The Money Mustache Community
Learning, Sharing, and Teaching => Ask a Mustachian => Topic started by: ReadySetMillionaire on November 06, 2015, 09:44:10 AM
-
My girlfriend and I just purchased a move-in ready one bath, three bedroom ranch for $127,500. The kitchen has new appliances and a great sink, everything (windows, roof, back porch, furnace, water heater, etc.), is less than five years old, etc. It's really in top shape and all we plan on doing when we move in (next weekend!) is to put in new carpet on the first floor, paint the cabinets white, paint one of the bedrooms, and paint the basement.
I'm excited, so here's some pics:
(http://photos2.zillowstatic.com/p_h/ISdkk56s5aa75e1000000000.jpg)
(http://photos3.zillowstatic.com/p_h/IS5eitnl122a5e1000000000.jpg)
(http://photos3.zillowstatic.com/p_h/IShvbt42pddi5e1000000000.jpg)
(http://photos1.zillowstatic.com/p_h/IS9p9hmvk55l5e1000000000.jpg)
(http://photos2.zillowstatic.com/p_h/IS1j754pgxwn5e1000000000.jpg)
The only issue is that it's 1100 square feet. All three bedrooms upstairs are also relatively small, and one is comically small.
But, as shown above, the basement is about 1/2 finished. Behind the wall with those storage bins is a pretty big bedroom. To the left of the chairs is an unfinished laundry and storage that goes the length of the house. Importantly, it also has a toilet and showerhead in there, just completely unfinished.
So the plan is to turn that back room in the basement into a master bedroom and connect the master and a new bathroom. I'd also like to finish more of the unfinished side of the basement to make more efficient storage and increase living space.
Pretty much everyone we know says, "You'll grow out of it," but we really feel like we can make this house work. And we both know that if this is the only house we buy, we will not only save a lot of money, but we will be forced to be "minimalists" and not hoard and buy stuff for the sake of filling rooms.
All that said, any tips for making a small house work?
Edit for clarity:
(1) The listed square footage does not include the basement. So the total square footage of the house is 2,132 square feet with the basement. I too agree that this is a very comfortable amount of space, but I was more hoping for creative ideas to help make the space feel bigger.
(2) Obviously this is a ton of space for just the two of us--but I was talking about the house being small for when we have kids (we plan to have two). Pretty much everyone says we will move out as soon as we have a second kid because they will run all over the place and take up way more space than we could imagine.
-
I live in a house of similar size. All you have to do is prioritize the things you own and stop yourself from accumulating clutter. I am a huge fan of small bedrooms. My family jsut doesnt spend alot of time in them, basically just sleeping. The larger family/basement area is where its at.
-
1100 sq ft is more than enough. Lived in a house that size for years and never had an issue. Just make sure you don't buy excess furniture and don't store random crap just because.
-
"Make it work"? You probably have 1800 sq feet of finished living space.
Sounds like you're excited about your new house! Have fun with it. But seriously, those people that are implying it's going to be some sort of hardship for two people to live in such a house are crazy. Sounds like you could fit a few kids in there just fine, too - if that's your plan.
Also, agree that small bedrooms are great. We just use a bedroom for sleeping, it doesn't have to be huge.
-
You are off your rocker. This thing, small? Your basement looks great. I would move the TV down there, antenna reception permitting.
Our apartment is 780sqft, and I marvel daily at all the extra space, even while storing two bikes, a piano, and a giant dining room table inside.
-
Pretty much everyone we know says, "You'll grow out of it," but we really feel like we can make this house work. And we both know that if this is the only house we buy, we will not only save a lot of money, but we will be forced to be "minimalists" and not hoard and buy stuff for the sake of filling rooms.
All that said, any tips for making a small house work?
Here's what you need to do: Stop listening to the people that say "You'll grow out of it." They don't know what they are talking about. They are trying to make themselves feel better about their exploding volcano of wastefulness by getting you to join them in their dollar bill bonfire!
You have a beautiful house with friggin' stone countertops, new appliances, and a huge deck for parties and fucking slide in the backyard!!! Enjoy the hell out of it and don't listen to the naysayers.
-
Since you have a basement, that's a fine size. I don't think you need to do anything to make it work, other than not accumulate a TONof crap.
-
I agree with all the comments thus far. You have way more than 1100 sq ft with the finished basement
My house is 1100 sq ft without a basement and we love it! We have two adults and two kids in the 2 bedrooms. It is tight at times but that is just a good reminder to declutter.
Take advantage of your wall space and utilize lots of great storage tactics- think ikea shelving, etc.
Try and acquire dual purpose furniture to get the most bang for your buck. Take cues from people who live in even smaller spaces and try to adapt some of their ideas for your home, i.e. Sofa beds, hidden storage, etc.
Most of all, enjoy your new space! I have been in my "starter home" for six years now and never imagined I would be here this long. Intentionally living small has changed my perspective on a lot of things....I wouldn't change it for the world!
-
Lucky you! That thing would cost no less than $850k where I live. I'd *love* to have 1100 sq feet! I think that is the sweet spot for a house. Congrats!
-
"Too small" really depends on you, not them, ignore what other people say about the house and see how it works for you. I wouldn't make changes right away, really think about what would work before making changes. If you put a master suite in the basement, consider adding some good windows in those basement rooms, you can put light curtains on them and it will feel much more airy down there without having bright lights on all the time. (What is your "finished sq ft"? If the 1100 is only the upstairs you are really in plenty of room! Unless you plan on more than a few kids anyway...)
In hind sight I really wish we had stuck with something about that size. It would be tight with all the kids, but being forced to avoid building up a ton of crap is a HUGE benefit. My wife and I plan to down size once the kids are gone, but it would be really great to have a house that was just big enough for a family, but not so big you had to move once the kids are out.
-
I have a smaller house, I find it suits the three of us. I also liked smaller mortgage payments, it was fun not being house poor. Try calculating how much interest they pay vs. you pay and then decide if the bigger house seems tempting. In my case the difference between myself and my peers could pay for an annual tropical holiday.
Since moving in I did add some space saving stuff mostly because it improved how things were done.
1)Wall mounted TV, no need for a stand these days - less dusting
2) Extra shelves in the closet going to the top (mine had a 2.5 foot gap between the shelf and the top) - less crowding, the top is good for photos and memorabilia that you don't use often
3) Cupboard above the washing machine for storage of detergents - stock up on sales
4) I use a reel mower instead of a gas mower, its smaller to store in the shed - no more annual maintenance of the gas mower is a bonus time saver
5) Book shelf in a random spot at the bottom of my stairs - this one is so that my child will be surrounded by books (hopefully encourages her to read as she grows)
6) Under the stairs storage in the basement - I currently store my brewing supplies there between uses, also good for storing root vegetables to keep them cool
The big one:
Garage sale - less stuff makes life simpler
-
I'm sure you can make an 1100 square foot house work. You'll eventually find use for all the extra space, maybe even get a little more furniture for now-empty rooms.
It is possible to live in such a large house and you'll figure out how to make it work.
All joking aside, 1100 square feet for two people is perfect. That's about what my girlfriend and I have right now for two people plus dogs. And with that partially-finished basement too!? You've got lots of space.
-
Our house is 1000 sq ft with no basement. I don't understand what tips you need? That's lots of space for 2 adults.
If you can't make it work walk over to a mirror and start punching yourself in the face. Seriously.
-
We downsized from 1900 last year to 1144. The old house was never even quite full (it predated our marriage and I had rented out the upstairs) but we still had to get rid of a few things.
What I'll say about 1100 for two people - contrary to the popular perception, it's way more space than two people need. In 1144, we have an overly large master bedroom with wasted space, a perfectly adequate living room, and two other bedrooms that double as offices and guest rooms. One also houses my music gear, military uniforms, costumes, and other fun things. We think we could easily live in 6-800SF with only minor continued adjustments, and may do so in the future if we move to a higher-COL area.
