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A Farm of My Own:  Small House or Big House?  |
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
 Posted - Jul 05 2008 : 08:21:50 AM
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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 |
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catscharm74
True Blue Farmgirl
4687 Posts
Heather
Texas
USA
4687 Posts |
Posted - Jul 05 2008 : 08:29:27 AM
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Definitely a little house--beach cottage would be ideal. We stayed at a cute little 2 bedroom cottage once and it was perfect. The floor plan was open, with the bedrooms just big enough for a comfy bed and small dresser, little closet. I would add I need porches so I can open the doors and let the outside in. And a nice little yard- something for a small garden of food and flowers, a hammock and a place for the kid(s) to play with mandatory picket white fence. I like big windows and french doors. That is our dream that we are working towards. I HATE to clean beyond the basics and I really rather enjoy my life rather than have a perfect clean house.
Heather
Yee-Haw, I am a cowgirl!!!
FARMGIRL #90 |
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farmgirlkate
True Blue Farmgirl
167 Posts
kate
bryan
TX
USA
167 Posts |
Posted - Jul 05 2008 : 08:56:46 AM
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I always thought I wanted a big house till I got one and had to clean, furnish, make curtains, heat and cool the darn thing. While I enjoy our big house to an extent, now that all the kids are grown, I realize it also encouraged us to have more 'stuff' than anyone really needs. We hardly ever go upstairs either. On the other end tho, in the smaller house we had, tempers constantly flared because we were much too crowded. I think you just have to plan for needs and take the practical along with the dreams.
Good luck!
~kate
"You only have what you give...""
www.xanga.com/k8tthelate |
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City_Chick
True Blue Farmgirl
509 Posts
Christina
Omaha
Nebraska
USA
509 Posts |
Posted - Jul 05 2008 : 09:17:59 AM
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I have lived in both. Our small house was actually too small and we had to put an addition on it. But our new house is just right for the four of us with just over 2200 square feet. Part of that, about 500 sq. feet, is storage in the attic and cold room though. If only my kitchen took up a bigger portion of the main floor it would be perfection, but this old 1924 house just wasn't created that way.
You will know what you want when you find it if you are at all like me. I fell in love as soon as I saw the 1 inch tiled art deco entry floor and the gorgeous woodwork. **We actually almost had a smaller home but my woman's intuition after a bad storm nagged at me to go and look at the small bungalow house one more time before we finalized the paperwork. Low and behold there was a huge leak in the living room.
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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clux64
True Blue Farmgirl
162 Posts
Celeste
Blair
NE
USA
162 Posts |
Posted - Jul 05 2008 : 09:28:06 AM
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I would rather have a small, well built, well appointed house than a large one. Less to heat and cool, less to clean. We bought a smallish OLD non-descript farm house with a few acres and remodeled it to an open floorplan with high quality fixtures--I LOVE IT! A few years later we added a couple kids to the mix and a couple years after that, (with much sole searching) added a couple more bedrooms and finnished a bathroom we had roughed in during our initial remodel 10 years before. Funny thing, as we were about done with the new bath, a little voice in my head kept saying, "Crud, another bathroom to clean!" The whole house is far bigger than I ever thought we'd want, but small by todays standards and just right for our needs. We used to own a house with a living room and dining room that I vaccuumed and dusted regularly, but we NEVER used. I swore our next place would not have space that'd I'd have to expend precious time and resources cleaning, heating and cooling just to have it. To sum it all up, a house with just what you need and not a millimeter more is the best use of your resources in my opinion.
Celeste
"No matter where you go, there you are" |
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Betty J.
True Blue Farmgirl
1403 Posts
Betty
Pasco
WA
USA
1403 Posts |
Posted - Jul 05 2008 : 09:29:03 AM
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My grandparents lived in a two-room house, about 12 x 24 ft on the outside. No running water, no hot water, no bathroom facilities. My parents brought me up (along with two siblings) in a trailer that was even smaller, 8 x 27 ft. No hot water and no bathroom. So life has been an adventure.
I now live (by myself) in a house that is 1012 sqft. It is nice sized and the only thing I don't like is the teeny kitchen. It is a "one butt" kitchen. However, it is inexpensive to heat and cool. I have a nice laundry room (inside) and Alee, that should be a must-have for you since you are in a cooler area--no garage facility. Those floors get cold in the winter.
The best thing is it is almost paid for.
Betty in Pasco |
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catscharm74
True Blue Farmgirl
4687 Posts
Heather
Texas
USA
4687 Posts |
Posted - Jul 05 2008 : 10:00:35 AM
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I honestly visit larger homes and feel overwhelmed. I grew up in a what I would consider a pretty big house back in the day- 1600 or 1700 sq. foot and it was nice as a teenager to have my own room but I like cozy. I had the smallest bedroom and I made it my haven. I had a bed, large desk, shelving and a small side table in there along with lots of storage bins for my stuff. We were not allowed to have painted walls, so I stuck stickers,posters, drawings and fabric on every inch of the walls. I guess it was a vision of things to come..ha!!
Heather
Yee-Haw, I am a cowgirl!!!
