How the other half lives . . .

[grey]

Some people choose to spend their money on big, nice homes. Others on fancy cars. Others on fancy bikes. We personally spend a ton of money on groceries because I'm picky about what I eat and we can afford it. What's the difference?

Personally, if I had a LOT of money (we are talking millions here), I'd design my own tiny house on a HUGE piece of property with spectacular views and a nice long driveway so that no road noise could be heard from the house. And I'd buy only the very best for what goes IN the house because I'm tired of junk that doesn't last as long as it should (like appliances and furniture). But that's just me.

This describes us exactly. We don't have a huge house (1,200 sq ft, with a separate in-law suite we can rent out if we want to, it's 400sq ft). But we are saving, saving, working toward a large piece of land where we can either fix up a beat up little house or build our own, totally off grid. Not anyone else's idea of paradise, but it would be ours. Big garden - because we also spend a LOT of money on good food.

Some people like their McMansions. I don't really want to have that much to clean, or to have to buy that much furniture, or have a big pool to keep up (or pay to clean it) but that's ok, all of us are different.

[Rebekah H]

My husband is from SC and we have a house there that is in the 3000 sqft range. I could never keep up with it! Something always needed cleaning that didn't even get used and it was too spread out. A few years ago, we decided that we would build a vacation house in Louisiana so that we could spend half of the year here to be near my family more. It's around 1600 sqft and I couldn't be happier. I can't stand the upkeep that larger houses require and really, really appreciate the necessity of keeping your crap to a minimum that comes along with a smaller house because my husband is "sentimental." (Homeboy is a freaking hoarder.)

The folder is an awesome housewarming gift!! If I lived in the city, that would have been an amazing gift to receive. My personal favorite gift, for any occasion, is booze. Unless the person is a teetotaler, you can't go wrong!

[rollinat]

Speaking as a fairly recent transplant to the US from the UK, I have to admit to loving the bigger American houses. We had a fairly typical 4-bedroom single family home in the UK - we don't tend to talk about square footage the same as here, but I estimated it to be around 1200 sqft - so a fairly decent size, and similar to the house I grew up in and my parents still live in. Coming to live in a 3000 sqft home is bliss! - it's not a constant battle of trying to find places to put "stuff" (we have kids)' and of course if we have visitors now they stay for a couple of weeks or more so it's great to not feel you are tripping over people all the time. And garages big enough to actually park your cars in! - we had a single garage before which was full of bikes, camping stuff, DIY stuff etc etc. I LOVE living in the US!!

[Crankin]

Everyone is different, but I am sure that I don't need the 3,000 sq. ft. house I have. But, I love it. I wish I had it when my kids were teens. But, we had a 2100 sq. ft. house with a 300 sq. ft. finished basement, and it was fine. We built a huge screened in porch on the last house (2 rms) and that added a lot of space for 4 months out of the year. I don't need a Mc Mansion, but I have serious qualms about moving into a townhouse (our next move). I really want 3 bedrooms and perhaps a lower level family room and DH thinks 2 bedrooms are OK. It's not so much the size, just the amount of rooms. I need my space. Well, it won't be for at least 5 years, so we have time to decide.

[smilingcat]

Seriously, what do you get them for a housewarming gift? I really want to welcome them to the neighborhood, but everything I can think of to give them seems podunky.

Give them something from your heart. They have money to spend with wanton disregard. Sounds bit too gaudy for my taste. Can we say Trump, Liberace in Vegas. Yuck. nouveau riche. Sorry but that is what they come across as. But hey, it's a free country, they can spend how they like. No I'm not jealous.

My new place is around 2400sq ft. It's much bigger than we need but the view is to die for. And the size of the property was tad on the smaller side than what I wanted but I can plant about dozen fruit trees and add another dozen or so blueberry bush... I'm loving the place, the house...

Gainfully unemployed is nice too. I wake up in the morning, sip on my chai latte, listen to the traffic report and go, "wow I'm glad I don't have that stress anymore.." then gaze at the panoramic view of Mt. Hood. I love the slower pace of life. Play with my cats, dogs...

[limewave]

When I imagine myself winning the lottery or coming into millions of dollars from an unknown wealthy relative, I picture myself staying exactly where I'm at with my same job . . . but with infinitely less stress. Not having to worry about money for the kids future or retirement. Being able to travel when and where we want. Putting new siding on the house and updating the kitchen. A house keeper to clean while I bike. Things like that. I guess I'm not a big dreamer . . .

As for the house-warming gift: I went with a folder filled with a "wealth" of information on the neighborhood! They are from a different city so I thought it was a fitting gift to get them acquainted with their new home. I included our top 5 pizza places, menu's from our favorite restaurants, business cards and flyers from places I thought they may frequent, a "popcorn bucket" from the local gas station that gives the owner free popcorn for the year. DH thought that was a little tacky, but they have movie theater popcorn! And the buckets sell-out every year, so I thought it was a fun "local" gift.

[Rebekah H]

That's a perfect gift! I don't think it's tacky at all.

[zoom-zoom]

That popcorn is like crack...I would love one of those buckets!

[NbyNW]

I think you done good, Limewave!

[Tri Girl]

I think you done good, Limewave!

Agreed!!

Sounds like the prefect welcome gift!!!

[Selkie]

I fall into the "each to his/her own" crowd, although I do agree w/Mimi's point about social responsibility.

Always find it amusing when people have to compare their homes/possessions w/mine ("my house is bigger than yours is, nah nah nah!"). As if I'm a loser for choosing that simple is better for me. I just ignore it, change the subject. Actually, it's kind of sad when someone puts so much value on material possessions because those can disappear in the blink of an eye.

I thought smaller homes were becoming chic for those to whom things like that matter?

Our house is very small -- 2 br, one bath but a toilet in the basement, next to the dryer -- built in 1940. We consider ourselves fortunate to have purchased it before the big real estate boom. There is a lot of infill in our neighborhood, which is distressing. They tear down these solid, brick on brick constructed homes to put up big plasterboard mcmansions that don't fit in w/the surrounding homes. I love the older pre-war/ww2 era homes, imagine the folks who lived in them, kids raised in them, etc.

[divingbiker]

Our house is very small -- 2 br, one bath but a toilet in the basement, next to the dryer -- built in 1940. We consider ourselves fortunate to have purchased it before the big real estate boom... I love the older pre-war/ww2 era homes, imagine the folks who lived in them, kids raised in them, etc.

Hijack here--I could have written this, down to the size of the house and when I bought it. I bought my tiny house from an elderly woman who had lived there (and smoked, ick) for 40 years. She and her husband raised their son there.

A storage area under the screened porch was padlocked when I bought the place. After about 5 years, I cut off the padlock and found the son's hideout. He had a desk and chair, light, carpet, fixed up very cute. I found two plastic bodybuilder figurines and a 50s era girlie magazine. His name was drawn in the concrete floor.

When I moved in, the neighborhood was full of elderly people who had lived there for years. Now they've all died, and I'm the old-timer on the block.