Why are new homes so close together? (Seattle, Kent: rent, how much)

[civic94]

I was looking at some new homes in renton years back, it was the cookie cutter types of Quadrant homes. each house was literally less than 10 feet from each other, quite the American dream.

I asked the agent why they homes are so close together, they said that its like that to neighbors know each other, and they can have barbecues in the summer so its a close knit family. I BS with him saying that If I saved 300k and not buy, living in my apartment would be a even closer family with my neighbors sharing a wall .

the houses were 300k for 1800 sf, and i think the average lot size was between 3000-5000 sf.

[MaikeerinWA]

There have been many good and valid reasons cited in this thread as to why houses tend to be so close together these days. That was not one of them.

Originally Posted by civic94

I asked the agent why they homes are so close together, they said that its like that to neighbors know each other, and they can have barbecues in the summer so its a close knit family.

[Idunn]

While not everyone wants a yard to deal with, I'll hazard to guess that most would prefer a view of nature out their kitchen window—instead of directly into their neighbor's house.

Space and something of a yard provide that. It might also be pointed out that there are suburban standards of what one's lawn is supposed to look like, and then places farther out where maybe precious few around to have any opinion on what your yard looks like, and one can leave nature to do exactly as she likes. But most of all space important, no matter how looking or maintained. For many, and the greater society, this also translates into greater health.

The common lot sizes of 1960 have been mentioned. With that as an arbitrary baseline year, consider population increase since then. That of the United States increased from about 179m (million) in 1960 to roughly 313m today. In 1960 the population of the 12 counties bordering Puget Sound was about 1.8m; by 2008 that had more than doubled to 4.4m. As everyone knows, particularly in the immediate Seattle metro area situated between mountains and water, there is only so much available land. Most of the population resides there, and in one way or another they will be made to fit.

Urban Seattle and such locals along either coast are somewhat exceptions. But no secret that most Americans love their bloated gas-swilling SUVs. They usually want a spacious garage to put it into, followed by a suitably expansive house. Many looking at these older homes on larger lots would be horrified at the broom closet-sized closets which served as all the bedroom storage people had then; save for any furniture squeezed into bedrooms the size of what someone now would like to turn into their walk-in closet. Expectations have shifted, as well as certain realities.

If one has to pay $1m for a decent sized house on a decent sized lot, then that is the market reality. Fewer would have considered a house that size necessary 50 years ago, but accepted as common practice that few outside a city would want a postage stamp lot, or crammed next their neighbor. Land is simply more expensive, and basically all else in real estate as well. Particularly insofar as the size of yards are concerned, the standard of living has taken a nosedive.

What one is left with is paying a small fortune for an often questionably built townhouse that looks glamorous, at least when new. But in the uncomfortable position of having to rationalize how an enforced lack of yard work makes up for your neighbors and yourself having a far better idea what each is up to than anyone should.

Not everyone would if they could, but moving into the mountains would cure many of these ills. It is possible to live somewhere without a single neighbor in sight. Most would probably prefer more company, and better access to services. And probably decent sized yard in suburbia to go along with it, even if the upkeep handed off to the gardner. Ideally. They would would if they could, and to say otherwise a lie.

[Inkpoe]

Originally Posted by civic94

I was looking at some new homes in renton years back, it was the cookie cutter types of Quadrant homes. each house was literally less than 10 feet from each other, quite the American dream.

I asked the agent why they homes are so close together, they said that its like that to neighbors know each other, and they can have barbecues in the summer so its a close knit family. I BS with him saying that If I saved 300k and not buy, living in my apartment would be a even closer family with my neighbors sharing a wall .

the houses were 300k for 1800 sf, and i think the average lot size was between 3000-5000 sf.

Yea, right! LOL... definitely a bad sell with me. LOL.

Y'all think the houses are close together here? In LV, you couldn't even stretch your arms out... not enough room to even host a party (only enough room to walk around the house). The government ended up having to pass a rule basically saying people should have bigger "yards".

