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A research team affiliated with UCLA studied American families and where they spend most of their time while inside their homes. The results were fascinating, but really not all that surprising. Here’s one representative example:
As the quote says, it's certainly not surprising to see that people spend most of their time in a few specific areas of their home, yet they continue to want larger houses.
I bought a little more house than we really needed but interestingly, a big reason for me wasn't mentioned, which is resale. My house is a 3 br plus small loft, 2.5 bath with a little over 1800 sq ft, plus a 660 sq ft unfinished basement. Definitely more house than was needed for me and my teen son. But I live in a very family oriented area. So for a 2 adult and 1-2 child family, the larger size is a much better match. I didn't want to eliminate those families when it came to resale time, so I went ahead and got the expanded upstairs with the loft which took it from a little under 1600 sq ft to a little over 1800. We certainly could make do with either the 3rd bedroom or the loft rather than both, but with another 1 or 2 people living there, that would be a lot tougher.
Location: Finally the house is done and we are in Port St. Lucie!
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2 living rooms, granted one is labeled family room, is quite redundant. With our open floor plan, all areas get pretty equal use. Although, I spend most time out on the lanai.
Dining rooms and porches are wasted space. Family rooms and living rooms are there so kids can have a place to watch TV while parents watch something else. It's quite handy to have a living and a family room though I suppose they could just watch TV in their bedroom. Extra bedrooms or bonus rooms and bathrooms I have no objection too. I don't see the point of the article except to say that dining rooms are pointless, but most middle class homes built today don't come with dining rooms or porches anyways. They come with the rooms people use.
We have had eight people in as little as 1600 sq feet and have three kids to a bedroom in our new place; which is 2100-ish. We are home all day and utilize every square inch of the house and then some. But it’s comfortable and not too tight, though I have to be thrifty and smart with storage.
I do think a lot of people live in much bigger spaces than they need, but if they can afford it I suppose that’s their choice.
Last edited by Schmooky; 06-06-2018 at 12:59 PM..
Reason: Typo fix
Most people don't buy large houses for practical reasons. Other reasons.
Oh, I agree. But it is interesting seeing the example of the space being used on a regular basis, and thinking about what a diagram of your own home and life would look like. I know exactly where I'd be lacking in red dots although as I mentioned, I went into things kind of knowing that, but wanting to have the extra space to maintain resale value.
Not that my house is that big anyway, bigger than *I* need but still fairly small by most people's standards.
the "American Dream" isn't to own a "big" home; it is to own a home.
this. anything else is fabricated, as far as I'm concerned.
My next home will be a SMALLER home, but it will still be a home. And I could have gotten an even bigger home for my $$ than I have ... but this was the LOCATION we wanted.
The chart has no bedrooms that's where my red dot would be,
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