SF when we were growing up. I have 3 sisters, and my parents are not divorced... (IE... we had six people plus pets in our home) I can't imagine what it would have been like to not have my own bedroom and bathroom. We always had friends over, I think my parents would have gone mad if they could not separate themselves from a house full of teenagers. My dad had an office, my mom had a craft room and a laundry room large enough to actually DO everything related to laundry. We had a game room, and my parents used the living room and dining room all the time. We always had a guest room because ALL of our extended family lived out of state.... so it really depends on how you grew up.... I personally have never rented an apartment with fewer than 2 bedrooms, and that was when I was single and lived alone. The house DH and I just built is almost 2000 SF, and it really is too small for us to raise a family in, regardless of the fact that it has 3 bedrooms.

In addition, furniture and TVs are bigger now. I look at the furniture my grandparents owned, and it is tiny compared to what is in my living room and bedroom... I'm not trying to be elitist, that's how I grew up... I just can't eliminate that from my life, and it spills over into adulthood, in most cases.

[KarenS]

Yes, but the fact is that you don't *NEED* a house that size. You want one that size - but you *can* raise your family in a house with 4 bedrooms that is significantly smaller. Our house was 4 bedrooms - I always had my own room - my brother had his own room. We had a breakfast room and a dining room. We had a full laundry room. We had a guest room. And it was still 1600 sq ft. Now, I can see adding a basement to that which would make a nice area for the kids to hang out and leave the upstairs to the adults. That would have been nice.

But the fact is that you do not NEED 4500 square feet to raise a family. You don't. You can want it ... and thats fine. Just admit that it's what you want and don't try to claim that you need it. You were very lucky growing up to have such a nice house with such a lot of room. 98% of the rest of the worlds not only doesn't have that, but couldn't even imagine having it. In fact the 1600 sq foot house I grew up in is more than most of the world has.

I just hate the whole "need" attitude. I really do.

Karen

[greenbunny]

I think a lot of it depends on if you have a specialized job or hobby that takes up a lot of room. DH and I have approx. 3,000 sq ft, and we use every inch. Our basement is mostly taken up by our band room. Do we need a band room? No, we could quit playing music altogether, if you want to be Captain Literal about it. But it's a life passion, and we even make a bit of pocket money as a bonus.

If there's something that you do that is a major joy in your life that takes up an unusually large amount of room, then I would say that you do need the room. Needing something to survive and needing something to be happy are quite different, and I don't see why there has to be confusion between the two.

[SiValleySteph]

Definitely no one NEEDS a house that is 4500 square feet. I'm sure many people would like a large house and would enjoy it and use the space, but I can't think of anyone who would NEED a house that large (the Duggers non withstanding).

Whenever we start thinking of space, we remind ourselves that we don't need any of these things that we have. Even if we lost everything and had to move, we could still be happy.

DH grew up in 1 room, yes that's 1 room, for a family of 4. To be accurate, they had a 2 room apartment and his uncle's family lived in the 2nd room. You know what? He was totally happy growing up! He had 1 drawer for his things and he shared a bed with his father until he moved to the US at the age of 9 or 10.

It is ironic because his parents now live in a huge house overlooking a lake in the Seattle area with just the two of them.

Anyways, we live in an 1800 sq feet house for our family of 3. Sometimes it does seem cramped. But, we hardly ever use the living room so when we were thinking of moving we decided we could go down to about 1500 sq ft without much change in lifestyle. The more space you have, the more stuff you have. I try to limit my stuff, albeit not that sucessfully at times.

ETA - we also live in a very expensive area and our house is larger than most houses in the price range (most homes were built in the 1960's). We sacrificed to get this sq footage by going with a townhouse instead of a SFH.

[vjel]

tinkerbell where we live (DC suburbs), most communities are built up w/ one or two big builders, sometimes more. I would say the majority of the time you have to go by their floor plans. Sure there are options to add this or that but the general floor plan is theirs and doesn't change. Some builders (maybe smaller ones) may be more willing to customize to your liking. In this area also, if you want to custom design your house you gotta have a LOT of loot. Just not feasible for most.

And yes, gas bills are outrageous! It hasn't even been *that* cold yet and our last gas bill was like 350 some dollars. Our neighbor behind us who has the same house as us had like a $900 gas bill and thought that was normal. :eek:

[Hangin'in]

I only said that I thought is was presumtuous to say that NOBODY needs that kind of space.

I saidIf you were raised in a big home, then it's very likely that you would choose to live in a bigger home when it comes time to make that decision.

Don't think for one minute that I don't know how lucky I am to have had the things I had/have in my life. I realize that most people did not or don't. I'm quite sure that if I had to live and raise a family in a smaller place that I could do it.... I mean all I NEED is a small frig to put milk in, a burner, a pot to cook in, a place to pee, and pillow.... if rigged right, I could do that in my car!

greenbunny said
Needing something to survive and needing something to be happy are quite different, and I don't see why there has to be confusion between the two.

ITA... just because someone else does not need a lot of space to be happy, doesn't mean that others' needs/wants are less appropriate. Maybe what I *need* to feel comfortable in my life, or make my life easier is different than what others think they *need* to make their life comfortable. They are 2 different things...... I don't *need* a computer with an accounting program on it to do my job.... but it sure is a lot more comfortable than using a calculator, pencil and paper. The same could be said about a fancy camera with different lenses and flash options.... people used to take pictures, publish them, sell them, etc. with out all of that. They would probably say those *needs* are a little excessive..... I don't get the *need* attitude... we ALL think we *need* things that we don't really NEED.

[Chimichanga]

DH and I are currently in an 1880 square foot house and we do use it all. Granted, the two extra bedrooms aren't used as frequently, but the storage is.

My parents live in a 3500 square foot house and they are empty nesters now. While they're talking about downsizing, they do utilize the space they have. My old room is now the upstairs TV/computer room. And, when she's back - my sister's room. My sister's room is now the guest room/room for DH and I when we visit.

The basement is now their game room/entertaining area which they do quite frequently. The library/den is the workout room and a place for my mom to read. The actually have dinner in the dining room - so overall they use it all.

I guess I was kind of snobby - I'm used to bigger houses. I didn't want a small house with DH because I knew we'd be starting a family. So, in my opinion 1880 is a fine size; possibly even on the small side once the kids start growing up.

That's just me though :)

[SiValleySteph]

Oh, area has a lot to do with things as well. My parents live in GA in a suburb of Atlanta. Their house is 3400 sq ft with a full finished basement in addition to that. My house is only 1800 sq ft, but costs roughly twice as much as theirs. :o

DH & I looked at some new construction when visiting my parents recently and for the same price as our house we could have had the most luxurious huge house with finished basements with wet bars/2nd kitchens, every bedroom with ensuite bathroom, etc., plus all kinds of extra features.

Even DH's parents house which is in a suburb of Seattle (also not a cheap place) is less expensive than our house for almost twice the size and many nice features.

It is tempting to move even though we love it here! We just keep trying to convince ourselves that we love having a smaller house, using less energy, consuming less, etc.... Those things are important to me, but it is hard when you see what you could have!

[screetch]

I will agree that 4500 is quite a lot for probably the majority, but the layout of one's home also can play a huge role. We just moved to a house that's just under 3500, including the finished basement, and the house we moved out of was 2000. Believe it or not, we had much more wasted space in the smaller house just b/c the way everything was laid out. We have a lot more rooms in the new house but they are smaller and each room has a focus. With three stories (BM, 1st, 2nd) it's very, very nice to have a toy room in the 2nd floor as well as the BM. I have my own office/craft room (vs. sharing space with the guest room) and we have some fabulous storage space (I'm not a packrat, but it's sooooo nice to be able to store seasonal stuff in a closet vs. the attic). It's also nice to have a great room/sitting room that actually gets used b/c it's on the first floor and in the heart of everything, while still having a separate room in the basement for the TV. Our old house had a separate LR and FR but they were right next to each other and it seemed silly to use both. Our new house actually has a cozier feel to it b/c the rooms are a little smaller. What I would do with an extra 1000 sf I'm not sure -- probably put in a pool table and give DH his own office space.

All that said, our space isn't *necessary* but it's very nice to have and not at all wasted.

[amorey]

I can understand people needing more space for a specific hobby or a home business- especially since if you didn’t have the space in your home you would probably have to rent it somewhere.

But I think people bristle when they hear the word “need” in the context of luxuries. If you say you need an SUV or a 4,500sf home, that implies that little houses and cars are somehow substandard. Maybe it’s just sour grapes, since owning a 4,500sf home would be out of the question for us, in our market, with our jobs. So I don’t like to think I’ll never be able to get something that “you need.”

