How many square feet is in your home? How many people live there?

[ChristusG]

How many square feet is your home and how many people live in it? Also, do you have any sort of home business that uses any of the space in your home?

 

We've been looking at houses to buy. We have four people in our home (and will probably have another child, possibly two, in the future). Our current home is about 1900 sq ft. It is 3 bedroom, 2 bath. And we do have an eBay business that we run out of our home, so we do store inventory in the garage. Naturally, we've been looking at homes larger than our current one to purchase. We're looking in the 3000 sq ft range. But I often wonder if we should downsize? Are we putting too much worth into a house when we could use it for other things? It's a tough choice to make.

 

My husband would love to be able to move our home business indoors. Right now he works out in the garage and it is really hot out there. And we need a place to homeschool. And we would love a guest area for when people come to visit. In the future my husband's mother may need to come live with us, so a larger house would be better suited for that. I may go nuts if she lived in a smaller house with us.

 

How many people have ever downsized instead of upsized? Did you regret it? I'm afraid I would regret having less space than I do now. But I do think it would be a better steward of our money.

[Sandra in NC]

Our house is 2400 sf for 4 people. It's just right!

[ezrabean2005]

1,200 for six of us. Three bedrooms and two bathrooms. We just moved here and for the FIRST time we have TWO BATHROOMS!!! Yee-haw! :lol:

 

We lived in a house before that was about 1,000 square feet. With an extra bathroom, an extra bedroom (we used to only have two bedrooms), and 200 more square feet everyone has felt like we have so much more room!

 

(Can you tell that we are excited about where we are living now? :lol:)

[TravelingChris]

we have around 3700 sf. for 5. We had something close to that in Belgium. We had about 2000 in Florida and it was way to small even though most of the time we only had 4. I like room but then I have ADHD children, a husband who wants workspace for his science things and woodworking hobbies, and enough space to easily move around and have people over.

[Renee in NC]

Our house is 1344 square feet for 8 people.

 

I wouldn't want 3000 square feet without twice weekly housekeeping!:lol: My ideal is about 1800 square feet with 5 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms.

[4kiddies]

It is about 2700 sq ft and there are 6 of us. Right now it seems too big but I'm sure we will appreciate the space when they are all teenagers!

[TwinMominTX]

We have 3500 square feet for four people. My husband has an office on our property (not in our home) that is approximately 1000 square feet. My husband has a few employees that sometimes work in the office so it wouldn't work to have it in our home. We are also getting ready to finish out about 500 square feet of school space.

[MarthaT]

1400 sq ft for 4 people

 

[amy g.]

We have 3,500 for soon to be 7 people. I plan on finishing the 3 car garage to give us a little more living space.

[....]

1260 square feet and 6 people (and 3 dogs)

 

We're pretty used to it. We don't own a lot of "stuff" and it doesn't take long to clean.

[PinkInTheBlue]

We are 5 people and a dog homeschooling and working at home together all day in about 1300 sq ft. It was suppose to be temporary 5 years ago and we've just never gotten around to it. Ugh! We're drowning all over each other. However, we've signed the papers on our new house of 3200sq ft, 5 bedrooms and a pool and we'll be moving in in 2 weeks!! Woo-hoo!!!! I'm so excited! I think it would be different if my husband didn't also work at home and require an office, thereby eating up one of the bedrooms. But it would still be so small for us.

[Prairie~Phlox]

We have 5 people in 1900 square ft. bi-level. I love it and it's perfect for us. The upstairs is like a ranch and then the downstairs is a living/homeschool area 1/2 bath and laundry and the garage on one side.

[Pamela H in Texas]

4 of us in 2400 sq ft (though hubby won't be here the next 7mo). The master bedroom and closet are set up for my homeschool (not just my kids).

