Author Topic: How many square feet is your home? And number of occupants.  (Read 28925 times)

pdxvandal

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Re: How many square feet is your home? And number of occupants.
« Reply #50 on: September 09, 2019, 10:07:33 PM »
2,300 square feet for two adults, one child and two felines. Most of our lives we were in a 1,300 square foot space, so it feels huge. I do like having a garage and offstreet parking, not loving the mortgage payment, but we can afford it. Will be downsizing in 9-10 years once/if the kid's out of the house.

bbqbonelesswing

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Re: How many square feet is your home? And number of occupants.
« Reply #51 on: September 10, 2019, 07:32:47 AM »
We have two adults and a cat in a ~1,600 sf apartment. It is nice when the occasional visitor stays over, but ultimately it's way too much space for us and we'll be downsizing at the end of our lease to something half the size.

gatortator

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Re: How many square feet is your home? And number of occupants.
« Reply #52 on: September 10, 2019, 07:57:52 AM »
1000sq ft above ground plus a partially finished basement.  2 adults, 2 kids in primary school, and 2 Labrador mutts.
« Last Edit: September 12, 2019, 02:52:39 PM by gatortator »

DadJokes

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Re: How many square feet is your home? And number of occupants.
« Reply #53 on: September 10, 2019, 08:05:54 AM »
2266 square feet, three occupants.

We moved out of an ~1800 square foot home (which was a perfect size) due to a new job and ended up exceeding our budget and buying way more house than we needed. We ended up adding ~$500 to our mortgage payment as a result, which basically means that I will be working an extra 18 months for the bigger, newer house if we were to stay in it long term.

However, I think we'll only spend another 3-4 years in the current home and then move into something smaller and closer to where my child will be going to school.

BoonDogle

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Re: How many square feet is your home? And number of occupants.
« Reply #54 on: September 10, 2019, 09:08:54 AM »
1900 sf above ground, 1500 below.  2 adults, 4 kids, and a dog.  Too big.  Ready to downsize but will have to wait until the kids are grown and moved out.

monarda

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Re: How many square feet is your home? And number of occupants.
« Reply #55 on: September 12, 2019, 09:08:51 AM »
1600 sq ft above ground (just added 500 sq ft), 750 sq ft below ground (not finished).
2 adults, many hobbies

whitewaterchica

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Re: How many square feet is your home? And number of occupants.
« Reply #56 on: September 12, 2019, 01:49:31 PM »
1380 square ft rancher with 1380 sq ft unfinished basement. One person and one cat.

Dicey

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Re: How many square feet is your home? And number of occupants.
« Reply #57 on: September 12, 2019, 03:01:46 PM »
My house is 2438 sf with a 1050 sf attached garage. No basement. Four adult humans, two bad dogs, one perfect cat. It's big, but we bought it just as the CA RE market was recovering in 2013, so it was affordable-ish. It's three and a half blocks from DH's work so he walks; not many in these parts get that privilege.

« Last Edit: September 13, 2019, 11:13:46 AM by Dicey »

dougules

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Re: How many square feet is your home? And number of occupants.
« Reply #58 on: September 12, 2019, 04:11:59 PM »
Four of us (2 adults and 2 kids - 11 and 7) in 1500 square feet (140 sq meters).  Our apartment is considered enormous by Italian standards.

I'm curious what amount of living space is normal for folks in Italy.

We have two people and two cats in 1800 sq ft.  It's more than we need.  I sometimes think about how much space we actually do need because I might like to GTFO of Alabama and go somewhere nicer that might cost a little more. 

lookingforadelorean

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Re: How many square feet is your home? And number of occupants.
« Reply #59 on: September 12, 2019, 06:22:44 PM »
2900 sf. Two adults, three kids, one dog. I feel like we really only use about half the space, though. We're always in the kitchen!

Step37

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Re: How many square feet is your home? And number of occupants.
« Reply #60 on: September 12, 2019, 06:50:47 PM »
1200 sf bungalow with finished basement. 2 adults and 2 small dogs upstairs, plus 2 adults downstairs in the suite. We have a bit of storage in the basement, plus a double garage (that we can both park in). It’s enough space, although I wouldn’t mind a different configuration sometimes...

shuffling_money

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Re: How many square feet is your home? And number of occupants.
« Reply #61 on: September 12, 2019, 07:15:35 PM »
1180 sq foot cape cod. Half finished basement. Two adults three children. Tight, but we only have 44 months left on mortgage($2000/month). Will dump that money into school/investments.

FLBiker

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Re: How many square feet is your home? And number of occupants.
« Reply #62 on: September 13, 2019, 07:40:21 AM »
1800 sqft, 2 adults 1 kid, no basement or garage (carport).  We wanted something smaller (1200-1300) but in our neck of the woods (NE Tampa) houses that small were all in kind of run down neighborhoods.  We saw some nice houses, but then the across the street neighbor would be covered in Tyvek (for months and months).

We're moving to Halifax, and may do an apartment to start (probably 3 bedroom, assuming I'm working from home). 

Jenny Wren

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Re: How many square feet is your home? And number of occupants.
« Reply #63 on: September 13, 2019, 08:57:39 AM »
We've been in a 750-ish square foot apartment for two months now. Two adults, one teen, cats & dog. It's the perfect size, we've discovered, in part because we have 180 acres of second growth forest and trails as our backyard, so no need to be cooped up indoors for any significant amount of time. Good outdoor space = less need for vast indoor spaces, had been my experience. We downsized from a 2400 square foot four bedroom house, where we only used about half the available space and the backyard in any meaningful manner.

lookingforadelorean

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Re: How many square feet is your home? And number of occupants.
« Reply #64 on: September 13, 2019, 10:27:04 AM »
1180 sq foot cape cod. Half finished basement. Two adults three children. Tight, but we only have 44 months left on mortgage($2000/month). Will dump that money into school/investments.

