siralynn
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Joined: Jan 8, 2013 10:33:16 GMT -5
Posts: 528
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Post by siralynn on Mar 29, 2016 10:38:39 GMT -5
We have a 1752 sq ft 3 bed, 2 bath, single floor. No basement or usable attic space. Two adults, two littles under 3 years.
Floor space wise, we're ok, at least right now with tiny kids. Our biggest problem is storage space - I need at least one more closet (like many California homes, we don't have a front hall or coat closet). We only park one of our cars in the garage because the other half has been taken over by bikes, shelves to hold toilet paper/diapers/wipes/paper towels/extra cereal/etc, and the assorted strollers/wagons/tricycles. I'd like bigger bathrooms (trying to navigate bath time is very cramped and annoying), but it's not the end of the world. Similarly, it would be nice to have an extra room for our desks/computers, but currently they're living in the space that should be the dining room, and it's not terrible.
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jeep108
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Joined: Dec 23, 2010 20:20:19 GMT -5
Posts: 1,056
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Post by jeep108 on Mar 29, 2016 10:44:48 GMT -5
Our house is 1200 Sq. Ft. 3 Bedroom 2 Bath with an attached 2 1/2 car garage. It's perfect size for the 3 of us. My daughter will be in community college one more year, She plans on moving closer to the university. It will be just my husband and I in another year.
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travelnut11
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Joined: Feb 12, 2011 22:17:14 GMT -5
Posts: 639
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Post by travelnut11 on Mar 29, 2016 10:45:34 GMT -5
We bought a 3 bed/1.75 bath 1800 sq.foot ranch last year and then finished much of the basement (probably another 1200 sq. ft) so now have about 3000 sq ft with 4 bed/3bath plus workout and TV rooms. It's way bigger than I wanted but my husband seems to need space. Were something to happen to him I'd be out of here in a flash as I don't want to maintain the half acre lot by myself.
ETA: it's me, my husband, our nearly 1 year old daughter plus one old calico cat. We're hoping for one more kid.
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The Fonz
Initiate Member
Ayyyyy!!
Joined: Sept 25, 2011 2:46:09 GMT -5
Posts: 87
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Post by The Fonz on Mar 29, 2016 11:05:28 GMT -5
2200 sq ft. 5/3. Two car garage. Two young kids at home and my 21 year old. Wish we had about 500 more sq ft. Would have liked a bigger kitchen and two car garage would fit two smart cars and not a sedan and an SUV.
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Ryan
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Posts: 2,217
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Post by Ryan on Mar 29, 2016 11:28:07 GMT -5
We have a 2300 SF ranch with 3 beds/3 baths above grade. The basement is finished and adds another 1800 SF of living space as well. 2 car garage.
My only issue with the house is the lack of bedroom space compared to the rest of my house. If someone gave me 2300 SF to work with, I'd come up with a way better layout than what I have right now and be able to get a proper master bed/bath.
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sarcasticgirl
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Joined: Jan 4, 2011 14:39:51 GMT -5
Posts: 5,155
Location: Chicago
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Post by sarcasticgirl on Mar 29, 2016 11:36:16 GMT -5
1 br/1bth 1000 Sq ft. Super spacious apartment
Sent from my SM-G920T using proboards
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mroped
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Post by mroped on Mar 29, 2016 11:36:33 GMT -5
"My only issue with the house is the lack of bedroom space compared to the rest of my house. If someone gave me 2300 SF to work with, I'd come up with a way better layout than what I have right now and be able to get a proper master bed/bath." that is why I didn't wanna buy! Buying a house would've meant that would most likely be stuck with a layout that I don't like or in order to change it I would have to do a lot of work. Building new solves that problem!
