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It's simply a reflection how materialistic our society has become and how popular it is to "keep up with the Joneses".
My wife and I bought a 1300 square foot 3 bedroom home in our mid 20's when we were still dating. A decade later we are married with two children. Sure it would be nice to have more room, but what is nicer is the fact that while my career and income have grown substantially our mortgage is still very low. This allows us to save more towards an early retirement and I expect to have the house paid off at a fairly young age.
When talking to friends it seems they expect us to "upgrade" at some point. I really have no desire to do that. I don't really have the desire to have a mortgage payment that is double what we pay now. I'm not sure when it suddenly became necessary for a small family to live live in a 3,500 square foot house.
EDIT: I reread that and realized I come off as bitter. That isn't my intention. If others want to buy large homes that is their decision and doesn't impact me. I was more referring to the strange expectation some people have that I won't stay in a more modestly sized home for the long run.
I know exactly what you mean. I often scoff when I hear about people "needing" more room. Like a large SUV, most people don't "need" it but it sure is a nice luxury to have for many.
Things room for visiting family or grandparents, room to expand to get away from each other, etc. Other things play a role too. Climate, and the availability of outdoor entertainment, the lifestyle of the kids, etc. Kids that can play outside all day, or kids that are more rambunctious and active. I know when my dad went looking for the house that we moved to just before I went to Kindergarten, he wanted a large unfinished basement. Reason? So three boys could be sent down there in winter, inclement weather, and have a cement room where hockey pucks and baseballs could do little damage.
I know exactly what you mean. I often scoff when I hear about people "needing" more room. Like a large SUV, most people don't "need" it but it sure is a nice luxury to have for many.
Things room for visiting family or grandparents, room to expand to get away from each other, etc. Other things play a role too. Climate, and the availability of outdoor entertainment, the lifestyle of the kids, etc. Kids that can play outside all day, or kids that are more rambunctious and active. I know when my dad went looking for the house that we moved to just before I went to Kindergarten, he wanted a large unfinished basement. Reason? So three boys could be sent down there in winter, inclement weather, and have a cement room where hockey pucks and baseballs could do little damage.
Believe me sometimes we want more room and it is tempting but then I try and remind myself of our long term goals. Having less room is a benefit in some ways in that it forces us to get rid of unnecessary things. Life’s all about priorities.
I do hear about things that just seem crazy and wasteful to me like the coworker who paid to have a waterproof tv setup installed in her shower.
Who says it has to be something you move into as a first home and transition out of?
Is a 3 BR 1500 sq. ft. bungalow (with a basement) too small to stay in? Really?
Never understood the implied expectation for an eventual "upgrade."
Just always wondered......
I'll be staying in my less than 2000 sq. ft. home. No upgrades planned.
My "starter" home was only 400 sq. ft., so eventually I wanted a little more room to move around in, lol. There have been times that I've regretted ever selling it though, because I can just imagine all the money I would have saved over the years if I had kept it and stayed there. My mortgage was only $150 something per month, and that's when interest rates were in the doubles digits.
The neighborhood I'm moving to seems to have a fair number of residents who still live in their starter homes. My next door neighbor is still in the home she and her late husband bought, and her FIL built my house, which has only had 2 families in 60 years. My seller's mother lives across the street and has done so for many decades. These ladies were part of my Mom's generation that really weren't into "moving up" all that much.
Its your preference and needs. If it works for you then yes it can be your forever home. In my case we bought our first home soon after we got married and after a few years and a few kids we felt we needed more useful space. I also wanted to be in a better school district so we moved. Ten years after that we moved out of state for several reasons, so we are on our 3rd home. This should be it until we move once again for retirement, but you never know what life might throw at you!
Who says it has to be something you move into as a first home and transition out of?
Is a 3 BR 1500 sq. ft. bungalow (with a basement) too small to stay in? Really?
Never understood the implied expectation for an eventual "upgrade."
Just always wondered......
Marketers, real estate agents, mortgage brokers, others who profit on your insecurities (that is the American way, our economy has been consumer-based for five or so decades now, which is why when 9-11 happened, W. said the most patriotic thing we can do is go shopping ... and some people did).
A home is what you make of it. That is different for everyone. If a 3 bedroom, 1500 sq. foot bungalow works for you, you win. You get to make this decision.
We live in a "starter" home (3BR, 1100 sq.ft. ranch) in an excellent neighborhood. Sometimes the house feels small, but in a few years, when the kids start leaving for college, it'd be ok.
So the size is what you need for you, not what HGTV or the agents or whoever tells you. You don't need to get a bigger house. Location is very important, though.
actually this is just another one of those "why don't you make due..." "live within your means" threads.
and at the end of the day it comes down to personal choice.
we are not arbiters for what others should do/shouldn't do. If you want to live in a starter home for a long time, that's great.
but needs change.
we could have had a boat load of money staying where we were but as I said before, didn't care for the neighborhood anymore and we couldn't see another ten years in the house. mind as well sell it while we could make some good money and roll that into the purchase of the house where we could see ourselves in for the next twenty years.
no one needs to justify their choices. if people want to move into a more prestigious area, why not?
if people want a bigger home? why not?
if people want more land? again WHY NOT?
we actually got a smaller house, though it is not small. But the neighborhood is superior and that's VERY important, more important than other things.
I know exactly what you mean. I often scoff when I hear about people "needing" more room. Like a large SUV, most people don't "need" it but it sure is a nice luxury to have for many. .
Where I live, a starter home might be a studio or one bedroom apartment. Very small. So I think looking for more space when kids come into play is reasonable. Honestly, if people want more space and they have the money, I have no reason to scoff. Everyone wants and likes different things. It's not my money.
Growing up, at one point, there were six of us in a small house (<800 square feet and a bunch of it unusable.) I couldn't stand being so cramped, sharing the tiniest bedroom that didn't even have a fourth wall. My folks are still there! My one bedroom apartment honestly feels more spacious to me even though it's smaller.
A friend lived in a 1970’s 3 bedroom ranch and when they had their only child...moved into a much larger home to accommate the child. Sure...that made sense. Lol!
Now I see starter homes financed by the parents. New builds ala HGTV!
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