Why do people in the DC area hate newer and larger homes?

[Anonymous]

I think people in DC tend to be better educated and more worldly, and thus are able to either "make do" with 2,000 SF (or less sometimes) to be in a good, urban, walkable environment, or see their dream home as something large but not strangling. Like 4,000 SF, not 10,000. And being better educated, they value design and aesthetic over opulence.

Of course, there are the outliers who are very wealthy and want the 10,000 SF frontgate design home. Different strokes for difft folks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think people in DC tend to be better educated and more worldly, and thus are able to either "make do" with 2,000 SF (or less sometimes) to be in a good, urban, walkable environment, or see their dream home as something large but not strangling. Like 4,000 SF, not 10,000. And being better educated, they value design and aesthetic over opulence.

Of course, there are the outliers who are very wealthy and want the 10,000 SF frontgate design home. Different strokes for difft folks.

I think people in DC tend to be better educated and more worldly, and thus are able to either "make do" with 2,000 SF (or less sometimes) to be in a good, urban, walkable environment, or see their dream home as something large but not strangling. Like 4,000 SF, not 10,000. And being better educated, they value design and aesthetic over opulence.

That doesn't even make sense because people build large new homes close in all the time.

"make do" means to compromise

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:People in DC complain about large homes for one or more of the following reasons:

1) They fancy themselves trendy hipsters who think of large homes as resignation towards a life of McMansion suburbia. They feel bad that they don't live someplace truly hip and urban like Brooklyn, so they have to pretend.

2) They are from places other than the United States and thus are unaccustomed to the large homes that are typical in many if not most of this country, so liking large homes is "vulgar" or just unfathomable.

3) With the prices in DMV, they simply cannot afford large homes. They secretly envy their friends and relatives living in 4000 sq. ft. homes in Indiana or Ohio, but what can you do? They are here in DC and must pretend they prefer a smaller home.

Or

4) They are not from Indiana or Ohio at all but from the Northeast where small and old are actually positive attributes. They grew up with craftsmanship and detailing, brick and plaster and walls that were not made of particle board, solid wood doors, not hollow ones, slate roofs and copper pipes etc. so when they see these huge particle board houses going up -- the kind a limp-wristed middle schooler could punch a hole in -- they are reminded of plywood dollhouse kits.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People in DC complain about large homes for one or more of the following reasons:

1) They fancy themselves trendy hipsters who think of large homes as resignation towards a life of McMansion suburbia. They feel bad that they don't live someplace truly hip and urban like Brooklyn, so they have to pretend.

2) They are from places other than the United States and thus are unaccustomed to the large homes that are typical in many if not most of this country, so liking large homes is "vulgar" or just unfathomable.

3) With the prices in DMV, they simply cannot afford large homes. They secretly envy their friends and relatives living in 4000 sq. ft. homes in Indiana or Ohio, but what can you do? They are here in DC and must pretend they prefer a smaller home.

Or

4) They are not from Indiana or Ohio at all but from the Northeast where small and old are actually positive attributes. They grew up with craftsmanship and detailing, brick and plaster and walls that were not made of particle board, solid wood doors, not hollow ones, slate roofs and copper pipes etc. so when they see these huge particle board houses going up -- the kind a limp-wristed middle schooler could punch a hole in -- they are reminded of plywood dollhouse kits.

solid wood doors - are on new homes if you choose to add them
slate roof - highly ineffective and prone to maintenance nightmares, you don't want these we have newer technologies for roofing that is much bettter
copper pipes - prone to maintenance isssues down the road, costly and more difficult to work with. PVC is new technology that is easy to work with and will last longer.
plaster walls - hard to work with, expesnive and difficult to keep level and flat. Drywall is a superior product.
particle board houses - there are 2 x 4s and other substantial structural components to the house. It would be like me complaining that all old homes are made of tar paper. I seriously doubt you could punch a hole into particle board. You won't even see the particle board so I don't know why this is a complaint.

All of the items you are complaining about are not on newer homes because they have been replaced with superior products and building techniques from the result of new technological advances. Modern building codes and products actually create a house that is more resilient and stronger than an older home. I am surprised you didn't complain of running water, electricity or anything other break through technological discoveries.

[Anonymous]

Seriously, who cares? Big, new houses are snapped up all the time, especially if they are in the close-in suburbs. Houses in the city tend to be smaller. People buy what they like that they can afford.

What a stupid thread.

[Anonymous]

I don't mind if someone puts up a giant house in my neighborhood, I would not mind one, too. I despise that builders denude the lot in the process of 50+ year old trees. My neighborhood used to be so appealing because of it's wooded lots close to the city and the eclectic designs of the homes. Now it's just 1.8 million dollar colonials landscaped with shrubs, mostly by the same builder. Can't one build a beautiful large home and retain some of the landscape and character of the neighborhood?