Advice? If you really think it's not enough room, you have too much shit. Give some away, and do it with a smile. :)
Overlay multiple uses for as many areas as you can. Focus on not crowding your space, and using it efficiently, and if anything, you'll find that it feels like more than you need.
-
Our first house in Mpls was in a neighborhood of all 3 bedroom 1 bath ranches (most with a 2nd bath added in the basement) around 1100-1300 sq feet.
As of when we moved away 3 years ago, it was mostly families with a few kids.
The small bedroom thing is a non-issue. What does a kid need in a bedroom other than a bed and a dresser (get the tall narrow kind) and a small desk or toy shelf when they are younger? In fact they don't need the dresser at all if you keep their clothes minimal and put them all in the closet.
I wouldn't put the master bedroom in the basement. But I have no need for a master bath. And I would want to be close to the kids. I would use a basement bedroom as a guest room or eventually as a teenager's room.
That looks like a great house. As long as you don't have a ton of crap, it will be plenty of space for a family of 4-6. If you have more than 4 kids, sure, a bigger house makes sense.
-
I'll add that the people we bought our 1144sf, 3br/2ba house from had raised multiple children in it, and only moved because their kids were now coming back to visit with several grandkids.
Here's what you need to do: Stop listening to the people that say "You'll grow out of it." They don't know what they are talking about. They are trying to make themselves feel better about their exploding volcano of wastefulness by getting you to join them in their dollar bill bonfire!
You have a beautiful house with friggin' stone countertops, new appliances, and a huge deck for parties and fucking slide in the backyard!!! Enjoy the hell out of it and don't listen to the naysayers.
SO MUCH THIS.
Just a couple of generations ago, this house was palatial by middle-class family standards. It looks like a great deal, and you should feel free to laugh at the mindless drones who can't understand your failure to stampede off the cliff with them.
-
Is that 1100 plus the basement or including the basement?
My house is 1296 including the basement (so "officially" 648). It's 2 bedrooms.
We put our bed in the smaller of the two bedrooms (8x10ft). We have Shaker-style peg rail on one wall, where I hang things that don't need to be washed yet. We had a chest of drawers, but it was hard to stand between the (queen) bed and drawers with the drawers open, and our door is on a diagonal so got caught on the drawers all the time. We switched to shelves to hold our clothes, in addition to the little closet in the bedroom.
As my husband put it: all you do in a bedroom is sleep. There's no reason to have anything in there beyond your bed, some clothes (my mom and my husband both prefer to hang their laundry to dry in the laundry room, then retrieve it right when they get dressed), alarm clock, and the light.
The larger bedroom has our computer desks, a reading chair, and book cases.
The main room has an L-shaped couch from IKEA that transforms into a queen size bed. We have a Stakmore expanding table (http://www.stakmore.com/product.aspx?sku=4272V&pID=25) (bought as a factory second on ebay) and 4 Stakmore dining chairs. When we convert the living room to dinner party mode, we do so by expanding the table to full size, which will hold 8 people, 3 or 4 of which are on the couch.
Oh, ceiling shelves! We put shelves above head height in our living room (which has a vaulted ceiling) to hold board games, and we got shelf brackets similar to these (http://www.target.com/p/dolle-lite-shelf-silver-tri-shelf-bracket-set-white/-/A-21414493?ci_src=17588969&ci_sku=21414493&ref=tgt_adv_XS000000&AFID=google_pla_df&CPNG=PLA_Home%2BDecor%2BShopping&adgroup=Shelving&LID=700000001170770pgs&network=g&device=c&location=9061285&gclid=CjwKEAiAvPGxBRCH3YCgpdbCtmYSJABqHRVw0U1h4RLNZPxpp5TTawaudZ-Vh95Sn2zeYnSLagmYMhoCoCfw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds) to put shelves over doorways. We keep saying "shelves are magic."
The basement is weirdly shaped, particularly because someone thought putting a second bathroom down there sounded like a good idea, and they tried to add 2 bedrooms down there, without fire exits (*facepalm*). Those "bedrooms" are 8ft square and where I do my crafts. The remaining space down there has our projector, a blank wall, and a couch. The laundry room is also down there. I just put an IVAR cabinet (more IKEA) in the laundry room to function as a pantry.
-
I'll echo the chorus that 1,100 sqft is more than enough, especially since your giant basement isn't included in that total. Our house is 1,100 sqft with no basement, and it's more than big enough. I don't know where you live, but it looks like you've got a nice wooden deck and backyard, so make use of those in as many seasons as you can if you ever start to feel crowded. We spend a lot of time out on our lanai (screened in patio) year round and for the past 6.5 years our only dining table big enough to sit more than a couple people has been outside on this patio. It didn't stop us from hosting dinner parties, though!
Instead of looking for problems, think of all the benefits of a smaller home. Lower utility bills, less to clean... Just be picky about what comes into your house (which really is the better financial move anyhow) and don't hesitate to say "no" even to free stuff if it'll crowd your life.
-
I have a 906 sqft 3 BR/1 ba, teeny bedrooms (mine is the biggest natch) and a roommate in each. You will be all set up with your basement on top of everything! Just prioritize what you want your living space to be, and don't accumulate too much stuff. Seriously, this is so much space!
-
Wasn't the average American house size in the 1950's something like 983 sq ft? The fact that it's now over 2000 (with less inhabitants no less) is ridiculous.
1100 is over 3 times the size of my current place, and over 4 times the size of my previous place. That's for 2 of us. Right now we have around 300 sq ft, and the solution is simple: have less stuff and keep things clean and organized. The fact that most north Americans consider 1100 to be small boggles my mind. (I'm from north America too)
Stop listening to the rat race muggles and enjoy it (along with the multitude of other things you'll be able to enjoy because of your "sacrifice")! Nice looking house.
-
Wow, thanks for the compliments and advice thus far.
Edited my OP to make two things more clear:
(1) The listed square footage does not include the basement. So the total square footage of the house is 2,132 square feet with the basement. I too agree that this is a very comfortable amount of space, but I was more hoping for creative ideas to help make the space feel bigger.
(2) Obviously this is a ton of space for just the two of us--but I was talking about the house being small for when we have kids (we plan to have two). Pretty much everyone says we will move out as soon as we have a second kid because they will run all over the place and take up way more space than we could imagine.
-
Kids are like gas, they will expand to fill their container. They don't NEED thousands of square feet.
-
If you're looking for ways to make things feel bigger, there's a ton of websites that you can get ideas from. Problem is, I can't think of them offhand at the moment...argh... and really should be working or I would look them up for you. But, Google space saving ideas/furniture/small house designs (not that you're actually in a really small house)/etc./etc. and then prepare to waste your afternoon pouring over the tsunami of sites, articles, and pictures solely devoted to this sort of thing. I do this often as I frequently fantasize about having a smaller home (wifey's not onboard...yet). I love the idea of smart design and maximizing the space you have.
-
Kids are like gas, they will expand to fill their container. They don't NEED thousands of square feet.
haha yes! If you keep the toys to a minimum and are diligent about grown-out-of-clothes, though, that'd really help. My parents went with pointing to one room in the basement and saying "that's the toy room. No toys outside that room."
-
I grew up in a house about the same size - 2 kids, 2 adults. I certainly don't think we ever had issues with the amount of space. In our area, our house was actually considered to be very large. Most of my friends had smaller homes. I think things are really out of whack now with the all the McMansions. It's just a bunch of wasted space.
My one piece of advice would be to only purchase things you really love. It will force you to not fill it up with extra stuff and you'll only be surrounded by things you treasure or are very useful. Don't feel like you have to go out and buy things right now just because you have a house now.
