| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Alee |
Posted - Jul 05 2008 : 08:21:50 AM
Doug and I were talking "Small House or Big House" last night. We decided that we want enough rooms to put our stuff in comfortably (A room for each child and an office). We also want a decent sized kitchen with a pantry, but past that, we actually want a small house.
We thought about it and realized a huge house will cost a lot to heat and cool, and possibly have more property taxes. Plus, I must admit, keeping a huge house in the type of clean condition that I really want would be a never ending job.
What about you? Do you want a big house or a little house?
Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
www.awarmheart.com
Please come visit Nora and me on our new blog:
www.farmgirlalee.blogspot.com |
| 25 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| corporatefarmgirl |
Posted - Jul 23 2008 : 11:01:39 AM
I have lived in very large homes (over 4000sft) and in pretty small ones ( try 1100 sft with 5 kids!). On our farm our house is 1800sft. It is perfect. We have a large kitchen and pantry. A large living room and normal sized bedrooms and baths. I also have a large porch with a nice sized 12 x 20 screened in section.
The big houses were WAY TOO time consuming and the small one a little too close. This one is just right  . Of course 6 acres of land help too!
Tamara
http://smallfarm.about.com small farms give big benefits
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| Alee |
Posted - Jul 22 2008 : 08:43:42 AM
Monica-
No not yet. The air is pretty hazy, but so far no troubles. Thanks for thinking of us! I should go figure out where the fires are!
Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
www.awarmheart.com
Please come visit Nora and me on our new blog:
www.farmgirlalee.blogspot.com |
| oldfashioned girl |
Posted - Jul 22 2008 : 08:09:43 AM
Alee, have you had any trouble with the fires by Billings? I caught a tiny bit of the news the other day and immediately thought of you! I hope all is safe and well with you and Nora and I hope you are feeling more settled in!
Monica
www.justducky48.etsy.com |
| Alee |
Posted - Jul 21 2008 : 2:25:26 PM
Lori- Wow! 8 Adults! I can imagine that you would need a big house for that! How wonderful to have an extended family all living together though!
Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
www.awarmheart.com
Please come visit Nora and me on our new blog:
www.farmgirlalee.blogspot.com |
| AuntPammy |
Posted - Jul 21 2008 : 04:58:29 AM
I grew up in a little tiny house. It had four rooms and a bathroom. There were four of us in that home but it never felt too crowded. In the summer my sister and I spent most of our days playing outside. There was an old building by the house that my dad built a chicken coop onto. If it rained, my sister and I would retreat in there with our friends to play. There is so many happy memories from my childhood and that little house. The house was magical in that if we had company, there was still plenty of room for everyone! The house seemed to expand to accommodate us all. There are pictures of aunts and uncles eating Christmas dinner in the kitchen and even to this day it seems impossible that we could even move our arms to eat.My husband and I have lived in really big homes(he grew up in a large house). Right now we live in an old Sear's and Roebuck's home. It is definitly small but I love it because it is sooooo cozy. As for having room for the "stuff",a small home makes you decide what is really important. A few years back we lost all of our "stuff" in a freak flash flood.Let me tell you, we had ALOT of stuff, (this house was huge, four bedrooms, three baths, a den, etc.. Everything was ruined or washed away. At first I was sad and angry. And then I realized how truly blessed my family was. "Stuff" can always be replaced but when you suddenly don't have any, then you really start and think about if you want all of that back in your life. Me and my family decided we didn't want it. We replaced the appliances and basic furniture but not the knick knacks. We are so much happier now than before. Our "new" little house is just perfect and I feel kinda like I have went back home!
Let's dance in the rain and play in the puddles under the rainbows. |
| peggylee3 |
Posted - Jul 21 2008 : 02:46:13 AM
Hi
Oh, It's so funny. I guess a lot of us think the same way. We all want a big house until we live in one for a while. I hate having to clean three bathrooms! Im actually going to move into a houe that is about half the size of my current house. At first I was really worried about not having enough room for all my stuff, but it has really helped me to realize just how much stuff I have that I dont need. I have been downsizing and I feel great about it! I am actually happier now that I am letting go of some of the "stuff". Who knew?
Fielding
www.twowomencountrychic.com
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| Buffalomary |
Posted - Jul 19 2008 : 10:36:27 PM
I would say the size of the house depends on the family and their needs. I'm in a small house built in 1939. The original house is only one bedroom but the previous owners added another bedroom and mud room. The house is about 850 sq ft which suits me and my 3 cats just fine. We also like the way you can go from room to room and make a complete circle in the house! Just get out of their way when they are playing tag!! Both of my kids are grown and living in different states, so when they come to visit I have a hide-a-bed sofa I found at a thrift store. I'm also learning to use the space in a way that suits me, even though I am sure I am giving my grandmother a few gray hairs over my choices!! Housecleaning is one of my least favorite activities, so the less I have to clean, the better I like it!! I would much rather be outside in the yard or doing needlework and sewing which definitely catch my attention before the broom and dishpan!! My dream house would be a round house of around 900-1000 sq ft. That may still happen one of these days, but for now, I am having fun turning this place into my place. Yippee!! 
