The value of owning a large and beautiful home is underestimated. Somewhere along the way, society began to favor minimalism and smaller living spaces, often seeing larger houses as “McGrabs.” But after spending five weeks again in a much smaller space, I gained new appreciation for the comfort, privacy and functionality that the larger home offers.
One of the unexpected “defenses” of going on vacation is the realization of how difficult it is to match the comfort of your own home. I think this is true for most families.
You might live with a family of four in a 1,800 square foot three-bedroom, two-bathroom house. But on vacation, you usually squeeze into a hotel room or a one-bedroom suite with a sofa bed. Vacation accommodation has become so expensive! Renting a place that matches the size and quality of your own home is almost out of reach for many.
After my parents’ residence and nine nights with my aunt and uncle about 1,000 square feet of two-bedroom, two-bathroom home, I can say with certainty: I really like owning and living in a larger home. And, I’m not afraid to admit it!
The definition of a big house
In 1981, the median number of newly purchased homes was about 1,700 square feet. By 1993, that number had grown to 2,000 square feet. This increase in scale is driven by the rise of suburban life and the growing demand for more space and modern facilities for homes.
Throughout the 2000s, average home size hovered between 1,920 and 1,940 square feet. When first-time homebuyer tax credit was introduced to stimulate demand, the median temporarily dropped to around 1,850 square feet before climbing back to 2,000 square feet between 2010 and 2015.
By the early 2020s, home sizes soared again, reaching 2,200 to 2,300 square feet. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the median full single-family home in 2023 is 2,233 square feet. Today, the average home size is still about 2200 square feet.
Now that we know the size of middle houses in the United States, we can better define what qualifications are “big” houses. I think a big house is At least 50% larger than the median– Meaning at least 3,100 square feet of living space. You can locally locate numbers using numbers based on where you live.
A big house, especially with the kids
If you don’t have children, a small house (50% smaller than the median) is very good. I shared a studio with my high school friend and lived with my wife for years. But once you have kids, you can comfortably afford a house and lots of houses. Otherwise, you might go crazy.
I did drive this one night at my aunt and uncle’s house on the north shore of Oahu. It was a particularly windy night. I slept on a double sofa bed in the living room while my wife slept with our daughter and our son had his own room.
At 12:30 a.m., our daughter screamed in her sleep, awakening us. Then at 1:30 a.m., a plastic cup flew out of the kitchen counter. At 2 a.m., a mysterious thunk! Our son fell off his bed (I didn’t realize it until later). Then screamed again at 2:30 am and finally, just before dawn, my wife and daughter’s nightstands flew around and woke the three of us up.
wake up Five times In one night, it will make anyone less. I’m dragging on July 4 all day. If we had a bigger home, we might have woken up only once or twice.
The last time I slept on the sofa bed was in college in 1998. But since my son sleeps like a tornado, sharing a queen bed will mean we both have a no.
More space, more happiness
If possible, the goal is to buy a home with at least one bedroom. And, if each bedroom has its own en suite bathroom, it’s better. This setting greatly improves everyone’s ability to sleep well and function well the next day.
With a large house, sound insulation and space bring huge changes. Comfort levels rise and sleep improves, which every parent can appreciate.
Young children are full of vitality. They need space to run, play, yell and explore. If you are considering a smaller home, at least one large number of homes available are given priority.
What I appreciated my aunt and uncle’s residence is that their house only takes up 12% of the plot, so it’s great for the kids.
Ideal batch for a big house
Ideally, look for lot size properties At least The size of the house is twice as big as a square foot. For example, if you purchased a 3500 square foot home, you will need at least 7,000 square foot parcels. Of course, in big cities that trade land with huge premiums, this ratio may be difficult to find at a reasonable price. But we are talking about ideals here.
Try not to allow the house to occupy more than 75% of the land. Even with a large house, the lack of outdoor space can make things feel cramped. Sunshine and fresh air are essential for your health, especially if you have little monkeys running.
This is a big house I like to live in.
A big house is better than working from home
One of the hardest parts of sleeping on a sofa bed in a 1,000 square foot two-bedroom, two-bathroom home is my productivity. As a writer, I need peace and tranquility – I can hardly find anything that two little kids find in a compact house.
My Airpods became my best friend, but even they couldn’t stop all the noise. As a result, I had to wake up at 3:30 AM just to finish some writing before my son wakes up – sometimes early in 5 AM and always six AM.
If I were a single man in my 20s or 30s, it would be no big deal to share such a place with two or three roommates for a few years. After all, I shared a studio with a friend for two years. But as a 48-year-old writer who paid the membership fee, I would rather live in a larger house on two levels.
When I’m in a stream state, I want to write uninterrupted. A small house kept bringing me out of that area.
Shrink later if you prefer
Living in a modest 1,000 square foot home gives us all the perspective and appreciation. More importantly, it taught my kids to adapt to a smaller living arrangement and demonstrated respect for the grandparents’ home.
In San Francisco, I’m lucky. After renting a 600-square-foot one-bedroom apartment with my wife, I finally made a leap of faith and bought a 990-square-foot 2/2 apartment in 2003. In 2005, I upgraded to a 2,070 square foot single-family home with three bedrooms, three bathrooms, two bathrooms and a bonus room. Then I lay off employees in 2014 and then I bought a large home again in 2019, 2020 and 2023.
From big to smaller is like going camping – you give up on the comfort of the creature and appreciate more when you come back. One of the biggest concerns about climbing up the property ladder is to give my kids a twisted sense of reality. That’s why such a trip is useful for resetting.
If your first car is a brand new BMW rather than an old assaulter, you may be spoiled forever. This is not very good for building appreciation. That’s why I drove to Uber a year and paid a portion of the 500 rides. It was frustrating to work in a service that was close to the minimum wage, but it took me root and made me even more grateful.
If you feel bad about living in a beautiful and beautiful home. don’t want. You can always downsize later, or after the kids move out. Just don’t shrink it too small or your kids may never come back to visit!
Yes, extended family Maintenance is more expensive
The key principle for achieving financial independence is to keep your living expenses as low as possible. One way is to get neutral real estate and repay the mortgage as soon as possible. Another is to buy or rent the cheapest place you can endure for as long as you can.
I am very supportive of actively saving housing costs so you can invest more in the stock market and other risky assets to build wealth faster. Large homes have higher utility bills, higher maintenance fees, higher property taxes and more things that can damage or go wrong. Expensive homes will surely derail your firefighting plan!
That said, if you have a family and want to be more Yolo, a larger home can significantly improve your quality of life. More space often means better sleep, less debate and a quieter home.
This is not only related to luxury goods, but also to function and family harmony. Many people realized this awareness during the pandemic, when narrow residential areas became too real.
So if you have the ability to do so, enjoy your own large home. Just don’t forget the simple value of life and the lessons learned by doing less.
Reader, do you have a big and beautiful home? If so, how big is it, and how does it compare to the median home in your city? When do you think the house becomes too big? What do you think are some of the disadvantages of having some high carrying costs for a “big” home?
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