-
Obviously this is a ton of space for just the two of us--but I was talking about the house being small for when we have kids (we plan to have two). Pretty much everyone says we will move out as soon as we have a second kid because they will run all over the place and take up way more space than we could imagine.
People do it to themselves by buying the kids piles of needless shit. How they don't see this is beyond me.
Like I said, the previous owners of my house - which is your house MINUS the basement - happily raised multiple children in it and never felt crowded. They owned it for 29 years and only left because they were old, rich, and now hosting multiple generations of offspring at once. :D
-
The only thing I'm going to add is you may want to reconsider painting the cabinets white. That's a kitchen, it's going to get dirty, and white will show everything. Plus, I'm not 100% that white will be what you want with that counter, given the colors. A lighter color neutral, sure.
Just my opinion though - I don't like WHITE. And even if you don't like it, it's repaintable.
Get good quality paint, and do the prep work right. Don't skimp time/money here, otherwise it won't be what you want in the end.
-
House looks very cozy! Grats!
-
My husband and I bought an 1152 sq. ft. house a few months ago. One whole bedroom has nothing in it but stuff ready to go to Goodwill. I think 1000 sq. ft. is plenty of space for up to at least four family members.
-
dude chill out your house is huge. We spent the past year with two dogs, two adults and one toddler in a 700sqft Manhattan apartment. We adjusted to the space in a couple weeks, after which it seemed big.
Looks like an amazing price for a great house, though. Congratulations!
-
I will just repeat what others said:
You have 3 bedrooms right now - one small as you say.
Even without the basement I think it is enough.
I built a house with 2 bedrooms - 1100 sft, no basement.
One of the bedrroms was too big for us, 200 sft, the other around 150 sft.
Unfortunately we left to move to the USA before we managed to move in but I think it would have been more than enough.
Right now we are living in an 950 sft apartment - 2 bedrooms one bath.
We have enough space for everything, even storing 3 bicycles.
You, having the basement and having a house with a yard should have enough space.
Even if you have guests.
Even if you have more than 2 kids.
I agree that YMMV, but for me this is a great house you got.
Both regarding the space and the price, without mentioning the yard.
If I would find something like that I would even consider commuting one hour each way to work daily.
EDIT:
I saw that you are asking for tips for making this work - my tip: start using it and you will see what you have to do.
I really suspect it will work without any adjustments at least until you have more than one child.
Just enjoy your house :).
-
Jeff Yeager's number-one all-time piece of financial advice is "stay in your starter home." You're winning! :)
Read Zero-Waste Home and similar for advice on voluntary simplicity, minimalism and the generally managing the exploding volcano of wastefulness.
-
Just a few random points:
1. When your children are very small, you will not want them sleeping on a different floor from you.
2. Make sure that your children have a safe, convenient, dedicated space to play when the time comes. When we lived in an 1100 square foot townhouse, the kids shared a room and it was too small for their toys. So their toys were awkwardly placed in the living room and always underfoot--it made the place feel TINY. In retrospect, we should have just given them the master bedroom and put their toys in there. Problem solved. (Now they have separate bedrooms, and that's where they keep their toys.)
I think it's totally doable. We have about 1700 finished square feet for the four of us and it's really more than we need.
-
The only thing I'm going to add is you may want to reconsider painting the cabinets white. That's a kitchen, it's going to get dirty, and white will show everything. Plus, I'm not 100% that white will be what you want with that counter, given the colors. A lighter color neutral, sure.
Just my opinion though - I don't like WHITE. And even if you don't like it, it's repaintable.
Get good quality paint, and do the prep work right. Don't skimp time/money here, otherwise it won't be what you want in the end.
I on the other hand love white kitchens!
Nothing looks better than a full white kitchen along with some warm tones... Swedish designers really have something going on there!
(http://www.nvus.nl/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/Scandinavian-Comfort-White-Apartment-G%C3%B6teborg-Sweden-8.jpg)
(http://www.ourgod.info/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/White-Cabinet-Conventional-Oven-in-Swedish-Kitchen-Design-Ideas-1.jpg)
(http://equu.mackaynlpsolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/White-Swedish-Kitchen-Design.jpg)
I'll include mine by the way :D
(https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xtp1/v/t1.0-9/11209503_10155593940870074_7674483255117085516_n.jpg?oh=f78f5db0d19d0dff2499ddc137d9157d&oe=56B5ADF5)
...
On-topic,
That is more than enough space, especially if you have a backyard. Any european can live off with a whole family in apartments that size! The trick is to use your space correctly.
We also live in a ~1100 sq feet ranch - and we still ahve the basement but is unfinished. And we feel its more than enough space.
Only one thing we are going to do is join both the kitchen and living room space which will make it even bigger. As of now, the living room and kitchen are separated by the stairwell that takes you to the basement. That stairwell takes a lot of space... we are thinking of knocking it down and make that stairwell into an island... kinda like this"
(http://www.housetweaking.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/kitchen-after-10.jpg)
but where the island will be hollow and still keep the stairs to go into the basement... this alone will add a lot of "perceived" space in the house...especially considering an island where you can sit 12+ people comfortably
-
For comparison, wifey & I lived in 600 sqft for 5 years very comfortably. That does not include a basement... and 600 sqft actually included the closets and walls. (In other words the outside walls were 30x20.
-
Yes, put shit away! Don't leave shit lying around or in places shit doesn't belong. The pics are lovely, BTW.
All that said, any tips for making a small house work?
-
Someone once told me about the "60 second rule." If it would take less than 60 seconds to put something away where it belongs instead of just laying it down on the counter, table, couch, floor, wherever...then put it away. This has stuck with me for years and today when I am tempted to drop mail on the dining room table or a coat over the back of the chair I think "60 seconds" and put them where they belong. Makes my small house seem so spacious when it is tidy and neat!
-
The only thing I would add to what others have said is: Use your yard. Its like a free room with very high ceilings.
-
For specific tips about space use and tidiness, I would peruse the "Small Cool Spaces" competition and contenders on ApartmentTherapy.com . great ideas submitted from all over the world!
The blog YoungHouseLove suggested storage ottomans to control the kid stuff. I also find that's great for papers, fabric storage, and files.
I would suggest thinking ahead about off-season and out-of-sight storage: kids clothes in future sizes/hand-me-downs, Christmas decorations, tents, paint, tools, animal carriers, etc.
A place for all that stuff helps hugely in not having the main floor get cluttered.
-
Very nice house! :D
The only thing I'm going to add is you may want to reconsider painting the cabinets white. That's a kitchen, it's going to get dirty, and white will show everything. Plus, I'm not 100% that white will be what you want with that counter, given the colors. A lighter color neutral, sure.
Just my opinion though - I don't like WHITE. And even if you don't like it, it's repaintable.
Get good quality paint, and do the prep work right. Don't skimp time/money here, otherwise it won't be what you want in the end.
I agree about holding off on painting the cabinets. Painting cabinets usually is very hit or miss and requires lots of prep work and may turn out to look very amaturish. I personally like the dark wood, and think it would make a difference to paint the walls a lighter color (like a cream or very pale yellow or green) rather than the really too dark color. Actually, painting any dark walls in the house with lighter colors and using light colored rugs/furnishings will make all of the rooms feel bigger. Dark=cozy, light=airy in decorating. Walls are WAY easier to paint/repaint, and you can always paint the cabinets down the line if you can't stand them. (and the pics just posted by MrSal show lots of DARK cabinets with white/cream accents - pretty!)
That dark red in the kitchen is one of my most hated wall colors, so I'd be paint that if it was my place ASAP. I personally just loathe red on the walls... red furniture or rug? Pretty! Red walls? Ugh, so ugly and claustrophobic. I like light bright kitchens. But just my 2˘.