You can take the farmer's daughter off the farm but you can't take the farm out of the farmer's daughter!! |
| kindacrunchymom |
Posted - Jul 19 2008 : 3:53:11 PM
We have what is considered to be a smallish house--1650-1700 sq feet with a full basement. I love it, and even if we were to move someday I don't know that I'd want more space (unless we are blessed with more kids, sigh.). We have a decent eat in kitchen, dining room, large living room, three bedrooms, two baths and a huge front porch. DH built it himself and we tweaked the design to suit our needs.
If we do have another tot, they will probably share a room anyway even though we have a spare. I totally prefer a smaller house with nice details over a big cavern.
Farmmom to my 3 year old farm tot, and wife to a country boy!
To learn more about me, here is my blog:
http://mcadmom.wordpress.com/
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| shepherdwagen |
Posted - Jul 15 2008 : 12:45:49 AM
I currently rent. Most of my houses have been small, and I know that when I buy a house, it's going to be a small one. Well, 2 bedroom, though I have thought perhaps I might need a 3 bedroom in case my folks might need to move in with me someday. I like the idea of a very small house. You'd have to be organized, and you could not spend a lot of money on junk. That's something I've had a problem with over the last few years. I'm trying to figure out how to downsize and save money. Doing that would make it alot easier for my old age. We are such a consumption driven society, with the latest gadgets shoved in our faces, and we think we have to have them, and then we have to buy a bigger house to store it all.
Which makes me think of George Carlin, who remarked that we had to keep buying a bigger box--it starts with a stick of butter, and you put it in a box--butter dish. To keep it from melting, you have to get another box--fridge. And you have to put that box in a bigger box, your house, and then you get more stuff, and you run out of room and have to buy a bigger box, and so on. I know I don't have George's story quite right, but you get the idea.
"I've childproofed my house, but they keep getting in." |
| iloveprims |
Posted - Jul 09 2008 : 2:53:52 PM
I have always thought I wanted a large home.... my home now isnt small at all but I've wanted bigger, dont know why but I want more space, more spare rooms. With the cost of things these days including utilities and that darn heating oil, I might reconsider and stay where I am at for now and get my farm later.
http://wantingtobeme.blogspot.com |
| laluna |
Posted - Jul 08 2008 : 09:22:07 AM
quote:
Originally posted by clux64
As I'm re-reading these posts it occurs to me how lucky we are to have these choices. My husband likes to remind me how much smaller the living spaces are in the typical European house, and he's right. This is not due to economics, but just available space in general. The European home is just large enough for their needs, and is VERY private. Only close friends and family actually go to someones house. All socializing is done at the local pub or cafe. It's also quite common to see someone in a cafe alone, dog at their feet, reading the paper and having a coffee. Quality of life seems much higher than we enjoy in this country because the emphasis seems to be on quality not quantity. Just a thought...are we living in all the space we think we need, or using the space to house all the stuff we think we need?
Celeste
"No matter where you go, there you are"
--Confucious
Love the thought, Celeste, and am totally a small-house person myself. We live in about 1100 sq. feet and are perfectly content. We make a comfortable living, but are not at all compelled to fill our house with "stuff" - I really would rather be outside tending to my gardens than tending to clutter!
Of course, the whole European way of life has always appealed to me, so maybe I'm biased. And speaking of space limitations, in Japan, things are scaled down even moreso due to the population:land ratio.
Here's an interesting website for anyone interested in "small-house living:" http://www.resourcesforlife.com/small-house-society
"I believe in God, only I spell it Nature." -- Frank Lloyd Wright |
| oldfashioned girl |
Posted - Jul 08 2008 : 09:06:48 AM
Alee, What a great subject! My ideal house would have enough space to be livable for 5 people, and of course a small sewing room! It seems anymore that all the houses being built today are huge and while it might be nice to have the space, I would not want to clean it. I can't keep up with my little house.