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Ryan
Senior Member
Joined: Jun 16, 2014 13:40:36 GMT -5
Posts: 2,217
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Post by Ryan on Mar 29, 2016 11:55:00 GMT -5
"My only issue with the house is the lack of bedroom space compared to the rest of my house. If someone gave me 2300 SF to work with, I'd come up with a way better layout than what I have right now and be able to get a proper master bed/bath." that is why I didn't wanna buy! Buying a house would've meant that would most likely be stuck with a layout that I don't like or in order to change it I would have to do a lot of work. Building new solves that problem! My wife wants to do an addition to add a master bedroom, but I'm still a little hesitant on that. Part of me thinks it would be easier to just start from scratch and build a new house. The only problem is that I'm sure if the economics would work. I'd have to find a house to knock down to begin with and that would cost me a minimum of $200K. At $150/SF, a 2600 SF house would cost around $390K plus the $200K for the lot plus another $50K for misc. expenses. I know that people are used to dealing with old houses, but I honestly hate dealing with all the potential problems. On my mind right how are: 1) The crack I have in the foundation that is "fixed" from the inside, but will likely need to fix from the outside in another 5-6 years. 2) The leak in the main sewer line that I was told that I have, but who really knows? 3) The roof that I likely need in less than 10 years. 4) I'm pretty sure I have no insulation in my house. 5) The crack that I have in my ejector pit in the basement. 6) The wood siding that sits so close to the ground that I'm afraid I'm going to have termites at some point (I'm probably just paranoid on this one since there aren't really termites here). My parents have a brand new house and it's amazing. I used to live in a new construction and just never worried about any big expenses like that because the house was built correctly from the get go.
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Shooby
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Post by Shooby on Mar 29, 2016 12:08:09 GMT -5
3 bedroom two story with 2 car garage, sun room and finished basement. About 2100 sq ft or so. I don't like big houses. Too much to clean. We had a 2800 sq ft home and I didn't care for it. Too big. This house is "just right" for us.
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ohmomto2boys
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Joined: Dec 20, 2010 9:25:38 GMT -5
Posts: 1,008
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Post by ohmomto2boys on Mar 29, 2016 12:19:36 GMT -5
2600 sq.ft. - two-story, 4 bed, 2.5 bath. Basement - but not finished. 2 car garage, plus a 3-season room off the kitchen (no heat or a/c in there). It is too big. Costs too much to update. We would prefer an 1800 sq.ft 3 bed, 2 bath. We have been watching home sales in our area for a year. Everything is 1200 or 2600 sq.ft and bigger. Rarely see a house in the 1500- 1800 range. DH and I will definitely downsize once the kids are out - in 10-12 years. LOL.
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midjd
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Your Money Admin
Joined: Dec 18, 2010 14:09:23 GMT -5
Posts: 17,720
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Post by midjd on Mar 29, 2016 12:30:09 GMT -5
Ours is a 4/2.5 Cape Cod with 2-car attached garage. I'm not sure on the square footage. Zillow says 3900 (including the unfinished basement) but I think it's more like 3200 because the second story isn't a "full" story. It is on the large side for 2 adults and a toddler, but I like having the extra space. I grew up in a very small, cluttered house and went to the opposite end of the spectrum as an adult. The problem is that both my mom and MIL see the extra space as "empty" vs. "streamlined" and are always buying DD large toys to fill it. We had talked about finishing the basement when we moved in, but I think that has been sidelined indefinitely. I like the versatility of being able to use it as storage space, and if we're spending big money on a project I'd rather work on extending the deck or building a detached garage.
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gs11rmb
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Joined: Dec 21, 2010 12:43:39 GMT -5
Posts: 3,365
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Post by gs11rmb on Mar 29, 2016 12:30:25 GMT -5
1418 sq. ft - one level. Dirt floor basement that is too low to be finished, small attic space for storage, and no garage. Technically, it's a 3/2 but the third bedroom is a pass-through room that we use for an office. The 'master bath' was carved out of a closet in the 1960s and the shower stall is so small that if I lean over my head touches one side and my backside the other!
Our girls share a room so one more bedroom would be ideal. We live in Intown Atlanta and we're getting priced out of our neighborhood. The original small houses are now $300-400K; the newer houses or 2500 sq. ft. and $600K-700K. So, we're kind of stuck in a small house unless we want to move outside of the city.
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plugginaway22
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Joined: Jan 2, 2011 10:18:42 GMT -5
Posts: 1,659
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Post by plugginaway22 on Mar 29, 2016 12:40:19 GMT -5
2000 sq ft.- 4 bed/2 bath, with 2 car garage and unfinished basement. Feels too big now that we are empty-nesters!
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kittensaver
Junior Associate
We cannot do great things. We can only do small things with great love. - Mother Teresa
Joined: Nov 22, 2011 16:16:36 GMT -5
Posts: 7,983
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Post by kittensaver on Mar 29, 2016 12:45:07 GMT -5
1,978 square feet - a mile from the beach in La La Land
It's a one level, post-WW II cottage style house: 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, detached garage, no basement, attic crawl space only for mechanical systems and some storage. Because of its age, the garage is pretty small - at least compared to some of the behemoths around these days. We both have to drive smaller cars in order to fit both of them in there (garaging our cars is important to us). So I guess I wish it were bigger.