[thescrappyhomeschooler]

We have 4 people, sometimes 5 because I babysit my niece so frequently it seems like she lives here, in an 1825 sq. ft. home. It's 3 huge bedrooms and 1 and a half baths. It's not so much the size that I don't care for as the layout of my house. We currently have no family room, just a large living room. I'd like to have a family room where we could hang out and not worry about the mess as much, and then a small living room to hang out in with just grown ups. That way, when I want to sit in a quiet and clean room, I could escape to my nice living room. We have a 1 car garage, which is definitely not big enough to hold our 2 cars and all our stuff. We looked into getting a shed, but the rules and regulations for sheds in our city make it almost impossible. We do have a lovely sun porch, which we eat in year round, even though we live in Ohio. My boys' bedroom is 16X20, so it is enormous. I hope they share it forever, because I use the third bedroom for a guest/scrapbooking room. I would like an extra full bathroom in the master bedroom, especially as the boys get older. That is something dh and I are discussing adding on. I probably wouldn't have picked this house, but we were seduced by the beautiful, sparkling swimming pool out back! We do really enjoy and use the pool, but if I had to do it over again, I would look for a layout that suits our needs better.

Edited September 11, 2009 by thescrappyhomeschooler

[gandpsmommy]

We have 5 people in 1900 square ft. bi-level. I love it and it's perfect for us. The upstairs is like a ranch and then the downstairs is a living/homeschool area 1/2 bath and laundry and the garage on one side.

 

That sounds just like our old house. It was a good setup!

[TammyinTN]

1080 sq foot apartment. There are 4 of us when hubby isn't deployed. We have 1 border collie as well. It has 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 1 small exercise/classroom, large den, kitchen, dining area. I can't wait to move. I need a little more space than this. ;)

[Carrie12345]

Our house is 1.5 stories, and they didn't count the upstairs square footage on any of our papers. Downstairs is 930sf, so we estimate about 1200 total.

 

6 people, 2 large dogs, 2 cats, no garage, no attic, no basement. WAY TOO SMALL!

[sbgrace]

1300 square feet for 4 people.

I think layout and storage matters as much as size. Our home has the type of layout to maximize space.

[lgm]

1900 sq ft/3bdrm/2bath

 

The sizing of the rooms and the layout means that it is cozy for 6 adults/teens if all are in one room. Only one can be in the kitchen at a time since the house was originally a summer house and wasn't intended for much indoor cooking or pantry storage. The high chair had to have wheels so we could get by when needed. We are on top of each other in inclement weather and have no room for projects, so a better layout and about 600 more sq ft would do it. It would be perfect for an older couple who would like to garden and entertain weekend guests with just two less than 5K modifications, which is how we are going to market it.

[wagnfun]

1900 for 6 of us (4 bedrm 2 bath) but waiting on escrow to close on a 3924 sq ft. (5 bedrm 4bath +office)

 

1900 was more fine when the kids were smaller but with 2 teens and a third approaching very quickly, 1900 seems tight. DH works from home sometimes and that makes it tough as well. Will be happy for space to spread out. I wont mind cleaning extra floor space when the kids arent' sharing closets!

[gingersmom]

I have about 1700 square feet (4 bedroom, 2 bath) for 3 people and 1 cat.

 

I would like one more room and then it would be perfect. We have a huge backyard and if I had the money I would add on to our house.

[mysticamethyst]

Ours is about 2300 sq. ft. there are current 7 of us and 7 dogs. My mother is temp. staying with us. It's just right. :001_smile:

[cathmom]

almost 2100 for 8 people, 9 if my oldest is home from college

[mom2a&z]

We are a family of 4 with about 2400 sq ft of living space. (4 bedrooms, 2.5 baths) We also have a 3 car garage, big attic, and an unfinished basement of 1800 sq ft. DH was supposed to finish the basement 2 years ago, but I'm not in any hurry, just more to clean.

 

I've told my husband that the minute the kids are out of the house I want to move into something smaller. I feel like I spend most of my time cleaning so I can't imagine what it will be like if/when the basement is finished. My dh also tends to be a pack rat and with so much storage, he has no incentive to get rid of anything.

