What is the ideal amount of square footage for a family of 4?

[Anonymous]

I agree with 2000. We’re a family of 3 with 1700 square feet, an unfinished basement, no garage, and we have plenty of space. We even have a room we rarely go into.

[Anonymous]

2,000 -2,500. More space, more stuff. 2 kids each have a decent sized bedroom for bed, desk, dresser. Full basement for sectional and kids tv and playroom. Family room, living room and dining room. House is small enough to clean quickly. But large enough that we don’t feel on top of each other.

[Anonymous]

2000 or so and laid out well. I also don't have issues kids sharing a bedroom and having a dedicated play space elsewhere.
I'd rather have a smaller house and $ for a cleaning and landscaping service so I don't have to spend time on it than 5 bathrooms I never have time to clean.

[Anonymous]

+1 on 2000. Ours is about 1700 and feels spacious but cleans up quickly. None of us feel cramped.

[Anonymous]

I'd say 1800-2000

Our first home was around 1870 and was very comfortable when we were a family of 4, but started to feel a bit snug once our 3rd child was born.

Currently we are a family of 6 in a home that is 2400 plus a finished basement (adds may 800 sqf. including a "legal" bedroom and full bathroom.) It feels perfect.

[Anonymous]

We have 5 in 2100 with a 500 sf basement (half fully finished, half partially finished laundry room / storage). We've also got a very small one car garage, a shed and some shelving in the attic above the insulation.

Size is perfect. In an ideal world wed have a bigger master bath (we've got two tiny bathrooms) and more closet space. But that's an old house issue, not a size one.

[Anonymous]

We are a family of 4 in 2200. I think 3000 would be ideal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:2000 is plenty. More than 2500 is unnecessary/irresponsible.

Wholeheartedly agree.

[Anonymous]

4000 if you want to have an au pair, welcome guests, or have another child.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:With a middle schooler and an elementary schooler, in MoCo burbs, just as a practical matter, like ease of cleaning and trying to keep the amount of unnecessary household stuff to a minimum? Also, is garage space always counted as part of total square footage?

If you care about climate change, you should make it work with less than 1,400 sq feet.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:4000 if you want to have an au pair, welcome guests, or have another child.

We are four in a 2000 sq ft split level with 5 bedrooms. We have a 5th bedroom and 3rd full bath in the downstairs utility room where we had a live in nanny for a while while still having an extra room upstairs for visiting grandparents. Layout really makes a difference.

[Anonymous]

We're in a 1500 sqft row house plus 700 more in the finished basement. Sometimes I wish we had one extra room on the first or second floor, but mostly I think it's kind of the perfect amount of space.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:4000 if you want to have an au pair, welcome guests, or have another child.

We are four in a 2000 sq ft split level with 5 bedrooms. We have a 5th bedroom and 3rd full bath in the downstairs utility room where we had a live in nanny for a while while still having an extra room upstairs for visiting grandparents. Layout really makes a difference.

Sounds cramped with small rooms. And that poor nanny stuck in a downstairs utility room!

[Anonymous]

Depends if a basement and garage. My sister lives in a 1,200 square foot home and there is five of them.

Not an issue as she has a 600 square foot unfinished basement and detached three car garage that contains no cars. Hence her 1,200 square foot of living space contains no junk.

However, a 1,200 square foot condo with zero storage place would be tight. Kids have a lot of crap.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:2,000 -2,500. More space, more stuff. 2 kids each have a decent sized bedroom for bed, desk, dresser. Full basement for sectional and kids tv and playroom. Family room, living room and dining room. House is small enough to clean quickly. But large enough that we don’t feel on top of each other.

+1 And, agree with PPs, that it's all about layout.