Are you comfortable with the size of your house?In developed countries family size has been generally shrinking, in some countries family homes have grown in size, notably in the United States where the average size of new single family homes grew from 1,780 square feet in 1978 to 2,479 square feet in 2007.
I think that is crazy. There are so many people paying to heat rooms that they never use or many uses once every blue moon all as a status symbol or because they "need" the room. When my grandmother was a child no one would have ever thought that she "needed" her own room. They lived in a farm house with her parents and 12 brothers and sisters. They only needed 3 bedrooms. One for the boys, one for the girls and one for the parents.
The advantages of a small home exceed basic economics; such houses change the way people live and are attractive for people who want to lead a less cluttered and complicated life.
Why do people think they need so much more room now then they did 100 years ago?
Blessings of a small place...
1. Fewer places for things to get lost.
2. You can sweep quicker
3. The heating bill is lower.
4. No room for furniture you can't afford anyway.
5. Families spend more time together
What Do You Think?
Comments (32)
I think it's to do with predatory credit allowing people to spend beyond their means and get bigger and bigger houses. We've been getting poorer and poorer but haven't noticed because we've been making up for it with debt...
i want a small house once i move out, but i want some space to be able to go on a walk or bike ride. those houses are a little small, though
I like the last house.
Interesting post.
1000 sq feet upstairs, with 600 total downstairs. We close off the 3rd bedroom since we don't use it much during the day, and heat our bedroom and our child's bedroom. I considered this when we bought the house....heck I barely have time to clean a 1000 sq foot house, let alone 3000 sq feet---the 3rd bedroom is used as an office for my husband, library for myself and a playroom for our daughter.
That last house was the house Elvis was born in, in Tupelo, MS. I was just there last month. You pay $4 to stand in a 2 room house for a short time. It was very small. I live in a small 1 bedroom apartment but I still need a little extra room.
@stephenandginny@xanga - That's the house Elvis Presley was born in in Tupelo, MS.
@stephenandginny@xanga - The last house is where Elvis grew up
@LoveMeDeux@xanga - I just said that :) I hadn't seen you said it :)
I definitely want a smaller house when I become independent. But right now, my family just has too much stuff to actually fit in houses like these. So much stuff accrued over the years...
i actually want a big house instead. i love all that space and i love having lots of people over to my house to just hang out and get together.
The average size of a house in Hong Kong is between 600 and 800 square feet. NO KIDDING.
I want a house no bigger than 1,100 square feet. That's enough for me, my future husband, and two kids, and a spare room.
I prefer relatively small houses. Just enough room for everyone with a tiny bit of room to expand if necessary. A garden too, of course. Super big houses (Note: mansions) never impressed me. They're okay to look at but I wouldn't want to live there.
It's hard to find houses that small, if you wanted one. Most of the houses built today are pretty huge. I'd like a small one, but I've never even seen houses as small as the ones pictured.
The bigger the space, the more stuff you store. What's the point? Possessions are a liability that suck up your time with their maintenance demands.
My husband subscribes to the opposite theory. He believes that he who dies with the most and best stuff wins. He's still storing cassette players, old bicycle helmets, snow ski boots (15 years old and never been worn), a water ski, all too good to throw away but obsolete, nonetheless.
I think small homes are good for one or two people without children or whose children grew up and are living in homes of their own. But I would prefer an apartment or condo if I was living alone.
BTW, I like the first house.
Ugh, those houses would be way too small for a family. I need ALONE time everyday, and more than just twenty minutes of it.
I don't want a huge house either though, I actually think I'd prefer just buying a condo. I don't want kids or anything so that should work fine.
i also want a small house.. and besides, houses are non-income generating assets.. so i don't wanna spend for huge houses instead.. and more time for bonding..
That is why I loved living in an apartment instead of a house right now.
I actually want to build a small home for myself someday.
I agree! My cottage is a little over 400 square feet, it's a one bedroom with a nice kitchen and a decent closet. It's perfect for my son and me. Now that he's crawling I can keep an eye on him, it's easy to keep clean, and it's less space to heat. When he's older I would love for him to be able to have his own space, but I wouldn't really want anything too much bigger. I really hate huge places full of wasted space like foyers that never get used and wide hallways full of...nothing.
I think those houses are the size of my bedroom, and my bedroom is on the small side. We just bought our first house, a townhouse, and most days it is impossible to keep up with. It is plenty big for the two of us and will be fine when our first kid comes along. After that we may need more storage but really three bedrooms is fine. Who really needs guests? That's why God created hotels.
i don't like small houses.
@danielle_thexdino@xanga - That sounds like you want to go on a walk or ride your bike through your house.
I heard about this guy that builds small houses for like $10,000 or something. They're made out of wood, the kitchen/washroom/dining table are all downstairs (of course the shower and toilet are hidden) and the attic contains only one bed and some shelves for clothes. I didn't do it justice with my explanation, but it's truly awesome how small and simple it all is, because it's still everything you need :] I want one!
I've also always found it silly to have a kitchen AND a dining room. We have our family meals in our kitchen. It's grand. :]
I want 2 small houses...one for me and one for my husband.