We don't have a separate formal dining room, but day in and day out we're fine with that. There's an eating area attached to the kitchen that is open to the living room on one side and the family/TV room on the other. For seating up to 12 people we can expand the tables into the adjoining living room, and if we have more than 12 we take it outside/under the covered patio where we can seat up to 24.
It frankly felt a little tight at times when we had two teenage girls with us ( ) but now that they've flown the nest it feels just about right for the two of us and 4 cats (and a few litters of foster kittens every year). Bedroom #2 is a dedicated guest room with a double bed, bedroom #3 is my office/hobby room with a trundle day bed that can sleep another two people, and bedroom #4 is DH's office.
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tcu2003
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Joined: Dec 31, 2010 15:24:01 GMT -5
Posts: 4,955
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Post by tcu2003 on Mar 29, 2016 12:56:54 GMT -5
Two-story 3400 sqft house with an unfinished basement that is another 1500-ish sqft (plan is to finish it when DS is a little older but for now it's perfectly ride bikes in when it's too cold or hot outside). It is a 5/4 with an attached 3-car garage (one bay for DH's tools and stuff, and we park two vehicles in the other two bays).
It's too big for us now, but we plan to be here for 20+ years and will grow into, plus we plan on the fact that my mom will end up living with us at some point, and it has a main floor bedroom and bath that is perfect for her.
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bean29
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Joined: Dec 19, 2010 22:26:57 GMT -5
Posts: 10,201
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Post by bean29 on Mar 29, 2016 13:06:54 GMT -5
We have a 2070 square foot ranch (3 bedrooms 2 baths up)with a 3 car garage (nearly 4 ~825 square feet) and a finished basement with a partial exposure and a staircase (walk out) to the backyard. Basement has 2 bedrooms, full bath, full bar, full kitchen and family room. Storage (Pantry and Coats/Shoes etc) closet that is 22x7.5 long. Because we have 4 windows and a walk out, the city considers it a MIL apartment or a separate living unit. We also have a patio with Unilock Pavers and a firepit the entire back length of our house that is not covered by deck (something like 14x22 semi octagon) with stairs to the patio.
I think Mr. Oped mentioned zoning the heat. We did zone for 1st floor vs. basement (2 zones only),but HVAC contractor recommended separate zones for Master/Living Center/and the 2 bedrooms on the other side of the house. Very sorry we did not create a separate zone for the bedrooms on the other side of the house. DD's bedroom is the last one on the heat run and it is very cold in there in the winter.
My aunt had a sort of Cape Cod house probably at least 3000 square feet with a 3 car garage on one end and the Master Bedroom on the other end. You walked in off the Garage into the Kitchen, there was a dinette/dining area then a Family room and the Master at the back. There was a formal living room on the first floor but they put it in a separate zone and zoned the bedrooms upstairs (2 + a bath) separately. By the time I visited I had already built the house I live in. If I had seen her house first, I would have built my house like hers.
My biggest regret is not making my eating areas larger. My dining room is only large enough for a table that seats 6 and there could be more room to move around it. My Dinette should fit a table with 6 or maybe 8 around it, but we added some extra cabinets so you could get a 6 person table in there yet. Still it could be 2-4 feet wider. DB has a table in his dinette that seats 8 and it is very nice when they have company. I know my SIL likes my house b/c I have a dinette and a dining room, so I just figure my house is what it is, and I don't obsess about it. The number one thing I would change though is a laundry room that vents directly to the outside not having vents run across the garage. I guess the builder's plan is to vent to the front porch but even so it would not vent directly the way it is designed.
ETA my Master is 14 x 18 with a walk in closet and a master bath attached. I don't have double sinks. I don't need them, but more counter space would be nice. We actually added a shower and did not upgrade the bath in the design to a whirlpool tub. The builder wanted to charge us to take out the shower. DH said that was nuts and if they wouldn't take it out without charging us they could put it in and he would fix it later. Well we are in our house 12 years and we decided we like having 2 showers in the master bath. We will probably take out the extra shower and put in the expected double sink if we want to list the house at some future date. If I had the square footage to put in a larger vanity now I would do it. ours is 4 feet wide - I would prefer it be at least 6 feet wide. We also added a linen closet right in the bathroom, which I would not give up. If I had it to do over again I would enlarge the closet and the bathroom and shrink the space in the bedroom. To do it now we have to demo walls and move the entrance to the bedroom and it would just be a mess.
