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

[Anonymous]

I don't get why people hate them so much to the point it becomes some religious or political movement.

I wonder if housing was cheaper around here that there would be less complaining and hate for them.

[Anonymous]

Good question. I don't live in a new home but I wish I did. I'm completely jealous of people who do, but I would never turn that jealousy into hating on new homes and people that live in them.

[Anonymous]

I don't like McMansions -- cookie cutter homes made with the cheapest possible parts. They're just not "charming." That doesn't mean I am a part of the "movement"..it's just my preference. I like smaller homes where I can actually see my family on a regular basis instead of them being on the other side of 6000 sq ft (example). Also, I don't want to heat/cool a big house. Again, just a preference.

[Anonymous]

It's very odd, In McLean I don't hate the people that live in original homes in fact in my neighborhood it is a mix of both and we are all friendly and get a long.

[Anonymous]

I have never met anyone who hates homes because they are new or large. I've met people who don't think its worth it to move out of the city to get a bigger/newer home. I've also met people who think most new construction is cookie-cutter and not built as well as older homes. And I've met peope who dislike when nicer older homes are torn down to put in garrish newer homes that are too large for the lot they are built on. But the notion that there's some group of people with a knee-jerk visceral hate of some homes because of their size or new-ness is just not reality.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't like McMansions -- cookie cutter homes made with the cheapest possible parts. They're just not "charming." That doesn't mean I am a part of the "movement"..it's just my preference. I like smaller homes where I can actually see my family on a regular basis instead of them being on the other side of 6000 sq ft (example). Also, I don't want to heat/cool a big house. Again, just a preference.

http://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/355754.page

See what all these people have to say about all that charm

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't get why people hate them so much to the point it becomes some religious or political movement.

I wonder if housing was cheaper around here that there would be less complaining and hate for them.

Some people like old houses. That's not a crime.

Of course, there are also a lot of people here who are frustrated that a nice house didn't come with their fancy degrees and network of connections. It bothers them that other people have what they don't. It wasn't supposed to work out that way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't like McMansions -- cookie cutter homes made with the cheapest possible parts. They're just not "charming." That doesn't mean I am a part of the "movement"..it's just my preference. I like smaller homes where I can actually see my family on a regular basis instead of them being on the other side of 6000 sq ft (example). Also, I don't want to heat/cool a big house. Again, just a preference.

http://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/355754.page

See what all these people have to say about all that charm

Guess I just got lucky then.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't like McMansions -- cookie cutter homes made with the cheapest possible parts. They're just not "charming." That doesn't mean I am a part of the "movement"..it's just my preference. I like smaller homes where I can actually see my family on a regular basis instead of them being on the other side of 6000 sq ft (example). Also, I don't want to heat/cool a big house. Again, just a preference.

I hear these arguments over and over again

"cheapest possible parts" You do realize that most of the original tract 40s-70s housing stock in the DC area was low end and also used the "cheapest possible parts".

" I can actually see my family on a regular basis instead of them being on the other side" We see our family just as much as in our previous smaller home, in fact even more that we have an open floor plan

' I don't want to heat/cool a big house." Our heating and cooling bill was less than our old ramblers, just because the home is larger doesn't mean it is more costly to heat or cool.

[Anonymous]

I hate developments with 3-4 different models. I hate the glaring uniformity. They look cheap and like tract housing. I hate the mixed media--faux stone mixed with partial brick and siding. I hate new developments with no trees (or just planted baby trees).

I don't hate new homes per se..or even larger ones. There are a few really beautiful new homes (knockdowns) in our old neighborhood. I like 'tasteful', quality ones.

I do have a preference for old homes, historic that have been renovated inside.

I would never want a huge home because I seriously do not need or covet such space. My under 3,000foot home ~2800 is perfect for us with space leftover. It is also a testament to design and how the previous owners renovated to get the most out of the space.

I find overly large homes lonely unless you have a really big family living there. All that empty space, little family interaction since people are spread to different wings. I also like being close to walk to everything and so I don't spend a great deal of time inside if I can help it.

[Anonymous]

Why are you starting so many threads on this topic, seriously?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I hate developments with 3-4 different models. I hate the glaring uniformity. They look cheap and like tract housing. I hate the mixed media--faux stone mixed with partial brick and siding. I hate new developments with no trees (or just planted baby trees).

I don't hate new homes per se..or even larger ones. There are a few really beautiful new homes (knockdowns) in our old neighborhood. I like 'tasteful', quality ones.

I do have a preference for old homes, historic that have been renovated inside.

I would never want a huge home because I seriously do not need or covet such space. My under 3,000foot home ~2800 is perfect for us with space leftover. It is also a testament to design and how the previous owners renovated to get the most out of the space.

I find overly large homes lonely unless you have a really big family living there. All that empty space, little family interaction since people are spread to different wings. I also like being close to walk to everything and so I don't spend a great deal of time inside if I can help it.

oh-- we have a house built in 1880 and one built in 1925. so we aren't the 40-50 stock somebody mentioned.

[Anonymous]

I live in a house built in 1992, 3,300 square feet. I could care less if a neighbor's home is newer or larger or both. I bought for location, nothing else.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I hate developments with 3-4 different models. I hate the glaring uniformity. They look cheap and like tract housing. I hate the mixed media--faux stone mixed with partial brick and siding. I hate new developments with no trees (or just planted baby trees).

I don't hate new homes per se..or even larger ones. There are a few really beautiful new homes (knockdowns) in our old neighborhood. I like 'tasteful', quality ones.

I do have a preference for old homes, historic that have been renovated inside.

I would never want a huge home because I seriously do not need or covet such space. My under 3,000foot home ~2800 is perfect for us with space leftover. It is also a testament to design and how the previous owners renovated to get the most out of the space.

I find overly large homes lonely unless you have a really big family living there. All that empty space, little family interaction since people are spread to different wings. I also like being close to walk to everything and so I don't spend a great deal of time inside if I can help it.

Is this just what you think happens? Or have you lived in a sizable house for an extended period of time in order to witness this?

[Anonymous]

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.