@shuffling_money Does that sf include the basement? We have the same family size, and I've been wondering for awhile how much we could comfortably downsize.

macmoneysaver

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Re: How many square feet is your home? And number of occupants.
« Reply #65 on: September 13, 2019, 12:02:23 PM »
2600 SF with 400SF screened in patio where we spend lots of time.  4 BR. 2 people.  Lots of room for family and friends to stay (often 4-10 more at a time).

the_fixer

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Re: How many square feet is your home? And number of occupants.
« Reply #66 on: September 15, 2019, 09:48:29 PM »
1690 2 adults



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Hula Hoop

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Re: How many square feet is your home? And number of occupants.
« Reply #67 on: September 16, 2019, 06:14:36 AM »
Four of us (2 adults and 2 kids - 11 and 7) in 1500 square feet (140 sq meters).  Our apartment is considered enormous by Italian standards.

I'm curious what amount of living space is normal for folks in Italy.

We have two people and two cats in 1800 sq ft.  It's more than we need.  I sometimes think about how much space we actually do need because I might like to GTFO of Alabama and go somewhere nicer that might cost a little more.


Here it would be pretty standard to have around 100 square meters for a family of 4.  That's around 1075 square feet.  My best friend is in a 85 square meter place with 2 adults 2 kids and 2 cats and they consider it fine for now (kids are 11 and 8) but maybe a little small when the kids are teens.  It's normal here for kids to share small bedrooms with siblings (including brother and sister) into adulthood as people often live at home through college and beyond. 

dougules

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Re: How many square feet is your home? And number of occupants.
« Reply #68 on: September 16, 2019, 11:33:34 AM »
Four of us (2 adults and 2 kids - 11 and 7) in 1500 square feet (140 sq meters).  Our apartment is considered enormous by Italian standards.

I'm curious what amount of living space is normal for folks in Italy.

We have two people and two cats in 1800 sq ft.  It's more than we need.  I sometimes think about how much space we actually do need because I might like to GTFO of Alabama and go somewhere nicer that might cost a little more.


Here it would be pretty standard to have around 100 square meters for a family of 4.  That's around 1075 square feet.  My best friend is in a 85 square meter place with 2 adults 2 kids and 2 cats and they consider it fine for now (kids are 11 and 8) but maybe a little small when the kids are teens.  It's normal here for kids to share small bedrooms with siblings (including brother and sister) into adulthood as people often live at home through college and beyond.

Does that include if they have a boy and a girl?  My sisters all shared a room, and I only got one to myself because I'm the only son. 

100 sq m sounds kind of tight to me with kids, but I always like hearing what normal is in other countries.  If they can be happy with that amount of space so can I.  I'm considering FIREing somewhere where floor space is a bit more expensive, so it's nice to have an idea of how much I can happily downsize.

Hula Hoop

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Re: How many square feet is your home? And number of occupants.
« Reply #69 on: September 16, 2019, 11:46:10 AM »
Four of us (2 adults and 2 kids - 11 and 7) in 1500 square feet (140 sq meters).  Our apartment is considered enormous by Italian standards.

I'm curious what amount of living space is normal for folks in Italy.

We have two people and two cats in 1800 sq ft.  It's more than we need.  I sometimes think about how much space we actually do need because I might like to GTFO of Alabama and go somewhere nicer that might cost a little more.


Here it would be pretty standard to have around 100 square meters for a family of 4.  That's around 1075 square feet.  My best friend is in a 85 square meter place with 2 adults 2 kids and 2 cats and they consider it fine for now (kids are 11 and 8) but maybe a little small when the kids are teens.  It's normal here for kids to share small bedrooms with siblings (including brother and sister) into adulthood as people often live at home through college and beyond.

Does that include if they have a boy and a girl?  My sisters all shared a room, and I only got one to myself because I'm the only son. 

Yes - the friends I was talking about in my example have a boy and a girl.

dcheesi

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Re: How many square feet is your home? And number of occupants.
« Reply #70 on: September 16, 2019, 12:51:38 PM »
Just over 1000 sqft, for 2 adults + 2 cats. However, the place was bought by my SO when she was newly single and had up to 3 kids living with her part-time.

Cassie

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Re: How many square feet is your home? And number of occupants.
« Reply #71 on: September 16, 2019, 02:22:07 PM »
Right now 2 people in 1400 sq ft. There were 5 of us in a 1700 sq ft house with 1 bathroom the entire time we were raising the kids.  I love having 2 bathrooms now.

alsoknownasDean

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Re: How many square feet is your home? And number of occupants.
« Reply #72 on: September 17, 2019, 04:37:15 AM »
Around 400 or so, and just me.

I want a bit more space if I'm honest. Looking to move.

Sugaree

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Re: How many square feet is your home? And number of occupants.
« Reply #73 on: September 17, 2019, 05:25:23 AM »
1600 sqft of heated space with an extra 400 sqft of semi-heated space (let's call it a 2-and-a-half season room).  Two adults, a 6 year-old, and the biggest golden retriever on the planet.  My son says our house is too small, but I say that's just because he has too much stuff.