[lml41981]

My parents raised 4 kids, two dogs and three cats (sometimes more pets, never fewer) in a 2500 square foot apartment. It was 4 bedrooms and 3.5 bathrooms. I didn't have my own room until I was 12, when my uncle moved out (my parents had 3 of their own kids and raised my mom's brother, too). It never seemed cramped to us...and my parents always had somewhere they could go to be away from the kids - it was their bedroom - which is exactly where we went when we wanted to be alone. We also had two living rooms, so there was lots of space. We also had a second kitchen, but we used it as a laundry room.

We're moving out of our 1700 square foot house and into a 2000 square foot house. We're giving up bedroom size, but gaining more usable space for kitchen (huge plus for me), the living room will be more functional and we'll have a dining area in the kitchen plus a formal dining room. There's a laundry room, too. We have plans for the three bedrooms and the study...so we'll definitely use all the space...but I don't think we'll outgrow it like we did this house...not all the space in this house is useful...and our dogs require a lot of space to play.

But no...we don't think we'd ever need 4500. I don't think we'd even need 3000. My max would be 2500. Anything bigger would be a hassle to clean, heat and cool. Plus, property taxes are based on square footage...I see no reason to pay taxes on space we probably wouldn't use very much.

[Fluffy Bunny]

We have just under 2000 sq. ft. and it's a very nice size. What helps us is there is a spare room off the garage that can be used for storage and as an office once we have kids.

On a lighter note, if you want a really small house, there's always the Tumbleweed Tiny House Company (http://www.tumbleweedhouses.com/houses.htm). I'm thinking it could be an excellent vacation home.

[KarenS]

On a lighter note, if you want a really small house, there's always the Tumbleweed Tiny House Company (http://www.tumbleweedhouses.com/houses.htm). I'm thinking it could be an excellent vacation home.Wow. I don't know how long this company has been around ... but I saw a lot of cabins like that in Alaska when I was there. I wish mine had been 1/2 as nice! :)

Karen

[Secret_Squirrel]

What I want out of a house is a well-planned layout, a place that feels like a home and encourages the family to connect with each other, while still providing areas of personal space.

Currently, DH and I our raising our two boys ages 8 and 11 in a house that is just under 1700 sf. We have 4 bedrooms, a nice walk-through kitchen with nook, living room, family room and a dining room. The kids each have their own bedroom and the spare room serves double duty as a game room (air hockey table, 30" tv for xbox & playstation) and guest room.

We downsized from a 2000 sf house to get into this location, but because of the layout, it feels less cramped. And as a bonus, it's easier to clean and less expensive to heat.

In my dreams, we'd have a basement for the boys to hang out in when they're teenagers. But under 3000sf, definitely. I prefer a cozy feel to my home, rather than breezy and museum-like.

[Lindsan]

I am sure we can all agree on that people don't need a huge mansion to be able to live. Personally I don't even think a person needs a mansion to live comfortably. But I do think that you to a certain extent create your needs along the way.

We used to live in a tiny one bedroom flat where you had to back out of the kitchen. We went on to a two bedroom flat and thought we had all the room in the world. Then we moved to where we live now, which is twice the size of our last flat. I swear it was echo central for the first six months. But now our needs have outgrowned this space too. I never thought I'd need a bigger place, much like I never thought I'd need anything else but a regular phone modem (but along came WC, lol), but my papers are taking over the bedroom and we are running out of wall space for DH's malts. So, we are building a bigger house. I need an entire room for my papers and stuff. DH gets a room for his malts. Since DH is a chef, he has specific wants and needs for the kitchen. We often entertain and want to be able to seat at least ten people comfortably so that means a big dining area. We often have friends over to watch films so we need a big sitting area. We have gotten used to having separate bathrooms, so of course we want two in the new house as well. If we had children we would have needed more bedrooms.

So yeah, I can see that people buy bigger than what others might think they need. But the way I see it, I'd rather have a little too much space now than discover in 15 years time that my dream home is too small and that I need to get another one. Naturally, a little doesn't mean 60 bedrooms and 50 bathrooms like some Hollywood stars seem to think they need.

[keska]

DH and I are thinking about buying next year and I would like a place that's about 1600 sq feet. We've been living at various places around 1,000-1,100 sq feet the last few years and they work fine for two, but we'll need an extra room for a child. If DH didn't need a study to work from home, then we could make do with less, but we tried that once in an 850 sq ft place and it was just a little too squished for our taste.

Honestly, though, I don't know if we can afford 1,600 sq ft here in San Francisco. We'd probably have to move out of the city to get that much space. Three lofts on my floor around that size have sold in the eight months, and they all sold for more than $800,000. I just can't see us spending that kind of money on a place that's not even a house.

[amew]

DH and I grew up in large houses (my parents have around 4000 sq. ft, DH's parents' house is too ungodly huge for me to quantify). We now live in a 1780 sq. ft. house, and we have more than enough space. We plan to have a child in our current home, despite the fact that our parents think we are nuts to consider reproducing in such a "tiny" house (they can't seem to process that our house is not so tiny at all and is in fact twice the size of the places many of our friends on the coasts live in). I suspect that if we have 2+ children we might be tempted to try to find something more in the 2000-2500 sq. ft. range, but I can't imagine ever needing/wanting more space than that. For us, location is far more important than size anyway.

[wendalah]

Do I need one? No. Would I like one? Yes.
I don't think 4500 sq ft is excessive. Quite large, certainly, but not over-the-top excessive.

[jesvet]

We had an enormous house for a while, and we found we only used 1/3 to 1/2 of it on a regular basis. We sized down by about 1500 sq feet and it's fine.

That being said, as others pointed out, if we entertained a lot and did a lot of work out of home it would have been worth it. I don't know about 'needing' the space for luxuries like home theaters and gyms and the like, but if you have the resources why not?

[amorey]

I find the idea that larger homes are a part of progress interesting. Dial-up is to broadband as rambler is to two-story? Do we need bigger homes because modern furniture is bigger? The average home in the 1950’s was about 900sf. The average home built in 2005 was 2,412sf. We spend a much greater percentage of our income on our homes now. Why? Family size has gone down. We do much less of our cooking from scratch. Yet we look for large family rooms for our children to play in and gourmet kitchens for preparing food. Is it because we lead busy, stressed out lives and need our homes to be “retreats”? Is it because we need room for all of our new technology? Families in the ‘50s only had one TV, and they certainly didn’t need home offices for their computers. Are people more likely to live further from family and need guest rooms? What do we do now that we didn’t do then that we need all this space for?

[artist]

:eek: 4500 square feet!!!

That sounds huge! I think I'd get lost! And the dread of cleaning something that big!

Our house is a little more then 1600 square feet. Aside from the fact that it would be nice to have a normal sized basement (as in, not a cellar basement with hardly any square feet and high enough ceilings not to bump your head on) as well as perhaps a bigger garage (to accomodate our hobbies and stuff), our house is plenty for us and would probably be enough for any kids we would have and also the pets we already have. (Okay, I am sure the dog wishes he could have a bigger yard, but oh well.) I believe my parents' house is also a similar size and they raised 2 kids and various pets.

Keep in mind too that another way to create a feeling of "spaciousness" is how high the ceilings are. Also, what colors the walls are, the decor, and arrangement of things.

[amew]

What do we do now that we didn’t do then that we need all this space for?

I think it has to do with having more possessions. People want bigger closets because they have more clothes/purses/shoes to store, they want bigger kids' rooms so they have a place to park the insane amount of toys that kids have, they want bigger gargages for their giant cars, they want bigger kitchens for their 8,792 appliances and gadgets from Williams-Sonoma, etc. In the 1950s, my mom had like three sweaters and two Barbie dolls. By the 1980s, I had a gazillion of each (and I would say that my parents and my mom's parents had a similar income level, adjusted for inflation and geographic area). I don't think the average family of four could fit all their stuff in a 900 square foot house these days. Now why we have all these materials possessions is another question...

[Lizard]

I was raised in a really tiny 3 bedroom apartment, and lived there until I went to college at 18. There were 4 of us... my parents, myself, and my mentally disabled uncle that my parents care for. It was small, but it's all I knew and I never thought any different of it. Currently DH and I are living in a 1300 sq. foot 3 bedroom... I think it's fine and we have a baby on the way. The only thing I really wish we had was a dining room - we have an eat-in kitchen currently and the setup is bad. It'll make meals for 3 a bit difficult.

One benefit to small house living... it makes you want to go OUT and enjoy the outdoors. :D I probably spent 75% of my waking non-school hours outdoors when I was a kid. Who cares about how big the house is when you have an entire neighborhood to mess around in. :D

[hockeybrat]

4500 square feet!!!

That sounds huge! I think I'd get lost! And the dread of cleaning something that big!

That was my first thought was how to clean all that space.