[Anonymous]

Look, my first focus is location. As long as we have funds to live as close as possible to our jobs/schools in a 4 BR house, I will go with the home that makes that match. FWIW, I might drop to 3 BR if it got us closer to work. That said, my preference is older housing stock in neighborhoods with sidewalks and within walking distance of a grocery store (can be a bodega) and restaurants. DH and I have jobs in same area and have had for last 15 years. Would be tough if we ended up with jobs in different parts to metro region.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't mind if someone puts up a giant house in my neighborhood, I would not mind one, too. I despise that builders denude the lot in the process of 50+ year old trees. My neighborhood used to be so appealing because of it's wooded lots close to the city and the eclectic designs of the homes. Now it's just 1.8 million dollar colonials landscaped with shrubs, mostly by the same builder. Can't one build a beautiful large home and retain some of the landscape and character of the neighborhood?

So true. New home going up in our neighborhood - McLean-style mansion on a small NW DC lot. I like a lot of McLean homes, but this house does not fit on lot.

[Anonymous]

Because they lead to suburbia, thus ruining a healthy city where people walk and bicycle.

[Anonymous]

I do not like old houses nor do I like small houses. But I'm from the south, where living in a old or small house usually means you are probably broke.

[Anonymous]

I don't want to pay to maintain a huge home. Not just cleaning, but replacing the roof eventually, updating kitchens, etc. Way too expensive when the house is huge, no matter how cheap it was to begin with.

Plus, I don't know...it just seems wasteful. If you want one, enjoy, I will never say anything to you, but it's not my thing.

We have 1800 sf (plus another 400 in the finished part of the basement) and it feels like more than enough for 3 people, imo.

[Anonymous]

I don't hate them - but I personally wouldn't buy a big home squeezed into a small lot - which many of them seem to be. I want a decent sized yard left over. If I could find a new home with a decent yard in my price range (which I can't) then I'd be all for it. My husband especially would be ecstatic. He is not a fan of old houses.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I do not like old houses nor do I like small houses. But I'm from the south, where living in a old or small house usually means you are probably broke.

It's the opposite in this area!!! Go 45 miles outside the city and you'll have a Mansion for what you'd pay for 1,500 square feet close-in.

I love when a Southern inlaw was going in about how her friend just bought a million dollar home while she was standing in the kitchen of my $1.5 million home. I just demurely smiled in the Southern way. Bless her heart for being so ignorant

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:People in DC complain about large homes for one or more of the following reasons:

1) They fancy themselves trendy hipsters who think of large homes as resignation towards a life of McMansion suburbia. They feel bad that they don't live someplace truly hip and urban like Brooklyn, so they have to pretend.

2) They are from places other than the United States and thus are unaccustomed to the large homes that are typical in many if not most of this country, so liking large homes is "vulgar" or just unfathomable.

3) With the prices in DMV, they simply cannot afford large homes. They secretly envy their friends and relatives living in 4000 sq. ft. homes in Indiana or Ohio, but what can you do? They are here in DC and must pretend they prefer a smaller home.

Or we just don't like them! What's the big deal? I find the newer houses and apartments and condos around here kind of drearily the same. It's possible I'm not looking in the right places. But that's what I see. I don't fancy myself anything other than what I am - a 40-year-old living in a very old, small rental that my husband and I happen to love, though I'd prefer another bathroom. Am I jealous of people who can afford big houses? Hell yeah! But that's cause financial stability or freedom would be great. The houses themselves, by and large, I just don't find myself attracted to.

All that said, I'd move into this place in a heartbeat, I love it so much:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/where-we-live/post/house-of-the-week--a-contemporary-bethesda-home-for-59-million/2012/09/20/210683d8-035e-11e2-9b24-ff730c7f6312_blog.html

So, yeah, there are some new houses I love. But when people bring up new houses, I don't usually think of that one.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I do not like old houses nor do I like small houses. But I'm from the south, where living in a old or small house usually means you are probably broke.

It's the opposite in this area!!! Go 45 miles outside the city and you'll have a Mansion for what you'd pay for 1,500 square feet close-in.

I love when a Southern inlaw was going in about how her friend just bought a million dollar home while she was standing in the kitchen of my $1.5 million home. I just demurely smiled in the Southern way. Bless her heart for being so ignorant

I don't think they are the "ignorant" ones. After all, you are the one paying 1.5 million dollars for a house that you could get for $200,000 in many other places. When we were in D.C., I felt like the ignorant one for spending almost $800,000 on a just-o.k. house. We moved and paid $250,000 for a five bedroom, all stucco house in a golf, tennis, swim community. Our home backs up to the water and I can be on the beach in ten minutes.

Your inlaws have presumably been around longer than you have. They are probably smarter than you give them credit for.