How the other half lives . . .

[7rider]

Seriously, what do you get them for a housewarming gift?.

A gift credit to the local power company so they can keep the fountain lights on and water bubbling???

I find we tend to expand to fill the space we're in. We have a 3 BR, 2.5 Ba house. 5 years ago, the spare bedrooms were empty. Today? Um, less so!

But our house - which is by no means large - is as big a house as I would ever want (but I do want a deck and another garage). I hate to clean the house we have now. Can't imagine cleaning anything bigger.

[indysteel]

A gift credit to the local power company so they can keep the fountain lights on and water bubbling???

I find we tend to expand to fill the space we're in. We have a 3 BR, 2.5 Ba house. 5 years ago, the spare bedrooms were empty. Today? Um, less so!

But our house - which is by no means large - is as big a house as I would ever want (but I do want a deck and another garage). I hate to clean the house we have now. Can't imagine cleaning anything bigger.

I'll trade you a deck for a second bathroom. A groundhog has made a home under our deck. We have to remove part of the deck to get to him and backfill the chambers. Ugh. The city park is our neighbor, so we get lots of critters.

Actually, we have a second bathroom on our second floor, but it only has a tub. I'm not a fan of baths. And both bathrooms are the size of a coat closet. Thankfully, DH and I have worked out a morning routine that avoids conflict. It also gives us time to spend with the cats in the morning. They're not allowed upstairs, so I'd just as soon get ready downstairs anyway. The biggest drawback is our guests end up using the same bathroom that gets all the heavy use (and all my dark hair). I'd rather have a guest bathroom or half-bath that isn't used much so that I don't rush to clean it every time somebody stops by.

At the risk of making anybody feel bad for wanting or having a larger home, I just don't get the need for more, more, more. My coworker and her husband bought a house 3 years ago that was bigger than their previous home. They lived in that house all of 2 years before they decided they had to have an even bigger house. When I asked why, she said she wanted a bigger....wait for it....laundry room.

Really? You're going through the hassle and expense of buying a 4,000 square foot home for just the two of you because you want a bigger room to clean your clothes? That's nuts. I hate moving and buying/selling homes so much that there has to be a pretty good reason before I'll put myself through that kind of stress.

[Irulan]

Happy homes come in all shapes and sizes.

Thank you.

wow as someone who is househunting for an upgrade, all the negativity is a little.... um, whatever. Everyone has their reasons for bigger/smaller, fancier/simpler and just because it's not for you doesn't mean it's a bad thing. I can totally see being stumped about a housewarming present but why such a quick leap to judgement on people's housing?

I mean, so what if she wants a bigger laundry room. It's her house.

Not everyone who is affluent is full of hate or a social climber. Some people work darn hard for what they have and if they choose to put it into a big house instead of something else, so what? I swear, the manner in which some things go, in lightspeed fashion, to negative judgement is downright unfriendly.

We are in the process of looking for a new house that will meet our needs better, and yes, it is probably going to be a little bigger and a lot nicer. I guess I won't be talking about it here.

[indysteel]

Thank you.

wow as someone who is househunting for an upgrade, all the negativity is a little.... um, whatever. Everyone has their reasons for bigger/smaller, fancier/simpler and just because it's not for you doesn't mean it's a bad thing. I can totally see being stumped about a housewarming present but why such a quick leap to judgement on people's housing?

I mean, so what if she wants a bigger laundry room. It's her house.

Not everyone who is affluent is full of hate or a social climber. Some people work darn hard for what they have and if they choose to put it into a big house instead of something else, so what? I swear, the manner in which some things go, in lightspeed fashion, to negative judgement is downright unfriendly.

We are in the process of looking for a new house that will meet our needs better, and yes, it is probably going to be a little bigger and a lot nicer. I guess I won't be talking about it here.

I don't have a problem with everyone who purchases a bigger/nicer home, but I do bristle at the people in my life who are on a fairly constant quest--and I am generally capable of perceiving the difference--for more stuff or for stuff that goes far beyond meeting their needs or is outside their means. They're never satisfied, and I find it sad for a number of reasons. With both instances I referred to in my posts, there is much to the story than just their housebuying that leads me to my conclusions about them.

But that said, you're right in that I painted with much broader strokes than I intended, and I'm sorry to have come of as that judgmental. My current home is bigger than my first (which isn't difficult since it was 900 sq. feet); so it's not that I totally reject the idea of upgrading.

[Biciclista]

not sure what leaning to the left has to do with anything here. We're talking about a couple who are buying a house with 6 bathrooms. What the heck is the point of that?
And how long ago did "leaning to the RIGHT" stop meaning CONSERVATIVE as in NOT ostentatious or conspicuous consuming?
More than half the people on our planet are lucky to have clean water to DRINK, and some of us have houses with 6 toilets which flush GALLONS of drinking water away - such a waste!
So if we want to entertain ourselves on this thread by pointing out how truly ridiculous that is, I guess we're going to do it. If this is bothering you, maybe you should examine your feelings. We certainly weren't picking on you.
I see nothing wrong with upgrading, getting a bigger and/or nicer house, but there are limits to what most of us think are reasonable.

[Tri Girl]

Well I can say that I'm glad I live in "my half." I don't need a big house. I opt to spend my money on bikes instead.


And it seems people who have houses that big most likely don't tend to clean them themselves. I gotta think if you have a house that big, you have a housekeeper helping keep it clean.