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alabamagal
Junior Associate
Joined: Dec 23, 2010 11:30:29 GMT -5
Posts: 8,147
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Post by alabamagal on Mar 29, 2016 13:48:37 GMT -5
"My only issue with the house is the lack of bedroom space compared to the rest of my house. If someone gave me 2300 SF to work with, I'd come up with a way better layout than what I have right now and be able to get a proper master bed/bath." that is why I didn't wanna buy! Buying a house would've meant that would most likely be stuck with a layout that I don't like or in order to change it I would have to do a lot of work. Building new solves that problem! I'm pretty sure my current house was remodeled to make a 4/1.5 or 2 into a 3/2. Our house was built in 1977 and we have large modern layout bathroom and a much larger MBR than you see in that era home. Also our 2nd br is very large (it is bigger than a lot of MBR). And has 2 separate closets. 3rd br is decent size. Also we have a window in our MBR walkin closet. The layout works well for us, it's just you can tell it was changed. Our house was a foreclosure/ flipped house.
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Tiny
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Joined: Dec 29, 2010 21:22:34 GMT -5
Posts: 13,488
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Post by Tiny on Mar 29, 2016 14:06:37 GMT -5
I've got 1200 sq ft 2 bedroom/1 bath, dining room, kitchen and a living room. Full unfinished basement - with the remains of a bathroom (tore out the bathroom and haven't gotten around to rebuilding it.). Full walk up attic. I keep my "space" in as much of the basement and attic as I can - otherwise they would fill up with 'stuff' I was storing to eventually throw away. I have a tiny, brick, one car garage (aka the bomb shelter) in which I store my car and yard/outdoor stuff.
It's the right size house for me and my 2 cats - but I kinda wish I had the 1200sq ft 3 bedroom floor plan house. I don't have a guest room - since I use the 2nd bedroom as a "cat/office/craft/storage room".
The rental house is 806 sq feet 2 bed/1 bath house. That doesn't include the 1/2 basement which is finished. The other half is a crawlspace. There's no attic storage space. It's a tiny little house. The custom built garage is just a smidge smaller than the house.
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wyouser
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Joined: Dec 20, 2010 16:35:20 GMT -5
Posts: 12,126
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Post by wyouser on Mar 29, 2016 15:43:15 GMT -5
2726 square ft 1 level, no basement. 3 bedroom/1 office, 2 bath. detached carport/deck with 3 level storage attached. Note to folks "planning ahead": one level is sweet with no steps and 10x10 bathrooms allow room for a wheelchair...but....remember to THINK about door width when you plan. A wheelchair useable bathroom is great as long as the damn wheel chair will fit through the bloody door!!! (sometimes we are NOT so very smart when we lay things out in our late 20's......just sayin'
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Lizard Queen
Senior Associate
103/2024
Joined: Jan 17, 2011 22:19:13 GMT -5
Posts: 14,659
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Post by Lizard Queen on Mar 29, 2016 16:01:18 GMT -5
1,665, 3 bed, 1.5 bath. 2 car garage, and full, unfinished basement. The size would be perfect for use (2 adults, 2 littles) if the basement were a finished walk-out type. + another garage stall would be nice.
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lynnerself
Senior Member
Joined: Jan 3, 2011 11:42:29 GMT -5
Posts: 4,166
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Post by lynnerself on Mar 29, 2016 16:35:40 GMT -5
2200 Sq ft. 4 bedroom 2 1/2 bath 2 strories. Too big now that kids are grown. Down sizing to a smaller one level in the next few years. But possibly on acerage.
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TheHaitian
Senior Associate
Joined: Jul 27, 2014 19:39:10 GMT -5
Posts: 10,144
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Post by TheHaitian on Mar 29, 2016 17:20:15 GMT -5
3 bed / 2 bath - 1,600 sqft 800 sqft of unfinished basement
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Deleted
Joined: Oct 7, 2024 12:22:25 GMT -5
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Mar 29, 2016 18:13:55 GMT -5
So I got the latest plans. 2675 Plus probably 300 loft and 800 optional finished basement. We have maybe 1700 now. This is going to be huge! And the kids are almost grown. But I don't know what I want to cut. I think my architect hates me
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cronewitch
Junior Associate
I identify as a post-menopausal childless cat lady and I vote.
