Small families with big houses

[Anonymous]

In the first place, keep in mind most sqft is inflated by real estate to include basements and even unfinished attics. Actual livable sqft can be something quite different.

Up to a certain threshold most people grow into the space and it becomes normal to them. It is probably above 6k (above ground) that houses may start feeling "too big." But plenty still like the space.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I grew up six of us very small house. I shared a 10x11 bedroom. My wife the same.

My MIL small house is a headache for everyone. I live in DC her in NY. When I visit it is five kids and a dog. Her grandkids live in 4 different states. When Xmas comes she has to move furniture and house has no place to go. She insists you stay over but we only do one night as it is a burden to her and literally her house only has beds for four people.

Her kids forced to move out young. One TV in living room with Dad in boxer shorts watching TV or sit in your 10x10 bedroom.

My house a selling point to my wife was out 2,000 sf basement with two large bedrooms and a full bath with a big living area and big TV. I don’t use it now but when my kids are grown and moved away Xmas or thanksgiving my kids can come visit with family. My dining room easily could host a large amount of people, I also have five bedrooms upstairs. I also have a sofa bed. I can sleep 15 people in beds.

Luckily my block is professionals and although houses all have 6-8 bedrooms we have no people renting out or multigenerational nonsense. I do fear if neighborhood slips having all that space could encourage people to crowd block.

As of now all guest space. Most on block have out of state family. Every time I invite someone to my house for a party they stay over. I don’t have a single relative in the DMV. Nearly everyone on block grew up a different state.

Good point on crowding when all these humongous homes become multifamily. Suburban streets aren't designed for a lot of cars to be parked there. It will get tight if cars are parked on both sides and unsafe to walk around. There are no sidewalks either. When things go multifamily or multigenerational you need functional wider roads with 2 lanes and sidewalks to allow for cars to be parked properly.

Zoning won't allow SFH to be converted into MFH.

Zoning has been known to change.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Soon most big homes will become multifamily homes when these 1-3 kids will end up coming back to live with their parents in luxury they cannot afford themselves. It's the space for grandchildren they are buying It's only bound to happen as prices for everything outpace incomes even from professional jobs. Young people entering workforce out of college are up for rude awakening after they get tired living with roomies in fun urban locations and start growing up. Even if parents help with downpayment, most of these kids would only be able to afford very basic small homes, so they might want to come back, lol

I fully expect my child to come back and live with me in my 900 square foot house so they can save money for general savings, retirement and to buy their own house. What is wrong with that. We will fully pay for college and graduate school.

So your daughter or son having sex in your 900 sf house is cool?

If they are adults/out of college and use protection, sure. My parents were with us. When I was dating my husband they invited him overnight to stay and when they went away asked him to stay with me.

[Anonymous]

Love our big house! There are 4 of us and we adore how roomy the house is.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Soon most big homes will become multifamily homes when these 1-3 kids will end up coming back to live with their parents in luxury they cannot afford themselves. It's the space for grandchildren they are buying It's only bound to happen as prices for everything outpace incomes even from professional jobs. Young people entering workforce out of college are up for rude awakening after they get tired living with roomies in fun urban locations and start growing up. Even if parents help with downpayment, most of these kids would only be able to afford very basic small homes, so they might want to come back, lol

I fully expect my child to come back and live with me in my 900 square foot house so they can save money for general savings, retirement and to buy their own house. What is wrong with that. We will fully pay for college and graduate school.

So your daughter or son having sex in your 900 sf house is cool?

If they are adults/out of college and use protection, sure. My parents were with us. When I was dating my husband they invited him overnight to stay and when they went away asked him to stay with me.

+1

PP is weird af.

When I was 15 I regularly slept over at my gf's house, in her bed, with her parents home. We smashed all night long.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Soon most big homes will become multifamily homes when these 1-3 kids will end up coming back to live with their parents in luxury they cannot afford themselves. It's the space for grandchildren they are buying It's only bound to happen as prices for everything outpace incomes even from professional jobs. Young people entering workforce out of college are up for rude awakening after they get tired living with roomies in fun urban locations and start growing up. Even if parents help with downpayment, most of these kids would only be able to afford very basic small homes, so they might want to come back, lol

I fully expect my child to come back and live with me in my 900 square foot house so they can save money for general savings, retirement and to buy their own house. What is wrong with that. We will fully pay for college and graduate school.

So your daughter or son having sex in your 900 sf house is cool?

If they are adults/out of college and use protection, sure. My parents were with us. When I was dating my husband they invited him overnight to stay and when they went away asked him to stay with me.

When can I come over?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I grew up six of us very small house. I shared a 10x11 bedroom. My wife the same.

My MIL small house is a headache for everyone. I live in DC her in NY. When I visit it is five kids and a dog. Her grandkids live in 4 different states. When Xmas comes she has to move furniture and house has no place to go. She insists you stay over but we only do one night as it is a burden to her and literally her house only has beds for four people.

