Houses - how big would you go?
Discussion
Following in the wake of the excellent "Whats it really like to live in a mansion??" and the property porn threads I was wondering that, in the event of the hypothetical Euromillions jackpot win, is there a limit to the size of the house you'd want to live in?
To set the scene; I am married with two kids and currently live in a four bed house of about 100m2 / ~1000 sq ft (visualise of a footprint of just bigger than 4m by 8m x2 floors though I also have a separate double garage). The house is quite compact and given the chance I wouldn't hesitate to buy somewhere bigger if I could afford it.
My parents live in a place about three times the size. I think this represents the limit of the size of place I'd feel comfortable living in. Much bigger than this and I would dislike the feeling of rattling around in a huge mansion.
So, without diverting the thread onto house styles, location or running/purchase costs, how big a house would be your limit? Is there anyone who has downsized and felt more comfortable in a smaller place?
To set the scene; I am married with two kids and currently live in a four bed house of about 100m2 / ~1000 sq ft (visualise of a footprint of just bigger than 4m by 8m x2 floors though I also have a separate double garage). The house is quite compact and given the chance I wouldn't hesitate to buy somewhere bigger if I could afford it.
My parents live in a place about three times the size. I think this represents the limit of the size of place I'd feel comfortable living in. Much bigger than this and I would dislike the feeling of rattling around in a huge mansion.
So, without diverting the thread onto house styles, location or running/purchase costs, how big a house would be your limit? Is there anyone who has downsized and felt more comfortable in a smaller place?
I guess it depends on size of your family and hobby requirements. I think 5-6000sqft should do it. Need a cinema, pool house/gym and plenty of garaging for toys
otherwise I feel it would get so big to be unmanageable without live in staff, then it wouldnt feel like home to me, more like a posh hotel
definately theres a balance in it for me
otherwise I feel it would get so big to be unmanageable without live in staff, then it wouldnt feel like home to me, more like a posh hotel
definately theres a balance in it for me
Current place has just under 2000 sq. feet, keeping it clean and tidy is definitely much more work than the previous house (just over 1400 sq. feet) and would prefer not to go any bigger.
Unfortunately, 2800 sq. feet dream house has been found, not looking forward to maintaining it! To be fair, I don't make it easy for myself having 21 pets and ridiculously high standards about the house being clean and tidy. Having said that, house will be home to a family of 4 adults so at least everyone can still have their own space.
Given the choice, wouldn't want to go above 2000 sq. feet if maintaining a house without a cleaner. I think that's more than enough space for a young family, and much bigger would probably just end up with lots of rarely used reception rooms.
Unfortunately, 2800 sq. feet dream house has been found, not looking forward to maintaining it! To be fair, I don't make it easy for myself having 21 pets and ridiculously high standards about the house being clean and tidy. Having said that, house will be home to a family of 4 adults so at least everyone can still have their own space.
Given the choice, wouldn't want to go above 2000 sq. feet if maintaining a house without a cleaner. I think that's more than enough space for a young family, and much bigger would probably just end up with lots of rarely used reception rooms.
I have 2 beds and 2.5 bathrooms in 1350 square feet. The bedrooms feel a good size as did everything else until the first baby turned up. Now we are tripping over crap and have no where to store things. So, on Friday I move into a 3000 square foot house with an additional 1000 square foot finished basement. We designed it so the basement is just another level and is the lightest area of the house. It also opens to the back garden so I don't think of it as just a basement.
I suppose I will need to live there for a while before knowing if it is too big. On the development it is one of the smallest houses though.
I suppose I will need to live there for a while before knowing if it is too big. On the development it is one of the smallest houses though.
http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/prope...
That house is about the right size...for my 20 year old self if I won the euro millions.
That house is about the right size...for my 20 year old self if I won the euro millions.
Well I've looked at a few 5/6000 sqft places and they do seem a little bit too large for two adults.... But at the same time I think about a large games room, a doggie wet room for cleaning/grooming after walkies, a snug etc.. Current place is about 1900sqft I think, and we do at least have a spare bedroom with en-suite for guests. But winning the Euromillions would be a different matter as I would happily have a mansion of 15,000sqft to get the 100 acres plus of land that I want....... Just means paying for a cleaner...
A nice 5 bedroom would probably do me. One room for my music stuff room for the current baby and a second room if we grow the family, spare room and the magic room because that's where the magic will happen.
To be honest as long as I have somewhere I can go to where everything is logically laid out not woman logic I'm happy.
To be honest as long as I have somewhere I can go to where everything is logically laid out not woman logic I'm happy.
i once did some work on a converted coach works and it was a majestic L shaped stone house, not massive but comfortable and had triple garage and a really nice entrance and drive big enough to park about 12 cars, that would do just nicely. it had a pool too but i dunno if i could make all that use of it, great for the kids and friends though.
We have just bought a c.4,000sqft house on just over an acre plot which has bits made in 1740.
The utility company has informed us the previous owner was spunking £300 per month on gas.
I'd maybe like to add another bedroom and a dressing room on the top floor, but I think the cost to sell and change to the next material size up (and incremental jump in running costs) would be hard to justify.
I.e. the money could be used for pensions, seeing the world, kids education, a Merc Pagoda 280sl etc, etc...
The utility company has informed us the previous owner was spunking £300 per month on gas.
I'd maybe like to add another bedroom and a dressing room on the top floor, but I think the cost to sell and change to the next material size up (and incremental jump in running costs) would be hard to justify.
I.e. the money could be used for pensions, seeing the world, kids education, a Merc Pagoda 280sl etc, etc...
Have a large house with more like grounds than garden and is bloody hard work especially being and old place.