And while I know this is a house, not an apartment, I'd suggest checking out ApartmentTherapy.com for some tips on small home living and decorating. Some stuff is uber-expensive or impractical, but they have some really good ideas on how to decorate things to maximize the space you have and some DIY stuff that is pretty nifty.
-
I live in a 300 sq ft 5th wheel with my fiancé and chocolate lab. I'd love 1100 sq ft lol.
Fortunately, I will not perpetuate the common theme around here of people who criticize any other person who lives with more than someone else regarding anything (food, house, car, etc.)
I'd just fix it up and make it nice. In regards to a house in far more of a "quality over quantity" kind of guy. I'd take a nice and updated 1100 sq ft place over a rundown outdated 2000 sq ft place anyways.
Congrats on the new home!
-
Jeff Yeager's number-one all-time piece of financial advice is "stay in your starter home." You're winning! :)
Read Zero-Waste Home and similar for advice on voluntary simplicity, minimalism and the generally managing the exploding volcano of wastefulness.
Hadn't heard this before, but that's what we did. Best financial move ever.
Our home is similar to OP. Quite livable at 900 Sq feet. Cozy when ever we host parties, spacious when we're alone. Very few steps from bed to coffee pot. I aim to keep it like a hotel suite so I always feel like I'm on vacation. That means clean & uncluttered. That's goal, anyway.
-
We're 2 adults, 2 indoor cats living in about 750 square feet, 2 bedrooms, 1 bath. We're both also working from home at the moment and it still feels plenty big enough.
We haven't done anything particular to make it look bigger because it doesn't actually feel small to us. But, I have seen tricks with framed mirrors that do make a room feel bigger. ApartmentTherapy has some suggestions:
http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/10-ways-to-use-mirrors-to-make-113181
-
It looks quite big to me.:P We live in 650 feet with the two of us and 7 pets.
-
We tend to compare what we have to people who have more/better/bigger/pricier stuff, which then makes us feel that our own stuff is not good enough. So, tip to make a 1100 sf house work? Compare your lifestyle and space to a family who lives in a smaller space. Guaranteed to make your house feel roomy and spacious. It's about shifting your paradigm.
Case in point...
I lived in a 600 sq apartment with DH for a year. It started feeling tiny after our DD was born, so we moved to a two bedroom in the same building. Well, we recently made friends with another couple who also have a daughter about the same age, and we were invited to visit their apartment. And that's when we found out they had moved into our old 1-bedroom unit!
A few months later, we met a grandmother and toddler (about same age as our DD) and were invited to their apartment. And that's when we found out they have FOUR people (mom, dad, grandma, and toddler) living in a 1-bedroom unit (same layout, different floor).
Needless to say, when I returned home that day, my 1000 sf two bedroom apartment felt mighty big, and I didn't have to spend a single dime to make my apartment "work". Paradigm shifted. :)
-
Having lived in a similar house with 2 kids, here are my practical tips:
-Keep the kids sleeping on the same floor as you until they are 3-4-5ish. This is because even when they are sleeping all night reliably, there will be times they have nightmares, or wet the bed, or puke. You want to be near them when they are little- you don't want them going up and down stairs in the dark to find you, or crying for a long time until you hear. Save the potential basement bedroom for guests, or an office, or for older kids.
-Minimize their clothes. Kids do not need a million clothes. Their closets should not be packed full. Use the empty space in the closets to store off season clothes and extra toys.
-Toys: do not keep them all out at once. Have half (or more) in rubbermaid tubs in the closet. Every 2 weeks or month, switch the out toys with the put away toys.
-Figure out where toys are going to be. Realistically, the kids will want to be in the same room as you until at least 3-4-5. If you like playing in the basement with them, cool. Try to imagine whether you really want to be down there all the time- I personally like to be tidying up or cooking or whatever upstairs, so we always had some toys on the main floor- either the living room or their bedroom. The key to having some in the living room is to have a SMALL number of toys. This is why you keep lots of them packed away. If you have them in the bedroom, you want a small number because they are small rooms. Too many toys out becomes a mess on the floor, and once it gets to that point, they don't get played with anyway.
-Skip dressers for the kids- put shelves in the closets.
-Each of my kids has a small 3-4 shelf bookcase by their bed. This is the "nightstand" and all there toys fit on it. Then clothes are in the closet. So a small bedroom still has plenty of room, and they can clean up quick. Messy toys like a million legos, put those in the basement family room, so if they want to leave stuff out no one is annoyed by them.
-Keep the main living areas tidy by not having a ton of stuff in them. Have a specific place that stuff like mail gets dropped, and keep it to that small area. Keep the coat closet cleaned out (off season jackets in the basement or bedroom closets) so all the coats,school bags, work bags, shoes, etc fit. This may seem impossible with a small coat closet, but its worth keeping that kind of clutter under control. Alternately, if you have a clear wall by the door, hang baskets (or a shelf with baskets on it) and a hook for each kid. Mittens/gloves/hats go in the basket, then 1 coat and the backpack hang on the hook. If you only buy each kid one pair of shoes at a time, the coat closet stays tidy. If you buy each kid 5 pairs because tiny toddler shoes are adorable, your small coat closet will become a giant shoe pile in the living room.
Etc.
-
I love your new house and the white kitchens posted above (I dream of a white kitchen). We fell into a trap of "upgrading" our house and now it is too big for us and more expensive than it needs to be. I love our house, but there is a lot of wasted space. I don't think you need to do much to it unless you start to feel like it is feeling too small. If you identified a specific problem, like I need more space for x, we could provide more specific suggestions. But I echo what the others have already said. Don't accumulate too much stuff, use vertical storage, use mirrors art and light paint to make things feel more airy, etc. I also agree that you will want to be on the same floor as the kids for several years. Ours are across the house on the same floor and even that bothers me. We still use a monitor for our 3-year-old otherwise we might not hear her in the night. One last tip is to try to make less frequently-used rooms multipurpose spaces. We have lots of guests who stay for long periods of time so we love having a guest room, but it could also function as our office.
-
Congratulations! I'm moving in a couple weeks from a 640 sq ft condo to an 1,100 sq ft house, and I'm having the opposite problem worrying about an empty house!
I have to say, about a month ago I read the Marie Kondo best-selling book on tidying of all topics. There's a whole thread on the book here: http://forum.mrmoneymustache.com/mustachian-book-club/the-life-changing-art-of-tidying-up/ (http://forum.mrmoneymustache.com/mustachian-book-club/the-life-changing-art-of-tidying-up/)
It's really helped me organize my stuff and decide what I want to keep with me when I move. I agree with what previous posters have said - don't allow stuff to accumulate. Moving is the perfect time to go through all of your stuff, and be ruthless. Is it adding anything to your life to hold onto the item? Are there items like photos or documents that can be digitized so they don't take up physical space?
Also, make sure your furniture is sized appropriately for the size of the room. Don't try to squeeze a huge sectional couch into a space that doesn't allow you room to walk around it. Make sure you use everything you are putting into your house. I currently have a kitchen table that I don't use that much. I'm debating getting rid of it altogether and just adding stools to the kitchen island I'll have in my new house.
-
We are currently in a 3 bedroom 900 sqft with two kids, no basement. We make it work. I do wish we had a second living space like a family room or basement space. Our biggest issue is toys, the kids don't want to stay in their rooms and there are toys in my living room. It's a rental so I can't build in some of the storage I would like, but collecting furniture with an eye toward storage has helped. Even in a bigger space I would still want to be able to put things away.
Congrats on the house. Ignore the naysayers and enjoy it. I think it sounds like a good size with multiple living spaces.
-
Wow, thanks for the compliments and advice thus far.