FARMGIRL #90 |
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Txfarmgal
True Blue Farmgirl
585 Posts
AK
USA
585 Posts |
Posted - Jul 05 2008 : 10:29:06 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by Alee
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
definatly a small house. We lived in a big house in Ca and it was too too too big and now we live in a big house here, now I have lived in a small house and no closet space or storage space, we have also lived in our trailer which was awesome because you could clean the whole thing in 20 min. It's alot of work to clean and keep it clean. I would want a small house next time but a nice big pantry and lots of storage shelves for towels blankets etc. The big house is just to big to heat and cool. This house does not have a formal dining and living- those I can do without!
AngiKay
For he is faithful that promised. Hebrews 10:23
check out Texas 4H! http://texas4-h.tamu.edu/ |
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
Posted - Jul 05 2008 : 11:27:30 AM
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Wow! Sounds like a lot of us think a like!
My dream house would have a sun room like this one, a small to medium sized bedroom for each person in the house, a office/den area for Doug and I, a living room, dining room, kitchen, pantry, root cellar and laundry room. The only thing I don't like about the older houses like this one is the lack of storage, but it certainly has me re-thinking some of the things we have and that can be good too.
Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
www.awarmheart.com
Please come visit Nora and me on our new blog:
www.farmgirlalee.blogspot.com |
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Tina Michelle
True Blue Farmgirl
6948 Posts
Tina
sunshine state
FL
USA
6948 Posts |
Posted - Jul 05 2008 : 1:45:11 PM
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actually I need a larger house..we have 5 folks living here and for us after having baby number 3..the house now is too small for us. The 2 smaller children have to share a room right now..and that is growing old very fast already...and the home although it has a nice open floor plan ..just doesn't have enough room for us now.
We will be looking for a larger home..one with at least 4 bedrooms so that the children can each have their own rooms, and I'd like to have a home where the dining room and living room are actually seperated. The open floor plan is nice sometimes, but I definitely want something different now after 8 yrs.
I need more space.
~Seize the Day! Live, Love, Laugh~
visit me at:
http://gardengoose.blogspot.com/
and at www.stliving.net
you can also check out my etsy shops at:http://GardenGooseGifts.etsy.com |
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Tina Michelle
True Blue Farmgirl
6948 Posts
Tina
sunshine state
FL
USA
6948 Posts |
Posted - Jul 05 2008 : 1:48:04 PM
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oh Heather..you'd love the cottages at Seaside, FL then..they are just like what you are describing you'd like..cobblestone streets, quiet neighborhood on the beach, a little market area to walk to with a grocery store, and tons of picket fences.
it really is a pretty area, but expensive to live there.
~Seize the Day! Live, Love, Laugh~
visit me at:
http://gardengoose.blogspot.com/
and at www.stliving.net
you can also check out my etsy shops at:http://GardenGooseGifts.etsy.com |
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shepherdgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
1008 Posts
Tracy
California
USA
1008 Posts |
Posted - Jul 07 2008 : 12:37:46 AM
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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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paradiseplantation
True Blue Farmgirl
1277 Posts
julie
social springs community
Louisiana
USA
1277 Posts |
Posted - Jul 07 2008 : 06:27:36 AM
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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... |
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CabinCreek-Kentucky
True Blue Farmgirl
8529 Posts
Frannie
Green County
Kentucky
USA
8529 Posts |
Posted - Jul 07 2008 : 06:49:23 AM
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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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mikesgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
3659 Posts
Sherri
Elma
WA
USA
3659 Posts |
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simplyflowers
True Blue Farmgirl
489 Posts
Jamie
Locust Grove
Virginia
USA
489 Posts |
Posted - Jul 07 2008 : 07:16:17 AM
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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!!! |
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Prairie Princess
True Blue Farmgirl
1075 Posts
Jodi
Washington
USA
1075 Posts |
Posted - Jul 07 2008 : 11:13:44 AM
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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 |
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Jami
True Blue Farmgirl
1238 Posts
Jami
Ellensburg
WA
USA
1238 Posts |
Posted - Jul 07 2008 : 11:15:59 AM
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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/ |
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MarySueK
True Blue Farmgirl
96 Posts
Susan
Richland
WA
96 Posts |
Posted - Jul 07 2008 : 1:07:02 PM
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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 |
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kissmekate
True Blue Farmgirl
890 Posts
Kate
Delano
Minnesota
890 Posts |
Posted - Jul 07 2008 : 1:58:54 PM
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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 |
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clux64
True Blue Farmgirl
162 Posts
Celeste
Blair
NE
USA
162 Posts |
Posted - Jul 08 2008 : 05:46:20 AM
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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 |
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
Posted - Jul 08 2008 : 07:02:46 AM
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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 |
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City_Chick
True Blue Farmgirl
509 Posts
Christina
Omaha
Nebraska
USA
509 Posts |
Posted - Jul 08 2008 : 07:10:32 AM
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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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Brew Crew
True Blue Farmgirl
676 Posts
Molly
Arizona
676 Posts |
Posted - Jul 08 2008 : 09:03:26 AM
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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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oldfashioned girl
True Blue Farmgirl
2391 Posts
monica
oatman
az
USA
2391 Posts |
Posted - Jul 08 2008 : 09:06:48 AM
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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 |
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laluna
True Blue Farmgirl
295 Posts
New York
USA
295 Posts |
Posted - Jul 08 2008 : 09:22:07 AM
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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 |
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A Farm of My Own: Small House or Big House? |
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Small House or Big House?
