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Hello,
I'm looking at going from a 1400 square foot home down to a 1200 square foot home. Has anyone made this decision in their home buying experience? Was it a positive or negative move? I have concerns about being "cramped" in the house.
Hello,
I'm looking at going from a 1400 square foot home down to a 1200 square foot home. Has anyone made this decision in their home buying experience? Was it a positive or negative move? I have concerns about being "cramped" in the house.
We used to have 4 of us in a 1200 sq ft. home. It depends on the layout and number of bedrooms. We had a 2 story with 4 bedrooms and 1 1/2 baths. The only thing I would like to have had was another full bath. It was a little cramped, but manageable.
It's very doable if the layout is practical. Don't have "stuff", only keep things you need and rent a storage unit if you are a packrat. If there is good outdoor space it makes it better for having people over. My son is has recently set up in the garage for some large-scale gaming he does with friends, and that's more usuable space that can be exploited for certain activities. I like small houses myself.
My wife and I bought a 1,050 sq. ft. house. Right now, while son-in-law is deployed to Afghanistan, my step daughter, 14 year old granddaughter and 7 year old grandson are living with us. If 6 can live in a 3 br 2 bath, 1000 sq. ft. house and not be crowded I don't understand how 4 people could be crowded in a 1200 sq. ft. house.
As others have said it depends on the room planning and layout. We are a family of 4 and we currently live in 990 sq ft (2 bed 1.5 bath), previously we had only 900 sq ft but that house had walk in closets and a storage area built onto the front porch. Although our current home has more sq ft we lost the walk ins and the storage so we have had to lose a lot of our 'stuff'.
We've lived in much smaller places with our oldest child. It just depends on how the space is arranged and how you regulate what you keep and how you store it.
It will only be an issue if you make it an issue. What does everybody need so much space for? We are a family of four and we live in a small space, we just downsized too. We all get along well, enjoy each other's company and when we need some "time away" we go where the others aren't, respecting each others privacy. I like that we use every square inch of our home, every day.
I wouldn't worry at all about being cramped, unless of course you're seriously into hoarding. I have a family of four and we live in a 1200 sq ft house with no problems. Every room is fairly spacious and I like to decorate with a minimalist approach (less cleaning for me, lol), so I guess that helps.
I grew up in a family of 8 in a 1400 square foot home.
Now I have a family of 2 in a 2550 square foot home.
The only difference is now we have more stuff. The trouble with stuff is you have to put away stuff, clean stuff, sort stuff, fold stuff, box up stuff, organize stuff.
Just get rid of some of your stuff. You'll be happier for it.
Most of the world lives in a far smaller space than Americans do.
Wife and I raised 7 kids in a 1050 sq ft 3 BR 1 Bath home. Can be done. Boys had their room as did the girls.
Today being by myself have a 1450 sq ft bi-level home I built. Have 2-1/2 baths and more cleaning to do then the earlier home...crazy I know.
Just think of the people with a large home that may need wheels to go from one end of the house to the other end.
More is not always better in the long run.
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I have a family of four and we live in a 1200 sq ft house with no problems. Every room is fairly spacious and I like to decorate with a minimalist approach (less cleaning for me, lol), so I guess that helps.