Edited my OP to make two things more clear:
(1) The listed square footage does not include the basement. So the total square footage of the house is 2,132 square feet with the basement. I too agree that this is a very comfortable amount of space, but I was more hoping for creative ideas to help make the space feel bigger.
(2) Obviously this is a ton of space for just the two of us--but I was talking about the house being small for when we have kids (we plan to have two). Pretty much everyone says we will move out as soon as we have a second kid because they will run all over the place and take up way more space than we could imagine.
Nice looking house.
I disagree with those who say you will outgrow it. As has been pointed out, this was about an average home size in the 50s, when families were larger than they are today.
On a more personal experience note, I live in a 1300 sq foot house with 3 kids. It has a 1000 square foot unfinished basement. When the third kid came along, I finished two bedrooms in the 1000 square foot basement and moved the two older ones downstairs. They even have an old television with a Netfix subscription and a couch and bean bag in the unfinished portion of the basement They love it.
Keep in mind that a smaller home will have less expenses for maintenance and for energy usage.
Ever see the utility bill for a 3500 sq ft home? I have, and it's not pretty.
Congratulations on your purchase. Not many people are posting about 100-127K house purchases these days. Think about how much more money you will be able to save with that low purchase price. People with 3500 sq ft homes find that they have no money left over at the end of the month.
-
I'll reinforce everyone's advice about stuff, the not-collecting-too-much-of-it part. Any amount of space will feel small if you fill it.
I was thinking about this earlier when the topic of shopping for furniture came up with family. I thought about how according to furniture stores, you need a bed with headboard, dresser(s) and bedside tables that all match just to start. Baloney, I have a bedframe (no headboard) and some small items that function as bedside tables, my side is a large chunk of douglas fir, think wood cube. Anyway with drawers in the closet this minimalist look means the room is large and spacious feeling.
I do design build for a living and sometimes meet with clients looking to add or remodel their homes to gain more space. About half the time the problem is more of clutter and organization than actual space. Kitchens, basements, I've seen and talked to several clients who didn't need to remodel but instead to declutter and get rid of stuff. It seems to happen most often to parents of older kids, the kids are heading to college but they have too much of their stuff still, and often too much space not too little.
About kids toys, you can keep toy clutter to a minimum by following a couple of simple rules; toys get put away when they're not being played with and also when a new toy is obtained, one gets donated or passed down/on to a relative or friend. Fewer toys often means more enjoyment from the toys. Another thing to consider is toys like Plymobil that can be put away into containers.
-
If you haven't already done so, be sure to Radon test that basement and upstairs too if you are in a high Radon zone. Radon is not a basement only problem, but it can get especially high in basements.
Anything on this map except for light yellow is a potentially high Radon area:
http://www2.epa.gov/radon/find-information-about-local-radon-zones-and-radon-programs#radonmap
I don't see a problem with the size. I was raised in a 1100 SF three bedroom house with four siblings and no basement. Girls in one bedroom, boys in the other.
Sure, more space would be nice. But McMansions are not Mustachian.
-
Awesome house!
It is big where it matters - yard, kitchen, living areas (plural).
You won't have any problem with the size. Ours is a bit larger and even our teenagers do not use the second living area-- we are all in one big common kitchen / family room or office with the computers, all the time. We grow into the yard for workshop/ camping storage space, etc by building a garage or shed.
note--
Darker colours on the walls will make each room feel a bit smaller, but cozy. Different decorating tricks will visually open up the walls, including use of white, etc. I much prefer the dark / wood / brick tones myself.
-
Having lived in a similar house with 2 kids, here are my practical tips:
-Keep the kids sleeping on the same floor as you until they are 3-4-5ish. This is because even when they are sleeping all night reliably, there will be times they have nightmares, or wet the bed, or puke. You want to be near them when they are little- you don't want them going up and down stairs in the dark to find you, or crying for a long time until you hear. Save the potential basement bedroom for guests, or an office, or for older kids.
-Minimize their clothes. Kids do not need a million clothes. Their closets should not be packed full. Use the empty space in the closets to store off season clothes and extra toys.
-Toys: do not keep them all out at once. Have half (or more) in rubbermaid tubs in the closet. Every 2 weeks or month, switch the out toys with the put away toys.
-Figure out where toys are going to be. Realistically, the kids will want to be in the same room as you until at least 3-4-5. If you like playing in the basement with them, cool. Try to imagine whether you really want to be down there all the time- I personally like to be tidying up or cooking or whatever upstairs, so we always had some toys on the main floor- either the living room or their bedroom. The key to having some in the living room is to have a SMALL number of toys. This is why you keep lots of them packed away. If you have them in the bedroom, you want a small number because they are small rooms. Too many toys out becomes a mess on the floor, and once it gets to that point, they don't get played with anyway.
-Skip dressers for the kids- put shelves in the closets.
-Each of my kids has a small 3-4 shelf bookcase by their bed. This is the "nightstand" and all there toys fit on it. Then clothes are in the closet. So a small bedroom still has plenty of room, and they can clean up quick. Messy toys like a million legos, put those in the basement family room, so if they want to leave stuff out no one is annoyed by them.
-Keep the main living areas tidy by not having a ton of stuff in them. Have a specific place that stuff like mail gets dropped, and keep it to that small area. Keep the coat closet cleaned out (off season jackets in the basement or bedroom closets) so all the coats,school bags, work bags, shoes, etc fit. This may seem impossible with a small coat closet, but its worth keeping that kind of clutter under control. Alternately, if you have a clear wall by the door, hang baskets (or a shelf with baskets on it) and a hook for each kid. Mittens/gloves/hats go in the basket, then 1 coat and the backpack hang on the hook. If you only buy each kid one pair of shoes at a time, the coat closet stays tidy. If you buy each kid 5 pairs because tiny toddler shoes are adorable, your small coat closet will become a giant shoe pile in the living room.
Etc.
+1. Great advice.
-
Um, why do you have to replace the carpet? Looks fine in the photos.
If you haven't already done so, be sure to Radon test that basement and upstairs too if you are in a high Radon zone. Radon is not a basement only problem, but it can get especially high in basements.
++
I grew up in what turned out to be a high radon house.
My brother was a light/social smoker - and has lung cancer at 38.
Radon is the #2 cause of lung cancer, smoking is #1. And they reinforce each other.
-
Congradulations on the new house! That is about the size we are thinking for when we upgrade to a second home in a couple of years (mostly for location, and our current place will become a rental, we bought it because even with PMI (gone in a couple months) it would cashflow decently after expenses) Everything everyone has said seems like good advice, the more storage a room has the nicer the whole house is. Open space is also good, we knocked down the kitchen/living room wall and it did wonders.
We currently live in a 3 bed 2 bath 850 sf but about 1300 finished including the basement, with two roomates (four adults total). The upstairs bathroom has been being remodeled, and we are VERY excited for that to be done soon, but 1 bathroom with family only sounds like it should be fine. We have taken our time with the bathroom remodel and never reason missed it until the fourth adult moved in. Even 1.5 baths would enough to be extremely comfortable though.
Have fun!
-
We are 2 adults and 3 kids in a 1250 Sq ft home built in 1952, with no basement, attic, or garage. We've been here for 10 years and don't plan to upgrade ever. There is plenty of space, even after adding the kids. We've been told we have a "big house" by people who have the same size house or larger.
Choose furniture that fits. Look for "apartment furniture " if buying new. It's smaller. Don't get too much. Don't get it all at once.
If you have a tv, flat screen all the way.
Use shelves.
Keep floors clear.
Bunk beds work.
