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Old 05-15-2015, 11:20 AM
bu2
 
23,873 posts, read 14,658,987 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cqholt View Post
You mean like my 22 month old daughter?
Their stuff gets bigger as they get older.

When we moved here we looked at a number of houses that just didn't feel quite as big as we wanted. And all of those in that category (we could tell from the family pictures) had kids reaching school age. And these were in good school zones. It was obvious many were looking for more space (and the realtor told us that on one or two occasions).

Now some people live more like people did in the 50s when they had 4 kids, a dog, a cat and 1200 sf homes and closets no NFL lineman could squeeze into even if it was completely empty. But most people now like to have more stuff and more space.
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Old 05-15-2015, 11:35 AM
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by equinox63 View Post
The kids are young. 2 and 4. Girls. But we expect them to live there until they graduate high school. I guess we could add on by then...
I think with both of them being the same gender you could even have them share a room for a long time.
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Old 05-15-2015, 11:47 AM
 
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Yeah, I agree ^^

You'll be fine as long as you have 2 bathrooms
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Old 05-15-2015, 12:28 PM
 
Location: Kirkwood
23,726 posts, read 24,713,509 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bu2 View Post
Their stuff gets bigger as they get older.

When we moved here we looked at a number of houses that just didn't feel quite as big as we wanted. And all of those in that category (we could tell from the family pictures) had kids reaching school age. And these were in good school zones. It was obvious many were looking for more space (and the realtor told us that on one or two occasions).

Now some people live more like people did in the 50s when they had 4 kids, a dog, a cat and 1200 sf homes and closets no NFL lineman could squeeze into even if it was completely empty. But most people now like to have more stuff and more space.
Could that somehow be related to the issue of more personal debt?
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Old 05-15-2015, 12:47 PM
 
2,411 posts, read 2,763,980 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cqholt View Post
Could that somehow be related to the issue of more personal debt?
...and more cheap stuff being available with all of the free trade agreements and automation. Can you imagine how much toys and clothes would cost if they were all made it in the US without the benefit of today's level of automation? Many Goodwill's won't even take clothes if they show a little wear (and those that do accept them, probably trash it anyway). It's bizzare, if you really think about it.
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Old 05-15-2015, 01:22 PM
bu2
 
23,873 posts, read 14,658,987 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cqholt View Post
Could that somehow be related to the issue of more personal debt?
Credit cards weren't widely available in the 50s, so you had to save to get what you wanted instead of instant gratification. But, as noted, consumer goods cost less relative to income. And there's a lot more options of things to buy.

And the reality is that the country is wealthier than it was then. There's a lot more upper middle class. Even the poor have things the poor in the 50s could only dream of (like cell phones). When I was growing up, air conditioning was not so universal across the south. It was pretty exciting in 8th grade when I got into a school with air conditioning for the first time. And when my parents were growing up in the 30s and 40s, most people were what would be considered poor.

So you can fit quite easily in a 1500 sf house with 4, but it depends on the person's expectations. For most nowadays, that's less space than preferable.
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Old 05-15-2015, 02:17 PM
 
Location: Atlanta
2,862 posts, read 3,797,628 times
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I think it mostly depends on the floor plan. It might drive me a bit crazy right now because I'm used to more space, but I did grow up in a 3 bdrm/1.5 ba house and we managed not to kill each other. Years later when my brother moved in with me for a few (ha ha) months in a 1,000 sf 1 bdrm/1ba, I thought I might end up on 20/20 for killing him while he slept. Other features can help making sure everyone has their own tv, computer, and what not.
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Old 05-15-2015, 03:10 PM
 
1,976 posts, read 1,268,533 times
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Default I suppose it's relative.

Quote:
Originally Posted by equinox63 View Post
Is 1500 square feet too small for a family of four in Atlanta? Could any Intown residents reveal the pros and cons?
I would be curious to know what people would say about trying to live in 1500 sq ft in a Manhattan NY forum.
I think they would be fine with four in 1500 sq ft.

I think two small children would be fine in one room until they're teenagers. I believe small kids are better off sharing a room as long as possible.
When teenager years happen everything changes. Maybe they'll be fine, maybe not.
They'll probably want to go live in their car anyway, lol.

What you save on having something smaller now can go to something like private school, or go into savings, or go to a much better house when the teenagers might benefit from having some elbow room.

Personally, I think having a good neighborhood near the workplace is more important than elbow room for the kids; happy parents at home make happy kids.
"Stuff" does nothing good for kids.
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Old 05-15-2015, 05:51 PM
 
Location: Blackistan
3,006 posts, read 2,610,158 times
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I grew up in the mid 80s to early 2000s in a family of four in a 1300 sq. ft. house. Even during a time of an abundance of cheap plastic crap, we always had enough space and were comfortable. It can be done. Just don't buy "stuff" you don't need.
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Old 05-15-2015, 07:51 PM
 
2,613 posts, read 4,121,166 times
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But the OP has no plans of moving when the kids become older.

I do think kids and ppl deserve a little space. Some kids do not do well bumping into siblings and parents at each turn. Some need more space of their own. Some do not. Depends on personality.

Furthermore, all of these ppl who grew up in the 80s like me and before grew up in much different times. Life was alot simpler. Everybody did not have a tv of their own, cell phone, video games and kids played outside, period. Those were different times. Kids dont play outside as much nowadays. They play inside. They have friends over inside. Yes I have lived in a 3/1 with two sisters, a mom and dad but who would honestly choose that if given an option for something bigger given the drama bathroom assembly line in the am before work and school? We lived that way bc we had to. The OP is talking about living that way intentionally. That's a little different.

The OP might want a bigger house when these two kids get to be teenagers for his/her own peace of mind. I say live in the house now and buy another one in 10 years. Surely that is doable, right?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Thulsa View Post
I would be curious to know what people would say about trying to live in 1500 sq ft in a Manhattan NY forum.
I think they would be fine with four in 1500 sq ft.

I think two small children would be fine in one room until they're teenagers. I believe small kids are better off sharing a room as long as possible.
When teenager years happen everything changes. Maybe they'll be fine, maybe not.
They'll probably want to go live in their car anyway, lol.

What you save on having something smaller now can go to something like private school, or go into savings, or go to a much better house when the teenagers might benefit from having some elbow room.

Personally, I think having a good neighborhood near the workplace is more important than elbow room for the kids; happy parents at home make happy kids.
"Stuff" does nothing good for kids.
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