Metalcat

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Re: How many square feet is your home? And number of occupants.
« Reply #74 on: September 17, 2019, 05:47:55 AM »
Four of us (2 adults and 2 kids - 11 and 7) in 1500 square feet (140 sq meters).  Our apartment is considered enormous by Italian standards.

I'm curious what amount of living space is normal for folks in Italy.

We have two people and two cats in 1800 sq ft.  It's more than we need.  I sometimes think about how much space we actually do need because I might like to GTFO of Alabama and go somewhere nicer that might cost a little more.


Here it would be pretty standard to have around 100 square meters for a family of 4.  That's around 1075 square feet.  My best friend is in a 85 square meter place with 2 adults 2 kids and 2 cats and they consider it fine for now (kids are 11 and 8) but maybe a little small when the kids are teens.  It's normal here for kids to share small bedrooms with siblings (including brother and sister) into adulthood as people often live at home through college and beyond.

Does that include if they have a boy and a girl?  My sisters all shared a room, and I only got one to myself because I'm the only son. 

100 sq m sounds kind of tight to me with kids, but I always like hearing what normal is in other countries.  If they can be happy with that amount of space so can I.  I'm considering FIREing somewhere where floor space is a bit more expensive, so it's nice to have an idea of how much I can happily downsize.

I'm the only girl and I didn't get a solo bedroom by default. I shared a bedroom with various brothers over the years and it was no big deal. There was one tiny solo room, and we each cycled through it if we got sick of sharing. It was the shittiest room though, so we'd eventually cycle back out.
Gender was never an issue, no one cared. Snoring was an issue, but not gender.

elliha

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Re: How many square feet is your home? And number of occupants.
« Reply #75 on: September 17, 2019, 06:02:22 AM »
1055 square feet for two adults and two kids. This is pretty normal for someone who lives in an apartment in Sweden with kids. We have three bedrooms so each kid can have their own room (but the little one still sleeps in our bedroom and his future room is an office). We have a tiny storage space in the basement too and a common storage room for bicycles. We rent a parking space but no garage.

AMandM

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Re: How many square feet is your home? And number of occupants.
« Reply #76 on: September 17, 2019, 08:28:03 AM »
1275 sf on 1 1/2 stories above ground, plus a (poorly) finished basement.

When we first moved in, there were nine of us, two adults and seven kids aged 10-22 (two were away at college in term time, but still had beds and stuff at home). That was too crowded, but we knew it was temporary, because the two oldest were due to graduate and move out in six months.

Since then kids have continued to grow up and move out. Now we're down to 2 adults, a college student, and 2 teenagers. The house is a good size for us, with our very home-based lifestyle (homeschooling, domestic hobbies, part-time work from home).

It's about to get a little snugger, because my father will be moving in with us. Not sure yet which/how many rooms he'll be occupying, but I'm decluttering!

ak907

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Re: How many square feet is your home? And number of occupants.
« Reply #77 on: September 17, 2019, 12:42:18 PM »
I really want to know more about the lifestyles of people responding in this post. It is amazing how little space you need. It makes me feel guilty. Many of you are living with very little space compared to the average American. My wife and I (plus large dog) live in a ~900 sq ft (83 sq meter) apartment and I am fully willing to admit it feels cramped and I really want to find a way to affordably have much more space/make what we have more comforatable.
We do have a bunch of stuff, that without which, the space would not be as much of a struggle. For example all 5 of our bikes are stored in the apt as there is no other available secure weatherproof storage. We are into backpacking so we have a decent amount of gear around that (we try to make as much of it as possible multi-functional, but there are limits). We also have a squat rack in the second bedroom as the cost of the equipment was half the cost of a 1 year gym membership anywhere nearby for the two of us. I also have a lot of tools for doing bike maintenance, car maintenance and woodworking (making furniture, frames, shelves, etc.) that end up taking a decent amount of space (basic tools are almost as expensive to rent as they are to buy).
  Clothes and shoes are a huge challenge, housing stock in our area is old and the closet in most bedrooms is simply to small for a woman's array of clothing let alone a couples. We buy very little high quality clothing each year and strive to make everything as multi-functional as possible (bike commuting, work clothing, mountain biking, backpacking, and dirty clothes (woodworking, painting, gardening, car maintenance) but it still ends up being a lot, particularly in a climate with weather between 5-96 degrees F, to much for a closet 2.5 ft by 4.5 ft.
Do other people with such small spaces simply not take part in activities that require as many physical items? How do you properly assess the price of buying the tools to do things yourself vs just outsourcing maintenance and buying things?
« Last Edit: September 17, 2019, 01:21:32 PM by ak907 »

CNM

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Re: How many square feet is your home? And number of occupants.
« Reply #78 on: September 17, 2019, 01:57:50 PM »
1550 2 adults, 2 children

I really want a basement or "play room" so the kids can be rowdy and noisy without driving me crazy.

ak907

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Re: How many square feet is your home? And number of occupants.
« Reply #79 on: September 17, 2019, 02:01:18 PM »
1550 2 adults, 2 children

I really want a basement or "play room" so the kids can be rowdy and noisy without driving me crazy.

Sounds like something I will/would want as well.

Jenny Wren

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Re: How many square feet is your home? And number of occupants.
« Reply #80 on: September 17, 2019, 03:14:42 PM »
I really want to know more about the lifestyles of people responding in this post. 

It appears we share a lot of similar interests! Forgive the novel below.

