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Please do not buy any more old houses and rip out the walls. Some of us still want our houses to have walls and doors.
If you want to live in an open house, please buy a new house. They're all built that way.
Ah, but to get a good location in some areas it is necessary. Not all of us want to live in commuter suburbs. The ranch we have been remodeling lost the formal dining room walls and now light actually flows from the front to the back so it doesn’t feel like a cave anymore, and our dining room table can actually fit (it would not have worked with any circulation room with those walls up, the rooms were simply too small to function for our family).
We didn’t go totally open concept but much more than the original floor plan. But the house lives better and looks better now, older room separation concepts don’t always work well. That said I actually have issues with full open concept in some executions as it doesn’t control for smell of noise well. However plenty of people like me who are taking down walls aren’t doing it for a fad - it is out of genuine need to have the house function well within the existing footprint.
Open concept drywall cathedrals in the suburbs aren’t the only solution, especially if existing house stock is less expensive and has a better location. Renovation is a valid life choice
What’s a McMansion? Simply a development house of a large size on a small lot. A true mansion occupies at least an acre and is built by a small local builder using plans from an architect who sits with the customer to discuss how the customer envisions living life within the home. The plan incorporates anticipated use of space and the way a person moves between spaces. A McMansion plan is chosen from a predrawn set. As a result the McMansion is more affordable since many are being built at the same time thus leading to economies of scale.
So if you are accepting of development homes and just want a large one this is a great way to spend your money plus you may not need to hire a team of gardeners
What’s a McMansion? Simply a development house of a large size on a small lot. A true mansion occupies at least an acre and is built by a small local builder using plans from an architect who sits with the customer to discuss how the customer envisions living life within the home. The plan incorporates anticipated use of space and the way a person moves between spaces. A McMansion plan is chosen from a predrawn set. As a result the McMansion is more affordable since many are being built at the same time thus leading to economies of scale.
So if you are accepting of development homes and just want a large one this is a great way to spend your money plus you may not need to hire a team of gardeners
Are starter homes still being built anywhere? In...
It's been close to 10 years since builders stopped building homes in a lower price point where your typical first time buyer could afford it. New construction here starts around the median price for our market.
I would love it, but they make much more money on the higher price point.
Please do not buy any more old houses and rip out the walls. Some of us still want our houses to have walls and doors.
If you want to live in an open house, please buy a new house. They're all built that way.
I never understood the desire to knock down walls from theses older homes in order to create a large ‘great room.’ I’m trying to do the opposite and install some French doors to create fully separate, enclosed living spaces that provide privacy and allow for more functionality.
One large room not only removes all this, but also increases the noise level so that you can not watch TV, listen to music, or read without household noises, such as normal kitchen activities, interfering. Not to mention having to look at all the mess and clutter if living with sloppy kids/spouse.
Please do not buy any more old houses and rip out the walls. Some of us still want our houses to have walls and doors.
If you want to live in an open house, please buy a new house. They're all built that way.
Generally, I'd agree with you... IF the house was built at once and designed for use. Many older homes have additions - a large number of additions - and removing load-bearing walls to replace them with headers enhances the use of space. We did quite a bit of work on our home, which had SEVEN additions put on over the years. And the previous owners would likely agree that while they got more, needed space, that space wasn't as usable as it could be. Society changes and so, people's use of certain rooms changes.
That said, I have drapes all over my house in the winter because previous owners removed un-fashionable doors. These doors kept heat and let out heat as needed. I wish they'd been in the garage. Heavy, lovely drapes are much, MUCH cheaper than 6 custom doors.
To go on a bit of a tangent, a young man I used to babysit has a construction company now that primarily renovates McMansions for better use. Gutting them and making use of all those cathedral ceilings where 2 or 3 more bedrooms and baths could be. Making the kitchen flow into a dining room, no breakfast area, and making a larger living room with multiple seating/activity arrangements. Turning formal living rooms/parlours at the front into contained offices with a vestibule to keep heat in and give the family home some privacy. I love looking at the before and after pictures. The outsides of the houses still look the same but the insides feel homey.
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