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It is also one of the main reasons people work and invest so they can have without debt. It will hold value and will in time become another valuable asset they own.
Coming from a 2 story with no master bath and hardly any closets in the entire house. We bought a newer ranch. We have 2 big walk in closets in our room and I love them. For the first time in my life I can hang all my clothes up. Before I had them folded and in plastic bins. We have a master bath with a separate shower and tub. I like the idea because we mainly only use the shower and that is all I need to clean. I like taking baths occasionally especially in the winter but I have a hard time getting on my knees and cleaning the tub so now I only have to do it occasionally when the tub is used.
As far as people in their eyeballs with debt that is because you see couples with no kids or maybe 1 and they have these huge 3500 square foot home with all the bells and whistles.
We really have gotten spoiled as a culture. People used to raise 4 kids in 3 bedroom houses with only a living room, dining, kitchen as the public areas and we were fine.
Everybody wants the big bath, then complains because it is drafty when getting out of the shower. We want the big tubs, then never or seldom use them because who has time to sit in a tub in your dirty water? Most people just jump in the shower.
I had a huge house. It was beautiful and I loved the spaciousness of the rooms. But it took over 2 solid hours just to vacuum the place with no furniture in it to go around. A full hard day to clean up the baths after the not quite housebroken contractors finished up. I only really ever used about a third of it. The sheer square footage meant it was a whole lot of work for just the fundamentals.
Now, I would rather have a modest, well designed house that has the spaces to function well with everyday life. The classic balance and charm of the older but well built houses have a lot of appeal. More recent vintage houses are incredibly flimsily built. And you don't get a house that is trouble free in a newer house. There are so many shortcuts taken and crappy quality, there's always a ton of chores and fixing to do.
For a dearth of closets, IKEA (and others) sells freestanding closets with nice doors that go from floor to ceiling so they can be added with little trouble and modest expense in just about any house.
Maybe we *are* spoiled now. Of course some people have more money (and space) than taste.
But I paid my dues in an older home.
I grew up in various ranches, and later spent 18 years in a 1916 bungalow.
I loved the house, we raised our kids in it, but I was ready to move on.
For 9 of those 18 years, before we renovated, we had one bathroom for a family of 4.
That's the husband, two boys--and me.
For the very first time in my life, I am in a brand new house in an UN-gated New Urbanist subdivision that is about 10 years old.
Of course new homes can have problems just as the old ones do. But there are a lot of qualities to this place that please me quite a bit. The builder put his heart and soul into our place, and thought about buying it himself.
The landscaping is mature because this community was carefully planned.
There are common areas that are completely undeveloped natural vegetation; there is a park in the center of the community.
Our backyard is landscaped with native vegetation, but I do have some potted plants in back and on the front porch.
There was no clear-cutting; there are no vast expanses of tree-less parking lots. There are also no telephone poles, thus no telephone lines.
All that stuff is underground.
I really like that.
The homes are not cookie cutter because once again, this mixed-use community was planned with a diversity of homes, styles, and prices.
Yes, we have a toilet room. Thank goodness! We do have a soaking tub along with the shower, and I use it.
To each his own. Having done both old and new, this suits me now.
ETA:
I agree with Jay about the creature comforts. I don't think that every dwelling out there is either ostentatious or poorly built. I do understand, however, that some things are a bit over the top, and that wasting resources is just plain stupid.
Last edited by BlueWillowPlate; 10-30-2007 at 03:21 PM..
Not all new homes are flimsy. In fact many are better built than older homes. The real difference is in the quality of finishes in older homes. The wood used was old growth which meant it was denser than today's wood and had a nicer look. That is why many new homes today have painted woodwork rather than stained or natural finish.
Why not have a separate water closet? I would like some privacy when I go to the bathroom and do not want my kids to barge in. Why not have a separate tub and shower? I shower in the morning but there are times it would be nice to soak in a roomy tub. Why not have a large closets? I don't want my clothes to be squeezed into a small closet. Why have a large Master Bendroom? We have a king sized bed for comfort and better sleep. It will not fit in many bedrooms of older homes. Why have a large ktichen? I like a large modern kitchen with enough room to store all of our pots and pans and dishes and food. Why not have it?
Do I need these things? Really, no, but then again do I really need electricity or heat and hot water. I could survive without it, but I still have them. Jay
The original tract homes from the 1940's, 1950's etc.. had no trees either. Look at old pictures of the neighborhoods - you'll see big bulldozed flat tracts of land with brand new IDENTICAL homes. Sure, after 50 years they don't look identical - there are trees, some people added on, some people sided (aluminum, wood, vinyl), some people put in bay windows, some got torn down and rebuilt with houses that don't fit the neighborhood at all due to lack of standardized zoning.