[Nestof3]

1,100 sq ft for 5 people.

 

3 bedrooms, 1 bath.

 

detached garage not included in square footage.

 

It's small, but it's paid for. ;)

[MamaT]

We have 3200 sq. ft. for 7 of us, 8 when my ds is home on leave. When are currently considering moving to a house that is 3100 sq. ft., but feels bigger than ours because of the way it's designed. There will only be 6 of us after a few more months when my oldest gets married.

[ncmomo3]

2,200sf- for 5. It's a nice fit

[gandpsmommy]

We downsized when we moved the last time. We previously owned a house with around 2000 sq. feet (I can't remember exactly; it might have even been 2200.) It was a 4 bedroom, 3 bath (1 full, 2 were 3/4 with sink, toilet, and shower, but no bathtub). There are only 4 of us, so we used the extra bedroom as an office. When we moved we couldn't find the kind of house that we were looking for in the kind of neighborhood/community that we were seeking. So, we went with the neighborhood/community and took the house that we could find in it. Which menat that we downsized our square footage to get a nice flat lot with plenty of room for a playset and garden in a beautiful rural gated community with a golf course, swimming pool, tennis courts, and most importantly plenty of ponds, lakes, creeks, and wild space for ds to explore.

 

We really didn't save any money, as we have to pay assessments monthly to support all the amenities, but we got a very safe community and a place where our kids can have fun. It's great for my nature-loving husband and son.

 

But, losing the square footage has been difficult. Maybe it's the difference in layout, but it was actually a lot easier for me to clean the bigger house.

 

We now only have 3 bedrooms and 1.5 baths, and the whole house is only 1200 to 1400 sq. ft. I'm really bad with numbers and dh isn't here to ask, so I can't remember which it is exactly. We gave away, sold, and put into storage many belongings when we moved, but it just never seems as if there is enough space for everything. It's a lot harder for me to be neat, tidy, and organized, but I tend to be very challenged in these areas anyway. It seems as if I have to move so much stuff around (furniture, boxes of toys, etc.) to vacuum, and the kids rooms are so small that it's really difficult to keep clutter under control. Again, some of this might have to do with layout, but some of it is definitely space.

 

Also, when we had an extra bedroom to use as an office, we could close the door on the disorderliness if we didn't have everything tidy, but now our desk is right in the living room and is visible from the family room and dining area as well, so it's all just staring at you all the time. And because we don't have an office in which to store paperwork, a lot of it ends up on the kitchen counters which really shrinks our already small kitchen.

 

Also, in our old house our family room and office were downstairs and would have made a great place for homeschooling. Here we have no separate area, so we have a small game sort of table with two drawers for storage underneath in the family room ,and we have the dining room table. I think it would be easier psychologically, especially for my kindergartener, if there were more of a separate space for schoolwork. When you do your schoolwork in the same area where you play with your toys, watch tv, play video games, eat snacks, etc., it's harder for him to make the switch to learning and working mode.

 

So, my advice would be to go with as much square footage as you can afford and know you will use. I mean, we spend so much time in our homes, especially as homeschoolers, that I think it's worth the investment.

[iquilt]

We are waiting for our 3200 s.f. 5 bed/3 bath house to be completed next month for our 5-family (plus monthly guests from out of state). We sold our 1800 s.f. 3 bed/2 bath this summer and we are so excited to have more space (and a bigger yard). We thought about this move for years and we think that we will be happy with the space as our children grow.

[Tess in the Burbs]

I think layout matters more than size. We had 1450 sq ft townhome when the kids were little and it got too small too fast! We now live in 2200 sq ft and it's almost too much some days. But when friends visit it's not enough ;-) So lifestyle depends too.

 

Your business and potential MIL living with you would make me be more inclined to tell you the bigger house will be your best option for the future.