I guess it would be nice but I wouldn't pull the trigger, my practical side would get the best of me.

We live in a house that is just under 2000 ft sq and we are perfectly comfy.

[greenbunny]

I don't know about 'needing' the space for luxuries like home theaters and gyms and the like, but if you have the resources why not?

That brings to mind an interesting point to me. I wonder if this really is a luxury when you break it down.

For example, we bought an elliptical machine, used, for a couple hundred dollars. We got a universal system on Freecycle for free. They make up our exercise room. If you divide my mortgage (PITI) to figure out the cost of that room, plus the cost of the equipment, is that really more expensive than a gym membership? Especially considering the finite cost of owning versus paying membership.

I'm not really inclined to share the details of my finances, that's just an example. But it would be interesting to really figure all that out.

[artist]

I think a lot of it depends on if you have a specialized job or hobby that takes up a lot of room. DH and I have approx. 3,000 sq ft, and we use every inch. Our basement is mostly taken up by our band room. Do we need a band room? No, we could quit playing music altogether, if you want to be Captain Literal about it. But it's a life passion, and we even make a bit of pocket money as a bonus.

If there's something that you do that is a major joy in your life that takes up an unusually large amount of room, then I would say that you do need the room. Needing something to survive and needing something to be happy are quite different, and I don't see why there has to be confusion between the two.

Sure. I can understand that. For example, when we bought our house, I was at the time renting a very large art studio/warehouse space with a friend. So, I didn't necessarily factor that "need" into our home search. Several months or so after owning our house, the guy who owned that warehouse kicked everyone out to turn it into condos. So now I have literally no adequate way to create my art. It really drives me nuts. The basement is not adequate. It really isn't. The porch is only possible to use for that type of thing in the summer. And no, the rest of the house would not work either. I have fumes to worry about and I don't want to mess up the floors. I also would rather NOT cover an entire room in plastic.

DH also is into welding (which cannot be done at our home...he has to do that at the place he works at), woodworking (can sort of be done in the garage, but it's a challenge), music (would be better if there was more space, not just for playing, but for recording music), working on cars, etc. So yeah, a huge house would be neat, but if we were to ever do that, we'd buy an old warehouse or something. Actually, our neighbor has this awesome house that used to be the power plant for the old hospital. It's now his gorgeous house with 25 foot ceilings and a 25 foot high basement! AND it's historical!

[greenbunny]

artist, our next-door neighbor welds. He built a "garage" for that. I use quotation marks because it's actually the size and layout of a Cape Cod. That's been a sore point considering we bought our house for the view that's now blocked by his 1200 square foot "garage," but that's another thread.

DH would LOVE to have a recording studio in the basement...maybe someday we can knock down some walls and change things to suit.

[hockeybrat]

That brings to mind an interesting point to me. I wonder if this really is a luxury when you break it down.

For example, we bought an elliptical machine, used, for a couple hundred dollars. We got a universal system on Freecycle for free. They make up our exercise room. If you divide my mortgage (PITI) to figure out the cost of that room, plus the cost of the equipment, is that really more expensive than a gym membership? Especially considering the finite cost of owning versus paying membership.

I'm not really inclined to share the details of my finances, that's just an example. But it would be interesting to really figure all that out.

This might be slightly off topic. I think cost wise, it would make sense but some people opt for a gym membership (like me) because I couldn't get motivated enough working out at home. {/hijack}

[amorey]

Is that really more expensive than a gym membership? Especially considering the finite cost of owning versus paying membership.

Hm, construction costs in my area are about 150 a square foot. That’s close to prices for existing homes as well. That doesn’t include land, but let’s pretend I have the lot anyway, regardless of the size of the house. I am given a free treadmill and weight machine and want to put in a 10x10 room. The room would cost $15,000- not including any interest I would pay. My gym membership is $25 a month. It would take me 50 years to get my moneys worth out of that room in this scenario. Or I could buy a set of free weights and one of those collapsible treadmills and keep it all under my bed. ;)

What if I added on a 15’x20’ entertainment room so I wouldn’t have to spend money at the movies? That space would cost $45,000. If there are 4 people in my family, and movie tickets cost $10 each, we would have to see 1,125 movies to make that room worth the money.

However, it’s much more expensive to rent commercial space than to go to the gym, so a recording studio or home office might be worth it. When I was a kid, one of our neighbors had a recording studio in his basement, and he was able to rent it out when he wasn’t using it. In that situation, the additional square footage could have paid for itself, or even made the homeowner money.

[Tanya]

DH also is into welding (which cannot be done at our home...he has to do that at the place he works at), woodworking (can sort of be done in the garage, but it's a challenge), music (would be better if there was more space, not just for playing, but for recording music), working on cars, etc.
Just a sidebar, my BFF came home from work one day to find her 3rd bedroom turned into a workshop, complete with plastic covering all the walls and floor. All his tools were in there, and that was that. Yeah, he's a jerk and all, but it's pretty funny (ridiculous) nonetheless. And yes, he does have a garage, but that's being taken up by his 3 boats and jet-skis and it's not climate-controlled:rolleyes:.

For us, 4500 would be too big. We currently have about 3600 sqft between the two of us and it's far too much--we never walk upstairs (media room/half bath). But, we bought it for the purpose of fixing it up and will be selling shortly. We do have a lot of guests, and we have had both guest rooms being used at the same time a few times. Cleaning isn't really an issue since it's not like those rooms that we don't go in need much more than a vacuum and dusting every once in a while. We're downsizing to an apt til we figure out where we'll be. Anyway, I'm an only child that was raised in a 2800ish sq ft house, and it felt really big as well. I had the entire upstairs to myself. We are really big about getting rid of clutter, and it makes our lives much easier. Moving will much less stressful!

[Winter Biscuit]

I agree that nobody "needs" a 4500 sq foot home.

I grew up in a 4-bedroom, 4 bathroom home that was just over 4000 sq feet, but the bedrooms were all very large so that ate up a lot of space. I had 2 brothers, and we had friends over quite often, plus my parents entertained a lot and hosted extended family on most of the holidays. The space got a LOT of use. When us kids graduated from college and moved out of the house, my parents realized that they didn't need the space anymore so they sold their house and moved to a 2-bedroom condo half the size of their old house.

DH and I bought a new home 8 months ago - it is 3600 sq ft with a finished basement (it's about 2500 sq feet without the basement space). It is significantly bigger than our last house which was 1600 sq ft (but we finished the basement so it was more like 2400 or 2600 sq ft of finished space). We both work full-time, so we're gone most of the day, but I can honestly say that we actually use most of the rooms in our home on a regular basis. The exceptions are - the 2nd bedroom upstairs (will be future nursery when we TTC #2 - the room currently houses some of DD't toys and she occasionally plays in there, but for the most part the room is just standing idle), the rec room with our pool table (haven't played pool one single time since we moved - although we do walk through the room to get to our family room), and our formal dining room (it's been used exactly 3 times - Thanksgiving, DD's birthday, and Christmas - but I never intended to use it on a regular basis - only special occasions :)). Sure, we could have managed just fine in a smaller house, but we like our house and we wanted it. We certainly don't need it.

[suzubeane]

In addition, furniture and TVs are bigger now. I look at the furniture my grandparents owned, and it is tiny compared to what is in my living room and bedroom.FWIW, furnishings are bigger now because homes are generally bigger now - not the other way around.

It's been a natural progression. Building technologies have allowed builders to build bigger and bigger homes, less and less expensively (to the builders, that is. Less expensive building methods and construction materials + rising home costs = bigger profits for builders.) So larger homes have become more the non-urban norm, and furniture designers and manufacturers follow suit.

Additionally, because of newer building methods and materials, it is no longer costly to span great distances, so homes with wide open space plans are much cheaper to build. Open space plans require larger and more furnishings to break up the space.

Personal preference is certainly a valid reason to want a larger home. But I'll take my 80 year old, 1700 sq feet, with human scale rooms and furnishings and rock solid construction!

[cocopop]

DH and I live in a 3,400 SF house and we feel somewhat cramped.

The two rooms that could be used as a spare bedroom are taken up as #1 an office, and #2 a music room (filled with guitars, speakers, amps, etc.). DD is in the only other bedroom. So even with all that space, we have an uncomfortable futon (can't get a sleeper sofa through the door) stuffed into our music room and that's our guest bedroom!

At the same time, we've got four bathrooms (two of which are 6 feet apart!) when we really only need three at the most, and two large rooms (on separate floors) where we watch TV. Who needs two different rooms to relax and watch TV?? We don't!

We love the house but will definitely pay closer attention to the layout of the next one.