[civic94]

Originally Posted by Inkpoe

Yea, right! LOL... definitely a bad sell with me. LOL.

unfortunately, some people actually believes agents/carsalesmen that they get manipulated into buying it. I can imagine someone hearing that and they look at how "neat" the new cookie cutter homes are, and they want that sense of community, becuase maybe they hate their neighbors at their current place. sooner or later they find out that having a neighbor 8 feet from you sucks, and that they paid 300k to get out of the city, only to live so damn close to someone else.

I have a friend that bought a quadrant home in fairwood, and he hates the stupid dog that always barks, and he literally told me that he only say hi to 2 neighbors if he sees them, other than that he talks to no one. he had the place since 04. No barbecues I guess..... and yes, his home is really 10 feet from his neighbors house, if you actually used a measuring tape.

[Garfunkle524]

Originally Posted by Idunn

Not everyone would if they could, but moving into the mountains would cure many of these ills.

I would move to the mountains IN A HEARTBEAT! Unfortunately I'm thinking my girlfriend (and perhaps wife one day) would never do such a thing. The city has tons of plusses, my favorite of which is walkability, but I just love the mountains (grew up right on the Rocky Mountain Foothills and spent lots of time in the mountains).

Originally Posted by civic94

No barbecues I guess..... and yes, his home is really 10 feet from his neighbors house, if you actually used a measuring tape.

I have friends who moved into one of these newer Quadrant-type neighborhoods in Kent. The inside of the house looks great because they purchased new. I'm betting it will deteriorate quickly though based on how the actual neighborhood looks. Only 4 different types of houses and the corners of the roofs are LITERALLY 12 inches apart or less. People can walk single file in between the houses but that's all there's room for. They are essentially townhouses with "air-gap insulation technology". When we went to see the new house last summer, we saw a spider web that spanned the gap between the houses. Everyone knows that these Pac NW spiders can build some impressive webs, but come on people

The front and back yards were tiny but at least they were there. Nowhere near big enough for kids or pets. The house was kinda big inside though.

[civic94]

Originally Posted by Garfunkle524

Only 4 different types of houses and the corners of the roofs are LITERALLY 12 inches apart or less. People can walk single file in between the houses but that's all there's room for.

I also checked out the new DR horton homes in maple valley, and they are also 10 feet from each other. I cant even imagine someone will buy a brand new american Dream for 350k, in the suburbs, with a 2 hour stop and go commute to seattle only to unwind all that stress only to live so close to someone else.

If I had a 2 hour commute, I better have at least 2 acres where I can blast my music and do whatever I want.

[Tune]

Originally Posted by Kayela

People want big houses - they want lots of bathrooms, bedrooms big enough for large beds and walk-in closets. They want multi-car garages big enough for their SUV and master bath spa/suite/swimming-pool rooms. They apparently need a 'great room' and a living room. It makes for a heckuva lot bigger footprint than those 3 bdrm/1 bath, 1300 sq ft ramblers they used to build. And developers want to sell more of them, so they divide the land into smaller plots. Plus - people are busier and not everyone wants a yard. To many people it's just a big, unused, expensive maintenance vacume when all they really want is a patio big enough for a BBQ.

Several years back we lived in a 1936 farmhouse - it was on 3/4 of an acre so swerver's math seems about spot on.

Even though a bit exaggerated, it's pretty true. I wouldn't really care for having a big yard besides maybe having a trampoline, but that's pushing it. I just don't see the use of one since I don't care much for having trees and a garden.

[spiritbear928]

I dont know how anyone "normal" as in not part of the one percent rich could ever afford a 600k house (or anything over about 250k) yet I see people who dont seem like Bill Gates rich living in them. They must be miserable with the debt load. I am curious how do people do it? Beyond that I would never want to live in HOA ruled, postage stamp cookie cutter houses. I rented one for a short time and almost walked in the wrong one many times. They are bad for families. Who are they good for? Also has anyone thought of the fact that having houses that close together is massive fire hazard? I remember hearing about a fire down in Graham that took out a whole row of them jsut because it spread form house to house. Give me an old house with a yard and NO HOA. Otherwise I plan to rent forever

[Anders15]

As a transplant a lot of "homes" in Seattle are over priced. For example paying over $1,400 in rent and the place doesn't even have a washer and dryer IN UNIT is insane to me.