 

that said...we would downsize if we could. We have had bigger and it never got used...too much to clean. We have had smaller with a great layout and know it would have worked with kids and hope to find that again one day. Storage for smaller houses is the biggest issue IMO. well, that and enough toilets. We need 2 bathrooms at least...for some reason everyone has to go immediately at the same time :001_huh::lol:

[babysparkler]

Our house is 2350 sf for 6 people.

[gandpsmommy]

1300 square feet for 4 people.

I think layout and storage matters as much as size. Our home has the type of layout to maximize space.

 

:iagree: I think layout is huge!

[kokotg]

About 1900 sf for 5 of us. We have 4 bedrooms, but we're only using 3 of them as bedrooms (1st floor master is our school/playroom). It's a very good size for us.

[SkateLeft]

We're a family of 6 and still own our home in California. We didn't even bother trying to sell it since the market there is so bad (we rented it out). When we bought a home here in Minnesota, we bought a modest home to avoid overextending ourselves.

 

So we went from a 5bed/3bath home in CA to a considerably smaller 4 bed/2bath home in MN. We have less square footage and much smaller rooms, but a bit more closet space, which helps offset some of the downsizing issues.

 

Downsizing was a bit depressing at first, but over the month we've been here, I've grown to love my new smaller house. It's much easier to clean, and much easier to put laundry away, etc. because I don't have to run all over the house. :) We have a much larger yard, and the kids spend more time outside.

 

The biggest downside is that we have less privacy. We have to keep our voices down and the tv volume low once the kids go to bed. We've also had to really focus on teaching the kids to respect each others' space, especially my boys, who are sharing a room. I have to think more about the things I bring into the house, and it's forced me to really think things through before I purchase something. I also really miss my walk-in pantry. We could use more cabinet space here.

 

In all, I'm glad we did it. The positives have outweighed the negatives. :)

[Loupelou]

Ours is 3600 sq. ft, if you add in the garage it's 4500. We have 9 people: 2 adults, 7 kids ranging from baby to almost 16. 6 of the kiddos are girls so they can share rooms if necessary. We lived in a house half the size before and it wasn't bad but I do like having the separate areas for family room, school room, and office. With that many girls our 4 bathrooms really come in handy. The cleaning can be a beast though! Don't forget you always fill up the space you gain. We have 4 large bedrooms, the older girls are in one, then the younger girls, and my ds has his own. When I was growing up I never had my own room, for three years we lived in a 16 x 20 cabin with a loft, my parents and eight kids. Now that is an extreme example but I think sometimes we worry too much about everyone getting their own space, that doesn't have to equate to their own room. I remember going off to college I had my own room and I hated it! It can be hard to find exactly what you are looking for in a house, a lot of newer homes are so broken up it's hard to enjoy the space. Ours has three stories: main floor, full walkout basement, and upstairs. It's a beautiful home but our next one will be simpler with more open spaces. I would like a main floor with an open floor plan and a full walkout basement. What is nice about trying on different homes is you can swiftly figure out what you do and don't like.

[KS_]

Our house is about 2600 sq ft including the finished basement and there are 4 of us. We have 5 bedrooms and 3 baths - one bedroom in the basement is now the library and the other basement bedroom is "Grandma's Room" for when my mom comes to visit. It's a good size for us, although dh often thinks he'd like something bigger (but he isn't the one to clean it, and this is plenty to clean for me!)

[Sasharowan]

We have 1380 sq ft for 6 people. We homeschool in the dining room which looks more like a school room than a dining room. It gets a bit crowded in summer when no one wants to go outside in the heat, but its ok in the winter when the kids can run outside.

[ChristusG]

Thanks for your replies everyone!!! I found a house on an acre of land that is SOOO cute! It comes with a small horse corral and fence and my 5 year old DD would love to get a goat or something like that and put it in the horse corral. It is about 1450 sq ft, where our current house is 1900. However, it does have an unfinished basment and huge garage area. But there's no way we'd be able to finish it right now. But the option is there though.

 

Not sure if hubby would go for it though. He already has to drive about 45 minutes to work. This one is about 15 minutes further out....so he'd have an hour drive. I'm going to run it by him though.