Our space is small, made smaller by the fact that it is only 1 bedroom for three people. Spouse works from home, I'm a student/work from home, and we have a 14 yr old at home. Teen son has the bedroom, but one entire wall is a closet in his room. We have bookshelves covering two of the remaining walls, and his desk & bed on the other. Half his closet is his closet, the other half is the gear closet with all of our backpacking/camping/general outdoor gear. Shelves and hooks make this type of compact storage possible. Plus, we aren't gear heads. We have exactly what we need to do backcountry trips for four seasons in most regions of the PNW. I know people with 4 sets of snowshoes, multiple tents and stoves, etc. We have one set each, one stove, one three season backpacking tent and one 3-season family car camping tent, etc. It's much cheaper to rent/borrow anything we don't have rather than moving to a larger place just so we can store it for 350 days of the year.

We are in the PNW so need more outerwear than normal clothing. A 12-hook coat rack on the wall and boot trough beneath it in the entry hall handles this.

Bikes have covers and are stored outdoors, locked securely, to the apartment community's bike rack. Covers are literally brown tarps that I folded in half and sewed to make them into a pocket that slides over the bike. If this wasn't an option, we would have put up wall racks somewhere in the apartment and pretended the bikes were artwork, lol.

Our kayaks are stored standing upright and strapped to the rails at either end of our balcony deck. This gives us the center for hanging out/entertaining. Plus, the kayaks make nice little walls so we have privacy from our neighbors when on the deck.

Our car camping chairs/tables double as our deck furniture.

Our bedroom is the dining room. We use two bookcases, facing inward and with a curtain between them, as walls. We did use the earthquake wall anchors so they don't fall over. If we can't repair, we'll take the hit to our deposit without complaint. Each bookcase acts as a closet for each of us. Mine mainly holds clothing items that would go in drawers (I use baskets on the shelves) and most of my personal hobby items, like craft materials, as well as some books. My partner put a closet rod in hers (she's more into clothing than I am) and uses the lower shelves like drawers. We also each have of one of those three-tiered wire fruit basket things hanging in two corners. These hold all of our accessories (belts, bandanas, etc).

The coat closet is actually our closet. Shoes in the bottom, clothes that need to hang on the rod. Tools and sewing machine on the shelf. We are in the casual PNW, so our REI-style wardrobe is all we need, so perhaps we don't need as much clothing storage as others would (two females, BTW, so I don't think it is a gender issue). There is also a linen closet, which houses the linens, cleaning supplies, and laundry basket. All other items are stored in either the kitchen or bathroom cabinets.

The living room has a couch, a small entertainment center, and two bookcases. My desk is also tucked into a corner. Bookcase #1: this is the biggest bookcase. It stores all my nerd stuff -- two microscopes, 1 small telescope, accessories, books and field guides, and the board games.

Bookcase #2: This is my partner's stuff. Art supplies mainly, and some books.

Entertainment center doubles as partner's desk. Her computer is hooked up to the TV/monitor, and she has a swing out keyboard stand thingy for her keyboard and drawing tablet. Since we stream and don't buy DVDs etc, the storage under the monitor is for the printer, scanner, ink cartridges, paper, etc. Headphones are our friends when working/studying on different projects.

We also keep a small folding table beneath the couch/futon that we can set up in front of the couch. Bring in the camp chairs, and we have a table for 4 for entertaining, board game nights, or a bigger work area. Since the couch is a futon, we also have a place for overnight guests to stay (which has already been useful). Yoga mats, foam rollers, and our TRX system is also stored in a bin under the couch when not in use.

We spend most of our time outdoors, whether really outdoors or just hanging out on our deck. There are 4.5 "spaces" for us to use for privacy -- teen's room, our room, living room, the deck, and my office nook. Most of the time, the space feels luxurious even though it's sub-800sq ft even counting the deck.

The key to thriving in a small space is to not own much, not want much, and to have well defined spaces to provide people privacy or at least a convincing illusion of privacy. A mistake people often make is trying to go open concept. This works great if you are one person in a small space or if you have a huge space. Otherwise, you need well defined spaces that at least provide visual privacy from others. We are also quiet people by nature. This probably makes it easier to be in such as small space without feeling crowded.

FamilyGuy

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Re: How many square feet is your home? And number of occupants.
« Reply #81 on: September 17, 2019, 03:53:31 PM »
1750 sq feet town home. 2 adults and 2 kids.

diapasoun

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Re: How many square feet is your home? And number of occupants.
« Reply #82 on: September 17, 2019, 04:30:28 PM »
I'm just finishing up a move right now. :) Formerly, 3000 sqft 5 BR/2BA for 6 adults and a cat. Now, 530 sqft 1BR/1BA for 2 adults and a cat.

The 530 sq ft feels really pleasant; both cozy and spacious at the same time. I love it. We would enjoy a second bedroom (maybe another 100 square feet?) so that we could have a dedicated office + guest space, but that'd be the cherry on top -- certainly not necessary in any way for us to live a very comfortable life. We've certainly gotten rid of some stuff in the process, but that feels good, not bad. My only current pain point is finding a good place to keep my bicycle.

@ak907 No wonder it feels cramped! Big dog, five bicycles, lots of tools and what sounds like a lot of clothing. Those all take up space. Do you feel like you've maximized the space as-is -- for example, the closet has a shelf, a rod, and a low dresser to maximize vertical space? Do you use under-bed storage for stuff like linens? Are tools and equipment squared away neatly in closed drawers/shelf cubes, or does it feel cramped because the presentation is messy?

If you have maximized that space, are there things that you think you need (clothing/equipment/etc) that, if you think about it, you really only use once or twice a year at best? That stuff is worth getting rid of it (rent or borrow it if you need it).

