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I live in NYC, moved from LA last year. I am part of a couple. We have a small dog. Our co-op in NYC is about 950 square feet, which to me is PLENTY of space. Our place in LA was right around 1100, which frankly felt huge for two people.
Recently I went house hunting with friends (a couple) who are looking for a place in New Jersey. They went on and on about how they HAVE to have at least 2500 square feet, they just could never deal with anything less. Bigger is better.
But the facts are that they have no intention of starting a family. They both work very high pressure jobs and travel a lot for work, so they are not home much at all. They have no pets. No major hobbies which require a dedicated space. Not even a lot of furniture. They live in a place right now that is about 1800 square feet and they have rooms that they literally never go into and they have to hire people to clean. When guests visit, they rarely stay with them (because of their schedules and hours) and more often than not book a hotel or even crash at my place because I live in the city (and not in Jersey..no offense to anyone, but Manhattan has much more of a draw for visitors).
So, why is there this obsession with space? It seems uniquely American to demand a much bigger house than you could possibly use. Don't people understand that you have to heat, cool, clean, furnish and do upkeep on all that additional space? Why do people want to have rooms that have no function?
If you have a large family, space is paramount of course. But a single person? A couple? Can anyone explain this to me?
That is because some people prefer dedicated space.
Example: separate office........not a corner of the family room or master bedroom
Personally, I need a room for my sewing and other projects where I can just shut the door and keep the pets out. My cutting table is 72 x 48.
I also do not eat in the kitchen. I COOK in the kitchen. Therefore, I need a separate dining room.
Laundry room is exactly that.. a place to do laundry and iron. It is not two machines in a bathroom or closet.
And the list goes on.
Yes, 2500 sqft is a nice size. That's what I'm looking to downsize to.
It is a preference. Exactly that.
Not to offend anyone, but I think its absurd to need "dedicated space" because you somehow feel that a desk in the corner of a room is not quite good enough for your office. Are you running an empire from this home office? Are you Oprah? Martha Stewart? Probably not.
I do think if you have hobbies which require a lot of space, that is a decent reason to need more of it. Kids? Yes. Another decent reason. Because you are too spoiled to eat in the kitchen (heaven forbid!)? Come on now.
I live in NYC, moved from LA last year. I am part of a couple. We have a small dog. Our co-op in NYC is about 950 square feet, which to me is PLENTY of space. Our place in LA was right around 1100, which frankly felt huge for two people.
Recently I went house hunting with friends (a couple) who are looking for a place in New Jersey. They went on and on about how they HAVE to have at least 2500 square feet, they just could never deal with anything less. Bigger is better.
But the facts are that they have no intention of starting a family. They both work very high pressure jobs and travel a lot for work, so they are not home much at all. They have no pets. No major hobbies which require a dedicated space. Not even a lot of furniture. They live in a place right now that is about 1800 square feet and they have rooms that they literally never go into and they have to hire people to clean. When guests visit, they rarely stay with them (because of their schedules and hours) and more often than not book a hotel or even crash at my place because I live in the city (and not in Jersey..no offense to anyone, but Manhattan has much more of a draw for visitors).
So, why is there this obsession with space? It seems uniquely American to demand a much bigger house than you could possibly use. Don't people understand that you have to heat, cool, clean, furnish and do upkeep on all that additional space? Why do people want to have rooms that have no function?
If you have a large family, space is paramount of course. But a single person? A couple? Can anyone explain this to me?
I take it that these are not urbanites. I find that the insistence on crazy amounts of space is much more common in the suburban real estate buyer than the urban one. Its the same thing with cars. When I was shopping for a car, I bought the smallest possible one that met my needs. Why? I park on the street in front of my building. My sister who lives in the suburbs in another state went on and on about how I should get an SUV and a place with a garage. Her garage is filled with so much stuff she can't park her SUV in there anyway. There seems to be a real lack of self awareness in some of these urges for more and more room.
This is one of those emotional reactions and not a pragmatic one. No single person needs a 2500 square foot living space. But for some reason they have an idea that they do. They find a way to fill it with stuff so that their possessions become another reason to have the space ("oh, my dining room table will never fit!") In the immortal words of Tyler Durden (yes I am quoting Fight Club) the stuff you own ends up owning you.
Personally I ADORE my living space. Its small and it has just enough room for everything I love and need. It doesn't take me hours to clean on the weekends and I have more free time. When I hire a crew for a deep clean, the charge is perfectly reasonable. My utilities are non-existent compared to friends in their new construction McMansions. My neighborhood is super desirable and charming. You couldn't GIVE me a 2500 square foot house unless I could sell it immediately.
Last edited by confusedasusual; 03-06-2014 at 03:49 PM..
Location: Mokelumne Hill, CA & El Pescadero, BCS MX.
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I lived on a 45' sailboat for awhile. Plenty of space except for wardrobe. Want a new shirt? Pick one that has to leave the nest. Now I have a 1700sf house. Far too big, thinking of moving from the Master BR down to the first floor and shutting it off.
Not to offend anyone, but I think its absurd to need "dedicated space" because you somehow feel that a desk in the corner of a room is not quite good enough for your office. Are you running an empire from this home office? Are you Oprah? Martha Stewart? Probably not.
I do think if you have hobbies which require a lot of space, that is a decent reason to need more of it. Kids? Yes. Another decent reason. Because you are too spoiled to eat in the kitchen (heaven forbid!)? Come on now.
Not everyone has an eat-in-kitchen . Just something to think about...
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But I'm like you. My condo is 1100sf with 2 bedrooms and 2 baths.....more than enough room for the 2 of us.
. Just something to think about... 