[KarenS]

We love the house but will definitely pay closer attention to the layout of the next one.I think that's a huge problem with a lot of these big houses. DH is a Realtor so he and I have walked thru a *lot* of houses. It's been my experience that a lot of the really big houses are so poorly laid out and planned that they wind up needing this huge amoutn of space to be livable. I've seen houses where the master bath was bigger than the entire kitchen/breakfast area downstairs. Now, I'll be the first to admit that I'd like a big garden bath with a separate tub and shower ... but even so, some of these places you could put a basketball court in! :) And then the bedrooms are small and so poorly arranged with doors and windows that you couldn't really put more than 1 piece of furniture in them comfortably. So I guess it forces you to need more space since the space you have is so poorly used.

Bleah. I don't like it at all.

Karen

[suzubeane]

It's been my experience that a lot of the really big houses are so poorly laid out and planned that they wind up needing this huge amoutn of space to be livable. Are you referring to some of the new construction in builder's developments? If so, it's worth mentioning that those plans are rarely conceived by architects or designers. In most cases a builder has designed the home to be easy and inexpensive to build and mass produce. Sometimes the result is a collection of "amenities" that have been put together in the way that makes the most sense for the the construction of the home, but not necessarily for living in it.

Do you need and architect or designer to work on your homeplan? Absolutely not. But I've seen enough people here who have purchased homes in builder's developments post "I wish I'd known _______ [fill in the blank]" about the design. When you work with a designer or architect, these are the things that are worked out in advance, right down to the last detail.

My (professional) 2cents.

[greenbunny]

That's a really good point about usable space. My parents have talked about moving on and off for years. They have a ranch with about 900 square feet, and every time they look at houses they can't stand how small the rooms are, so they just give up and stay put.

I much prefer less rooms that are larger than many small rooms...which is why it took us two years to find a house. It's not the style anymore. That said, DH does complain about what a waste our open foyer is...but we weren't interested in building from scratch, and overall we got what we want.

[Hangin'in]

FWIW, furnishings are bigger now because homes are generally bigger now - not the other way around.

That is correct, but it really doesn't matter which came first, just that today it is what is available. Unless I buy furniture at a resale shop or inherit it from family, the choices I have today are much larger. It takes some serious manipulation to get some furniture in a room, or sometimes even into a home or apt. that was built 50 or 60 years ago. I lived in an old brownstone in the historic part of the city for several years. Even though it was a large apartment, and there was a lot of square footage, the rooms were chopped up and small. When I decided to purchase new living room furniture, I found out how hard it is to find normal sized furniture.

I never said how much square footage I personally would need to feel comfortable, and have enough room for all of the toys DH and I want or already own. We don't have children, but we hope to have at least one.... but I would think that 3000 to 4000 would be plenty for us if we do have a child or 2.

[suzubeane]

That is correct, but it really doesn't matter which came first, just that today it is what is available. Unless I buy furniture at a resale shop or inherit it from family, the choices I have today are much larger.I disagree. Today you have the choice of furniture of all different sizes, but - as I said earlier - the out-sized choices are available because homes are being built larger, and with fewer walls dividing the public spaces (i.e. open space plan.) Normal size (what *I* consider normal) furnishings are still available. Plenty of us still live in the city and/or in smaller homes, and don't intend to leave. We buy furniture, too, so obviously, there is still a market for these things.

Again, it depends on personal preference. Someone whose only idea of new furniture is a sectional sofa, for example, might have a hard time finding it in a small profile. If a person *must have* a matching sofa and loveseat to be happy with new furniture, she might have problems fitting both into a small room. Someone who wants seating with drink holders and remote pockets is probably signing up for large furniture, since those are designed specifically for large family rooms.

But there are plenty of other choices that I personally prefer.

I'm sure you have valid reasons for wanting a larger home, but you listed "larger furniture" as a reason, and I was simply pointing out that it's not the "cause" for a larger home - it's the "effect."

[keska]

That's a really good point about usable space.

Usable space is something I think about a lot too because I live in a loft. I love the huge windows and the open feeling, but I admit there are days when I think how much square footage is hanging over my head that could be used to extend the 2nd floor loft area. I rent, though, so it's not my decision anyway. I did read an article not too long ago about a building trend in adding a 2nd floor and removing the 2-story open family rooms and foyers to gain more space. It was interesting.

[Lil_Mrs_0702]

Hey my uncle has 5 kids in a 3 bedroom house. That's 7 people living in 3 bedrooms- No den or family room or anything fancy like that. If they can manage I think any of us can manage with a house less than 4500 sq ft.

It's not the size of the house that matters it's what makes it a home. Sure they wish they had more space sometimes but they like their neighborhood and the kids are close enough in age to where they don't mind sharing a room.

[larslobster]

It's been my experience that a lot of the really big houses are so poorly laid out and planned that they wind up needing this huge amount of space to be livable.

This sounds like my brother's 3,500 sq ft house. The rooms, especially on the first floor seem so small given the large square footage. The dining room barely fits a table for 6. The formal living room is also tiny. But, he has a huge two story entry with a large, useless, open loft space at the top of the stairs. I don't know what anyone would use it for because it's so visible from the front door.

DH and I bought way more house than I ever imagined we'd own - 3,300 sq ft. But thanks to good design (it was designed by an architect who modified a 1920s floorplan), the spaces are very functional and make this house feel really big. I can't imagine going any bigger - we're even thinking of downsizing in a few years because we prefer cozier rooms. :(

[justHB]

I don't think DH and I will probably ever live in anything over 2500 square feet. One, we wouldn't necessarily need the space (we're not having kids) and two, I wouldn't want the space. My ideal house is a 3 bedroom craftsman bungalow and these homes are not typically that large to begin with (unless along the way someone has put on an addition). Also, we could never afford a 4500 square foot house in our community - you're talking well into $2 million.

[emmjay]

My ideal house is a 3 bedroom craftsman bungalow and these homes are not typically that large to begin with (unless along the way someone has put on an addition).

That's my ideal house too! :) There are tons of these in my area and most of the ones I have seen are 1500 - 1800 square feet. And those are the bigger ones.

I grew up in a 3000+ square foot house (my parents and 3 kids) and to me it was enormous - we all had our own bedrooms, we had a formal dining room and a formal living room, plus a finished basement (I included that in the total square footage). It was nice to live in, but DH and I currently live in an 1200 sq. ft. townhouse with a partially finished basement and we have plenty of room. I don't see us ever getting anything much bigger.

[magrat]

My own take on it is that if people want houses that big, that's fine, I don't have a problem with it. But they should be prepared to be first against the wall when the revolution comes ;)

[flygirl]

One benefit to small house living... it makes you want to go OUT and enjoy the outdoors. :D I probably spent 75% of my waking non-school hours outdoors when I was a kid. Who cares about how big the house is when you have an entire neighborhood to mess around in. :D
Great point!!! I'd love to see kids playing outside more and parents worrying less about having space for them inside.

I also agree with lml and others who said that the layout of a house is *much* more important than the actual square footage. I've seen way too many new houses with huge amounts of flat-out unusable space. One new-build in our neighborhood has a very narrow indoor balcony overlooking the entryway and formal living (or dining). There isn't enough width for any usable furniture, yet it's a rather large amount of space. Decoration? Great, but why pay for the extra square footage?

[villanelle75]

I can't imagine what I'd do with a house that large, personally. We dont' plan on having kids, which is a huge factor of cours,e btu I'd think any more than about 2500 sqft would be a ton of house for the two of us. We have about 2000 right now and it is certianly more than we need, though a nominal amount more woulnd't put us over the top.

The largest house we lived in growing up (and hte one we were in when sister and I were the olders, going thorugh jr high and high school) was about 3200 sqft and we really didn't use all of that space, even as a family of four. ti wasn't too big, but i'd say it was right ont he cusp.

If I had the money (which in a Socal market would have to be upwards of $2m), I'd absolutely go for lot size and area, and even amenities and upgrades, long before an increase in size to anythign over about 2500 sqft.

That being said, I couldn't care less if someone else's priorities are different and they want more house.

[guinevere]

Although 4500 sq ft seems excessive, I think it depends on what you need all that space for.

I can see how a large family, home office, studio or whatever could use a lot of space. I know someone who built a house almost that big and the reason for it was so they could entertain lots of people all the time. But if half the house will be never used, then I doubt it's needed. (I also know people in that category.)

I live in a small home and I love it. It's cozy and our utility bills are low. ;)

[greenbunny]

I live in a small home and I love it. It's cozy and our utility bills are low. ;)

A lot of people have made the utility comment, and I really don't see that as always true. I think a lot of it has to do with efficiency of construction and quality of materials rather than house size.

Two years ago we lived in an old ranch on a slab and were forking over $300 a month in the dead of winter to heat the house. Now we have a newer two-story colonial with a full basement, and our heating bill last month was about $140. In this house, the attic has about three times the depth of insulation the old one did. We also have gas-filled double windows now.