Her kids forced to move out young. One TV in living room with Dad in boxer shorts watching TV or sit in your 10x10 bedroom.

My house a selling point to my wife was out 2,000 sf basement with two large bedrooms and a full bath with a big living area and big TV. I don’t use it now but when my kids are grown and moved away Xmas or thanksgiving my kids can come visit with family. My dining room easily could host a large amount of people, I also have five bedrooms upstairs. I also have a sofa bed. I can sleep 15 people in beds.

Luckily my block is professionals and although houses all have 6-8 bedrooms we have no people renting out or multigenerational nonsense. I do fear if neighborhood slips having all that space could encourage people to crowd block.

As of now all guest space. Most on block have out of state family. Every time I invite someone to my house for a party they stay over. I don’t have a single relative in the DMV. Nearly everyone on block grew up a different state.

Good point on crowding when all these humongous homes become multifamily. Suburban streets aren't designed for a lot of cars to be parked there. It will get tight if cars are parked on both sides and unsafe to walk around. There are no sidewalks either. When things go multifamily or multigenerational you need functional wider roads with 2 lanes and sidewalks to allow for cars to be parked properly.

Zoning won't allow SFH to be converted into MFH.

It already does. MoCo allows assessors apts either in basement or backyard. My block every house has a 2,000 to 2,500 sf basement. Right now I check and on my very long block on maybe 200 homes only one rented per MoCo site.

But we could bring an additional 199 families. My basement at 2,000 sf has two very large bedrooms, a full bath, closers. Big living room and den area and room for kitchen. If I rented a family would rented it.

Only thing stopping it as block has doctors, lawyers and execs not interested in renters in their house. Also the price of homes at 1.5 to 1.8 million. But it can happen. Many SROs and multi family were once grand houses 100 years ago

[Anonymous]

I live in a row house that was once a large SFH and is now four condos. This happens all the time. Tons of converted row homes in NYC, for instance. This is what happens often when houses are initially built for very rich people. In my case, this building once contained a huge staffed kitchen, multiple sitting rooms, four household bedrooms and and servants quarters with room for at least 4 more people. At some point this set up became ridiculous and the building fell into terrible disrepair before being picked up by a developer and converted into four 2 bed/2bath luxury condos. The former servants quarters are now a 1600 sq ft penthouse with a huge kitchen and an amazing roof deck. It sold for well over a million a few years ago.

Neighborhoods change, preferences change, zoning changes, expectations change. Maybe these McMansions will continue to exist and be used as they are now 50 years from now, but I'd bet you anything that many of them won't be. Society just isn't static enough for that. It's also incredibly unsustainable, but that's been well covered in this thread and it's abundantly clear no one cares!

[Anonymous]

We are family of 4 in 6br 6fb home in Arlington and we use the space.
One br is just an office, one was our au pair suite and one is a guest room.

Now that we do not have an au pair we have two guest rooms which is great for out of town family to stay and do the whole cousins and family hosting thing.

I do not think I would go smaller. Obviously, living in Arlington our yard sucks but oh well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I grew up six of us very small house. I shared a 10x11 bedroom. My wife the same.

My MIL small house is a headache for everyone. I live in DC her in NY. When I visit it is five kids and a dog. Her grandkids live in 4 different states. When Xmas comes she has to move furniture and house has no place to go. She insists you stay over but we only do one night as it is a burden to her and literally her house only has beds for four people.

Her kids forced to move out young. One TV in living room with Dad in boxer shorts watching TV or sit in your 10x10 bedroom.

My house a selling point to my wife was out 2,000 sf basement with two large bedrooms and a full bath with a big living area and big TV. I don’t use it now but when my kids are grown and moved away Xmas or thanksgiving my kids can come visit with family. My dining room easily could host a large amount of people, I also have five bedrooms upstairs. I also have a sofa bed. I can sleep 15 people in beds.

Luckily my block is professionals and although houses all have 6-8 bedrooms we have no people renting out or multigenerational nonsense. I do fear if neighborhood slips having all that space could encourage people to crowd block.

As of now all guest space. Most on block have out of state family. Every time I invite someone to my house for a party they stay over. I don’t have a single relative in the DMV. Nearly everyone on block grew up a different state.

Good point on crowding when all these humongous homes become multifamily. Suburban streets aren't designed for a lot of cars to be parked there. It will get tight if cars are parked on both sides and unsafe to walk around. There are no sidewalks either. When things go multifamily or multigenerational you need functional wider roads with 2 lanes and sidewalks to allow for cars to be parked properly.

Zoning won't allow SFH to be converted into MFH.