Think double duty. My home office is my laptop on the dining table with a corner shelf unit housing the wireless printer. Our bedside tables are our chests of drawers. DH and I share the bedroom closet in our room. Our bedroom tv sits on another long chest of drawers that holds wrapping paper, gift bags, random gifts to give away when needed, my personal stationary, and other stuff. Our family room has no coffee table but has a sectional of sorts, a single smaller plush chair, and wall to wall shelves with books, games, toys, the tv and xbox, and a few random things. The center of the room is empty and is used to play toys. Our kitchen is a pass through, so our table has a bench on one side that can tuck under the table of the table is pushed against the wall, for parties.
We have white cabinets in the kitchen and Terra cotta colored walls in there. Bright yellow in the front/dining/office/sitting room. Cream in the family room. Choose what you love.
We do have two tool sheds, as DH likes to build things.
I would fix up that second bathroom first. That is more important than the master bedroom, imho, and like other parents have said, I prefer to be closer to my kids at night.
I browse apartment therapy and pinterest for ideas on making the space work. You've got the right attitude. You'll be fine.
-
Wow - 1100 sq ft sounds palatial (but I live in NYC ). To put it in perspective that amount of space would cost about 1.8 million in Manhattan!
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
-
Thanks for all the posts thus far. We read every single post this weekend and all of them have been helpful, but we especially appreciate the insight from parents. As I said at the outset, it's largely been people with kids who have said "you'll grow out of it." A partner at work even said that we'd list our house as soon as my GF is pregnant with our second child. So it's refreshing to hear parents say the opposite, and that our house is quite spacious.
Aside from being constantly conscious/aware about what we bring into the home, here's what we came up with thus far:
(1) We are going to de-clutter when we move. We can't get used to using all the space for use two simply because we can. We need to only use as much space as we intend to when we have kids.
(2) We loved the suggestion for using a bookshelf as a nightstand. We intend to either use bookshelves or those cube organizers in the kids' bedrooms as well as the basement. I currently use the cube organizers for clothes and they're great.
(3) We also like the suggestion of "vertical shelving." We are going to add shelves in each room and also intend to really maximize closet storage by optimizing the shelves there.
(4) In the basement rec-room, we are going to put the ping pong table I had growing up towards the far wall. I know it sounds weird but that table was extremely functional for my basement growing up--we used it to play with toys, we used it as a casual dinner table for pizza nights, and most importantly, we had a ton of storage underneath (I had two brothers, and we had three huge rubbermaid containers that went under there and we stored all sorts of toys/athletic equipment in there). It basically creates 45 more square feet of storage potential while serving several other functional purposes.
(5) A couple people mentioned to "double up" with as much furniture as we can. And we think that's a great idea. We are going to make sure that all the furniture we buy (coffee table, desks, whatever) has some element of storage utility.
(6) As most have suggested, we do intend to stay on the main floor with the kids until they are 4 or 5 years old. But we would like to finish the bathroom downstairs just to have a second bathroom available.
The overall gameplan is this:
-Move in this week
-Paint basement, pink bedroom, and cabinets when we move in
-Have master bedroom upstairs for quite a while and use small bedroom as a nursery
-Finish bathroom when financially/practically possible
-When kids are old enough, finish master bedroom downstairs
-Move office from downstairs to small bedroom (the former nursery)
-Finish basement to increase warmth/available living space.
Again, thanks for all the advice thus far.
-
And you'd be surprised how much can be fit into a tiny bedroom. When I was in college, I rented a tiny bedroom (to fit in my tiny budget). It was 8x8 and all my friends were horrified that i could live in there. Frankly, it had my bed, a bedside dresser, my desk, and a closet. What more space did I NEED? Especially since I also had extra storage space I could use in the basement.
As for your basement, we had a narrow family room too with a bedroom next to it. We did entertain a lot so we eventually ripped down the wall between the two. (Our main living room upstairs is very small so it got impractical). It also gave the kids more space to play around downstairs.
From your photos, you have a lovely space - I personally think it will be plenty with 2 adults and 2 kids. My own house is a more standard 1200/1300 sq ft design with full basement. We have 2 kids AND my MIL lives with us. We have a ton of space we don't really need to use (our entire basement really) although it is nice when we have company over.
And even if you do have company, people are able to squish quite easily. I remember a friend hosting about 20 ladies in her (very small) living room. We sat all over the place (many of us on the floor) and had a great time.
-
Super nice house!
No sure where you live but by the look of the trees you are south of me ?
That said (if no one has mentioned it) I would consider in the future enclosing that nice back deck with DIY labor.
The easiest thing would be to put down a subfloor on top the decking and either carpet or tile it. You can get used sliding glass doors for most of the wall area on three sides for cheap. You can do a roof tie in. (you'll want professional advice and or help with that).
I would use a propane radiant heater if needed.
The total cost will be less than 3K and you'll have a nice 300 sq ft sitting/entertainment room addition that will be used frequently. It will increase the value of the home far more than the cost.
I for one would never want a master bedroom in a basement. Yick
-
Finishing the bathroom is a good idea by the time potty training rolls around. My four-year-old will hog the bathroom for like half an hour every time he needs to poop. All four of sharing one bathtub was not a problem, and actually I kind of preferred it (one less thing to clean).
I saw someone commenting that the basement seems like a bad place for a master bedroom, but this is not our experience. It's darker, quieter, and better temperature-regulated down there.
-
The whole idea of "starter" home or "outgrowing" a home is so weird. We bought an 1800 sqft house (couldn't find something in the 12-1300 range in the neighborhood we liked) and everyone told us it would be fine "for now" but wait til we had kids. The family before us lived there for 40 years and raised 4 kids. Many of my colleagues are now "upgrading". I don't plan to move unless we change locations or downsize.
-
Congratulations! That is a nice looking home.
I don't think you'll have any trouble making it work. If you follow Mustachian principles, you're already set. We have an 860 sq ft. 1950 house (3 BR, 1 1/2 BA, no basement, no wasted hallway space, tiny single-car attached garage, plenty of closet space). When people come over, they say "Good thing it's just the two of you!" I then tell them that a family of six lived in our house very happily (having met three of the four adult children) for 20 years. Each person can only be in one room at a time, anyway. :)
The nicest surprise, perhaps, is how consistently low our utility bills are (< $70/month for electric, gas, and water). You'll enjoy that! I am *stunned* by how much our friends with huge homes spend on their utility bills, even in mild California.
We regularly cull things we're not using, don't really shop, and have a magazine-clean, clutter-free house most of the time (until my sewing room gets out of control).
Enjoy it. It looks like it's going to be great!
-
Looks like a really nice house! We've been told the same thing, our house of 1400-1500 is good for a "starter" home. When the seller told us that my husband cut him off and said "I don't believe in starter homes". To tell the truth there have been times I would like 1 more room but much of our issues is more clutter than of space.
So the main thing is reduce the amount of stuff you have and as other poster said, have a place for everything. It is great to have something serve as a coat closet. You will need somewhere to sort the mail and bills, etc. You need room for the kids and also their toys (ideally in their room). Kids don't mind a small room, so that to you a room that is too small is no big deal because it is private. My first college room was a triplett made into a quad. My room was big enough for a bed, and a desk, with the desk against my bed (my seat was the bed).
Make sure every thing has a place. If need be save some of the space in the basement when you do make a master bedroom, to carve out a storage spot, or make the closet larger so it can store out of season items (I'm assuming you do not have an attic or garage).
-
Looks like a nice house. I didn't read - kids in the picture eventually?
So I have 4 people (me, hubby, 2 boys) in an 1100 sf 2 BR, 1 BA house. No garage. No basement. No attic.
It's a squeeze, but it works just fine. I'm not sure how "comically small" your bedrooms are - do they have closets? Because it can still work. If you were going to have kids, I would not have the master bedroom in the basement with kids upstairs. I wouldn't consider that safe in case of fire or any other disaster.
