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We live in a neighborhood where mansions were originally built - 5,000 to 15,000 sq. feet on 1 to 5 acreas - very desirable neighborhood, beautiful traditional homes most built about 12-15 years ago. We live just out of the estate area of the subdivision in our measly 3200 sf house, LOL.
You must be talking about Toll Brothers' homes. God they are ugly. Jay
I am intimately familiar with Toll Brothers. And I agree 100% with you even though they have bought my product on various projects. I do not enjoy working with them.
My issue with many of these is the "wasted" square footage. Hallways wide enough to drive a semi-truck through, bathrooms with entrance atriums, closets that are the size of a garage ... all adding square footage, but without increasing the usability.
Nevermind the operating costs for heating and cooling the air space too.
While there will still be a market for such gargantuans (much like oversized SUVs), the trend will be more towards efficiency nowadays.
From the picture you posted (read my lips) and from the picture only.
That's not my definition of a McMansion.
Yes, it is a moderately sized house, but there is an abundant front yard, plenty of forested area in the back- which would leave me to believe that that piece of property/ home is in an estate type of development or it's sitting on a very large tract of land.
Now, if you could pan-out the picture and this was sitting in a established neighborhood from the 40's- 50's with bungalows and ramblers, and it was drawfing it's neighbor- then I'd say McMansion.
I've built probably 120-160 homes pretty much just like that one. But, I didn't see them as McMansions then or now. They were built in developments where the minimum sq/ft. was 3k. The other 1 to 1.5k sq/ft. took care of my lot price (that in nice terms).
My issue with many of these is the "wasted" square footage. Hallways wide enough to drive a semi-truck through, bathrooms with entrance atriums, closets that are the size of a garage ... all adding square footage, but without increasing the usability.
Nevermind the operating costs for heating and cooling the air space too.
While there will still be a market for such gargantuans (much like oversized SUVs), the trend will be more towards efficiency nowadays.
Who cares? Let people do what they want with their own money. What is waste to you may be a luxurious well-earned extra to others.
I agree that building huge homes that don't fit the neighborhood can be devastaging to a cozy little subdivision filled with small homes. However people do have the right to build hallways wide enough to drive a semi-truck through and have as many bathrooms and huge closets as they want too.
Who cares? Let people do what they want with their own money. What is waste to you may be a luxurious well-earned extra to others.
However people do have the right to build hallways wide enough to drive a semi-truck through and have as many bathrooms and huge closets as they want too.
I gave you rep points Cattknap. If we sold our house two years ago we'll be living in a 4k sq/ft home with full basement. I loved to have that space, large Gourmet kitchen, family rm, walk in closets and every br with its own bathroom. The one we were interested in building had 15*30 Master Suite with firplace excluding the the his and hers garage of a closet and bath.
Who cares? Let people do what they want with their own money. ...
... hence my closing comment that there will still be a market for them, albeit a shrinking one.
I was merely poiting out that the issue is raised these days because many of these McMansions were built during the boom years, with few regards to the design and impact on the neighborhood. They were built simply as being "I'm the biggest", and to maximize profitability, not utility to the buyer. The numbers looked great on paper, however.
Mansions don't look out of place if that is the norm, because that is what the area demands. Tract-home built McMansions on postage-stamp lots do look out of place.
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If we sold our house two years ago we'll be living in a 4k sq/ft home with full basement. I loved to have that space, large Gourmet kitchen, family rm, walk in closets and every br with its own bathroom. The one we were interested in building had 15*30 Master Suite with firplace excluding the the his and hers garage of a closet and bath.
