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Im laughing about your saying about dont buy anything that needs feeding or maintenance.
My buddy is a big real estate person and his saying is never buy anything you cant pee on.
What can you pee on? Land in the middle of nowhere where no one can see you? (Unless you're a guy who can't quite make it home after 3 beers ?) Even there - it is not an easy task operationally if you're a woman . My husband mourns the building bust - because - before the building bust - we used to have port-a-potties all over town.
There's another investment "guru" on CNBC who says he never buys anything unless he can drop it on his foot - and it hurts . Robyn
And how much of that space do you use in that house on any given day or week, ever think about that?
When I really stop to think about it, I spend the majority of my time in the combo kitchen/dining area with a place for my computer. Incredulously, I haven't sat down in an easy chair or been on the sofa in my living room for years! Yes, years!
I hate big master bedrooms, so I chopped mine in half so it would be cozier.
Perhaps it comes from living in studio apartments so much of my life, that I feel so uncomfortable with lots of space, like I have now. In some ways, it's psychological, knowing the extra space is there!
But, some day, it wouldn't surprise me if I go back to retiring in a much smaller space!
I have to disagree with you and New England Girl. Before we retired - we lived in a 1400 sf high rise condo. No problem. Because we were hardly ever home. Then we moved into an 1800 sf high rise condo - and now we're in a 2800 sf (under AC) house. And the size is perfect for us.
Perhaps it has to do with the layout and how we live. Also - I think it matters if you're a single or a couple. As a couple - we find that each of us needs our own space (our second bedroom in our 1800 sf condo was a combo office for 2 and guest room - but my husband and I both like to do and listen to different things during the day).
Anyway - we have 4 bedrooms. Master. And we use 2 as home offices (although other people might use theirs as hobby rooms or similar). And one is a guest room that rarely has guests now since 3 of our parents died and my father moved here. But I seek refuge there in the middle of many nights when my husband starts to snore. I think if we were singles - either of us could get by with 2 bedrooms. We have one "living room" (not a vestigial living room and a "great room"). That's where our home entertainment system is. We use it as least 5 days a week - often to watch movies or the occasional sporting event (we're golfers - like to watch golf tournaments). We have one area that is a kitchen/dining room. No breakfast nook. The kitchen is on the smaller side - and if I had to do anything differently - I would have planned a slightly larger kitchen with 2 entirely separate work areas (my husband is the "prep chef" and I am the cook). We have 3 bathrooms. Master. Guest room bath (which I use on a regular basis since I wake up much earlier than my husband). Guest bath near the living area is the only room we don't use on a regular basis (it is only for guests). We also have a nice sized laundry room (after you've spent 20+ years with laundry facilities in closets - it's nice to have a laundry room). We have also devoted a fair amount of square footage to a central foyer and hallway running through the middle of the house to separate areas - and to closets/pantry (I really like the pantry - we never used to cook when we were both working - but cook a lot now). I just like the way things flow.
Here's our floor plan (more or less - this is the plan - not the "as built") - bedrooms 2 and 4 are the home offices. I use that big WIC in bedroom 2 - my home office - as a library and a place to store everything from office supplies to wrapping paper. I really like our house - which is a good thing - since it is probably the only house we'll ever own. Robyn
Robyn, I'm with you on larger living quarters. We have a larger house as well. We often have people staying over, and I too like the "default" bedroom available for escaping a snoring DH.
We have a large kitchen, and it makes entertaining so much easier. People tend to congregate in the kitchen while I'm making dinner, so it's nice to have room to accomodate that.
While DH and I do lots together, we both like our quiet times and having the extra space makes it easy to do. He's also a bit hard of hearing, so the TV volume is way too loud for me - I like the ability to get away from the noise.
I think if I were on my own I would have picked something a bit smaller, but for the two of us, we both enjoy the extra room.
We lived in a two family for a long, long, time. It paid for expenses and for a place for us to live. 1200 sq ft per apartment. We worked and saved. Few vacations.
Now that we are older and in no mood for putting up with repairs and would like to travel a bit, we have a condo in which they pay expenses and keep after the place. It is a bigger place in the city. Near great hospitals and public transportation. We figure we can hire someone to come in and clean.