I recently went to an open house in my hood. Similar sized house but with a pool! The master bedroom had a HUGE closet. But here's what they did:
They took a 3 BR house. They took the bedroom next to the master and turned it into a walk in closet.
Then they took the old master closet out, and the closet in the 3rd bedroom out (these were against the same wall), and turned that space into a master bathroom. Genius, right? If you're a dink!
Essentially it's an office, a bedroom, a large closet, and 2 bathrooms. The other "bedroom" (office) has no closet. Totally not useful for a family.
-
Looks like a nice house. I didn't read - kids in the picture eventually?
So I have 4 people (me, hubby, 2 boys) in an 1100 sf 2 BR, 1 BA house. No garage. No basement. No attic.
It's a squeeze, but it works just fine. I'm not sure how "comically small" your bedrooms are - do they have closets? Because it can still work. If you were going to have kids, I would not have the master bedroom in the basement with kids upstairs. I wouldn't consider that safe in case of fire or any other disaster.
I recently went to an open house in my hood. Similar sized house but with a pool! The master bedroom had a HUGE closet. But here's what they did:
They took a 3 BR house. They took the bedroom next to the master and turned it into a walk in closet.
Then they took the old master closet out, and the closet in the 3rd bedroom out (these were against the same wall), and turned that space into a master bathroom. Genius, right? If you're a dink!
Essentially it's an office, a bedroom, a large closet, and 2 bathrooms. The other "bedroom" (office) has no closet. Totally not useful for a family.
Interesting reno for a similar house. To be clear, just one of the bedrooms is small. I'd say it's 8x9 but does have a closet. Then there's an entire finished bedroom downstairs.
The issue is that no matter how we shake it, we all can't be on the same floor once the youngest kid grows out of the small bedroom. Even if we followed the couple in your example, that would leave just two bedrooms upstairs and one downstairs. We obviously have lot of time to think and debate about it, but I think my GF and I just want our own little space down there with an extremely nice bathroom and closet just for us. Then the kids can own the entire upstairs.
But again, we don't even have kids yet and this is all pretty hypothetical. It all just goes to figuring out how we can best optimize the space and stay there for the long term.
-
If you were going to have kids, I would not have the master bedroom in the basement with kids upstairs. I wouldn't consider that safe in case of fire or any other disaster.
Again, my kids sleep upstairs and I do not think it is unsafe. Factors:
1. The egress window is right over our bed. So easy to get out the window and come around the outside of the house if we needed to help our children.
2. Our doors have keyless entry, so we could get back in from the outside easily.
3. We have those stickers on the kids' doors and windows that are supposed to help firefighters find them.
4. We have a non-monitored burglar alarm. When our three-year-old got confused in the middle of the night and opened the front door, the alarm went off. (Since he was crying, I was already on my way up the stairs anyway.)
-
Somehow, I forgot to add the possibly actually helpful information I intended to post.
I believe you may be able to paint your cabinets white and have them turn out just fine, because a family member did something similar with paint and changing the hardware. The cabinets looked spectacular when I saw them in person -- super smooth.
I've attached before and after shots. (Yes, I am aware that there is a super racist Mammy cookie jar in photo #2. I swear, this is not my house and the cookie jar is long gone.)
I asked him how he went about it all. He did no sanding. He used a primer by Zinsser that is made to paint over any surface (his cupboards were laminate). Then he painted over the primer with a color called Betsy's Linen (made by Valspar, I think) and added new hardware. He used a fine sponge roller throughout, not a brush, and notes that they could have been even smoother if he had used a paint sprayer, which you can rent them from any home improvement store. (But they were really smooth as it was.)
I asked if he would have done the same thing if the cabinets had been dark like yours. He said yes, and that it may take a couple of coats but was very much worth it. He also said you can always pull a door off and do a test first.
An alternative is to reface the cabinets. You would probably have to ask a pro about that, but it's a step above painting and less expensive than replacing.
Best of luck! I think it will be fabulous.
-
My ex and I raised 3 kids in an 1800 SF house (no basement - so similar in living space to yours). 3 bedrooms 2 baths. It never felt too small (although I sometimes wished I had a basement playroom I could send the kids down to!)
The kids bedrooms were decent sized (may 10' x 11') and the two boys shared a room.
Advantages: good climate where we made full use of our back deck and other outdoor space. . Semi-open floorplan made the living spaces seem bigger.
Tricks: reduce clutter. Keep furnishings to scale (no big oversized pieces).
-
Wasn't the average American house size in the 1950's something like 983 sq ft? The fact that it's now over 2000 (with less inhabitants no less) is ridiculous.
I look at my grandma's house and think this all the time. My wife, I, and sons (8yo,5yo) live in 1100sq ft, not really well laid out. 3 bed, 1 bath, it's old, has a field stone basement so just storage down there. Cost a little over $100k 11 years ago. We get the 'when are you going to move into something bigger' question a lot. We could afford a lot more. My brother likes to tell me most people making what we make live in $250k+ houses. I tell him I want to retire someday and we can pay off our 'small' home in a few years. They'll still be paying in their 60s. The kids are happy, we're happy. Why move just for more space we don't really need? Plus I can't stomach looking at what payments would be for something twice as expensive.
You have a ton of space! And two bathrooms!!!
-
If you are planning to DIY the changes (I hope so!) Do look back through the archive of Young House Love (a sadly no longer running blog ) - their first two houses look pretty similar and they did great things without spending much. :)
-
If you are planning to DIY the changes (I hope so!) Do look back through the archive of Young House Love (a sadly no longer running blog ) - their first two houses look pretty similar and they did great things without spending much. :)
Good suggestion! They have great detailed instructions on painting wood cabinets white. It still makes me sad and angry that they were run off the internet by a bunch of jealous meanies who couldn't stand the fact that they got to work from home and spend time with their kids and didn't have to work 40 hours a week each. I hope some of them stumble onto this blog/forum one day and realize that those two had everything figured out.
-
You'll do well. A "small" house is awesome. If you can keep the amount of "things and stuff" that you own as low as possible, you'll love it. Ten years ago when single I lived in a 500 sq ft apartment. After six months of that I moved into a 200 sq ft studio. Today, with a family, I live in a palatial McMansion with tiny yard, cause I was a consumer sucka when we bought it. The smaller space I had, the less crap I had, and the more efficient my life was.
Smaller space = less cleaning, lower utilities, less searching for lost things, less time spent walking around, family closer together (instead of in separate rooms staring at separate iDevices), more time spent outside, easier maintenance, more free time, more money, etc. There really aren't many down sides. I am looking forward to moving into something smaller for our own home when we relocate next year.
-
The number one reason that kids take up more space than they should is a) people making up for not having time for their kids by buying them too many toys, b) family and friends giving the kids too many toys, c) keeping stuff around after the kids outgrow them, and d) kids need space to run around like crazy things.
For d), you have a basement and a yard! You are GOLDEN. As long as you can manage the keeping-too-much-crap situation, all will be well, so get some routines in place for divesting yourselves of excess possessions and avoid buying more. See if there's a http://buynothingproject.org/ (http://buynothingproject.org/) group in your area, or Freecycle, and get the hang of selling on Craigslist if you haven't already.
And for future reference: people-- possibly the same well-meaning people who are telling you this baloney about "growing out" of the house-- will attempt to convince you that you MUST buy everything NEW for babies. Ignore this advice. In my experience, people are so eager to get their kiddie detritus out of the house/storage/basement that they'll damn near pay YOU for it.
Your best investment in the house is to build community in your neighborhood. The benefits are insanely good when you get to the point where you have kids; being able to host rolling play-dates in the winter, having people on hand to hang out with, being able to have someone to babysit or who will keep an eye on things when you're out of town-- literally, this is life-saving. I once called a neighbor at midnight so she could come keep an eye on the baby / sleep on the couch while my husband and I ran to the emergency room, but even more importantly (NO REALLY) when you are a new parent, having a community of people that are familiar to the baby, and that you trust, means that you will sometimes be able to take a break, and even to nap. That is a treasure beyond price, and one that is getting sadly rare in the car-centric society we live in.