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Post by cronewitch on Mar 29, 2016 18:28:09 GMT -5
1628 plus basement and 6 car garage, 2 car carport on .62 acres for one person seems about right but too many stairs. I hope to find something like 24X50 mobile home with large garage on property that is low maint like mostly trees of a field I can put a grazing animal like a baby steer to keep the grass down. Baby steers are cute and when too big for cute can be replaced the next spring.
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andi9899
Distinguished Associate
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Post by andi9899 on Mar 29, 2016 18:28:35 GMT -5
Mine is about 1400 Sq ft. Full unfinished basement and no garage. Living area is ok, but feels a little small at times. I really wish we had a garage, but it's what I can afford with two kids and no help.
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souldoubt
Senior Member
Joined: Jan 4, 2011 11:57:14 GMT -5
Posts: 2,756
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Post by souldoubt on Mar 29, 2016 18:32:24 GMT -5
Townhouse with 1,350 sq ft of living space plus a 2 car garage. We live in the land of no basements/attics. Some people have some storage going on in their attics but I've never met anyone around here that has a basement and that's something I always envy watching house shows on HGTV. Works for the two of us and we'll make it work for us when our family grows. Ultimately want to get into a house but getting into one will mean likely pushing retirement back a few years.
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Deleted
Joined: Oct 7, 2024 12:22:25 GMT -5
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Post by Deleted on Mar 29, 2016 18:32:55 GMT -5
So I got the latest plans. 2675 Plus probably 300 loft and 800 optional finished basement. We have maybe 1700 now. This is going to be huge! And the kids are almost grown. But I don't know what I want to cut. I think my architect hates me It's even bigger than you think it is once you live in it. I think this is 2200 plus partial finished basement and porch. It's pretty big for just us 2.
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ners
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Joined: Dec 23, 2010 16:21:18 GMT -5
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Post by ners on Mar 29, 2016 18:37:54 GMT -5
Small 850 square feet. 3 bedrooms/ 1 1/2 baths. This does not include the basement. 2 car detached garage.
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vonna
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Joined: Aug 11, 2012 15:58:51 GMT -5
Posts: 1,249
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Post by vonna on Mar 29, 2016 18:40:14 GMT -5
I don't know? We bought this house online, when I was stationed in Germany and my husband was out at sea. He would know the square footage, we just wanted to have a house to move in to when we could finally be together. It is a 4 bedroom, 2 1/2 bath colonial with attached 2 car garage, and finished basement. We have awesome privacy and some breathtaking views. I really like some things about the house floorplan, and have had to come accept other things. With as many times as I have moved throughout my life, I am used to making the best of what I have! When we bought this home, we thought it would just be for 3 years, but 12 years later, we realize we may be here to stay! I don't think this is the house I would have bought for life, yet I doubt I feel strongly enough about that to move. I have done enough moving! I just think I am able to make just about any house work, because I am strange! My surroundings don't matter that much to me, as long as they are peaceful.
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tskeeter
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Post by tskeeter on Mar 29, 2016 19:20:18 GMT -5
2726 square ft 1 level, no basement. 3 bedroom/1 office, 2 bath. detached carport/deck with 3 level storage attached. Note to folks "planning ahead": one level is sweet with no steps and 10x10 bathrooms allow room for a wheelchair...but....remember to THINK about door width when you plan. A wheelchair useable bathroom is great as long as the damn wheel chair will fit through the bloody door!!! (sometimes we are NOT so very smart when we lay things out in our late 20's......just sayin' Great points! Especially the door width to accommodate a wheel chair. Although my Mom's wheel chair was smaller than average, the 28 inch door the builder installed in the big guest bath left less than half an inch of space on either side the chair's wheels. This meant that I painted the door jambs after each of Mom's visits. A door that was eight inches wider between the jambs than the maximum width of the wheel chair would have saved skinned knuckles as well as damage to the door frame. Other considerations include an entry that is at grade level, with no steps, lever style door handles and cabinet hardware that will be easy for someone with arthritis in their hands to open, and an oversized, curbless shower that you can roll a wheelchair right in to. If a person was building from scratch, it would also be a great idea to install blocking to anchor grab bars in key locations while the house framing is still open. Still another consideration is floor coverings. Carpet and other soft materials are hard to roll wheel chairs on. Tile, wood, vinyl, and other hard surfaces are easier for wheel chair users to deal with.
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