We were frugal all our lives for this. We are lucky to not have children. We have friends whose kids are big headaches, always tearing out the heart, getting in some sort of hot water, their lives never in order, having kids themselves in spite of messed up lives, staying over constantly.
Family can be wonderful if it works right, but most often we see some in the family constantly giving and some constantly needy. Not at all the two way street that it should be.
I like the design. Very much like our last home. The changes I would make:
1. Master bath. A private toilet room mandatory. While not clear, a jetted tub for my wife, big shower for myself.
2. Door from galley to bedrooms 3&4 to make for privacy going to the bath from the bedroom(s). Maybe even a pocket door. Enough wall length behind kichen wall to do a pocket door. Our new home is smaller and we have several pocket doors. They really increase useable room size, especially into a walkin closet where one would have to shut the door after entering to see what is behind it.
3. French doors from master bedroom to porch. Maybe even from Bedroom 2 to porch also. I like big and bright even at the cost of privacy.
Last edited by accufitgolf; 12-30-2011 at 06:34 PM..
Years ago I got a small writing fellowship and lived in a contemporary design cabin (cathedral ceiling, large glass windows) in the woods for several months, the happiest experience I ever had in a dwelling. So well designed, no clutter or knicknacks, no enclosed feeling. Open, airy, clean.It must have been all of 800 sf.
Many contemporary-design small homes, including separate office/studios at home, are perfect for retirees. Well designed galley kitchens are great for cooking even the most gourmet style. Many Europeans live this way in small quarters but in style without suffering any lifestyle loss. It's a smaller footprint on the planet, living light and simple.
Nice floor plan! I especially like your screened in porch and also terrace! I would miss a kitchen nook, because we like to have a formal dining room for entertaining. I know many people in retirement don't want to entertain and maybe at some point we won't either. What a couple wants at age 65 can be totally different at 80. We're downsizing and we'd like our next house to be our last, but maybe at some point it will be too big, especially if there is just one of us...
Many contemporary-design small homes, including separate office/studios at home, are perfect for retirees. Well designed galley kitchens are great for cooking even the most gourmet style. Many Europeans live this way in small quarters but in style without suffering any lifestyle loss. It's a smaller footprint on the planet, living light and simple.
Nope! Not havin' it. I don't care how well designed they are, no galley/pullman kitchens for these retirees. Ours is a comfortably large, rectangular kitchen with lots of counter and cupboard space and room to move and maneuver. Those are essential to us because we're well-outfitted and appointed in terms of pots, pans and other necessities and we very often cook together so room to move and prepare without getting in one another's way is an imperative. Now, with children in the home who want to help with the baking and other fun things, maneuver space is all the more necessary. Grandpa can get snarky when crowded!
Nope! Not havin' it. I don't care how well designed they are, no galley/pullman kitchens for these retirees. Ours is a comfortably large, rectangular kitchen with lots of counter and cupboard space and room to move and maneuver. Those are essential to us because we're well-outfitted and appointed in terms of pots, pans and other necessities and we very often cook together so room to move and prepare without getting in one another's way is an imperative. Now, with children in the home who want to help with the baking and other fun things, maneuver space is all the more necessary. Grandpa can get snarky when crowded!
We like having a large kitchen.
It took us a while to design our cabinets. Each cabinet is free-standing and movable, light wood grain with dark walnut trim and black wrought iron hardware [to match the rest of our home].
The counter tops are made to my Dw's preferred working height and they have room for each appliance to have it's own spot [in the idea that they will not have to be pulled out/put-away]; kitchen-aid, microwave, blender, deep fryer, crock-pot, dehydrator, coffee maker.
The upper shelves have see-thru lexan doors to display glass jars with all of our dried spices and herbs [about half of which we produce].
Our kitchen table is a full 4'X8' of 3/4" mahogany standing on 4"X4" legs. It is big enough to do many chores on. Last Saturday we butchered a boar hog on it, and again Monday a sow.
today im planning my future retirement schedule as a renter after we sell the house.
monday-nothing
tuesay-nothing
wed-nothing
thursday nothing
friday-nothing
saturday and sunday -rest
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?) Even there - it is not an easy task operationally if you're a woman 
. My husband mourns the building bust - because - before the building bust - we used to have port-a-potties all over town.
. Robyn
