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I'm single and am currently buying a home. While I agree about not buying more than is really necessary, these are some of the conditions I have to consider:
- there is always a very good chance that I'll need to provide housing for other family members, so I need at least one other bedroom and bathroom.
- as my parents get older I may need to provide housing for them as well. So, another bedroom and bath.
- I do have relatives we visit so I do need a guest room.
- Because I work from home a lot I need a separate office space.
- I would like a separate studio area but that's more of a wish-list item.
So, I'm buying a house that's about 1700 square feet with a downstairs master and two bedrooms upstairs with a loft that I'm having made into another bedroom. And it will still cost me less per month that my current dinky little 826 SF 1BR/1BA apartment.
Big new construction houses in Jersey cost a fraction of what I paid for my Manhattan co-op.
Oh, awesome, another Manhattan resident who wants to tell the rest of us how to live. No thank you.
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Originally Posted by whatisthedealwith
The irony is that the big places built in the 'burbs outside the city are CHEAP compared to what is available in the city itself. So if you really want to show off, you should buy the place with the highest cost per square foot, not the highest number of square feet.
Not surprisingly, you're confusing cost with value.
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Originally Posted by whatisthedealwith
I absolutely judge people who are not self-aware about their choices and consume a lot more than they need.
Did you need that big of a car? Did you need to spend that much on your car? Do you really need more than one pair of underwear - I mean, you can wash one pair out every night, can't you?
Ridiculous ...
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Taking up a ton of space by hoarding a bunch of junk, living to show off to other people that you can do so, is not, in my opinion, a great idea.
Now you're making ASSumptions.
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Originally Posted by whatisthedealwith
I have. They have not been able to give a reason. They say "oh, because we just feel like we need it."
And that should be enough for you. You are no one's parent or higher power.
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Originally Posted by gibbsnm
It's always amusing to me when people on forums like this respond to a question with "Why do you care?"
Yet, when you throw that exact question back to the OP, the OP gets all defensive.
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Originally Posted by whatisthedealwith
I would never be caught dead living in a "newer suburb/exurb" but that is a topic for another thread.
And out there are hundreds of thousands of suburb dwellers breathing a sigh of relief.
I have been told, "Why do two people need so much space?" and also, "It's a nice starter home".
LOL. People do get uptight about other people's homes. It's a weird one. The only people who have ever make snide comments to me about why do "you need" so much space, have been from NYC or LA. Well, because I like it. And I don't even have a big house, it's just bigger than a typical urban condo.
This argument again. There is no right or wrong. People can have whatever they can afford. For some people, space is very important and trumps other things like location, etc. Others, not so much. Buying is such a personal decision, you have to get what makes you happy in the longrun. I'm one of those people who has always liked (and wanted) more space. My old NYC condo was a 2/2 (that also had a dedicated computer room) and was close to 1100 sq ft. I lived alone. I moved farther out to get as much space for the money as I could get and to this day do not regret it. Buying a larger apartment also helped me resale wise because it opened up a wider pool of buyers. If I had purchased a 1/1 or a Jr. 2, I would have missed out on all the families who were interested in larger apartments. Buying a 2/2 reaped a lot of dividends financially (i made three times what I paid), as it sold within a day and had a bid war.
I currently reside in a large suburban home in Texas. It has over 4000 sq ft, 5 bedrooms, 3.5 bathrooms. I live with my husband and two children. It is a large house to be sure, but we have made it cozy and just right. I will never have to concern myself with room additions or looking for a bigger home again. I am content with my space. It is absolutely not cluttered and I use every one of the 12 rooms. Others aren't like me and I respect their decisions (which are just as valid as my own). Who am I to dictate to others about the choices they make? As long as we are financially responsible, pay our mortgage, and maintain our home, why should anyone begrudge us for it? Even if we did hoarde, as long as it was within our home, what difference does it make? Live and let live.
That's one of the reasons many of us live in the places we live.
We get more or better quality of life in our view for our money. While I'm sure there are people who buy whatever they buy to show off or keep up with the Jones the same thing applies to the millions of people living in NYC and LA in smaller spaces. Probably moreso.........you cant really consume more conspicuously than paying top dollar for everything you purchase.
In fact, you seem to think being an urban living condo dweller somehow makes you better than other people. Its fine to live in a large city in a small space if that's what appeals to you. Not everyone wants to live crammed into a few square miles with millions of other people.....many of whom are rude, obnoxious and stressed out by the very place they live.
You are actually the only person in this thread who seems to be showing off with regard to where they live. That is the irony of the entire thread and clearly the purpose. You're not really interested in why others choose something different than you; you're more about validating your choice by disparaging others choices.
Yup...my life here HAS NEVER BEEN BETTER. I won't speak for others, but I have my "cheap" house and way more disposible income than I've ever had before. Some people talk about being on a status trip, but tell me that trying to buy your microhouse in a super trendy location isn't status tripping as well? (Haha, I live in [INSERT TRENDY LOCATION], but you don't nyah nyah").
It's nice to not be financially stressed. I've always been a suburban girl at heart. All I'm doing is being true to myself. That is why when it was time to buy, we moved as far as we could without sacrificing commute. Too bad though...with all of the transplants Central TX gets, the city is becoming the country.
for what I consider to be excessive and wasteful space in an awful suburb.
You know what they say, opinions are like a******s...
Some people dislike living in dense urban areas, the noise, the trash, the traffic and the "culture". Living in an "awful" suburb is better to them. Different strokes for different folks.
I'm not going to try to help you understand, because you obviously don't want to but I will share why we bought a larger home.
We wanted to live in a more private area, our home is in a suburb with large lots and mature trees which gives a feeling of seclusion. Its 2800sqft, built in the 80s with lots of fun architecture, skylights and hardware, plus the layout is exactly what we wanted - all for the same price of a tiny house or condo in downtown.
We bought a house that offered enough room for our kayaks, band room with a drum set, different guitars such as acoustic, bass, etc., and amplifiers - plus put enough space between us an the neighbors so noise wouldn't be an issue. The space also includes an office for me (doubles as my painting studio) since I work from home and often need privacy for online meetings. A formal dining room, which fits the 6-8 people, the perfect number for board games (weekly) and holiday meals, bedrooms for for us and our daughter, deck for relaxing outside.
Did we NEED that much space? No, but by your reasoning a couple in a 1000sqft doesn't NEED that much space either. I mean technically, all we need is a bed, toilet and cook top, right?
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