Celeste, I totally agree with you. We seem to live in a time where everything is super-sized. My favorite quote is from the movie Sabrina with Audrey Hepburn and Humphrey Bogart and in one scene she says to him " Sometimes more is not better it's just more"
Right now I am in the process of really cleaning out my house because I am so tired of feeling like that is all I do. I think it's easy to sucked into a mind frame of wanting stuff and it doesn't make life better it's just more to take care of or make payments on or fix when it breaks. Sorry to ramble but I am so tired of stuff.
monica
www.justducky48.etsy.com |
| Brew Crew |
Posted - Jul 08 2008 : 09:03:26 AM
I'd love a bigger house, if it was only bigger in the front room. As pointed out by someone previously, I just need space expansion in one area--the common living space! That's where we are all sitting on top of each other when we have extended family over (quite often since we all live within a mile of each other) and there's 30+ of us all crammed in my little front room and kitchen. Makes it LOUD! ;) But, I for sure wouldn't want my kids to have their own rooms (leaves them alone to plot and get into trouble) and I am happy with our bedroom situations as they are right now (3 in one room, 2 in another). Now, I just need to close in the garage for my soap. ;)
The Biz www.tvalahandmade.com
The Blog: http://blog.tvalahandmade.com/
The Bits www.happydalehobby.blogspot.com/
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| City_Chick |
Posted - Jul 08 2008 : 07:10:32 AM
Celeste you have a great point. Our family lived overseas for almost 4 years and they do sell quality furniture and it is so much more compact than ours. I guess in our society everything is supersized not just at McDonald's. Even in my 1924 house I find it difficult to find furniture that is a good fit due to the larger sizes. I am always on the lookout for good quality older furniture that could just be reapolstered for the house.
Christina
Farmgirl Sister #195
Although no one can go back and make a brand new start; anyone can start from now
and make a brand new end.
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| Alee |
Posted - Jul 08 2008 : 07:02:46 AM
That is an interesting thought Celeste! We just got done moving and we certainly got rid of a lot of things that at one time we thought we needed but then as we moved, realized we didn't really need it or even want it! We have made a decision as a family that we are going to try to keep the extra stuff to a minimum. I went to the store yesterday and lots of things caught my eye, but I started to run it through a filter in my head "Do I really need this or just want it because it looks pretty right now, where will it end up in a day, a week, a month a year? Is it going to become clutter or does it have a functional use?"
Once I started asking myself those questions, a lot of the items I had been looking at suddenly lost their luster and I got out of there only spending 5 dollars on the items I had gone in to buy in the first place!!
Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
www.awarmheart.com
Please come visit Nora and me on our new blog:
www.farmgirlalee.blogspot.com |
| clux64 |
Posted - Jul 08 2008 : 05:46:20 AM
As I'm re-reading these posts it occurs to me how lucky we are to have these choices. My husband likes to remind me how much smaller the living spaces are in the typical European house, and he's right. This is not due to economics, but just available space in general. The European home is just large enough for their needs, and is VERY private. Only close friends and family actually go to someones house. All socializing is done at the local pub or cafe. It's also quite common to see someone in a cafe alone, dog at their feet, reading the paper and having a coffee. Quality of life seems much higher than we enjoy in this country because the emphasis seems to be on quality not quantity. Just a thought...are we living in all the space we think we need, or using the space to house all the stuff we think we need?
Celeste
"No matter where you go, there you are"
--Confucious |
| kissmekate |
Posted - Jul 07 2008 : 1:58:54 PM
I LOVE little houses. Mind is just under 1000 square feet. Most of the time that is plenty of room. Very rarely do I wish we had more space.
If it gets too cluttered or what have you, I know it is time to get rid of some junk and donate it!
Now, that isn't to say if someone gave me a perfectly good HUGE house that I wouldn't take it...
Don't miss out on a blessing, just because it isn't packaged the way you expected. ~MaryJo Copeland |
| MarySueK |
Posted - Jul 07 2008 : 1:07:02 PM
Today I was taking apart one of my kids' twin beds to make room for a bigger bed - that is something to keep in mind. The little furniture that was fine when they were smaller isn't always going to work for them. I don't want too much space, but teenagers (especially boys) need some room when they start towering over you.
Sue in Richland WA |
| Jami |
Posted - Jul 07 2008 : 11:15:59 AM
There is a country song titled "Love Grows Best in Little Houses" by Doug somebody (sorry Doug!)
I take the middle road..subjectively (not sure what others consider big or small), and take a medium sized house just like ours - 2200 with the garage so probably more like 1800 sq ft of living space--while that may be considered small with today's standards, I've lived in much smaller and this feels really spacious but it's laid out well too so that might be why.
