What size house for a single person? (2015, construction, kitchens)
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To me, square footage is much less important than layout of the house.
My husband and I have no kids and live in an area of New England where giant houses are unusual and looked down on. We live beneath our means in a 3 bedroom, 2 bath 2-story 1700 square ft. house (which does not include a full unfinished walk-out basement.) This is more than enough space for us, but I feel that the floor plan doesn't make the best use of the space. I've never wanted to live in a ranch house (single-story houses are very unusual around here) but lately I have thought that if I could have one with a lot of character and high ceilings built, I might like one. All the square footage on one level would provide more of a feeling of spaciousness and we wouldn't have to work around a staircase in the middle of the house.
I know for sure I could live single in less than 1000 square feet and would consider this (or a 2-bedroom house for my husband and me) if resale were not an issue. (I have seen lately that 2 bedroom houses at least around here are very hard to sell.) I'm a big fan of compact European apartments with tiny under-counter refrigerators and would have one right now if I weren't concerned about resale. To me, small is good if it is planned out well, with attention to function, space, and light.
Can't edit my above post... just to clarify, I meant the square footage (1700 sq.ft.) does not take into consideration the square footage of the full unfinished walkout basement the house has. I reread my post and realized it sounded like I was saying the house does not include a full unfinished walkout basement.
I built an 1800 square foot home for myself about 9 years ago. Plenty of size, since it is an open plan and very well laid out. Three bedrooms (2 closed off), 2 bathrooms, large living room with computer space. Besides, Im far more interested in my space OUTside rather than inside, i.e. 10 acres and a 40 x 48 open shed.
My first house was 1250 sf, 2 bedrooms and 1 bath - no garage. Too small. Not enough room for occasional visitors. I then moved up to a 2600 sf house with 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, large den, double car garage. The yard is large and hard to maintain. Way too large but it is in a good, older neighborhood and has the larger rooms that I wanted. Also there were few houses for sale in that area when I bought and they went fast. Location is the most important factor to me.
I plan to retire in a couple of years and downsize. Will look for a house or townhome about 1700-2000 SF with 2 bedrooms and small office area or 3 bedrooms with 2 baths, double garage. Definitely want only one living area and don't want a formal dining room. Don't want the lot over 1/5 acre unless it is mostly "natural" or low maintenance landscaping. Since I have decided to look at newer, more energy efficient homes, hopefully there will be more houses available that meet my criteria this time. One problem that I have seen is that the nicer neighborhoods tend to have larger houses and larger lots. Hard to find smaller houses in nice areas.
Great question.
I had the opportunity in 2000 to design my dream house, albeit with many restrictions from the town (two official bedrooms, certain footprint, etc.) It's about 1300 sq.ft. one bedroom and bath on the first floor and a 12x32 loft with a full bath. Six-foot basement, no garage. I can use the loft for long-term guests (and have) and I think I'd close in a bedroom in the loft if wanting to sell or having a full-time roommate. No room is square- all angles and high ceilings. Tiny kitchen that works fine and even has a dishwasher. Big fenced yard for my many adoptees (senior mutts). I don't have a lot of "stuff" except for books and artwork. Am working on giving books to the library for its sales, and have no wall space left for artwork (not to mention money).
I could live here with a man, I think, in terms of the space. He might want a private office space somewhere, and could maybe finish part of the not-really basement. Oh, and he'd have to use the secondary bathroom. I've lived alone way too long to share. But then, what man wants to live with now-seven dogs? Well, if he'd cook for me...
I have a small house -- all on one floor--2 bedrooms, one bathroom. ~900 sq ft. No basement.
Would like to have another bathroom--based on layout, this may be doable.
It's a 1950s house, so there is a big yard. Only me and the animals here.
In this neighborhood, people have built on, built up, and torn down and rebuilt much larger.
There is a nice size room built on the back here where I keep plants in winter. It also serves as the cat's room.
The reason why I started this thread is because I'm about to close on a 2273 sq ft house, 4 bedrooms with an open loft/game room area. It's just me right now, but at some point I could possibly add another occupant. I have no plans to have kids. I feel like it's a little bit bigger than I need, but other than size, it fits all of my requirements. I do plan to use most of the space though - an office (I work from home often), a guest bedroom, and a theater/media room. I'm not too sure what to do with the open loft/game room yet, but I'm sure I'll be able to figure something out. Seems like most people think that's too big of a house for a single/couple though.
I've owned several houses as a single person. I bought houses that needed work and worked on them while I lived in them, and then sold them. I didn't get anything too small as I was aiming for resale — largest was 1,800 sq. ft. But I never felt I needed that much space for myself. I now have two people in a 1,600 sq. ft. house and that's more than enough room for the two of us. If I were ever living alone again I would downsize. First and foremost, I'm concerned about the environment and I don't personally think I should take up more than my fair share of resources on the planet. I believe in the motto recycle, restore, reuse. I would also like to cut down on cleaning and maintenance; I take care of what I own on my own, and I have better uses for my time than scrubbing floors and toilets. If I never had guests a one bedroom apartment would be big enough for me. But I do often have guests where I live now, so the ideal would be two beds, two baths. I can't imagine ever again needing more than 1,000-1,200 sq. fit.
The reason why I started this thread is because I'm about to close on a 2273 sq ft house, 4 bedrooms with an open loft/game room area. It's just me right now, but at some point I could possibly add another occupant. I have no plans to have kids. I feel like it's a little bit bigger than I need, but other than size, it fits all of my requirements. I do plan to use most of the space though - an office (I work from home often), a guest bedroom, and a theater/media room. I'm not too sure what to do with the open loft/game room yet, but I'm sure I'll be able to figure something out. Seems like most people think that's too big of a house for a single/couple though.
Everyone uses their homespace differently. So there is no right answer. I am self-employed so I have one room (12 x 14) just dedicated to filing cabinets!
The reason why I started this thread is because I'm about to close on a 2273 sq ft house, 4 bedrooms with an open loft/game room area. It's just me right now, but at some point I could possibly add another occupant. I have no plans to have kids. I feel like it's a little bit bigger than I need, but other than size, it fits all of my requirements. I do plan to use most of the space though - an office (I work from home often), a guest bedroom, and a theater/media room. I'm not too sure what to do with the open loft/game room yet, but I'm sure I'll be able to figure something out. Seems like most people think that's too big of a house for a single/couple though.
I would not consider 2273 sf to be too large of a house for a couple. For a single, yes - for a couple - no. If you are young and dating, you might end up with a roommate in the near future and the house would be a good size for the two of you. However, other considerations are that you have to clean, heat & cool, furnish, put up window coverings, etc. for that large of a house and the costs and time add up. Also it appears that you live in Texas. All of my siblings and many old school friends are Texans and it is my experience that they like big houses in Texas. My former college roommate and her husband live in Dallas and just "downsized" from a 4500-5000 sf house to a 3500 sf house - just the two of them. If nothing else, it might be better for resale to have a slightly larger house.
Last edited by ABQ2015; 10-12-2013 at 09:21 AM..
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