 

The basement would be great to keep business inventory in....especailly if we could finish it and add A/C. And then designate a bedroom down there as well.....for if MIL ever moves in with us.

[MamaAkins]

We have a 1450 sq. foot home (2 story, 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths) with 7 people. We have 3 adults (me, my husband and my dad) and 4 children (ages 12, 8, 5, and 2). We converted our dining room into a downstairs bedroom for my dad. We live on a 1/2 acre. Our living space is tight, but manageable. I would really like to add one room off of our living room to use as a school room and to add a laundry room. (We have a laundry closet in our kitchen that I would prefer to use as a pantry).

[Tap]

2200 for 5. We feel a bit crowded right now but I think it is because of our kids ages. We have teens, tweens and toddlers. None of their interests overlap so there is stuff in our house for just about every age group. Even places like the hall closet is full of games, all the way from toddler games, to complex war strategy games for the teens. Books from toddler board books, school age books, and a large collection of adult classics. I can homeschool K-12 with almost no curriculum purchases! It is all in the library...taking up room. We will be adding on sometime in the next year and that will make us 400-600 feet bigger. We are adding on a bedroom and laundry room (currently there is a laundry closet).

[Wyndie]

Christy,

 

We upgraded and went further out in the country. We were living on base which made my husband's drive to work about 3 minutes, now it takes him 45 minutes. He said he likes it b/c it's the only time he can be quiet and alone. lol The long drive to anywhere gets tedious and makes it harder to homeschool on days we have to go into town so take that into consideration for yourself.

 

Oh and we have 3200 sf for 5 people.

[mom31257]

We have 1850 sq ft now and 4 people. About 150 of that is a play room over the garage. I tried to make it a school room, but the temp is hard to regulate. Our first house was 1650 and our second was 1500. I couldn't believe how much difference losing that 150 sq ft made. Some of it was the layout of the house, but it made a huge difference.

[sassenach]

1600 for 6 people. It works, but I'd love just a smidge more. I feel like 2000 would be perfect. However, we live in a HIGH COL area and I doubt we'll ever get into anything bigger. We also are garage-less, which is a pain.

[lulubelle]

If you can truly afford bigger I would go for it. If you are stretching to afford bigger - I would be satisfied with what you have. We live in just under 1200 with 5. I dream about more space. Only one bathroom! I am reading a book on "contentment"!

[Alison in KY]

1550 for 5 people, works out fine but I'd prefer about 1800 with a half basement.

[HeathenMom]

2500 sq ft for 5 people. it seemed big when we had it built...not so much anymore. i'd like 3500 sq ft, but by the time we could move into a house that big, there'll only be 4 of us.

[FairProspects]

1700 for 4 people. I too would love to go bigger, but we are also in a high cost area, and every time I clean it, I'm thankful it is as small as it is!

[Nicole M]

1300 square feet for 4 people.

I think layout and storage matters as much as size. Our home has the type of layout to maximize space.

 

Yes, absolutely, storage and layout make all the difference. We don't have a basement, and only have a crawl-space attic. We have one tiny linen closet, no hall closet, and one of our three "bedrooms" does not have a closet (so technically it is not a bedroom). Our house is 1100 square feet, and until we built a garage last summer, it was unbearably claustrophobic for me. I was very unhappy. But after we built the garage, I exiled most of the toys, camping equipment, beer-making supplies and extra, unused schoolbooks; I feel like a new woman.

[Tammyla]

We have around 2400 sqft with a basement and two car garage that don't measure into the square footage. Our home is a two story, and I'd definitely downsize if we moved. Now that the "little kid toys" are gone this place feels bigger than we need.

[Melissa B]

We have six people in 1100 square feet and that is just fine. We are currently considering moving back to our previous house which is somewhere between 900-1000 square feet - but very open. The only really issue with all of our homes is the one bathroom. We always say we would like a second bathroom, but it is never important enough to take on a bigger home. :)