Second-most important investment is to make sure the place gets a lot of good sunlight, basement doesn't flood, windows are airtight, and the place is insulated like crazy.
-
White cabinet update! They're not 100% dry yet (we bought industrial strength paint that won't set for about a week), but when these are done setting, they won't be as glossy.
(http://i.imgur.com/qj3ycTe.jpg?1)
-
They look amazing! Awesome work!
-
Ok, first of all...congrats on the new home. Next, we had 4 kids in a 1100sq. ft. home with ONE bath (being able to have a second full bath will be a HUGE factor in keeping this home long term) and a partial basement (basement was 2/3 the size of the upstairs) that was not dry so could not be 'finished'. We had a playroom, laundry room and workshop down there but could not drywall or install carpet due to water issues. We still lived in that home for 8 years growing from a family of 4 to a family of 6...it was really the lack of a second bathroom that made us move.
What you can do....
Maximize bedroom space with underbed storage drawers and customized closets.
Maximize storage in all rooms by going vertical...cabinets to the ceiling in baths and kitchen, shelving to the ceiling in living spaces.
Any modifications made to spaces now should be easily reversible/changeable so that the space can continue as the family grows.
The white cabinets look great and I had white cabinets in a home with 4 kids and a home daycare and they survived just fine and I loved them and still miss them 15 years later.
-
White cabinet update! They're not 100% dry yet (we bought industrial strength paint that won't set for about a week), but when these are done setting, they won't be as glossy.
(http://i.imgur.com/qj3ycTe.jpg?1)
What type of paint did you use. We plan to paint our cabinets in the next month or so and are looking for suggestions.
We started in a 1200sf "starter" home back in the day (small garage, no basement) and decided to upsize to over 2700sf before having kids. I definitely regret that decision. We just sold the bigger house and downsized quite a bit even though we now have two kids. Don't listen when everyone encourages you to move to a bigger space. We would have saved ourselves a lot if we had just stayed put years ago.
-
White cabinet update! They're not 100% dry yet (we bought industrial strength paint that won't set for about a week), but when these are done setting, they won't be as glossy.
That looks so good! I love a classic white cabinet with nice oiled bronze hardware :)
-
I have lived in a 780 Sq foot house for 6 years now. I use to live with my parents in a house that was over 3000sq foot. Since being on my own i have learned a few things.
1). 780 Sq foot is more than enough for 2 people and 2 dogs(My situation), one bedroom is actually not used and closed most of the time.
2.) If you have not used an item in 6 months then you need to get rid of it (unless it is truly seasonal)
3.) Dont accept freebies from family/friends, It leads to excessive clutter.
4.) Buy it for life, Cheap furniture annoys me.
5.) Hang a flashlight pointing up in your bedroom, Use it when you get ready in the morning, before bed etc. Its not super bright like the regular lights and honestly i haven't used my ceiling bedroom light in years, its either maglight or sunlight.
6.) Keep hobby items separate from other things. For example, If you collect pocket knives, then have a case for them. Do not just stash a pocket knife under every couch cushion and in every drawer.
Ive got a bunch, but there is just a few tips. I like the paint job on the cabinets, what made you decide to paint them while still mounted as opposed to removing them and painting each individually. Isnt there drips or gaps by the hinges?
-
What type of paint did you use. We plan to paint our cabinets in the next month or so and are looking for suggestions.
We started in a 1200sf "starter" home back in the day (small garage, no basement) and decided to upsize to over 2700sf before having kids. I definitely regret that decision. We just sold the bigger house and downsized quite a bit even though we now have two kids. Don't listen when everyone encourages you to move to a bigger space. We would have saved ourselves a lot if we had just stayed put years ago.
We went to PPG, which is a regional paint company. We bought their "Pitt-Tech," which is industrial strength paint (it's what they sell to US Steel to paint their machines). We bought the Pitt Tech primer and paint, and a big thing was to get those in the same color so we would effectively have two coats of paint.
Note that you're going to read articles of people putting 3, 4, or even 5 or 6 coats of paint on their cabinets. That's because they bought shit paint. Buy good stuff and it will save you an enormous amount of time.
Process:
(1) Remove cabinets and drawers. Number each. Put hardware in a corresponding ziploc bag.
(2) Buy a cleaning material that removes the wax from the cabinets.
(3) Lightly sand. You're not trying to strip them of their finish, but you're just trying to break the surface.
(4) Wipe cabinets with damp washcloth.
(5) Prime. Be as careful as you would be if you were painting.
(6) Paint. Be sure to go back to watch for drips.
(7) Let dry for two days so paint can really attach to the primer.
(8) Hang back up and enjoy.
-
Nice job on the cabinets! Wow. They look fantastic. Here are a few tips, based on my doing it wrong for years and years until I've only recently started getting things right in my house:
1. Get the right-sized furniture. Much of what's sold today is too large for a small home. You could make an adorable sitting area in your living room by using four right-sized armchairs (two each facing each other with the fireplace in the middle). Getting the layout right is important.
2. Get COMFORTABLE furniture. Scan Craig's list for leather recliners, etc. Being comfortable in your home is the best feeling.
3. Create nooks if possible, wherever possible. One bedroom could be a reading room/nook. Maybe don't have a TV in the living room, but instead have one BR be a TV room.
4. Peruse the minimalist websites & avoid overstuffing your house. Keep it as empty as possible while still being homey. In my house, furniture has over the years just shown up - given to us by a BIL who didn't want it but didn't want to donate it, so he'd bring it over, thinking we'd like it. Stuff like that sticks around far too long. The less you can have, the better. It'll make your house look and feel bigger if you have less furniture, and the right size furniture.
5. We don't have a basement, but friends with kids who do often make that the playroom/TV room, and having a nice laundry & guest bed/bath would be great.
6. I agree with the advice to live with the house for awhile before making any major decisions on how much to spend on projects. Enclosing that back porch, if it can really be done for the 3K mentioned, would be fantastic & I'd do that fairly quickly.
Have fun! I'm happy for you guys. I think it's a great place to live because you will automatically be surrounding your children with people who live in houses just like yours & that's actually a big deal. Whether you stay there or not forever, it should definitely be a ten-year house, at the very least.
-
Congrats on the new house and wow, those painted cabinets look amazing. It's incredible what white paint can do.
We have a similar house, slightly larger (1500 sq ft ranch), but no basement. I have serious basement envy. The ability to have a guest room, play room, TV room, office, storage room, etc is a serious bonus in my book. An attic and crawlspace, while viable storage, is nowhere as convenient as a basement. That's my boat.
My advice echoes most other responders: make the most out of that basement and remember that bedrooms are primarily for sleeping.
Whenever I feel I need more space, or the urge to build an addition, or worst of all to move I remember that "Love grows best in little houses."
-
Your kitchen paint job is stupendous! Your prep work was outstanding.
We currently live in a 2500 square foot house which was big when our son was home and now is way too big. I am amazed at all the stuff we bought that is now little used but was Very Important to purchase. We are now looking forward to the relief of downsizing our home to a 1100 foot condo.
So, less is better for us. We are trying to make everything in our new space efficient, avoid clutter, and develop a use it or lose it mentality. I look forward to selling our current big house and moving on.
So, my thought is to store up a good emergency fund for the unpleasantness of being a homeowner and live in it without doing any more big changes to see what your family needs and wants.
I think you are being very wise with your home purchase.
Best wishes.
-
Great job on painting the kitchen cabinets! They look great and the room looks both bigger and brighter. Love me a white kitchen!