Thank god.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Soon most big homes will become multifamily homes when these 1-3 kids will end up coming back to live with their parents in luxury they cannot afford themselves. It's the space for grandchildren they are buying It's only bound to happen as prices for everything outpace incomes even from professional jobs. Young people entering workforce out of college are up for rude awakening after they get tired living with roomies in fun urban locations and start growing up. Even if parents help with downpayment, most of these kids would only be able to afford very basic small homes, so they might want to come back, lol

I fully expect my child to come back and live with me in my 900 square foot house so they can save money for general savings, retirement and to buy their own house. What is wrong with that. We will fully pay for college and graduate school.

So your child will remain a child and an educated fool.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Soon most big homes will become multifamily homes when these 1-3 kids will end up coming back to live with their parents in luxury they cannot afford themselves. It's the space for grandchildren they are buying It's only bound to happen as prices for everything outpace incomes even from professional jobs. Young people entering workforce out of college are up for rude awakening after they get tired living with roomies in fun urban locations and start growing up. Even if parents help with downpayment, most of these kids would only be able to afford very basic small homes, so they might want to come back, lol

I fully expect my child to come back and live with me in my 900 square foot house so they can save money for general savings, retirement and to buy their own house. What is wrong with that. We will fully pay for college and graduate school.

So your child will remain a child and an educated fool.

Get a life!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I grew up six of us very small house. I shared a 10x11 bedroom. My wife the same.

My MIL small house is a headache for everyone. I live in DC her in NY. When I visit it is five kids and a dog. Her grandkids live in 4 different states. When Xmas comes she has to move furniture and house has no place to go. She insists you stay over but we only do one night as it is a burden to her and literally her house only has beds for four people.

Her kids forced to move out young. One TV in living room with Dad in boxer shorts watching TV or sit in your 10x10 bedroom.

My house a selling point to my wife was out 2,000 sf basement with two large bedrooms and a full bath with a big living area and big TV. I don’t use it now but when my kids are grown and moved away Xmas or thanksgiving my kids can come visit with family. My dining room easily could host a large amount of people, I also have five bedrooms upstairs. I also have a sofa bed. I can sleep 15 people in beds.

Luckily my block is professionals and although houses all have 6-8 bedrooms we have no people renting out or multigenerational nonsense. I do fear if neighborhood slips having all that space could encourage people to crowd block.

As of now all guest space. Most on block have out of state family. Every time I invite someone to my house for a party they stay over. I don’t have a single relative in the DMV. Nearly everyone on block grew up a different state.

Good point on crowding when all these humongous homes become multifamily. Suburban streets aren't designed for a lot of cars to be parked there. It will get tight if cars are parked on both sides and unsafe to walk around. There are no sidewalks either. When things go multifamily or multigenerational you need functional wider roads with 2 lanes and sidewalks to allow for cars to be parked properly.

Zoning won't allow SFH to be converted into MFH.

Doesn't need to be formally converted to have more than one "family" occupy the home. Legally you can have 4 unrelated parties reside in an SFH, which can mean 8 cars. But realistically speaking, if you have 2 grown kids deciding to move back with parents into their huge 6 bedroom home you will have kid's significant others staying over, and then even grandkids. It could be multigenerational, not formally multifamily.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Soon most big homes will become multifamily homes when these 1-3 kids will end up coming back to live with their parents in luxury they cannot afford themselves. It's the space for grandchildren they are buying It's only bound to happen as prices for everything outpace incomes even from professional jobs. Young people entering workforce out of college are up for rude awakening after they get tired living with roomies in fun urban locations and start growing up. Even if parents help with downpayment, most of these kids would only be able to afford very basic small homes, so they might want to come back, lol

I fully expect my child to come back and live with me in my 900 square foot house so they can save money for general savings, retirement and to buy their own house. What is wrong with that. We will fully pay for college and graduate school.

So your child will remain a child and an educated fool.

Get a life!

Yes, the child should ‘get a life’ rather than living tied to Mommy’s umbilical cord.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Soon most big homes will become multifamily homes when these 1-3 kids will end up coming back to live with their parents in luxury they cannot afford themselves. It's the space for grandchildren they are buying It's only bound to happen as prices for everything outpace incomes even from professional jobs. Young people entering workforce out of college are up for rude awakening after they get tired living with roomies in fun urban locations and start growing up. Even if parents help with downpayment, most of these kids would only be able to afford very basic small homes, so they might want to come back, lol

I fully expect my child to come back and live with me in my 900 square foot house so they can save money for general savings, retirement and to buy their own house. What is wrong with that. We will fully pay for college and graduate school.

So your daughter or son having sex in your 900 sf house is cool?

If they are adults/out of college and use protection, sure. My parents were with us. When I was dating my husband they invited him overnight to stay and when they went away asked him to stay with me.

+1

PP is weird af.

When I was 15 I regularly slept over at my gf's house, in her bed, with her parents home. We smashed all night long.

I was dating a guy in college whose parents had a big home and he had his own room. But according to the rules of the house we had to stay in separate rooms, so it was super convenient that they had extra bedrooms, I was even given a choice of 2, lol