Small = / = energy efficient.

[amorey]

Small = / = energy efficient.

ITA. I pay out the nose to heat my tiny bungalow. It needs new windows and insulation in the attic.

[linda_loo]

One benefit to small house living... it makes you want to go OUT and enjoy the outdoors. I probably spent 75% of my waking non-school hours outdoors when I was a kid. Who cares about how big the house is when you have an entire neighborhood to mess around in.

Yes, and from a parent's point of view, I wouldn't mind if my kids had small rooms and had to hang out in common areas. Easier supervision.

I had a few friends in high school that had enormous houses, with lots of nooks and crannies and out-of-way spaces... I don't even want to think about my kids doing the stuff that we used to do in them.

[amorey]

Linda, that’s a really interesting perspective, because I’m always reading about homes that have “private spaces” for parents and master suites away from the other bedrooms, places for the kids to hang out with their friends, etc. My mom always said that she liked us having small bedrooms, and that all the bedrooms were together because she could keep an eye on us.

[ManteoChik]

Does anyone need a 4500 sf house? No, but if you want if, and can afford it, why not?

Right now our rental house is somewhere around 1500 sf and its *way* too small for us. We needed to move fairly fast and that's why we are here. However, when we move back to our hometown in December we will start looking to buy or build a house. I can honestly say that I can see myself in a 4500 sf house, maybe not right away but probably within the next 7-10 years.

I plan on having at least two kids so there are three bedrooms right there (master, and two kids rooms), I also have (yes, have) to have a dedicated guest bedroom because we often have out of town guests stay with us for visits and I would not want them on a sleeper sofa or in a kids room. I've gotten very used to having an office in the house and at this point I don't think I could go without one. In edition to all of that you still have to factor in living rooms, family rooms, kitchen, dining rooms, ect...

I think everyone's lifestyle is different and therefor everyone has different needs when it comes to a house. Some people never have guests stay at their house, that eliminates having to have a seperate guest room, some people have no need for an office, some people don't feel the need for a formal dining room as they don't entertain. I don't think anyone should make a statement that they think it's ridiculous that people have such large homes, like others have stated - they use every possible bit of space that they have in their homes.

[~queen~]

Does anyone really *need* a 4500 sf house? NO

Can you live as a family in something smaller? YES

However, we are in the process of building our new home, when completed with the additions, it will be ~ 4500 sq ft on 2 levels and a ~1500 sq ft basement that will be finished within the first year. It will be just the two of us and my Mom. My theory... 1000 sq ft for me, 1000 sq ft for my DH and 2000 sq ft for a in-law makes a happy family. :p

[scubasam]

While I don't think it's necessary to have a 4500 sq ft home and one can certainly be content in something smaller (and I have lived in very small places), I can easily see myself having a home that big. We have one child and plan to possibly have one more but really, that isn't so much the issue as is the fact that DH has a very large family. The 2700 sq ft home that FIL & MIL have has somehow become soooo small for family gatherings. A do agree that a lot has to do w/ the layout of a home. The family uses our house a lot too for functions because even though it's smaller at 2100 sq ft, it's much more open.

We're currently looking at purchasing some land and building a new house. Our plan is to build a 2500-2700 sq ft main house w/ a garage apt of 1000 sq ft and that, to us, seems appropriate for our near future and our large immediate/extended family.

Part of it too, for us, is that if we were able to build something of signficant size in our area, we'd profit big when we sold a few years later because of how the market is here. So, I'd look at a 4500 sq ft house as an investment more so than a "need".

[guinevere]

A lot of people have made the utility comment, and I really don't see that as always true. I think a lot of it has to do with efficiency of construction and quality of materials rather than house size.

Two years ago we lived in an old ranch on a slab and were forking over $300 a month in the dead of winter to heat the house. Now we have a newer two-story colonial with a full basement, and our heating bill last month was about $140. In this house, the attic has about three times the depth of insulation the old one did. We also have gas-filled double windows now.

Small = / = energy efficient.

That's very true. How efficient the house is makes a huge difference!

[KarenS]

Does anyone need a 4500 sf house? No, but if you want if, and can afford it, why not? I don't have a problem with someone wanting a large house and if they can afford it, more power to them.

What I have a problem with is people who *justify* buying a large house with "I *need* this space." I'm sorry, but very few people truly NEED that much space. They may want it. But most people don't need it.
In addition to all of that you still have to factor in living rooms, family rooms, kitchen, dining rooms, ect... Why rooms, plural? Why does anyone need multiple living rooms *and* family rooms *and* dining rooms? I can see a breakfast room and a formal dining room. I can even see a formal living room and a den ... sometimes. But really ... a lot of the big new houses (and for example, one a friend just bought) has a living room, a formal living room, a keeping room (adjacent to the kitchen and separate from the breakfast room), and a downstairs den. WHY does anyone need FOUR SEPARATE living areas?

I dunno. If someone wants that, great. But they don't need it.

Karen

[suzubeane]

Does anyone need a 4500 sf house? No, but if you want if, and can afford it, why not?It's not that simple; There are numerous social and environmental answers as to why people shouldn't over-build (or continually build new homes over the period of their lives) but I think that may be the topic for another thread.

I can see a breakfast room and a formal dining room. I suppose most people would say this is personal preference, but I don't think most people need formal dining rooms anymore, either. But many people - even those who use it two or three times a year - *want* a separate room for formal meals, and builders are complying.

Earlier, amory linked to the not so big house (http://www.notsobighouse.com/index.asp). The series of books and workbooks is by an architect and writer who has researched the trend here in the U.S. to build bigger instead of smarter, and people use her books as guides for remodeling and building. For example, one of the things she discusses is the way people have abandoned entire rooms of their homes to retreat to to others, but still include those room functions in new homes, or don't re-use the abandoned square footage in their remodeling plans.

In both this house and my last house, I used the formal dining rooms for other purposes. In this house, I permanently changed the formal dining room to the only eating room in the house during a remodel in which we added a bathroom to the current footprint. We also enlarged the kitchen - still within the current footprint by moving a stairway. Sure, we could have added on more easily, but we didn't want to end up with whole rooms that don't get used regularly. We wanted there to be a better dialog between all the living spaces; not to have them turn their backs on each other.

[ManteoChik]

I don't have a problem with someone wanting a large house and if they can afford it, more power to them.

What I have a problem with is people who *justify* buying a large house with "I *need* this space." I'm sorry, but very few people truly NEED that much space. They may want it. But most people don't need it.
Why rooms, plural? Why does anyone need multiple living rooms *and* family rooms *and* dining rooms? I can see a breakfast room and a formal dining room. I can even see a formal living room and a den ... sometimes. But really ... a lot of the big new houses (and for example, one a friend just bought) has a living room, a formal living room, a keeping room (adjacent to the kitchen and separate from the breakfast room), and a downstairs den. WHY does anyone need FOUR SEPARATE living areas?

I dunno. If someone wants that, great. But they don't need it.

Karen

Some people do *need* that large of a house. What if they have 6 kids or more??? Sure, they could jam all those kids into a smaller house, but it should be their choice as to what size house they want and I don't see what the size of someone's house is always an issue for other people. Even if they can't afford it, its still no one's business but theirs. Everyone has different needs, maybe people have hobbies that they don't share with their friends. We don't always know what people do with the room that they have in their home.

As for the rooms plural, that was my mistake, I don't think that I need two living rooms AND two formal living rooms and other rooms it was just how I typed it, I didn't realize that the way I typed something would get people so upset.

I guess my point is, I just don't know why people always get so upset at the size of someone's home, what kind of car they drive, where they buy their clothes (all of these are former CC topics) and the general idea is that it's ridiculous to have these things....but why should any of us care? If I want to have a large house I don't see why is should be any one else's concern.

[greenbunny]

Linda, that’s a really interesting perspective, because I’m always reading about homes that have “private spaces” for parents and master suites away from the other bedrooms, places for the kids to hang out with their friends, etc. My mom always said that she liked us having small bedrooms, and that all the bedrooms were together because she could keep an eye on us.

That reminds me of someone my friend Carol said when they were building their home. They had the option to have the stairway open on two sides, from the back living room and from the front hallway. They chose to close it off from the hallway and only allow entrance from the back living room. She said she wanted her kids to have to walk past her when they come home, isntead of being able to sneak upstairs without her knowing. (They don't have kids yet.)

[amorey]

I guess my point is, I just don't know why people always get so upset at the size of someone's home, what kind of car they drive, where they buy their clothes (all of these are former CC topics) and the general idea is that it's ridiculous to have these things....but why should any of us care? If I want to have a large house I don't see why is should be any one else's concern.

