"The McMansioning of America" (subdivision, buildings, streetcar, problems)
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Can I just throw something into this discussion? I feel forced to buy a larger house than I need with more land than I want, farther away from the city. Why? Two reasons: thin walls and price.
If you can't afford to live in a very well-insulated and well-maintained older construction, you have to buy larger, more spaced out and farther away if you value your privacy and don't want to hear a neighbor's noise. It's funny how I never hear a sound in a small, pre-war, city apartment, but in a detached, new construction on a quarter acre, I knew when my neighbors came home and what music they were listening to.
Granted, there are many people who are all about the prestige of a McMansion and an SUV and space for all the possessions. But there are also a lot of people just looking for a little privacy and peace and quiet.
I'm really with you on this. Sometimes because of pressure from friends, family and realtors, it seems you have to think outside of the herd to NOT take that bloated house several miles driving away from everything. Less can truly be more.
It's been my experience, too, that living in a detached house in the burbs is not always quiet and private. I've lived in apartments where you rarely heard neighbor noises, and people minded their own business. I've also lived in noisy apartments, and quiet detached housing areas. This has convinced me that the specific area or development has a lot more to do with how quiet or private it is than does the type of housing (apartment, stand-alone house, etc). Quiet developments in-town do exist, as do noisy neighborhoods in the burs and exurbs.
Last edited by Winston Smith; 04-30-2007 at 10:58 AM..
They focus on Orlando as the ultimate example of 21st America: a complex, contradictory place where nothing is what it seems.
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And Orlando to me, is the ugliest city. Worse than the industrial skyline of Baltimore. It has no soul- everything looks the same- cookie cutter houses, no historical architecture- ugly Target and shopping malls.
There is no artistic/architectural design. Just horrible, and traffic everywhere.
I agree, sunny. I found the article depressing. The author tried to balance the article by pointing our some positives about this pattern of urbanization, but he didn't convince me. What a bleak future! Reminded me of when I watched "The Jetsons" as a kid, and how Hanna-Barbera projected a push-button, no-work instant gratification future. The environment that was portrayed was sterile metal and glass, no trees or wildlife of any kind, no one walked anywhere, the architecture was cheezy looking. Even as a kid, I wondered why anyone would want to live in such an environment! Yuck!
Can I just throw something into this discussion? I feel forced to buy a larger house than I need with more land than I want, farther away from the city. Why? Two reasons: thin walls and price.
If you can't afford to live in a very well-insulated and well-maintained older construction, you have to buy larger, more spaced out and farther away if you value your privacy and don't want to hear a neighbor's noise. It's funny how I never hear a sound in a small, pre-war, city apartment, but in a detached, new construction on a quarter acre, I knew when my neighbors came home and what music they were listening to.
Granted, there are many people who are all about the prestige of a McMansion and an SUV and space for all the possessions. But there are also a lot of people just looking for a little privacy and peace and quiet.
Don't know why you feel "forced" to sprawl. Seems like a simple solution to this. Why don't you just buy a closer-in, smaller lot and have a house built to your specifications? You could easily pay the added costs of the lot location and sound-proof construction with your savings from not buying the larger size structure and lot size you don't need, plus the lower commuting costs.
I guess I am most surely in the minority, but my husband and I specifically looked for an older, well built, small home, rather than a newer, bigger house build of chip board and vinyl siding. With the energy prices going up, and no sign they will go back down, a smaller house just makes more sense, less to heat and cool and less time required to clean etc. Also less money spent when remodeling and upgrading. I am perfectly happy with our 1100 square foot house, wouldn't want a bigger one.
Don't know why you feel "forced" to sprawl. Seems like a simple solution to this. Why don't you just buy a closer-in, smaller lot and have a house built to your specifications? You could easily pay the added costs of the lot location and sound-proof construction with your savings from not buying the larger size structure and lot size you don't need, plus the lower commuting costs.
Interesting idea! But you know, I don't think I know what the specifications should be!!! For example, I did have a small house built, and I asked for extra insulation, specifically Sonopan boards, and I was told not to worry, that I was getting "superior soundproofing." When I heard, "two layers of Gyproc," well, you know, it sounds like "rock."
I really like your idea, and I hope I get to that point, soon....
Can I just throw something into this discussion? I feel forced to buy a larger house than I need with more land than I want, farther away from the city. Why? Two reasons: thin walls and price.
If you can't afford to live in a very well-insulated and well-maintained older construction, you have to buy larger, more spaced out and farther away if you value your privacy and don't want to hear a neighbor's noise. It's funny how I never hear a sound in a small, pre-war, city apartment, but in a detached, new construction on a quarter acre, I knew when my neighbors came home and what music they were listening to.
Granted, there are many people who are all about the prestige of a McMansion and an SUV and space for all the possessions. But there are also a lot of people just looking for a little privacy and peace and quiet.
Great post!!! I will never buy new construction. The integrity of the builder just isn't there anymore in my opinion. My home was built in 65 (I live in Texas, moved here from Cali) It feels so much more solid than the new homes I've been in lately. They almost have an apartment quality about them. My lot is bigger than the newer homes too!! We will be adding on next spring and I will still have too much yard to mow!! lol(I can get an SUV in my garage....but i like sports cars lol!!)
I'm really with you on this. Sometimes because of pressure from friends, family and realtors, it seems you have to think outside of the herd to NOT take that bloated house several miles driving away from everything. Less can truly be more.
It's been my experience, too, that living in a detached house in the burbs is not always quiet and private. I've lived in apartments where you rarely heard neighbor noises, and people minded their own business. I've also lived in noisy apartments, and quiet detached housing areas. This has convinced me that the specific area or development has a lot more to do with how quiet or private it is than does the type of housing (apartment, stand-alone house, etc). Quiet developments in-town do exist, as do noisy neighborhoods in the burs and exurbs.
It's scary to not go with "the herd" because you have to think resale, or so they say. I did sell that new construction I had without an agent in less than a month.
As for noise, right now we're in an apartment where I run for cover anytime any of the people upstairs flush their toilet (plastic pipes and thin walls) but on the other hand, I've never heard a boom box or bass boost and everyone is quiet. So the noise this time around has purely to do with the construction.
But sometimes, the noise really carries out in the country. Someone told me that they couldn't sleep in a farmstay in Tuscany because somewhere in the distance, barking dogs kept them up all night.
Dear Katzenfreund and Shannon, thanks for responding.
I also really like the older houses, the 1960s ones have all wood floors, are on bigger lots and are often well located. I feel comfortable in 1000 square feet.
But...here in North Carolina, I've visited "older" houses, and a lot of them have mold that you can smell really strongly -- and my lungs were burning after visiting. So that kind of put me off of checking out any others.
Congratulations to you both!!!!!!!!!!
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Seems like a simple solution to this. Why don't you just buy a closer-in, smaller lot and have a house built to your specifications? You could easily pay the added costs of the lot location and sound-proof construction with your savings from not buying the larger size structure and lot size you don't need, plus the lower commuting costs. 
