Do you think homes are getting way too big?

This house is 1,050 sf. I live in half of it; the other half has been closed off, although I have recently considered reopening it just to have someplace different to sit.

Never have lived in a large home. Every time I saw a McMansion for sale, I would think, "I sure wouldn't want to clean that place." And although I am not a Greta, I do try to do my share of using less to reduce my take from Mother Earth. I have, more and more, become a less-is-more person. Need versus want is my mantra these days.
 
Average size of a new house by decade.

US Homes Have Gotten Bigger Over the Years. A Lot Bigger

Average Size of US Homes, Decade by Decade
It's nearly tripled since 1950

24/7 Wall St has a list that shows how the typical American home has changed from 1920 to 2014. And that mainly means the homes have gotten way bigger. The list tracks various stats year by year, including average square feet. Here's a sample, with the figure referring to the average floor area of a new single-family home:
  • 1920: 1,048 square feet
  • 1930: 1,129
  • 1940: 1,177
  • 1950: 983
  • 1960: 1,289
  • 1970: 1,500
  • 1980: 1,740
  • 1990: 2,080
  • 2000: 2,266
  • 2010: 2,392
  • 2014: 2,657
 

Maybe they need bigger homes since a lot of them just want to sit there streaming and looking at their phones while they wait for UPS to deliver everything to them instead of getting out now and then. It's more pleasant to have a lot of space at such times.
 
We took a walk the other day in the most exclusive gated community in our town. They do let people walk there but no cameras allowed. So I used my phone. Its all houses like this and they all have names. This one is called the Long House and belongs to the Mellon family. Their boat house is twice as large as my house. They spend no more than a few weeks a year there.


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Bretrick said:
I am quite ashamed that Australia has the largest average sized homes in the world.
Those who "have made it" are simply showing off and rubbing our noses in it.
Not much left of the egalitarian society Australia purports to be.
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i don't think that is fair. That is what is available, look at the demand for one and two bedroomed homes and flats, they are just not available because they are not being built, those that are available are the same price as a much larger dwelling because of the demand.

Block sizes have shrunk from the standard quarter acre like mine (built 1920s) to about 450 sq metres so the house is now taking up most of the block, there is very little space for children to play, just about enough for a barbie area and a small pool.

What is absurd is that families are getting smaller, children have older parents there are more single people why the large houses? It is abit like Maccas and their upsizing for a dollar, the cost of building a big place is not much different to the cost of building a small place.
 
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I am quite ashamed that Australia has the largest average sized homes in the world.
Those who "have made it" are simply showing off and rubbing our noses in it.
Not much left of the egalitarian society Australia purports to be.
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not neccesarily - if the average size has gone up that doesn't mean it is being driven by the Mcmansions at the top - the average size of many small houses going up would also push up the average
 
Bretrick said:
So many houses are really really big.
Costing millions of dollars.
Ostentatiousness seems to be coming to the fore.
What it shows me is that there are many people who earn large incomes while there are many more people struggling to keep a roof over their heads or even having a roof over their heads.
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Many people drive expensive cars when many more struggle and rely on busses or beater cars.
Many people wear designer clothes while others rely on thrift stores.
Many people eat out a lot while others need help from their food bank.

Why single out housing? There will always be those who have more...
 
MoBeans said:
We took a walk the other day in the most exclusive gated community in our town. They do let people walk there but no cameras allowed. So I used my phone. Its all houses like this and they all have names. This one is called the Long House and belongs to the Mellon family. Their boat house is twice as large as my house. They spend no more than a few weeks a year there.


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Morley (recently deceased) and Lady P (she is the Mellon you referred to) also have another vacation home... Weatherside in Antigua!
 
  • 1950: 983
That's about the size of the Levittown houses built right after WWII. I've watched several documentaries about Levittown and listening to the original owners talk about how thrilled they were to be able to buy their own house with a yard, after doubling up with relatives after the war, is so inspiring. People really were satisfied with less back then and so appreciative of what they had.
 
I have the paperwork on my parent's mortgage from 1962 on a frame 2 bedroom, 1 bath house. The sale price for the house was $8000. They paid $500 down. The interest rate was 4.84 %. With taxes and insurance included in the mortgage, their monthly payment was $64.54.

My grandmother had a similar small house in the 1960s. I do not have her mortgage papers, but I have a copy of her homeowner's insurance policy from 1965. It shows she was billed a total of $95 for 5 years of coverage. It was one page long and very straightforward regarding covered losses and settlement.

My current insurance policy is anything but straightforward. The declarations pages alone total 12, and the policy is an additional 37 pages. There is more language describing the insurer's rights than the rights of the insured.
 
That Lady in PA said:
Morley (recently deceased) and Lady P (she is the Mellon you referred to) also have another vacation home... Weatherside in Antigua!
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Lady P was one of four children Richard King Mellon adopted. Talk about hitting the life lottery. People I know around here called Morley Milbury. A friend spent a winter in the Long House as a live in caretaker and we got to go tour it. It's even bigger inside than outside. 😀
 
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Veronica said:
Well. Im one of the guilty ones. Just me and two cats in a two story 4000 sf house.
In my defense we paid $50k for this house in 1980. It was cheap because it was a former nursing home.
And it was so big that nobody wanted it. I wanted it because I like old houses and its in a perfect location.
Its in the country but its a mile from the freeway. And its close to everything.

I did look into downsizing. I dont care for whats out there. Its all new. Ranches and split levels and condos.
When the husband got sick we moved downstairs. I have plenty of space on the first floor.
A bath and the laundry is on the first floor. And the back door has no steps to the outside.

My house is paid for. I could net a chunk if I sold it but the money would just sit in savings.
I like my house and my stuff. Im not ready to move yet.
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That actually makes perfect sense. You’ve built a home with history, character, and comfort, not just four walls. It’s rare to find a place that checks all those boxes. And honestly, if it’s paid for, in a good location, and still works for you, there’s no rush to change what already feels right.

Sounds like that house has a lot of stories in its walls, especially with two cats ruling the place 😄
 

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