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Since there is just the two of us now, we have 5 rooms which neither one of us sets foot in for weeks at a time except to dust them.
Yeah, I suspect this is what is going to happen with our family once all the kids leave the nest in 10-20 years. Just 4 years ago our family of 5 moved from less than 1000 sqft, 2br 1ba in California to the current home. But I bet we'll swing back to a smaller house one day when we simply don't need, or want, all that room.
New house, designed by us and built about 2 years ago, for us to live in semi-retirement. The builder built the shell, finished most of the main floor and we've done the rest (remaining drywall, floors, cabinets, tiling, plumbing and lighting fixtures, painting, decks). 1980 sf, built into a hill on 3 levels, 2 BR, 2 bath, 2 small offices, great room, kitchen, laundry room, library/loft. Garage is a "daylight basement" style, single car + mechanical room + cold storage. I have no doubt DH will be building a larger garage/shop elsewhere on the property. We have probably more sf in decks on different levels than we do inside the house. Roughly 5 acres (although we overlook another 50), with about an acre fenced for the dogs and a 50x30 fenced garden + "orchard" (I've only got about 5 trees in, so it's not much of an orchard yet).
Both the loft and the larger of the 2 offices have a sofa that folds out to a bed, so we can sleep multiple guests comfortably.
Our house is 1728sf. It is a 2 story 3 bedroom 2-1/2 bath. We are a family of 4. I wouldn't mind having a little more room, but I am not willing to get in more debt to have a bigger house. We have about 850sf of decks attached to the house, which we use alot. It is on 20 acres, so really we bought the place for it's location and the room around it, more than the room in it!
I have decided that the good thing about not having all that extra room is that it will keep the "pack ratting" to a minimum!!
2400sf, We have 3 bedrooms, 3 baths, office/girl cave, LR, DR, big man cave/library, and an enormous storage closet, since houses here tend to have no basements or accessable attics.
I am not sure what to count. We have a basic house of about 3600 s.f. We also have what we call the sunroom. Basically it is a long narrow room with lots of windows. It is insulated, heated and wired, but it has a concrete floor. It sort of looks like an enclosed porch, but it was built as a room of the house. Some appraisers count it, some do not. We have a couch and a couple of chairs in there and we use it for reading and as a prayer room, but mostly it is the dog's abode. I tend to count it as living space, but not everyone would.
We also have a partially finished basement with 2 bedrooms, a large bathroom, hallway, and a game/play room. It is all drywalled, carpeted (or cork or vinyl flooring depending on the room), heated, lighted, insulated, etc. Each bedroom has a big window that exits into a terraced window well for fire escape (required to have bedrooms int he basement). It is as much part of the house as any other part and it was all fully permitted, but appraisers do not count it in the square footage. I generally count it. Officially we have 4 bedrooms and three bathrooms, but since there are actualyl six bedrooms and four bathrooms int he house, the "official" version seems stupid. The basement bedrooms are actually some of the nicests and defeintely the largest in the house.
Finally we have the "office" which was the upstairs of our old carriage house. Originally it was a hay loft. Later it was converted to an apartment. It was badly rotted out and we completely rebuilt it for use as an office. Although I used it as an office for a year plus, we never got it completely finished. We need to complete the drywall/paneling, install flooring and put in permanent light fixtures. However it is insulated, wired, and heated, but it is permitted for storage. Right now we store a wieght lifting set, some computers a couch and various projects and Christmas decorations. It is livable space of sorts. If we needed to, we could "store" a relative in there for a few years. Actually, since I no longer need it as an office, we really have no use for it. We already have a library in the house where the kids do homework. We have a playroom in the basement. WQe have a gues bedroom (as long as the boys are getting along and share a room, when they do nto get along, then we do not have a spare bedroom). So not only do I not know whether to count the "office" as living space, I do not know what to use it for. Maybe someday when we are old and kidless w will get re-permitted as a B & B and use it as an overflow suite.
Then we have the pool thingy. The pool is covered with a kind of greenhouse divided into sections that are on wheels. Each section is a little bit smaller than the next so that one sections slides under the next and we can open it up to an outdoor pool. One end connects to the house. The other end has a glass wall with a door in it. This is not even considered a structure or building since it is not fixed. However when it is closed and the fireplace is on, or the pool is heated, it is comfortable as living space. The kids often entertain there or sit out there and read a book. But then in the summer, we can open it up so it is not even a full enclosure at that time. Living space?
Just over 1500 sq feet of living space provides three bedrooms and two bathrooms. I have too much space for just me and my dog. What I would like is less square footage and a better floor plan. The family room in the basement is newly remodeled and rarely used since I seem to spend all my time on the main level upstairs.
1750 4/2 - 6 people. What I would like to be different: its one of those open floorplan ranchers and I prefer colonial. I'd like a 2 story colonial with two full baths (one in the hall, one in the master) upstairs and a half bath downstairs. The sqft would probably increase to something around 2000 to 2300 because I'd like a large kitchen with enough room to fit a casual table. I'd probably turn the formal dining room into a study. I'd also really like a rec room for the kids. Where I grew up, many people finished their basements and the kids practically lived down there in the winter.
Shh, don't tell anyone, but I kinda like split levels as well, except for the really tiny kitchens I have seen in some of them.
oh, Lord - we have 3200 SF but that houses 5 adults, one of whom is in a wheelchair and two live-in aregivers.
When my mother passes away we are going to be swallowed up.
The good thing is it has a finished walkout basement with 2br 1b tv room and kitchenette and bonus room, where my husband and I currenly "live" and later we plan to be on the main level and each have an office in the 2 other upstairs bedrooms and keep the downstairs for guests and grandkids. - Or maybe if WE need help down the road, and you know we will, we will have a live in apartment for our "caregiver"
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