jenL Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 Our house is 2100 sf, and I think it's perfect for the 4 of us because the layout makes it feel huge. I wouldn't want anything bigger than this because we already have more than we need. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Georgiana Daniels Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 Wow, I dream of having the space some of you have! For years, we were 5 people in 1000 sq ft. Now we are 4, and I really don't know how many SF this apartment is. Hoping to move to 2000 SF, but in this town the prices never came down as much as in the rest of the country so we're still looking at a quite a bit of $$ per SF. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lovinmomma Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 I grew up in a 900 sq foot home with 6 people and it seemed fine to me. We did have a basement though, so that helped. Phew! That's good to hear that I'm not completely depriving my children. lol We are getting ready to move into a house that is only a little over 800 sq ft. (has an unfinished basement) but it's the best that I can do for now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lovinmomma Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 5 people in 750 square feet with no attic, no basement and only a detached garage for storage. It is definitely too small. Do all 3 of your kiddos share a room? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lovinmomma Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 Our is 1,100 sq ft, and I vacuum every night. It's very quick. Actually cleaning? Yeah, it takes a while, but not as long as a 4,000 sq ft home. I think two keys are living with less stuff and being organized. I'm still working on the less stuff. My parents have a larger home, and they have more stuff filling those closets and such that never even get looked at. I have a mental inventory of everything we own. :lol: :iagree: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edelweiss Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 I live in a very large house, so I realize that my perception is skewed. However, I didn't always live in a house this large (I've lived in some really small houses actually). I guess I would consider anything under 1800 sq. ft. to be small. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beaners Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 I just checked the square footage on Trulia for all the different houses I grew up in. The average was about 1800 square feet. My family had three children, all with their own rooms in all the houses except one. I don't consider any of those houses small. In fact, we had two rooms we only used once a year (formal dining room and living room) in one of those houses, and it didn't seem small. This house is 1300 square feet. It doesn't feel cramped, but I can see almost the entire house from one spot in the living room. That makes it seem a little smaller. The children's rooms are set up so that you lose a lot of wall space between the main door, closet door, and windows. It would feel bigger if those rooms were designed more efficiently. It's a 3 bedroom, 2 bath. Our last house was close to the same size, but technically a 2 bedroom, 1 bath. It had two rooms that were used more for storage than daily living. Having more than one floor and many rooms made it seem larger. I'd say under 1000 square feet is a small house. We have two adults, 3 small children, 1 more on the way (so the baby gear takes up a ton of storage and living space), 2 50 lb dogs, and 4 cats. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shanvan Posted July 31, 2012 Author Share Posted July 31, 2012 Ours is about 1800 sf, not counting the finished basement. I don't consider our house too small, but just right for our family of 4. We considered moving into a bigger house because a little more space would be nice, and all our friends have upgraded to larger houses, but decided against it. There's more upkeep involved, and with the economy, it makes more sense for us to stay here. That's exactly what we have decided. We'll make it work. I suppose I need to get serious about decluttering. Not sure what I can do about the furniture arrangement. I don't think there is any way to arrange it for easier cleaning w/o just getting rid of some of it and/or replacing with smaller items. But, if I give up that huge entertainment center taking up a wall, I give up all of the book storage space it provides. :glare: I don't have a lot of money to throw at the problem. I'm lucky I'm able to buy the books we need this year. Will have to spend some time organizing and decluttering to see what I can do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ondreeuh Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 Last year, the 5 of us lived in a house under 1000 sq ft - no yard or basement, and thin walls (manufactured home). It was do-able but there was never a way to get away! Forget taking a nap in the daytime. Our boys shared a room, and even with bunk beds and a closet system, the room was barely big enough. Toys had to be under the bed and they shared a dresser. This month we moved to a house that is probably over 3000 sq ft. There are still only 3 bedrooms, but the kids have HUGE (200 sq ft) rooms. There is a 300 sq ft homeschool room. The basement has a main area w/ bar, plus three extra rooms. One has been designated a workout room, another is my husband's own library, and one is the Lego room. When we first moved here, the kids kept getting lost on the way to the third bathroom. :lol: I love it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slartibartfast Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 I think it depends on number of people and the amount of crap you accumulate. If one is good about decluttering and keeping things sane then what some would consider a small home would be quite reasonable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Florida. Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 Twelve years ago we downsized from a ridiculously large (with a mortgage to match) house to one that is just over 1800 sq. ft. of living space. I think the total is around 2200. Florida has no basements, so what you have above ground is it. It's a perfect size for the 3 of us, and has a spare bedroom which has had several different uses over the years. I grew up in a house that was 1100 sq. ft. for a family of four, and the size seemed quite normal at the time. Again, Florida, so no basement. Our idea of what is a normal sized house has changed dramatically in the last 50 years or so. My house would probably be considered quite big even 30 years ago. Now it's average for our area. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaspershiloh Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 I agree with many of the above posts... the size of the house matters, but so does its floor plan and how the space inside is used up by furniture and such. We were a family of 4 living in a 20 foot camper for a year. Now that was small! Since then, our family has grown and fortunatly our home too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdventureMoms Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 We have about 1000 sqft with 5 people (3 are small!) and it is plenty. We go back and forth on the subject of an addition. It is fairly well laid out though, which helps. I would like it more open, actually, I hate being in the kitchen (and I'm ALWAYS in the kitchen) and not being able to see what is going on in the living or dining rooms. My parents have 2000 sqft and it doesn't feel much bigger because they have a HUGE hallway that is mostly useless space and the bedrooms are too big, so the actual living areas are not much bigger. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tammi K Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 Our house in Hawaii was 1700 sq feet and housed 8 of us. The layout was such that bedrooms were 'squished' but 'public' space was livable. Still, overall, I would have chosen a larger house if I could have. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoVanGogh Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 We bought out house 16 years ago, pre-child. It is 1755 square feet. The entire house has a very open floor plan, except for the kitchen which has a door to close it off from everything else. We only have one child - a very, very active boy. Square footage wise, it is probably about right - but the floor plan is awful! I wish the living area were smaller and the kitchen larger. You mentioned not having a place in the house where you can't hear what is going on elsewhere in the house. That is our biggest problem. You can't get away from the noise of the house, which is awful when someone is ill or has insomnia. I would love to have a little nook to get away to late in the afternoon to read a book in quiet. Our house is paid off or we might consider moving for that very reason. We also don't have much for closets. Every usable wall has a bookcase on it. I did go through a major decluttering spree last year, which helped so much. We had never really gotten rid of any furniture or big items in the 16 years we had lived here. I don't regret getting rid of anything and it does make the house seem larger. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joannqn Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 We've lived in 1250, 1300, and 1500 square feet with six people, three cats, and a dog. The smallest was actually the best of those because the floor plan allowed for large bedrooms, a school room, and a place for DH to work inside the house. The living room was small, we only had one bathroom, and the laundry was in the cellar but it worked well overall. The middle house has small bedrooms, and we had to use the dining area as our school area. We made it work though. We are currently living in the largest house. The bedrooms are tiny, and there is no walking space in the girls' bedroom when the trundle is pulled out, but we are making it work. It would be nearly perfect if we could extend the bedrooms a bit, but it is a rental so that isn't happening. We'll stay here (love the neighborhood and neighbors) unless we find something that is near perfect. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
6packofun Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 Ahh, makes sense. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LostSurprise Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 I'd consider anything under 1200sf for a family of 4+ to be small. Not impossible or uncomfortable, just small. We have 6 people, a dog and 2 cats in 1600-1700sf. Sometimes it feels crowded but mostly that's dh's stuff. :tongue_smilie: The only thing I would change would be moving the master bedroom away from the boys (for privacy) and maybe having a guest room. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Element Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 I think a house is (too) small if it has less than 300 s.f. of living space per person. :iagree: with this. When dd was born we rented a place that was about 900 s.f. and, while it had been tight for 3 of us, it was way too small for 4 of us. We are comfortable now in a little over 1200 s.f. I think 1000-1200 s.f. would be uncomfortable, but doable for a while. I think <1000 s.f. would be too small for us. It would be different if we lived in a more temperate climate region, but in northern IL we have to spend most of the winter indoors so ample space is key. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shanvan Posted July 31, 2012 Author Share Posted July 31, 2012 I am finding it interesting to read how many are living in smaller homes. Makes me feel better, especially in light of this thread. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evergreen State Sue Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 We first lived in a 900 sf condo. Then we anticipated a family and bought a 1650 sf ranch house (no basement). We remodeled so my dh could work from home and now have 2400 sf. It is a perfect size since we homeschool and dh works from home. I think it will be too big once the kids leave, but at least they will have a place to visit. My parents sold their home and moved into a 1 br apt. after I graduated so there wasn't a place to visit and sleep over comfortably. For those of you with basements, if there is a place to play, do laundry, or store things, I think that sq. footage should be counted too. Also, I think when you have young kids the amount of outside space you have for play makes a big difference. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
allymom Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 We moved from an 1100 sq. ft. house with 7 people and it felt too small to me, but manageable. We're not in a 1400 sq. ft. house and it's still smaller than I prefer, but definitely more comfortable than our previous. I'd really like something at least 2000 sq. ft. next time. I would have to agree that it depends on the number of people and the layout, but anything below 1000 sq. ft for an average 4 person family would be small IMO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roadrunner Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 I think so much depends on where you live. We live in coastal CA and 1,000sf for a family is normal around here. Sure there are 3,000sf+ homes around, but those cost millions. I grew up in Europe and I am shocked anybody would consider 1,500sf small. I can't comprehend how a family of 4 or 5 can need anything bigger. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lovinmomma Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 For those of you with basements, if there is a place to play, do laundry, or store things, I think that sq. footage should be counted too. Also, I think when you have young kids the amount of outside space you have for play makes a big difference. :iagree: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freesia Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 We first lived in a 900 sf condo. Then we anticipated a family and bought a 1650 sf ranch house (no basement). We remodeled so my dh could work from home and now have 2400 sf. It is a perfect size since we homeschool and dh works from home. I think it will be too big once the kids leave, but at least they will have a place to visit. My parents sold their home and moved into a 1 br apt. after I graduated so there wasn't a place to visit and sleep over comfortably. For those of you with basements, if there is a place to play, do laundry, or store things, I think that sq. footage should be counted too. Also, I think when you have young kids the amount of outside space you have for play makes a big difference. We have both a basement and a large outside space. Maybe that's why 1800 square feet feels more than adequate for us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alisoncooks Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 We have 4 of us + an indoor dog in around 1200sqft. It wobbles between just right and too tight. (Probably b/c I just put a whopping treadmill in our living room/dining room and it looks terrible & cluttered. But oh well.) I think if we had a good outdoor space (screened back porch or something) I would be quite fine with the space we have. Or a garage. Just somewhere where my kids can go to get out of my hair on a rainy day... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest glamorganic Posted June 9, 2014 Share Posted June 9, 2014 We are 4 plus a German Shepherd dog in 950 square feet. We do have a basement, but this does not really make up for me having to sit on the end of my bed and spread my knees out to open my dresser drawer. :) I think it teaches you to live simply. I don't buy anything unless I need it, and if it comes in the house, it means something else must go out. I've wanted a Kitchen Aid mixer for about 8 years, but I would have to throw out dh's coffee maker and the toaster oven to fit it somewhere, so that isn't going to happen. :) I think it comes down to contentment. Yes, I wish I didn't have to clean the bathroom every single day because it is the only one and I'm the only female in here, but I have a roof over my head and food to eat and enough clothes in my 22" of closet space to wear to keep me warm. Life is what you think it is. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MistyMountain Posted June 9, 2014 Share Posted June 9, 2014 I think most people's in this country's views on this is skewed. On a worldwide and historical scale our houses are rather large. To me 1800 sq feet is not small for a family of 4. My current house has a basement that is completely finished and the bedrooms are down there. So the footprint is small but it has plenty of square feet. We lived in a 1050 sq foot condo that also had a garage and a storage room in the garage with 3 kids at the end and it was fine. We just couldn't get too much stuff. Oops didn't realize this was a zombied post. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted June 9, 2014 Share Posted June 9, 2014 The average new dwelling in the UK is 76 square metres, which is 818 square feet. Our place in London is 1300 square feet: it feels airy because it has very high ceilings, but the individual rooms are small and there isn't much storage space. With a different layout (it has a lot of stairs and hallway) then that would be a good sized home - it has three bedrooms, one bathroom, one toilet, kitchen/diner and sitting room. L Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madteaparty Posted June 9, 2014 Share Posted June 9, 2014 Nm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vaquitita Posted June 9, 2014 Share Posted June 9, 2014 (edited) Nm Edited December 13, 2015 by vaquitita Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rmtzc2009 Posted June 9, 2014 Share Posted June 9, 2014 We are a family of five. Baby #4 is cooking now. Our last home was about 1600 sq.feet. The main level was 950 sq feet & we finished the basement to gain extra space. I thought that house was to small for 3 active boys & my introvert self. Our current house is about 2900 sq. ft. With an unfinished basement that's about 1100 sq. ft. When we first moved in the house felt so big. We've been here two years now and I'm torn. Sometimes I wish we would have gone 3500-3800 sq feet.......then I think about cleaning the extra space and feel content with our current size :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wheres Toto Posted June 9, 2014 Share Posted June 9, 2014 We have 750 square feet for 4/sometimes 5 people. No basement, no attic, no closets, only a detached garage, lousy layout, technically only 2 bedrooms but we built a room in the corner of the living room, only 1 bathroom, only 3 feet of counter space in the kitchcen. It stinks. , It's too hard to clean because there's not enough room for anything, there's very few out of sight storage options, the furniture can only be arranged one way due to placement of fireplace, windows and doorways, I have to vacuum one section of the living room at a time because I have to shuffle the furniture around. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngelaNYC Posted June 9, 2014 Share Posted June 9, 2014 I love my cozy 750 square foot NYC apartment. We also have a large unfinished basement/laundry room with plenty of storage, plus a garage, backyard, and front patio. The neighborhood we live in and its close proximity to absolutely everything imaginable makes it feel huge. We also have one car :) Anything smaller than this would be tough. I've got this down to a science. I never want to move - and the kids think we're so lucky to live where we live. One more bedroom would be nice, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maela Posted June 9, 2014 Share Posted June 9, 2014 Our 1800 sq. ft. house seems the perfect size for us (2 adults, 2 kids). I think I would consider anything under 1400 to be small, but I know that's huge to most of the people in the world. I very much dislike the cluttered look, and with a dh with some space-consuming hobbies and a dd that likes to collect things, I feel like I need 1800. I'm spoiled... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
In2why Posted June 10, 2014 Share Posted June 10, 2014 My house is around 2,000 sqft and we are cramped. But we are also the neighborhood hang out and it isn't rare for me to have 10+ manchildren here. I am also an introvert and sometimes feel like I have no where to recharge. I would probably feel it was just fine if we didn't homeschool and have the books and materials to store and huge chunks of time where it was only me home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jilly Posted June 10, 2014 Share Posted June 10, 2014 My family of four recently moved from a 1300 sq. ft. apartment to an 800 sq. ft. apartment. I wanted to downsize to save money and to have less clutter. It has not been a perfect transition, but I am glad we did it. It helps that we are in Southern California, so we can go outside almost year round. We live in an urban area with parks, restaurants, and activities all in walking distance, so everyone is not cramped in the house all day. We also have a huge patio that we turned into a dining room and I fashioned my son a bedroom out of our large living room. The one thing I do miss having is two bathrooms. Between two teens and one up-and-coming teen I feel like I have to fight for time just to take a shower. :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sbgrace Posted June 10, 2014 Share Posted June 10, 2014 There are only 4 of us. Our old home was about 1600 SF, and felt fine to me. When we moved to this one, it was 900 SF plus unfinished basement. We did that for a year, and it felt too small. Most of it was that all the space was shared space. My kids had no indoor area to play that wasn't right there with me basically. We finished part of the basement, so we're around 1500 or so SF living space, with another 3-400 in storage. We have 3 (small) bedrooms, a living/dining room, separate play space for kids (important for me) downstairs, kitchen, 2 baths, and large laundry. I love it, and the size works well. It might be layout more than size for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corraleno Posted June 10, 2014 Share Posted June 10, 2014 I fashioned my son a bedroom out of our large living room. I checked out your blog, and I love how you did that — very clever! :thumbup1: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paige Posted June 10, 2014 Share Posted June 10, 2014 It depends on the number and age of the people living there. Babies don't need much room. In general, I consider 1,000sq ft or less small. We lived in a house that size prior to kids and while we were comfortable and not cramped, there was not much extra space. We had a guest room that I guess we could have eliminated, but nobody has a 1bedroom house around here. Personally, for my family now, I would consider anything less than 2500sq ft small. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CanaryMelody Posted June 10, 2014 Share Posted June 10, 2014 Wow, I dream of having the space some of you have! For years, we were 5 people in 1000 sq ft. Now we are 4, and I really don't know how many SF this apartment is. Hoping to move to 2000 SF, but in this town the prices never came down as much as in the rest of the country so we're still looking at a quite a bit of $$ per SF. Ditto. We are a family of 6 living in a 1200sf rental house. We have limited closet/storage and we are crowded. The bedrooms are tiny. My 4 year old's bed is in my bedroom still. But we make do because this is all we could find at the time within our monthly budget. Prices are at a premium here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heathermomster Posted June 10, 2014 Share Posted June 10, 2014 1850 sq ft is small, and my family of four uses every inch of it. We like having friends over for dinner, and the kitchen is cramped. I cannot wait until we sell this place and move. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jilly Posted June 10, 2014 Share Posted June 10, 2014 I checked out your blog, and I love how you did that — very clever! :thumbup1: Thank you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sewingmama Posted June 10, 2014 Share Posted June 10, 2014 Well my view is skewed because we lived in Korea in a one room apartment where everything was literally in the one room. So if you can wash your dishes in the kitchen sink without being able to sit on your bed to do it and have one arm touching the toilet door at the same time then to me it is big LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monica_in_Switzerland Posted June 10, 2014 Share Posted June 10, 2014 We're soon-to-be 6 in 1100sqft. It does not feel too small except at the end of a week of endless rain. :-) Whenever I start to feel cramped, I realize that it's more related to clutter than the apartment shrinking, so I do a massive declutter. It really does help to have a minimal number of things/furniture. We also have wall to wall windows on the long wall of our living/dining area, and that give a feeling of a lot of space and light. The layout is very nice. Small bathrooms and small-but-workable kitchen, small dining area, but large bedrooms and a large open living area. The space is in the places where we need it. Because the kids are going to be 2 to a room, we'll probably go from bunk bed to loft bed with desk as they get to different ages/stages. Yes, it costs to replace furniture as the kids age, but it costs a lot less than a larger place! I'm sure things will feel a bit cramped when they are all teenagers, but at the same time, I assume they will be out of the house more! And I swear the stroller takes up as much room as a teenager... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snow Posted June 10, 2014 Share Posted June 10, 2014 I see this I an older thread but very interesting! Our house is a good size for 4 people but it's starting to feel small. I think it's because we are getting too cluttered. We declutter a few times per year, but it doesn't seem to be enough! That, and I would love to have a dedicated homeschool room. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lewelma Posted June 10, 2014 Share Posted June 10, 2014 500 sq. ft or smaller for 4people is a "small house" in my mind. We have 650 sq ft for 4 people. No garage, no basement, no attic. It is lovely. We don't have a lot of stuff, and I have taught my family to close doors if they want privacy and to respect a closed door. My kids share a room and would not want it any other way. I've lived in 400sq ft with one kid, a husband working from home, and my sister and bil visiting for 3 weeks. This was after 911, when there was a major housing shortage in NZ as everyone came home. It is all about perception. I grew up in 4000-5000sq ft, so I do know the difference. I love how small homes bring families together. Ruth in NZ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Momof3littles Posted June 10, 2014 Share Posted June 10, 2014 <1500 sq ft, but that isn't because I think it is "small" in an unlivable sense. That # just is small IMO as compared to the average home size in my region. Anything smaller than 1500 is kind of an outlier in my area anymore. However, I think there is a lot of value in small space living, I have enjoyed things like the Tiny House movement for years, and if we needed to, I think we could drastically downsize. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vonfirmath Posted June 10, 2014 Share Posted June 10, 2014 I grew up in 1400 sq ft in a family of four and that feels just about perfect to me. The 2-bedroom 1000 sq ft house we lived in with 1 child seemed plenty roomy for us as well. We are luxuriating now in a 1540 sq ft house for the 4 of us. Even when looking for houses, I knew I didn't want something humongous. 1) We'd have to clean it and 2) We'd have to pay to heat and cool it and 3) We'd fill it up with stuff no matter how big it was. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murphy101 Posted June 10, 2014 Share Posted June 10, 2014 I lived decently as a family of 10 in an 1000 sq foot house. I don't consider that house small. I currently have 12 in a 2800sq ft house and even after 7 years, I still feel like we moved to a mansion. That said, layout makes a bigger difference than footage, ime. And of course, any house filled to the rafters with people or stuff is going to seem small. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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