FWIW my partner and I have over 1000 books between the two of us and we're making the 530 sqft work! So you can definitely fit a ridiculous amount of crap in a small space. ;)

TVRodriguez

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Re: How many square feet is your home? And number of occupants.
« Reply #83 on: September 18, 2019, 11:59:27 AM »
I really want to know more about the lifestyles of people responding in this post. 


The key to thriving in a small space is to not own much, not want much, and to have well defined spaces to provide people privacy or at least a convincing illusion of privacy. A mistake people often make is trying to go open concept. This works great if you are one person in a small space or if you have a huge space. Otherwise, you need well defined spaces that at least provide visual privacy from others. We are also quiet people by nature. This probably makes it easier to be in such as small space without feeling crowded.

I'll second this.  Our house is ~1250 sq ft with 5 people, and I do feel like we have enough space and enough separate spaces.  Three bedrooms, a front living/dining room, an eat-in kitchen, and a family room, plus a patio/pool/backyard, but no basement, garage or real attic.  We can all be in different rooms in the house if we want to have "alone time" or privacy.  We end up in the same room together often, but not always.  When I work from home, I use the dining room table as my desk, which is also where the kids do homework.  DH uses the side patio as a tool shed/workshop.  It would be nice for him to have a garage, but there is no space to build one, and we don't want to move just for that.

Layout is important.  People with bigger houses than ours have told us how they wish they had as much space as we do.  But they have more or larger bedrooms, and sometimes they have an open floorplan.

Metalcat

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Re: How many square feet is your home? And number of occupants.
« Reply #84 on: September 18, 2019, 12:03:40 PM »
I really want to know more about the lifestyles of people responding in this post. It is amazing how little space you need. It makes me feel guilty. Many of you are living with very little space compared to the average American. My wife and I (plus large dog) live in a ~900 sq ft (83 sq meter) apartment and I am fully willing to admit it feels cramped and I really want to find a way to affordably have much more space/make what we have more comforatable.
We do have a bunch of stuff, that without which, the space would not be as much of a struggle. For example all 5 of our bikes are stored in the apt as there is no other available secure weatherproof storage. We are into backpacking so we have a decent amount of gear around that (we try to make as much of it as possible multi-functional, but there are limits). We also have a squat rack in the second bedroom as the cost of the equipment was half the cost of a 1 year gym membership anywhere nearby for the two of us. I also have a lot of tools for doing bike maintenance, car maintenance and woodworking (making furniture, frames, shelves, etc.) that end up taking a decent amount of space (basic tools are almost as expensive to rent as they are to buy).
  Clothes and shoes are a huge challenge, housing stock in our area is old and the closet in most bedrooms is simply to small for a woman's array of clothing let alone a couples. We buy very little high quality clothing each year and strive to make everything as multi-functional as possible (bike commuting, work clothing, mountain biking, backpacking, and dirty clothes (woodworking, painting, gardening, car maintenance) but it still ends up being a lot, particularly in a climate with weather between 5-96 degrees F, to much for a closet 2.5 ft by 4.5 ft.
Do other people with such small spaces simply not take part in activities that require as many physical items? How do you properly assess the price of buying the tools to do things yourself vs just outsourcing maintenance and buying things?

We have 800sqft for the two of us, we're into biking, snow boarding, live in a climate that can swing nearly 100 degrees C (150 degrees F) so the clothing needs are intense, we have a cat and a dog although both are small, and I like open spaces with minimal furniture in them and minimal stuff around, so packing our small apartment with stuff isn't an option.

Where it's easier for us is that we have a bike cage in the building, although we could easily store them on the balcony. We also have a gym and an indoor pool.

As for tools, we have a lot of friends and tend to tool share with them. I keep minimal tools here in the apartment, just a tool box and a power drill.

Our place is a one bedroom so the rooms are all a good size and there's a powder room sized pantry. The bedroom has two full closets and enough space for two large dressers and additional Ikea storage units, and we also have under-bed storage  Add to that a large entry way closet and we have more than enough space for all of our sports gear, seasonal gear, social clothes, and work clothes.

As for the cost of gym equipment vs a membership, you also need to compare the cost of maintaining the space for a home gym. In my building, the increase in monthly condo fees alone for a one bedroom vs a two bedroom would cover the cost of one gym membership, not to mention the extra 70K plus interest it would cost to purchase that extra bedroom.

We just moved from a 3 story, 3 bedroom, 1.5 bath townhouse with a huge storage room in the basement, and a yard, and honestly, it really hasn't been a challenge.

There are trade offs for sure, with limited space you only have so many in-house hobbies you can cram into your living space. In our old place we had a dedicated gym, an office, a big dining room table we never used, etc. We basically gave rooms a dedicated purpose because they were there and would otherwise be empty.

At one point I actually got rid of the dining room table and left the room empty so I could do my exercises while DH was in the gym because we like different music.

We were looking for purposes for our spaces, but it sounds like you have a bunch of activities that you are looking to keep in house, so you are searching for space for your purposes.

DH and I are both really big on getting out of the house to do things, so that makes our current 800sqft plenty for us because it's just for living, so it's very spacious.
« Last Edit: September 18, 2019, 12:06:33 PM by Malkynn »

caracarn

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Re: How many square feet is your home? And number of occupants.
« Reply #85 on: September 18, 2019, 12:55:32 PM »
This is a great thread, especially when it got to sharing the lifestyle and how the space corresponds. 

