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I was reading this article and am so glad the McMansion trend is out! I'm also curious how large a home (in SF, please) my fellow CD'ers own. And what your ideal home size is if you're hoping to downgrade or upgrade.
I'm in a 2200SF 4BR home right now. It's larger than what I want now but considering my family will likely grow to a family of 4, it will be just the right size.
Death of the 'McMansion': Era of Huge Homes Is Over - Yahoo! Finance (http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Death-of-the-McMansion-Era-of-cnbc-1051033821.html?x=0&sec=topStories&pos=4&asset=f44 0023187ad530c8b0cf2f731f8f2f2&ccode= - broken link)
Could you or someone define what a "McMansion" is?
I like to have "space" in my house. I like everything to have a place. I don't want to have to stick 2 kids in one bedroom and have no space for them to have their own "stuff" or be able to escape to. I like having a big dining room that we can all fit around the table as a family and then when we include the extended family, there is more than enough room for holidays or special occasions (which we don't have right now). I like having a family room (which we don't have right now either- it's pretty small, so we're putting an addition on - family room will be dining room and addition will be new family room ) for all 5 of us to be able to hang out in. The kids are young, but they're just going to get bigger and I'd love to have a space where we're not all on top of each other as they grow (and add any future spouses or grand kids).
May have to do with the fact I'm more than a little claustrophobic....
Could you or someone define what a "McMansion" is?
I like to have "space" in my house. I like everything to have a place. I don't want to have to stick 2 kids in one bedroom and have no space for them to have their own "stuff" or be able to escape to. I like having a big dining room that we can all fit around the table as a family and then when we include the extended family, there is more than enough room for holidays or special occasions (which we don't have right now). I like having a family room (which we don't have right now either- it's pretty small, so we're putting an addition on - family room will be dining room and addition will be new family room ) for all 5 of us to be able to hang out in. The kids are young, but they're just going to get bigger and I'd love to have a space where we're not all on top of each other as they grow (and add any future spouses or grand kids).
May have to do with the fact I'm more than a little claustrophobic....
everyone's wants are different. i grew up as 1 of 3 children. family of 5 and a large dog. we had a 2700 sq ft house. basement wasn't finished. 2 car garage. this house was more than enough space. it was a colonial so it had the front room, dining room, family room, kitchen. master bedroom, 2 good size bedrooms, and one bedroom that was big enough for a twin and furniture.
i'm not sure what they define as a mcmansion - but it's pretty easy to spot them just driving around. probably 4,000-5,000 sq ft or more.
Could you or someone define what a "McMansion" is?
.
5-7,000 sf homes usually built in developments by developers (rather than builders) on a small lot typically 1/2- 1 acre. Big on size with fancy kitchens and baths but usually lacking in quality. City people like Mc Mansions because they get a lot of house but have no need for a large yard.
Watchung, Warren, Green Brook, NJ is the McMansion capital of Central NJ.
7-10,00 sf houses are all over Far Hills, Bedminster, NJ on 5-100 acre farms.
These are real mansions.
Sounds like the Toll Brothers development my brother bought new in about 3 years ago. HUGE houses with no front, side yards and hardly a backyard to speak of.
Last edited by Informed Info; 08-21-2010 at 05:43 PM..
Could you or someone define what a "McMansion" is?
I like to have "space" in my house. I like everything to have a place. I don't want to have to stick 2 kids in one bedroom and have no space for them to have their own "stuff" or be able to escape to. I like having a big dining room that we can all fit around the table as a family and then when we include the extended family, there is more than enough room for holidays or special occasions (which we don't have right now). I like having a family room (which we don't have right now either- it's pretty small, so we're putting an addition on - family room will be dining room and addition will be new family room ) for all 5 of us to be able to hang out in. The kids are young, but they're just going to get bigger and I'd love to have a space where we're not all on top of each other as they grow (and add any future spouses or grand kids).
May have to do with the fact I'm more than a little claustrophobic....
It sounds as if you are just looking to have the space you need for your family.
Sounds like the Toll Brothers development my brother bought new in about 3 years ago. HUGE houses with no front, side yards and hardly a backyard to speak of.
Yes Toll brothers is one of the developers I was talking about.
I got a call from them years back asking if I would like to bid on the Electrical work on their development in Warren NJ. I declined their offer.
Even new contruction houses that are less than 5K SF are being built with shoddy contruction. It doesn't have to be a McMansion to have shoddy contruction. This is just the way American housing is being built and it will not end. My 2000 SF home which is perfect for me, was built in 2002 was made with shoddy contruction. I just chalk it up to the signs of the times. Also, while, I wouldn't want a 5000+ SF. Mcmansion, I actually think it has its benefit on smaller lots. Who wants to pay for all that landscaping when you over 2 acres of land. You also get to know your neighbors and it's nice to be able to socialize if you have children and you live on a cul-du-sac.
Even new contruction houses that are less than 5K SF are being built with shoddy contruction. It doesn't have to be a McMansion to have shoddy contruction. This is just the way American housing is being built and it will not end. My 2000 SF home which is perfect for me, was built in 2002 was made with shoddy contruction. I just chalk it up to the signs of the times. Also, while, I wouldn't want a 5000+ SF. Mcmansion, I actually think it has its benefit on smaller lots. Who wants to pay for all that landscaping when you over 2 acres of land. You also get to know your neighbors and it's nice to be able to socialize if you have children and you live on a cul-du-sac.
Well, if you have that much land you can probably afford to pay for landscaping. When I grew up we only had half an acre, but nobody had landscapers do their yard. You had lawnmowers. And rakes. You might pay the neighborhood kid to mow your lawn if your own kids weren't old enough to do it, but my father was disabled and always cut his own lawn on his ride-around lawnmower. Everybody raked leaves and then burned them and we put potatoes in the fire and ate them afterward with lots of butter. (This was the 1960's.) Now you'd get slapped with a ticket for doing that in my old hometown, and everybody uses landscapers. Sorry, just reminiscing...
Some of the houses with 2+ acres, such as in Upper Saddle River, seem to have corporate-type landscaping so it seems the owners really don't care much about gardening anyway, just as long as everything looks neat and tidy.
My opinion re the big houses on small lots has more to do with aesthetics. They just look out of proportion to me. It depends on the families' lifestyles and needs, I suppose.
Who wants to pay for all that landscaping when you over 2 acres of land
I have almost 3 acres. Only someone foolish will try to have that much landscaped. Most is still the original wooded area and the house is set back far enough that it is barely visible from the roadway.. I can't see any neighbors which is fine with me. Less than a half acre is landscaped.
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