[hulagirl]

not sure what leaning to the left has to do with anything here. We're talking about a couple who are buying a house with 6 bathrooms. What the heck is the point of that?
And how long ago did "leaning to the right" stop meaning conservative as in not ostentatious or conspicuous consuming?
More than half the people on our planet are lucky to have clean water to drink, and some of us have houses with 6 toilets which flush gallons of drinking water away - such a waste!
So if we want to entertain ourselves on this thread by pointing out how truly ridiculous that is, i guess we're going to do it. If this is bothering you, maybe you should examine your feelings. We certainly weren't picking on you.
I see nothing wrong with upgrading, getting a bigger and/or nicer house, but there are limits to what most of us think are reasonable.

+1!

[goldfinch]

not sure what leaning to the left has to do with anything here. We're talking about a couple who are buying a house with 6 bathrooms. What the heck is the point of that?
And how long ago did "leaning to the RIGHT" stop meaning CONSERVATIVE as in NOT ostentatious or conspicuous consuming?
More than half the people on our planet are lucky to have clean water to DRINK, and some of us have houses with 6 toilets which flush GALLONS of drinking water away - such a waste!
So if we want to entertain ourselves on this thread by pointing out how truly ridiculous that is, I guess we're going to do it. If this is bothering you, maybe you should examine your feelings. We certainly weren't picking on you.
I see nothing wrong with upgrading, getting a bigger and/or nicer house, but there are limits to what most of us think are reasonable.

+2

I couldn't have said it better.

[ACG]

For the housewarming gift, suggestion by most others; home made bread, baked goods in a pretty basket, a small plant, or see packets with a little pot ready to be planted.

It is the thought that counts.

[salsabike]

Not everyone who is affluent is full of hate or a social climber. Some people work darn hard for what they have and if they choose to put it into a big house instead of something else, so what? I swear, the manner in which some things go, in lightspeed fashion, to negative judgement is downright unfriendly.

Agreed.

[jessmarimba]

Thank you.

wow as someone who is househunting for an upgrade, all the negativity is a little.... um, whatever. Everyone has their reasons for bigger/smaller, fancier/simpler and just because it's not for you doesn't mean it's a bad thing. I can totally see being stumped about a housewarming present but why such a quick leap to judgement on people's housing?

We are in the process of looking for a new house that will meet our needs better, and yes, it is probably going to be a little bigger and a lot nicer. I guess I won't be talking about it here.

I just have an issue with beautiful old houses that are demolished to make room for mcmansions. A lot of people are raised to think that "new" means "maintenance-free" - and while maintenance on an old home can get tricky and downright expensive, the home I grew up in was fairly new when we bought it and had just as many issues b/c of poor construction and material quality. Not to mention all of the useless construction waste that fills up landfills on a regular basis because of the demolition of perfectly useful buildings. We certainly live in a disposable society. Though at least we don't have the political obsessions China has with demolishing EVERYTHING old to rebuild it again as new.

[zoom-zoom]

I just have an issue with beautiful old houses that are demolished to make room for mcmansions. A lot of people are raised to think that "new" means "maintenance-free" - and while maintenance on an old home can get tricky and downright expensive, the home I grew up in was fairly new when we bought it and had just as many issues b/c of poor construction and material quality. Not to mention all of the useless construction waste that fills up landfills on a regular basis because of the demolition of perfectly useful buildings. We certainly live in a disposable society.

My brother lives in an area about an hour NW of Chicago where miles and miles and miles of farmland now grow miles and miles and miles of look-alike mc mansions that were erected in a breathtakingly short span of time. His house was done in about 3 months from start to finish...and has had problem after problem. Now about a quarter of the houses in his 'hood are for sale...many in foreclosure (here is a BIG problem I have with a lot of these places, since they exist as a result of folks who felt the need to buy/build the biggest home they could, whether or not they could afford it. We can't just blame the banks for the bailout disaster, which we are ALL still paying for. It took two to tango with that mess). His is for sale because he wanted to live closer to the city with his girlfriend. He's SO not a suburbanite kind of guy. But he can't sell his home. So now he pays rent and a mortgage.

[indysteel]

I'd note that there has been some movement in certain communities to regulate and limit home size. Consider this article on the "swelling McMansion backlash." Honesty, as judgmental as you may think it is, I'm not alone in my concern over rising home sizes. Nor am I alone in thinking that our seemingly personal decisions about how and where to live do impact our communities as a whole. From an NPR story on the average size of American homes, I found this quote from a Cornell professor of management and economics to be point: "We know there are all sorts of situations where individual choices that are perfectly rational add up to a total outcome that none of us likes very much. [Large homes] is one of those."

[zoom-zoom]

This scenario really gets me. This house wasn't enough:
Main house: 12,000 square feet
Number of bedrooms: 5
Bathrooms: 8 1/2
Garage: 3-car
Guest house: 1,100 square feet
Value: $4.5 million

So it was demolished for this:
Main house: 22,000 square feet
Number of bedrooms: 3
Bathrooms: 5 full and 5 half-baths
Garage: 3 buildings
Guest house: 6,000 square feet
Value: Still being assessed; building permits over $3 million (total finished value was guesstimated to be ~$10 mil.)

Seriously? A 22 thousand square foot home with only 3 bedrooms and a guest home almost 3x larger than the average American home.

No one can ever tell me that this isn't purely for show. And the sad part is that the house they razed was really kind of cool looking. It was low and subtle and blended into the property. The new place is a monstrosity whether viewed from the street or from the lake. Gargantuan and gaudy.

[salsabike]

I'm not alone in my concern over rising home sizes. Nor am I alone in thinking that our seemingly personal decisions about how and where to live do impact our communities as a whole.

Indy, of course you're not alone. I share those concerns too. I think a lot of people do. What I say below is NOT in response to your particular comments at all.

Most people on this forum live much more comfortably than most of the world does. Even if your houses are small and you only have one bathroom. I'm not a big fan of putting small groups of "other" people down for being wealthy, in that context.