We currently reside in a 2200 sq ft 4 BR that I bought when I divorced for me and my three kids.  We have used it when I remarried and it was 2 adults and 6 kids, 1 dog, 2 cats and a rabbit.  We now are down to 2 adults and three kids most of the time as the other three are on their own or in college.  As this continues to dwindle to empty nest (my wife and I are well past the point of can't wait for that) we have started trying to determine what our downsizing house will be.  We thought maybe 1,200 would be reasonable, but like others I begin to wonder if we are not thinking far enough.  We have few needs for space as we are fine with reading or using our computers etc, which do not need a lot of space.  The one thing that I think keeps us unsure if as the kids grow up and some might start families of their own (though right now all of them are insistent they are not getting married or having any kids, but they still are barely 20 with the oldest) we could not have them come over, but it seems wasteful to own a big house just to have a once a year Thanksgiving or something.

diapasoun

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Re: How many square feet is your home? And number of occupants.
« Reply #86 on: September 18, 2019, 01:04:34 PM »
I'm just finishing up a move right now. :) Formerly, 3000 sqft 5 BR/2BA for 6 adults and a cat. Now, 530 sqft 1BR/1BA for 2 adults and a cat.

The 530 sq ft feels really pleasant; both cozy and spacious at the same time. I love it. We would enjoy a second bedroom (maybe another 100 square feet?) so that we could have a dedicated office + guest space, but that'd be the cherry on top -- certainly not necessary in any way for us to live a very comfortable life. We've certainly gotten rid of some stuff in the process, but that feels good, not bad. My only current pain point is finding a good place to keep my bicycle.

@ak907 No wonder it feels cramped! Big dog, five bicycles, lots of tools and what sounds like a lot of clothing. Those all take up space. Do you feel like you've maximized the space as-is -- for example, the closet has a shelf, a rod, and a low dresser to maximize vertical space? Do you use under-bed storage for stuff like linens? Are tools and equipment squared away neatly in closed drawers/shelf cubes, or does it feel cramped because the presentation is messy?

If you have maximized that space, are there things that you think you need (clothing/equipment/etc) that, if you think about it, you really only use once or twice a year at best? That stuff is worth getting rid of it (rent or borrow it if you need it).

FWIW my partner and I have over 1000 books between the two of us and we're making the 530 sqft work! So you can definitely fit a ridiculous amount of crap in a small space. ;)

ETA how we use the space:

My hobbies are reading, knitting/crochet, D&D, hiking/walking, and a dash of plants (including houseplants) and occasionally actually going to the gym regularly.

Partner's hobbies are reading, video/computer games, D&D, and getting pulled into walks with me. :)

We therefore have space for a ton of books, some D&D supplies (books, minis, dice, a map), my yarn stash (small for a stash, but existent), my plants, and Partner's TV + desktop + consoles. Books are definitely our big problem when it comes to space, and we have to be ruthless about culling if they don't fit on shelves.

We also are extroverts and have people over a lot, including for D&D sessions -- we've made sure to have a seriously modular setup that allows for lots of sitting on soft cushions on the floor, pulling the breakfast nook chairs into the living room, that sort of thing. We don't have space for a formal dinner party, but we have plenty of space for scruffy entertaining. ;)

Jenny Wren

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Re: How many square feet is your home? And number of occupants.
« Reply #87 on: September 18, 2019, 01:06:02 PM »
The one thing that I think keeps us unsure if as the kids grow up and some might start families of their own (though right now all of them are insistent they are not getting married or having any kids, but they still are barely 20 with the oldest) we could not have them come over, but it seems wasteful to own a big house just to have a once a year Thanksgiving or something.

I wanted to comment on this concern, as we had it at first. We can sleep one, maybe two, guests comfortably on our futon. Of course, we also have some family and friends that prefer more privacy or have larger families. We have a short list of inexpensive but nice Air BnB's within walking distance of our home. Some we have stayed at in the past before moving here, so know they are quality. A few I contacted the host through the app, explained what I was doing, and asked if I could view the space. Every person but one was willing to let me do so. This way we have vetted alternatives that are affordable. We would help offset the cost, either by paying part of the fee or providing meals and transportation during the visit, so our guests would still feel welcome.

gatortator

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Re: How many square feet is your home? And number of occupants.
« Reply #88 on: September 18, 2019, 01:21:24 PM »
One concept that I stumbled upon a few years ago is The Pretty Good House:

Quote
Measure 1000-1500-1750-1875. These number are probably not as obvious; they represent an allotment of square feet of living space for 1, 2, 3, and 4+ inhabitants, respectively. It could be less — the national average is much more — but as a group we thought this was… pretty good.
source: https://www.greenbuildingadvisor.com/article/the-pretty-good-house

the article goes on to describe other maintenance, design and renovation concepts to make a house not perfect but... pretty good.  I often refer to this and other articles from this site as I plan the updates to my older stock home.


Another article I found was the idea of space efficiency and multi functionality.

http://5kids1condo.com/square-foot-hours-designing-24-hour-spaces/
« Last Edit: September 18, 2019, 01:28:05 PM by gatortator »

JLee

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Re: How many square feet is your home? And number of occupants.
« Reply #89 on: September 18, 2019, 01:34:57 PM »
One concept that I stumbled upon a few years ago is The Pretty Good House:

Quote
Measure 1000-1500-1750-1875. These number are probably not as obvious; they represent an allotment of square feet of living space for 1, 2, 3, and 4+ inhabitants, respectively. It could be less — the national average is much more — but as a group we thought this was… pretty good.
source: https://www.greenbuildingadvisor.com/article/the-pretty-good-house

the article goes on to describe other maintenance, design and renovation concepts to make a house not perfect but... pretty good.  I often refer to this and other articles from this site as I plan the updates to my older stock home.


