Poll: What's your retirement house size?

[REWahoo]

You can live in the basement...

[MichaelB]

Quote:

Originally Posted by REWahoo You can live in the basement...

Where will you put the pool?

[REWahoo]

No pool - but if the shower overflows he'll have a wet bar.

[jabbahop]

2600 sq ft winter home. 1200 summer sq ft lake camp.


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[Ronstar]

We are a shade over 3500 sf - most of it very seldom used. Our snowbird condo is much more manageable at 1350 sf. I want to downsize the house, DW does not.

[donheff]

DW and I live in a ~2000' rowhouse. We like it and will stay through retirement. If we were to move I would lean toward a somewhat smaller place, likely a two bedroom row house or loft style place. In addition to a largish bedroom with a bathroom, I would want a comfortable family/living room, a large kitchen and an adjacent large eating area where I could fit 6 to 8 for dinner. I would also need a secure space or 3rd bedroom to house my four bikes.

[WhoDaresWins]

I don't know if I am living in my final retirement home, but my current place is something like 1980 square feet (3 bedroom, 2.5 bath, with 2 car integral garage).
Maybe in 10 or 15 years I will be living in a condo or retirement community of some sort or another.

[Brdofpray]

When DW and I retired, we moved to a warmer climate, and built our dream house. Just about 3,000 sq. ft. We did this, in part, so there would be space for the kids and their families when they came to visit. What we did not count on, once we completed our home, both kids (with families), moved to within 20 miles of us.

We get together regularly for gumbo, wine on the porches, and great family times. However, the lower level bedrooms, are now a craft room, and an office. If we had known, we might have gone smaller. And yet, we do love the space, and our acre of woods on the lake.

[Amethyst]

We are in the larger home category. We would be willing to come down a little, if builders would build quality smaller homes, on decent-sized lots, in decent neighborhoods. The way they did, oh, two generations ago.

[Music Lover]

986 square feet with a full basement that also gets used.

[Tadpole]

Our retirement house is a little over 1200 sq.ft. It's a great size for just the two of us and easy to keep. BUT, I think we would be happier if we had a two car garage, one side for the car and the other for temporary storage. Small houses can fill rapidly even if you are not filling with junk.

[Corporateburnout]

2900 Sq ft three level townhouse. 2300 on the main two floors and 600 in the basement for my man's cave. We moved 5 years ago when I got tired of pool maintenance and yard work but we will probably make another move in a couple of years to a smaller place of 1800-2000 Sq ft preferably a one story ranch style home if we can find one.

[2017ish]

Didn't vote.

Not retired yet, but at retirement, we will be in your biggest category, on 25 acres about 25 minutes from downtown. At some time after that (probably when the companies putting the subdivisions in around us knock on our door), we plan to move to the urban core and into something on the border of the two smallest categories.

[Nodak]

24 by 36 foot house equals 864 sq ft with finished basement.

[RockyMtn]

2650 sq ft main house with 900 sq ft two room casita. 3550 sq ft total. This was a downsize from a 5000 sq ft home. Do miss the larger home basement storage but it does require that one get rid of a lot of junk!

[Moemg]

3800 square feet on the water in Florida but seriously preparing to downsize to 1800 to 2000 square feet . The maintenance is starting to become too much & housing is getting very hot around here .

[Accidental Retiree]

We are in just under 2800 SF, single story, on a quarter acre with a pool. Our dream house. It sometimes feels like way too much space for 2 people after having lived in 1400 SF for over 30 years. We had thought my late FIL would move in with us, so we wanted to be prepared. We also used the extra space for FIL's frequent visits from over the mountain; other kinfolk also came around at those times.

We like having more space around us, though, and we're homebodies, so we will enjoy our ample space for now. We may downsize one day, if we find another place we like as much.

[athena53]

I see that our "downsized" house is still in a larger category! We went form 3,800 sf to 3,100. Still, we're now on 2 floors instead of 3, we have 2 fewer bathrooms, one less bedroom, and no swimming pool. Maintenance is simpler and utilities are far lower.

[48Fire]

Quote:

Originally Posted by cyber888 If you have two houses, choose the size that makes you most happy If you cannot choose, then just choose the bigger of the 2 houses

I like that approach, thanks. I chose our 1200 square foot townhome. Still has all features we need including 2 1/2 bathrooms, guest suite, and 2-car garage. And it doesn't have an attic or a basement, which just ends up being a hoarding area for junk. Also, the yard is smaller and maintained by the HOA. Warmer, too

[littleb]

Currently live in 2200 square foot but will be building retirement home next year. We are looking at 1400 - 1500 sq. foot with a basement. Less to maintain, clean and pay taxes on.