On a macro level, our decisions do affect us all. There are very real environment impacts of building very large homes and driving big SUVs. Our nation has a negative savings rate, and that can hurt us all in the long run from an economic perspective. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with acknowledging that.

[suzubeane]

Right on, Ann!

[ManteoChik]

On a macro level, our decisions do affect us all. There are very real environment impacts of building very large homes and driving big SUVs. Our nation has a negative savings rate, and that can hurt us all in the long run from an economic perspective. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with acknowledging that.

Agreed, am I'm not saying that everyone out there who wants a large house needs to go out and build a brand new one. The fact is, is that they are already out there. So is the same stigma attached to people who buy an exisiting large house rather than build a brand new one? Usually, yes. I don't consider 4500sf to be a "very large home".....I consider 12 bedroom mansions where someone obviously owns it at status rather than having a valid use for all the extra space as a "very large home". But again, thats just my opinion. I'm not saying that my opinion is right, it's just mine.

[KarenS]

Some people do *need* that large of a house. What if they have 6 kids or more???You're not reading what I wrote. AGAIN ... I said if someone has lots of kids (lots being more than 2 or 3) or they have a lifestyle that requires a lot of entertaining or they both work at home and need separate private offices ... no problem.

But people with 2 kids (or like my friends I mentioned above, no kids) who swear they *need* 4500 square feet are simply lying - to themselves maybe even. But they don't *need* 4500 square feet for 2 or 4 people. They don't. Period.

I guess my point is, I just don't know why people always get so upset at the size of someone's home, what kind of car they drive, As others have stated and I'll reiterate - over consumption of resources hurts us all. If someone wants to buy a $300 pair of jeans, I could care less. That has no effect on me in the long run. When someone builds a subdivisions of ridiculously large houses populated by people driving behemoth SUVs ... that impacts me. It impacts me in economically, ecologically, and all kinds of other ways.

Karen

[ellybelle]

I can't imagine living in a 4500 sq. ft. house. Ours is a 1600 sq. foot 2 bedroom and plenty big enough for our family of 3. We have a formal dining room, and while it's nice, I sort of feel like it's a waste of space (I'd rather have a great room that could be turned into a dining room for special dinners). Our kitchen is actually TOO big in some respects (the triangle is too big -- our previous, smaller kitchen was much better laid out). We'll probably add a master bedroom to our house (the existing one is small and poorly placed, and we'll need another bedroom if we have another child) a small laundry area and an office/guest bedroom, bringing the total to 2200 or so.

People with larger homes tend to get people in to clean them, and I suppose larger houses get less cluttered than very small ones (it was hard to keep our 900 sq. ft. house that we lived in before tidy).

To me, the perfect family home for an average sized family would be about 2000 sq ft., with a 400 sq. ft basement or MIL area.

[villanelle75]

Actually, Karen, tehcnically the $300 jeans can affect you as well. A nation filled with people up to their eyeballs in debt doesnt' have a very healthy financial outlook, long term. Bakruptcies affect us all in the form of higher preces and rates. So while not every person buying $300 jeans does so on credit, when they do, it does have an affect on society at large.

I do whole-heartedly agree with your statement that no one, excpeting mega-families, needs 4500sqft. I think that statment is beign taken as a criticism and making some posters feel defensive, but if they look at it as simple statement of fact with implied judgements, they'd probably be able to see it is true. "I could live, without major difficulty, in less than 4500sqft." It's not a judgemental stement, but it is a true one. Plain and simple. It smees like peopel are reading "could do it" and infering that they are being told "should do it".

[KarenS]

Actually, Karen, tehcnically the $300 jeans can affect you as well. A nation filled with people up to their eyeballs in debt doesnt' have a very healthy financial outlook, long term. But it's apples to oranges. The fact of $300 jeans does not affect me. YOu don't know that everyone buys them on credit (I have a friend who buys a couple of pairs a year and pays cash every time). Credit debt affects me, yes, but that's a whole 'nother issue from the fact of the $300 jeans OTOH, the fact of the 4500 sq ft house does affect me, regardless of how it's paid for.

If that makes sense.

Karen

[KarenS]

Actually, Karen, tehcnically the $300 jeans can affect you as well. A nation filled with people up to their eyeballs in debt doesnt' have a very healthy financial outlook, long term. But it's apples to oranges. The fact of $300 jeans does not affect me. YOu don't know that everyone buys them on credit (I have a friend who buys a couple of pairs a year and pays cash every time). Credit debt affects me, yes, but that's a whole 'nother issue from the fact of the $300 jeans OTOH, the fact of the 4500 sq ft house does affect me, regardless of how it's paid for.

If that makes sense.

Karen

[DiscoDiva]

If I had a 4500 sq ft house, I would have one heck of a scrapbook room!!! :)

[villanelle75]

But it's apples to oranges. The fact of $300 jeans does not affect me. YOu don't know that everyone buys them on credit (I have a friend who buys a couple of pairs a year and pays cash every time).

That's why I didn't say it does affect you, I said it can. I was just pointing out that it's another example of how what some people feel are totally personal decision dont' actually exist independent of the rest of the world, in their own little vacumns. I know you weren't diagreeing with that fact so I guess it's weird that I used your name in the post.

[artist]

If I had a 4500 sq ft house, I would have one heck of a scrapbook room!!! :)

:D

I might take up rollerskating in the hallways!

I have to say though Karen made a great point about "why the need for multiple living rooms, dining rooms, etc." Definitely a good point! I have never understood those people who have a "living room" AND a "family room". Huh? Aren't they the same thing? Oh, you mean one is the "formal" living room or parlour? I have to say, for those with 2 or more "living" rooms, it seems only one ever gets "lived" in. So, what's the point? Or, for that matter, having a "formal" and not formal dining room? Isn't one plenty? I am sure there are SOME people out there who really do entertain all the time for very large groups of people, and I guess if that's the case, sure, have 12 dining areas. But I don't really understand the practicality of having multiples of all these rooms.

Here's the other thing, let's say someday in my life I end up being very wealthy and could afford a really expensive house. I guess if I ever did decide to buy a house that large, I'd buy one on Summit Avenue (the mansions of St. Paul) or better yet, on Lake of the Isles (the mansions of Minneapolis). I am an urban dweller, so I'd go nuts getting one of those "urban sprawl" McMansions built for me. DH on the other hand would want to buy a crap load of land in the middle of nowhere and grow corn for fun. In reality though if I were that wealthy, I'd probably have a regular sized house here, a cozy cabin "up north", a warehouse type space to do art, and a nice amount of money in savings so I could retire. If I had the wealth to buy such a house, I wouldn't want everyone to know I had that wealth. I'd prefer to keep that private. I think I'd rather travel for example then have a mansion. But it's fine if others would choose to live in one if that is what they can afford.

[KarenS]

reality though if I were that wealthy, I'd probably have a regular sized house here, a cozy cabin "up north", a warehouse type space to do art, and a nice amount of money in savings so I could retire.Yeah, DH and I have talked about this. If we ever won the lottery we'd be much more likely to buy a bunch of smaller houses in various places - something in the mountains, something on the beach, a loft in the city, some investment property - than to sink a huge amount in a mega-mansion.

Karen

[longislandlolita]

And now, a commercial break while I ask a very stupid question:

Can someone give me a sense of what 4500 sq ft looks like, or how many bedrooms, etc., that would be? I live in NYC, so my sense of square footage is, shall we say, not well developed.

Thank you. Now back to our regularly scheduled program . . .

[Winter Biscuit]

And now, a commercial break while I ask a very stupid question:

Can someone give me a sense of what 4500 sq ft looks like, or how many bedrooms, etc., that would be? I live in NYC, so my sense of square footage is, shall we say, not well developed.

Thank you. Now back to our regularly scheduled program . . .

Here's a 4500 sq ft luxury villa in the British Virgin Islands (but it's only 2 bedrooms?!):
http://www.cypresshousebvi.com/images/DSCN1849c.JPG

Here's a 4500 sq ft home in Maui:
http://www.fabulous-homes.com/verde/front_small.jpg

And closer to you...a 4500 mountain home in New Hampshire:
http://www.cyberrentals.com/vd2/files/WVR/photos/CR1_NH_HamelNHWV_indiv1.jpg

[amorey]

Can someone give me a sense of what 4500 sq ft looks like, or how many bedrooms, etc., that would be? I live in NYC, so my sense of square footage is, shall we say, not well developed.