Another article I found was the idea of space efficiency and multi functionality.

http://5kids1condo.com/square-foot-hours-designing-24-hour-spaces/

Multi functionality is useful from a space efficiency perspective, but simultaneously disagrees with what I've read about quality of sleep, e.g. https://www.alaskasleep.com/blog/tips-creating-ideal-sleep-environment

Metalcat

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Re: How many square feet is your home? And number of occupants.
« Reply #90 on: September 18, 2019, 02:03:50 PM »
Re: guests

We don't like having guests stay over, but we did purposely buy very multi-functional sofas that can easily be converted into two twin beds or one king bed when needed.

There are several AirBnB units in my building, so it's actually easier and cheaper to rent one of those for rather than maintain a room just for the occasional overnight guest(s).

As for keeping a big house for future grandkids etc, there's always the option of renting a huge place for everyone over the holidays if no one has a place big enough to host.

Again, renting a place to fit your occasional needs is far more economical than owning a space you rarely need or use.

There are always options.

Stachetastic

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Re: How many square feet is your home? And number of occupants.
« Reply #91 on: September 19, 2019, 05:41:24 AM »
Our home is 1600 sq ft, so not tiny, but also void of any formal entertaining space. Fortunately, the kitchen/dining area are one open space, and the living room is off of that, creating a large "L" shape. We keep folding tables of various sizes that we set up in the living room to accommodate whatever sized guest list we have for each occasion. This way we don't have to maintain a separate space just for the couple of occasions we host per year.

BicycleB

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Re: How many square feet is your home? And number of occupants.
« Reply #92 on: September 19, 2019, 06:06:43 AM »
1,270 sqft + ~48 sf storage room, 2 adults (my wife might disagree with this) and a dog

@Dogastrophe, LOL

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1600 sq ft, 4 adults, no pets, no basement, no garage; parking (both bikes and cars) is exterior.

Small backyard shed stores yard supplies and 2 unlocked bikes. Could store more if we cleaned it. 1 bike is stored in open leaning against the house unlocked, by its owner's choice. 2 cars in driveway. Street parking for 2 cars is unused.

Re use - 4 bdr home, I live in 1 bdr and rent out the other 3. Renters and I usually tend to keep to ourselves in the bedrooms though we are friendly when emerging from our private nests. I had one roommate who used the dining room table frequently as office space but no one does currently (that was fine, he did it for 6 years). In earlier eras the living room and kitchen/dining room/patio areas were frequently used for chess play, story telling, joshing, etc. Currently I have one roommate who likes to tell stories, laugh about Trump, etc while he eats breakfast or dinner; I oblige him whenever I feel like it, several times per week. This has also provided live testimony re the 20something dating scene, reports on what it's like to work in a high end restaurant, explanations of politics and society in a small African country, and the opportunity to mentor an engaging college student.

Storage is small except in the one bedroom that is really the converted carport, which is 20 ft long and also has a walk-in closet. Some roomies struggle to store / organize their goods so their room is messy, but I state in my rental agreement that the common areas are not for renter storage.

Given our habits, the living room and dining room, which are separated from each other and the kitchen by archways of sorts but not doors, are relatively little used even though I have nice furniture in them (I think).  However, they still function well when used. When I have visitors, they seem happy. They tend to lounge in the living room, the first room of entrance, unless I cook something, at which point the kitchen & dining room become the lounging area. The dining room table has hosted parties of 6 guests who eat at the table, though that's cramped. In the rare event of a bigger general party, the table is a storage point for food/drink that is prepared in the kitchen, while guests lounge on the 3 couches (1 in dining room, 2 in living room), recliner (also "dining" room) or mill about, including use of the patio overlooked by the dining room. "Dining room" here means "adjoins kitchen, opens into backyard by sliding glass door, which means the dining table has a view of greenery".  :)

The 1600 sq ft includes a laundry room that is in the house but most of us access it from an exterior door (otherwise you'd have to go through the carport roomie's personal space). Despite this awkwardness, all are relieved to be able to wash clothes at home instead of a laundromat.

Our main bottlenecks are probably, in order:
1. Only one bathroom, so knock if somebody's in it. I keep problems low by getting roommates with differing natural schedules. This works surprisingly well.
2. Fridge space. One ordinary fridge/freezer. Needs culling maybe once a year to ensure space is being used, not obstructed by abandoned junk.

The kitchen has a separate couple of storage shelves for each person. It's not a big kitchen, but it's efficient. I am the only person who stores enough food to overflow my kitchen shelving; I keep some dry goods (beans, nuts, grains) and occasionally fruit in my bedroom.
« Last Edit: September 19, 2019, 07:44:21 AM by BicycleB »

theoverlook

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Re: How many square feet is your home? And number of occupants.
« Reply #93 on: September 19, 2019, 08:16:36 AM »
Our space is small, made smaller by the fact that it is only 1 bedroom for three people. Spouse works from home, I'm a student/work from home, and we have a 14 yr old at home. Teen son has the bedroom, but one entire wall is a closet in his room.

Oh my goodness, where do you and your spouse sleep? Forgive the personal question, but what do you two do when it's time for "adult activity?"

Jenny Wren

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Re: How many square feet is your home? And number of occupants.
« Reply #94 on: September 19, 2019, 08:54:53 AM »
@theoverlook

We have a bedroom for sleeping and other indoor sports. We turned the dining room into our bedroom, complete with bed and walls. We have plenty of privacy. We have much more space and privacy compared to most households in the world (although much less than those in the US). With only one teen at home (and teens are rarely home), I have a bajillion times more privacy than I had in our big house with multiple bedrooms when I had two small children at home!