Jami in WA
Okay, so now I have a blog. http://woolyinwashington.wordpress.com/ |
| Prairie Princess |
Posted - Jul 07 2008 : 11:13:44 AM
I love the feeling of big houses, if they're older...built around the turn of the century. They feel so sturdy and cozy!! But big, newer houses feel so spacious that it's hard to relax -- it's a 'bouncing off the walls' feeling. And I can't imagine cleaning a big house by myself!! I'd have to hire a maid! LOL
I've always lived in a small house, and my new place is about 900 square feet, I think (just guestimating). But I like it quite a bit since the laundry is off the main portion of the house, and there's a small basement for storage, and the kitchen is roomy. If I could change it just a wee bit, I'd want a slightly larger bathroom. Large bathrooms can feel like spas!!! But I like small living rooms... everyone has to be friendly when there's get-togethers if it's a small room, lol.
~Jodi
"Women are like teabags...you never know how strong they are until they get into hot water." Eleanor Roosevelt |
| simplyflowers |
Posted - Jul 07 2008 : 07:16:17 AM
Hi All!!
My house is tooooo big in some spots and toooo small in others!!! Does that make sense to anyone at all?? Seems like the bedrooms are all good to go except mine. It's an odd shape and is hard to fit furniture appropriately. There are far to many bathrooms [4] that all get used regularly....ugh what a pain to clean those areas!!!! On the other hand, the kitchen is nice and open and fairly roomy for cooking big meals and such [unless however, the dog [bulldog] or son [18 months] are in there, if that's the case.....you're almost breaking your neck trying to get to the fridge or stove!! :)
Jamie
How about those indoor farmers!!! |
| mikesgirl |
Posted - Jul 07 2008 : 07:14:44 AM
Our cabin is 16'x24' plus a loft and it is perfect. We have an upstairs in our shop for my studio and a sofa bed for guests. That way we don't have to heat/cool the guest area when we don't have guests.
Farmgirl Sister #98
Check out my new online store
http://www.shopthefrontier.com/VFstore/index.php?manufacturers_id=79&osCsid=6be4b25bf9555031c6e2e86bbde23dba |
| CabinCreek-Kentucky |
Posted - Jul 07 2008 : 06:49:23 AM
i've had them both ..and there is 'merit' to both .. depending on your lifestyle and desires at the time. in THIS "chapter of our book of life" .. i love SMALL .. less to 'caretake' .. so we have plenty of 'free' time to do whatever we want. xo
True Friends * Frannie
adopt a 'rag-chile'
http://sistermercysfoundlinhome.blogspot.com
treasures .. new and olde .. http://mudpiemanormercantile.blogspot.com
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| paradiseplantation |
Posted - Jul 07 2008 : 06:27:36 AM
With the exception of the cleaning part, I would LOVE to live in a very large farmhouse, Victorian or Queen Anne style home. Really, I just like a house to have charm and character, and not the cookie-cutter style, where every house within the subdivision is basically the same floor plan, only flipped. The one I live in now partially meets my requirements. It's almost 2800 sf, and is two old sharecropper houses put together. But the two houses were basically just boxes for rooms. I am lucky, when they moved the houses out to the property, they added a glassed in front porch and a cellar. So, even without all the hidden staircases and gingerbread, I still like my house. I'd like it even better if I had a full-time housekeeper!!! :)
from the hearts of paradise... |
| shepherdgirl |
Posted - Jul 07 2008 : 12:37:46 AM
Ah.... just think of the olden days, when it was AT LEAST 4 kids to a bed! How fortunate we are nowdays to be able to even CHOOSE what size house we want!
Our house is a bit ridiculous actually. It's an old farm house, built by people who OBVIOUSLY didn't use any "design" plans! They just added on willy-nilly. All of the ceilings are differen hights and each and every single window is a DIFFERENT size! (all 19 of them!) The rooms are VERY odd shaped and, the weirdest thing is--- while we have a "ONE BUTT KITCHEN" (as Betty said. Ours is looong and narrow-- more like a HALLWAY than a kitchen), we have a BATHROOM (situated between two bedrooms with no other access-- save the tall narrow window!) that you could throw a party in!
We don't have much storage space-- only two small closets in the whole house and not much room in the way of Kitchen cabinets etc.... Not my ideal home, but I am just now getting confident enough to tackle the challenges of decorating it RIGHT!! (only after 19 yrs of living here!)
I do have to say though, that this old house sure is tough. It takes a beating every Winter and gets blasted by 50 mile an hour winds on a regular basis (we are surrounded by rice fields. There are only a few trees around us so we have no wind breaks). I can actually lay in bed while those winds rage outside and feel the whole house MOVING!!! It used to scare me quite a bit, but now I know that this old girl-- ugly as she may be-- is a very sturdy old thing and will probably out live us all!! While it's not the sweet little cottage I dream about, or the neat, rambling old farmhouse it COULD have been, it's home and I've learned to live with it. Hope you find your House of Dreams Alee!
Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. ~~ George Carlin |
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