Many moons ago when living in Wimpey houses etc you can put your feetup and chill after work but in this place...
The wife likes a clean house with nothing out of place so that is never ending task which has to be balanced with maintining the garden/out buildings etc. So basically there is something that needs done every single day to keep things maintained and under control. Sometimes I have to pay for a gardner otherwise we have no chance.
Basically the house and grounds are my life so no telly, computer games etc I cycle [my only real hobby] to work for exercise then rest before it all starts again
However the place comes alive with parties etc and still have to pinch myself now and again to remind ourselves what we have... Great for kids, it's a real adventure for them, summer houses with their stuff, woodland trails, rivers, gardens etc ...
My rule of thumb for when it gets to big is when you get fed up trying to find the wife in the garden! I did get wakie takies but she won't use them
If only the council supplied skips for garden waste rather than two poxy bins.
Many moons ago when living in Wimpey houses etc you can put your feetup and chill after work but in this place...
The wife likes a clean house with nothing out of place so that is never ending task which has to be balanced with maintining the garden/out buildings etc. So basically there is something that needs done every single day to keep things maintained and under control. Sometimes I have to pay for a gardner otherwise we have no chance.
Basically the house and grounds are my life so no telly, computer games etc I cycle [my only real hobby] to work for exercise then rest before it all starts again
However the place comes alive with parties etc and still have to pinch myself now and again to remind ourselves what we have... Great for kids, it's a real adventure for them, summer houses with their stuff, woodland trails, rivers, gardens etc ...
My rule of thumb for when it gets to big is when you get fed up trying to find the wife in the garden! I did get wakie takies but she won't use them
If only the council supplied skips for garden waste rather than two poxy bins.I read somewhere once that anything over 3500 sq ft is too big and you're getting into really superfluous space i.e. gyms/cinemas etc.
With a well designed (not that common in my experience) home that gives you everything you really ever need for a family. Five bedrooms, plenty of bathrooms, games room for kids, lounge for parents, family room/kitchen, utiility/boot room etc.
If you go any bigger than that once the kids have grown up it's suddenly very,very big. When it's just you and SWMBO.
A friend of mine bought their dream house which was 7000 sqft....they sold it two years later. Way too big. Now have a place of 5000 sq ft!
With a well designed (not that common in my experience) home that gives you everything you really ever need for a family. Five bedrooms, plenty of bathrooms, games room for kids, lounge for parents, family room/kitchen, utiility/boot room etc.
If you go any bigger than that once the kids have grown up it's suddenly very,very big. When it's just you and SWMBO.
A friend of mine bought their dream house which was 7000 sqft....they sold it two years later. Way too big. Now have a place of 5000 sq ft!
I'm not sure I'm calculating mine right! I work my current house out to be 144sqm, yet its 4 bed, 3 bath, 3 reception (well 2 and large hall/stairs off the living room). The living room is 6m x6m so its not a small place!
I would like about double the space to fit everthing I'd like, but that would be plenty. It would mostly be usefull spaces like:
a kitchen diner, not just a kitchen
a proper utility room
a bootroom (ie somewhere to take your muddy shoes off)
a seperate cinema room
bathrooms off all the bedrooms
dressing rooms/walk in wardrobes.
I'd probably be more interested in a bit of land, and space for a big garage/workshop/man cave.
I have a couple of very rich relatives, and they both live in relatively modest houses.
I would like about double the space to fit everthing I'd like, but that would be plenty. It would mostly be usefull spaces like:
a kitchen diner, not just a kitchen
a proper utility room
a bootroom (ie somewhere to take your muddy shoes off)
a seperate cinema room
bathrooms off all the bedrooms
dressing rooms/walk in wardrobes.
I'd probably be more interested in a bit of land, and space for a big garage/workshop/man cave.
I have a couple of very rich relatives, and they both live in relatively modest houses.
We are about 3400 sq ft, or will be all said and done, with 2 children (currently debating another ) its all the house you would ever really need to be honest.
I wouldnt want to go much bigger being honest, otherwise it just wouldnt get used, unless your talking cinema rooms, pools and gyms etc..
One thing thats very telling is though the no of rooms may not be massively different its the scale of the rooms, bigger houses have bigger rooms, higher ceilings etc, and if you like the sense of space then you often have to scale up..
) its all the house you would ever really need to be honest.I wouldnt want to go much bigger being honest, otherwise it just wouldnt get used, unless your talking cinema rooms, pools and gyms etc..
One thing thats very telling is though the no of rooms may not be massively different its the scale of the rooms, bigger houses have bigger rooms, higher ceilings etc, and if you like the sense of space then you often have to scale up..
I don't like lots of rooms but rather a few rooms of huge proportions (think double and triple height ceilings; internal skywalks and a LOT of glass.
Almost to the extent that the style is knocking on commercial design rather than residential, or would have to be extremely modern.
Euromillions win...it would be a very very big house as (relatively young with toddlers) we would like to live there for many years.
The only issue is that while I appreciate classic style and "olde worlde" houses, I much prefer ultramodern whereas my wife HATES it.
To give an idea, something like this but maybe fifteen to twenty times the internal space:
http://www.85swainslane.co.uk/venue-details.php
Almost to the extent that the style is knocking on commercial design rather than residential, or would have to be extremely modern.
Euromillions win...it would be a very very big house as (relatively young with toddlers) we would like to live there for many years.
The only issue is that while I appreciate classic style and "olde worlde" houses, I much prefer ultramodern whereas my wife HATES it.
To give an idea, something like this but maybe fifteen to twenty times the internal space:
http://www.85swainslane.co.uk/venue-details.php
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