2Birds1Stone

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Re: How many square feet is your home? And number of occupants.
« Reply #95 on: September 21, 2019, 05:40:50 PM »
I live in a ~400 sq foot apartment with my fiance. Been here 6 years. HCOL area, but below market rent because we are good tenants and our landlord has not raised the rent on us.

It's a basement apartment in a rental house. Walk down the steps and enter a long 20' hallway which serves as a mudroom/bike storage (4 bikes! 2 MTB + 2 Road), small walk in closet type external storage room, then then entrance to the actual apartment. The main living areas is a combo of kitchen/dining room/living room, with the kitchen area being tile floor, and the rest a pretty indestructible carpet. We have a nice sized bathroom with sink/toilet/shower stall, and a bedroom that's just big enough for a queen sized bed and 2 dressers, 1 shared closet for hanging clothes.

We love it, it's more than enough space for two people with no pets. Includes all utilities w/ WiFi, for $1,100/month. We have a huuuuuuge yard, with mature trees for shade, a hammock strung between two, a chimenea, a gas and charcoal BBQ, and a large outdoor table with 6 chairs. Technically anyone can use the yard, from the upstairs rental house, but in the 6 years we've been here, the tenants upstairs have used it maybe a dozen times, while it's served as my office 6 months out of the year, and we hang out there all day when the weather is nice, eat our meals outside, read, etc. We have a raised box garden, a rotating composting bin built out of a 55 gallon drum, and a small shed for snow shovels and misc stuff to share with renters upstairs. 

We will miss it when we move out in March. Probably won't find such a great place at this price again. And the landlord has been very cool, always on top of anything major that needed to get done.

The upstairs house is split into two rentals. The main house with 3 adults and 1 kid living there, and a mother in law suite which is another 1 bedroom + office with a young professional couple living there. So all in all, we have 7 adults and 1 teenager living in this house, with a large half circle driveway for 4 cars, and 3 are parked on the street.

The landlord is making a killing turning a SFH into 3 separate dwellings.

BicycleB

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Re: How many square feet is your home? And number of occupants.
« Reply #96 on: September 21, 2019, 05:55:11 PM »
I live in a ~400 sq foot apartment with my fiance. Been here 6 years. HCOL area, but below market rent because we are good tenants and our landlord has not raised the rent on us.

It's a basement apartment in a rental house. Walk down the steps and enter a long 20' hallway which serves as a mudroom/bike storage (4 bikes! 2 MTB + 2 Road), small walk in closet type external storage room, then then entrance to the actual apartment. The main living areas is a combo of kitchen/dining room/living room, with the kitchen area being tile floor, and the rest a pretty indestructible carpet. We have a nice sized bathroom with sink/toilet/shower stall, and a bedroom that's just big enough for a queen sized bed and 2 dressers, 1 shared closet for hanging clothes.

We love it, it's more than enough space for two people with no pets. Includes all utilities w/ WiFi, for $1,100/month. We have a huuuuuuge yard, with mature trees for shade, a hammock strung between two, a chimenea, a gas and charcoal BBQ, and a large outdoor table with 6 chairs. Technically anyone can use the yard, from the upstairs rental house, but in the 6 years we've been here, the tenants upstairs have used it maybe a dozen times, while it's served as my office 6 months out of the year, and we hang out there all day when the weather is nice, eat our meals outside, read, etc. We have a raised box garden, a rotating composting bin built out of a 55 gallon drum, and a small shed for snow shovels and misc stuff to share with renters upstairs. 

We will miss it when we move out in March. Probably won't find such a great place at this price again. And the landlord has been very cool, always on top of anything major that needed to get done.

The upstairs house is split into two rentals. The main house with 3 adults and 1 kid living there, and a mother in law suite which is another 1 bedroom + office with a young professional couple living there. So all in all, we have 7 adults and 1 teenager living in this house, with a large half circle driveway for 4 cars, and 3 are parked on the street.

The landlord is making a killing turning a SFH into 3 separate dwellings.

Sounds lovely and efficient!

Sibley

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Re: How many square feet is your home? And number of occupants.
« Reply #97 on: September 22, 2019, 02:19:54 PM »
1550 sq ft, 2 story. 1 adult, 2 cats. With frequent family visitors (including right now).

TVRodriguez

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Re: How many square feet is your home? And number of occupants.
« Reply #98 on: September 22, 2019, 02:36:54 PM »

Another article I found was the idea of space efficiency and multi functionality.

http://5kids1condo.com/square-foot-hours-designing-24-hour-spaces/

Thanks for posting this.  I found it useful and interesting, both on the subject of good use of space and parenting.

AMandM

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Re: How many square feet is your home? And number of occupants.
« Reply #99 on: September 22, 2019, 08:46:58 PM »
The one thing that I think keeps us unsure if as the kids grow up and some might start families of their own (though right now all of them are insistent they are not getting married or having any kids, but they still are barely 20 with the oldest) we could not have them come over, but it seems wasteful to own a big house just to have a once a year Thanksgiving or something.

My mother-in-law told me, when we bought our house, "As your kids get older, your family doesn't get smaller, it gets larger."

You have time before the kids all grow up and move out to see what seems likely. In our case, our three oldest daughters and their husbands and the five (so far) grandkids all ended up living within a couple of blocks of us. We have 15-person dinners almost weekly. I wish I could take some of the bedroom space and magically add it to the dining room and living room!

 

Wow, a phone plan for fifteen bucks!