My IL's house is 4,425 feet, and they are selling it because it's too big now that 4 of their 6 kids have finally moved out.

http://edinaimages.fnistools.com/Images/Listing03/9/Large/3139339_1.jpg

http://edinaimages.fnistools.com/Images/Listing03/9/Large/3139339_3.jpg

http://edinaimages.fnistools.com/Images/Listing03/9/Large/3139339_4.jpg

http://edinaimages.fnistools.com/Images/Listing03/9/Large/3139339_6.jpg

ROOM INFORMATION:
Bedroom, Upper 12x12 Feet
Bedroom, Upper 10x12 Feet
Bedroom, Upper 11x12 Feet
Bedroom, Upper 16x19 Feet
Bath Room 1, Upper 12x13 Feet
Dining Room, Main 12x14 Feet
Kitchen, Main 15x16 Feet
Living Room, Main 18x22 Feet
Informal Dining, Main 12x15 Feet
Den, Main 13x14 Feet
Bedroom, Lower 14x18 Feet
Family Room, Lower 20x31 Feet
Hobby Room, Lower 12x23 Feet
Office 10x14 Feet

Number of Full Baths: 2
Number of 3/4 Baths: 1
Number of 1/2 Baths: 1

Additional Room Information:
Rooms: Bedroom, DenStudy, Dining Room, Family Room, Informal Dining, Kitchen, Living Room, Bathroom, Office, Hobby Room

Family Room Description: Great Room
Dining Description: Informal Dining Room, Separate/Formal Dining Room
Laundry Description: Main Floor Laundry
Bath Description: 3/4 Basement, Full Master, Main Floor 1/2 Bath, Private Master, Upper Level Bath, Whirlpool

When you're inside it seems like it just goes on and on...

[tinkerbell2005]

Here's one of the houses in the development that sparked my question. It is in NJ, commutable to NYC.

http://pulte.com/assets/images/COMM/1674_TheManorsatSouthMountain/Beckford_EL_1.jpg


From: $1,089,900
4827 Square Feet
3 Bedrooms
3 Bathrooms
1 Half Bathroom(s)
2 Car Garage Attached

Architecture achieves a totally new dimension in this extraordinary home where luxury makes an immediate impact. An impressive two-story foyer offers a taste of things to come...magnificent rooms with soaring ceilings, living room with bay window, gracious dining room, family room with fireplace - all present wonderful entertainment space. And if some quiet time is in order, a book-lined library is the perfect refuge.
The kitchen, a streamlined study in elegance and efficiency, boasts an impressive center island and is bordered by an expanse of open countertop housing the latest appliances, custom cabinetry and storage galore. Flanked by an impressive breakfast "nook" and butler's pantry, it's every chef's dream come true. Convenience is not forgotten amidst all this luxury as evidenced by the self-contained laundry, large guest closet, powder room and mudroom offering easy access to a two-car garage.

Upstairs, the grand master suite is a sanctuary of pure extravagance with its distinctive tray ceiling, two huge walk-in closets and relaxing sitting area. Magnificent appointments grace an opulent bathroom where a whirlpool tub, large shower and two separate vanities soothe the time that's gone or shape the day ahead. Two additional bedrooms with ensuite bathrooms and walk-in closets offer comfort and privacy to family and guests alike. Expansive basement space lends itself to an array of recreation and entertainment choices. A wet bar, exercise suite, study and large rec room perfect for billiards or ping pong are just a few of the options that could enhance this space.

[ellybelle]

I have never understood those people who have a "living room" AND a "family room". Huh? Aren't they the same thing? Oh, you mean one is the "formal" living room or parlour? I have to say, for those with 2 or more "living" rooms, it seems only one ever gets "lived" in.

You know, I might have felt the same way in the past, but now that I actually have a "family", it's nice to have a room where the dog doesn't sleep on top of the couch, playdough doesn't get ground into the rug, and chairs don't get covered with laundry. :)

That said, our 1600 sq. ft house is fine for a family of 3 + dog.

[artist]

Hey, does the booklined library come with the books? That would be pretty cool if it did!:D

Oh wow! What descriptions! That could be a fun job...writing the descriptions for places like that! They all sound so posh and way way way out of my league of anything I'd ever be able to afford! (Lottery or not!) Those descriptions make me feel much more aware that I grew up middle class.

Though it reminds me of the first time I saw FIL's previous home. Holy crap! Right down to the grand Steinway piano that nobody ever seemed to play. I don't think DH realized how kind of in shock I was with the whole set up when I first saw it. I don't know if they are aware of how elaborate it seems to some people. I mean, for them I guess it's just normal.

Though DH claims it wasn't always so when he was a kid. I guess he had to share a room with his brother.

It's just some of that stuff seems so foreign to me...powder rooms, butler's pantry, grand master suite! I guess it all is pretty remarkable, but I don't know if I'd ever feel comfortable in a home like that. Besides the headache of cleaning it, I don't know if I could ever feel comfortable for example in a "parlour" or if I could ever comfortably take a crap in a "powder room". Ah, then again I could get used to it! Maybe I'd actually not be so terrible at billiards, I mean pool!

But like I said, if I were to ever live in a mansion, it would totally be some cool old (maybe Victorian) mansion in the city. One with beautiful really old woodwork, wood floors with neat patterns made with the wood, wood that is no longer used anymore but has been used to make violins, wood beams across the very high ceilings, those old talll wooden doors. Do you know what I am talking about? We have friends in our neighborhood who live in a great house like that. Anytime we've been there, DH and I just stand there and admire all the beautiful and intricate and amazing woodwork. Now THAT would be a mansion I'd love to live in!

[artist]

You know, I might have felt the same way in the past, but now that I actually have a "family", it's nice to have a room where the dog doesn't sleep on top of the couch, playdough doesn't get ground into the rug, and chairs don't get covered with laundry. :)

That said, our 1600 sq. ft house is fine for a family of 3 + dog.

Okay, I do see your point! (Though we don't let our dog on our couch.)

[KarenS]

Yeah, I mean there are some things that make sense sometimes. For example, my MIL had 3 sons. So on the days that the boys took over the living room for football games, she'd take her book and her drink and some snacks into her "parlor" and read and listen to music and not have to deal with the ball games. That kind of thing. I think if you have a larger family, some things like that are worthwhile. But I see houses with FOUR living rooms - formal, family, basement, and keeping room off the kitchen. And I just wonder why. What happened to doing things as a family?

Karen

[kimbyj]

I didn't read the whole thread however in reading the post about the family room/den and the living room I have a comment. Growing up we had both - and they were used as such... a family room every night to watch TV, play games, sit with the dogs and play, listen to music, sit by the fireplace and then the LV was for "formal company" - when we had TRUE finger food, "servers", the pianist and kids were limited to my brother and me.

DH and I don't have kids or a dog (now that poor Domino has gone to heaven) so we don't miss a formal living room - however I can honestly say with the amount of company we have and like to keep WE NEED IT!

[suzubeane]

Hey, does the booklined library come with the books? That would be pretty cool if it did!:D Funny you should mention this; members of my extended family have a home that is over 4,000 SF. (Probably over 4500 SF now that they've finished the basement.) It has a Library with no books. The house plan included a Library, and it has beautiful dark mill work and real wood paneled walls. No books. They're not readers. (As the 7 TVs [family of four] would indicate.)

In my experience, people who need a separate family room and living room are people who like to keep their TV watching confined one space. TVs are getting bigger and harder to keep from making the focus in nearly any room they are in - that's what a Family Room is for. Even in cabinets, TVs are hard to hide, especially in older homes. (eta: when I'm done remodeling, I'll have a basement playroom for the TV, and we'll have about 1850 SF. We just don't want a TV on the first floor [the "public space"] of the house because we find it just takes over everything. Right now it's in the extra bedroom on the second floor.)

longislandlolita - it's hard to say what a "typical" 4500 SF home looks because a lot depends on how many levels it's spread out over, whether or not the basement is finished, if the actual living space is raised (like with some of the vacation homes shown) etc. If there's any "typical," it's that homes built in suburban sub-divisions try to maximize usable square footage using the least amount of land because they have to adhere to municipal requirements for side yards between neighbors, set-backs from property lines, etc. To that end, the homes that tinkerbell2005 and amorey posted are fairly typical in volume. The appearance might change if they were built in the south, southwest or west.

[longislandlolita]

Thanks, everyone, for answering my question. I just wanted to get a sense of how big we were talking.

Of course the answer to the original question is "no" -- no one "needs" a 4500 sq. ft. house in the way that we need food, clothing and shelter to survive. But some people obviously have the means to buy a 4500 sq. ft. house, and I say good for them. Hopefully they are also giving to charity, but it's their life, their money, their decision. If I had all the money in the world, it's hard to say whether I'd buy a house that big -- most likely I'd end up buying an overpriced, tiny Manhattan apartment for just as much money. And really, isn't that even MORE of a waste? ;)

[greenbunny]

When we first looked at our house I had no idea what's we'd do with both a living room and a "family room" right next to it. Now I can't imagine not having it. It's so true that you will expand to take up the space you have.