But originally - just as bland and blank and cookie cutter as today's new subdivisions.
If you don't like new houses - don't buy one. But please stop casting opinion judgements on those of that do. I promise I won't make you pay my mortgage payment - but if meanwhile your town benefits from my property taxes, seriously, what is the problem?
I think just the opposite really - those cavernous spaces are not cozy to me in the least - they reverberate sound, are much more expensive to heat and cool and I think they are difficult to decorate.
No one has mentioned my #1 pet peeve about many new homes - the cookie-cutter appearance of the neighborhood and the lack of mature landscaping - giving the neighborhood of new homes the "barren planet" look. Even new subdivisions with custom homes take many years to look charming and cozy. New homes are also often close together - the older neighborhoods often have larger pieces of property (there are exceptions to this of course) than new home neighborhoods. Mature landscaping including large, shady trees really make a neighborhood in my view and they reduce cooling bills.
Old homes, with the help of a good architect and interior designer can have all the important amenities of new large homes - tasteful additions, and/or the combining of rooms can create larger rooms and new and/or larger closets. There is a charm to old homes that can't be duplicated with all these barn-like structures that people are living in. Personally I like separate rooms that are cozy and quiet and nest-like.
blame the city's and the sub-division for the size of lots in them. Landscaping in any neighborhood is a time thing. I bet the old sub-divisions looked that way when they were new as well. the 1 1/2 story, or 2 story vaulted entry makes the home feel spacious. Some like them, some don't. They are not to hard to have decorated, and with use of some well placed furniture can reduce the reverberation of sound by quite a bit. I don't do many of the spec. home (cookie cutter) designs. And typically the builder of the spec. homes do not go above and beyond what they have to to sell a home. such as decorative exposed wood trusses in vaulted spaces. or different shaped entry's to help mitigate sounds.
No one has mentioned my #1 pet peeve about many new homes - the cookie-cutter appearance of the neighborhood and the lack of mature landscaping - giving the neighborhood of new homes the "barren planet" look. Even new subdivisions with custom homes take many years to look charming and cozy. New homes are also often close together - the older neighborhoods often have larger pieces of property (there are exceptions to this of course) than new home neighborhoods. Mature landscaping including large, shady trees really make a neighborhood in my view and they reduce cooling bills.
I have posted on this subject before. Many old houses in Denver and other cities look very much like their neighbors. It's just that some have had additions and alterations built, the paint colors have changed over the years, and yes, the landscaping has matured. Perhaps older suburban homes are on larger lots, but city homes tend to have small lots. The landscaping will grow. Even here, in arid Colorado, a sliver maple (I know, many consider it a trash tree) will grow rapidly. The trees we brought home in our little station wagon 18 years ago are now higher than the house, and have been for several years. They have provided shade for many years.
No one has mentioned my #1 pet peeve about many new homes - the cookie-cutter appearance of the neighborhood and the lack of mature landscaping - giving the neighborhood of new homes the "barren planet" look. Even new subdivisions with custom homes take many years to look charming and cozy. New homes are also often close together - the older neighborhoods often have larger pieces of property (there are exceptions to this of course) than new home neighborhoods. Mature landscaping including large, shady trees really make a neighborhood in my view and they reduce cooling bills.
I have posted on this subject before. Many old houses in Denver and other cities look very much like their neighbors. It's just that some have had additions and alterations built, the paint colors have changed over the years, and yes, the landscaping has matured. Perhaps older suburban homes are on larger lots, but city homes tend to have small lots. The landscaping will grow. Even here, in arid Colorado, a sliver maple (I know, many consider it a trash tree) will grow rapidly. The trees we brought home in our little station wagon 18 years ago are now higher than the house, and have been for several years. They have provided shade for many years.
the great majority of the lots in Denver are 50' wide by 100' deep.
I'm sorry your post and the previous post about 4 car garages were just too much.
Are you people for real? Do you realize at all that we're in the midst of a collapsing housing bubble? This bubble is likely going to lead to some type of recession. Is anyone out there paying attention?
Who on God's green earth needs a 4 car garage? Does $100 barrell oil scare anyone here? Even if you have 4 cars, why do you need 4 garages? Most of these new houses have huge driveways with plenty of space to park extra cars. I honestly just don't see the need for any of this.
Quote:
Originally Posted by TuborgP
It is also one of the main reasons people work and invest so they can have without debt. It will hold value and will in time become another valuable asset they own.
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