Our living room has French doors. It's been great because we put our Christmas tree in there, leave the laptop lying open with cords everywhere, and toss our shoes on the floor--then we can close the room and not have to worry about the cats wreaking havoc on all that stuff. It's nice to have one place that doesn't have to be child-proofed. Also, DH has a nasty ADD habit of watching TV and listening to the radio at the same time. If he didn't close the doors while doing it, I'd go stark raving mad. :rolleyes:

Plus, there are things we plan for the future for spaces that now look empty. The fairly empty family room will one day have floor-to-ceiling bookshelves (with real books in it, I do read :D ) and a window seat built by DH, and also a gas fireplace. But right now it does look like a waste of space.

[amew]

I have never understood those people who have a "living room" AND a "family room". Huh? Aren't they the same thing? Oh, you mean one is the "formal" living room or parlour? I have to say, for those with 2 or more "living" rooms, it seems only one ever gets "lived" in.

Having two living areas is one of the things that is really important to me for some of the reasons PPs have mentioned. Our "family room" is often covered in papers from DH's studying, the TV is sometimes on, the dog's crate is in there, we often snack in there-- so it can be messy and loud. Our "living room" is TV-less, the dog doesn't lay on the couch, it is rarely if ever messy, etc. I love have one living area that always feels quite, peaceful, and clean, and while I suppose some people could accomplish that with only one living area, we can't. And when we eventually have kids, I am hoping to be able to semi-confine the play gyms, swings, and toys to the family room so we still feel like we have a room that hasn't been consumed by baby stuff. Having that sort of a space is high on my list of house priorities.

That said, we live in a a house that is 1700 sq. ft. and change, so I am in no way suggesting that the need for a family room and a living room means that we should be buying giant homes. I would rather have a lot of living space and less bedroom space, but that's just personal preference.

[villanelle75]

Our place is "only" 2000 sqft., but that's pretty large for jsut the two of us, especially compared to our old place. We have a library (with books) which is actually a bedroom that the previous owners put bookshelves in, a workoutroom/office, a guest room, and a loft space that we us a a living room, which for us most often means a drinking/party room but we also occasionaly use for happy hour with guest or just ourselves. That's in addition to our living room and dining area. Our old place had a living/dining and two bedrooms. When we first looked at the new place, I had a hard time imaginign what we'd do with all of it, but now that we are in, I find we really do use most of it. Once the library is finished, it will be a quiet place for reading and possibely also the small amount of tiem I spend on crafty projects. The only space we could lose without missing much is the loft living room space. It's actually surprising how quickly you adapt and expand to meet you living circumstances. I suspect I could find some use for all of the space in a 4500sqft home, at least over time, but I don't want to do so.

If we won the lottery, we'd probably buy a new home because we want a yard, and I imagine it would be slightly bigger- probably 500 to 3000 both because it would be nice if our living spaces were a bit larger and because that's what you can find in a nicer house near the water. It would probably have a heck of a view though! And no vacation homes for us because we'd be travelign somewhere new every chance we got!

[Txfish]

We are in a 2400 sq. ft. 2 story, and about to have baby #2. We are pretty comfortable in our space; we definitely turned down some houses that were 1800-2000 and missing the 4th br. We use our 4th as a guest room frequently, so that's a deal breaker. We also need a dedicated play space, so bedrooms can be havens of quiet and study & rest, without our whole house becoming toy central.

We regularly use every room but one: the formal dining room. I still want it, because I'm from a family that entertains formally, even if it's only 2-3 times a year. Ideally, I'd add 400-500 sq. ft to the house, and gain a larger laundry room, larger kitchen, and extra playroom space. (We had to give up our study for the baby's room, so our downstairs space -- which was the formal living room -- is now study/playroom, and about 10x11. Pretty small for that.)

4500 sq. ft would be approaching extravagance, but largely because I know layouts are bad for houses that size, as many here have mentioned. It may look fancy, but it's not functional.

As for answering the original question: the OP may "need" 4500 sq. ft., depending on usage. It's as simple as that. If it's just extra space, then why bother? If you fill it up with activities, specialized rooms, people (either family or through entertaining), then why not? If you can afford to be more comfortable (however it is that you define that), then do it.

And for good measure, if I was a rich Hollywood star, I'd want a house that was big enough to have all the amenities I want for my own little family (although my little family would probably be bigger, too) and I'd do separate guest house & servant quarters.

[artist]

Also, DH has a nasty ADD habit of watching TV and listening to the radio at the same time. If he didn't close the doors while doing it, I'd go stark raving mad. :rolleyes:


:D

Once I was doing a painting in my parents' basement with three different sounds (2 radio stations and on CD going) while talking on the phone! To me it was great! It was actually inspiring. Then my dad came downstairs and completely did not understand what in the hell I was doing. He kind of just shook his head and walked away! ADDers tend to be a little strange sometimes.

[artist]

Can I just say though in my fantasy mansion, it's not the "den" where the t.v. gets watched, but a nice elaborate theater! With the walls black, a slope to the floors, special seats, a "control room", sound proofing, little lights on the floor, maybe even popcorn. Oh, and my theater wouldn't have a t.v. It would however have a projector. Then again, I'm kind of a nerd and into film in general.

[IrisHope]

I really really really NEED a 4,500 sq ft house.

[~queen~]

but largely because I know layouts are bad for houses that size, as many here have mentioned.

Not necessarily true. My to-be house is around that size, and it is VERY well laid out. Only thing really different is that the rooms are larger. Much larger - as in my family room will be 27x17; my mom's bedroom will be 19x14 and my formal dining room will be 13x18. Wasted space - you could say that because it obviously takes more furniture to not seem so empty. Poorly laid out - definitely not.

I have never understood those people who have a "living room" AND a "family room". Huh? Aren't they the same thing? Oh, you mean one is the "formal" living room or parlour? I have to say, for those with 2 or more "living" rooms, it seems only one ever gets "lived" in.

Exactly... The living room is for those strangers or acquaintances who I don't want to see how we live as a family. :p Especially if the kitchen hasn't been cleaned, dog hair is everywhere and there are 5 pairs of shoes and coats that haven't been put away. My living room OTOH is ALWAYS presentable.

[amorey]

Exactly... The living room is for those strangers or acquaintances who I don't want to see how we live as a family. :p Especially if the kitchen hasn't been cleaned, dog hair is everywhere and there are 5 pairs of shoes and coats that haven't been put away. My living room OTOH is ALWAYS presentable.

I’m really curious, do you frequently have strangers in your house?

[~queen~]

Sometimes. Our current home is also new construction so we get a lot of solicitors (yard work, house cleaners, gutters, etc). Sometimes we sit and talk with them to hear what they are selling (i.e. getting our backyard cleared, a fence, patio, sod - all seperate contractors). I also have neighbors who usually stop there rather than going to the kitchen/family room (in the back of the house). Let'sme know that their visit isn't going to be too long.

Plus, we have a full glass storm door we like to keep open so the dogs can enjoy looking and scaring everyone who walks past. :p

[artist]

I’m really curious, do you frequently have strangers in your house?

That is an interesting question. Maybe she just meant hosting a gathering that includes potentially some guests she doesn't know too well. (Friends of friends?)

The only time I could envision that happening for us would be if we ever decide to host one of the block club meetings or something, but it's always the same people and I think I really have met most/all of those people. Either way, I'd know well in advance before agreeing to host that sort of thing and I'd make sure the main level of the house at least was tidy. Though I can never guarantee there won't accidentally be SOME pet hair no matter how much I sweep/mop/vaccum as we have 2 cats and a dog.

[artist]

Sometimes. Our current home is also new construction so we get a lot of solicitors (yard work, house cleaners, gutters, etc). Sometimes we sit and talk with them to hear what they are selling (i.e. getting our backyard cleared, a fence, patio, sod - all seperate contractors). I also have neighbors who usually stop there rather than going to the kitchen/family room (in the back of the house). Let'sme know that their visit isn't going to be too long.

That would drive me nuts! If our doorbell rings and I don't know the person or don't feel like talking to them, I pretend not to be home. I never just let people in the house either. Thankfully our neighbors rarely if ever stop by unannounced! (About the only time that happens is this sweet older couple who run the "history of the neighborhood" club. When they stop by, it's to drop off a flyer for the next get together and they never stay long as they are tyring to tell a lot of people about it. They never come inside either.)

[spazgurl]

We currently own a 2300 sq. ft. house and we only use a couple things in it. The family room with the kitchen, the office and our bedroom with the bathroom. So the other 2 rooms & 2 bathrooms & living room are not being used and noone uses them but I still have to clean them! BOO!:mad:

So my answer to this question would be no I wouldn't need a 4500 sq. ft. house unless my hubby decides to hire a maid to do all the cleaning. LOL! :D