Poll: What's your retirement house size?

[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]

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.

 

[Big_Hitter]

our FRP is pretty big (5000+) mostly one story - we needed to make sure we could get gurneys and wheelchairs in it along with DWs antiques - not a joke

 

[mpeirce]

We live in the same house we raised the family in. It has lots of space and has been customized to be exactly how we like it. Same with the yard. Some of the trees I planted are just starting to get big.

Some day we may move, but don't really see any reason to at this point.

 

[H2ODude]

We've lived here ~18 years, 2300 sf with addition of 800 for MIL I built 9 years ago. That's been converted to a "grandchildren suite" for visits by DD with her four kids and husband. We've been able to accommodate her growing (well, it's stopped now she says) family visits very nicely with this house since the MIL passed. We can afford to keep all this for just the two of us even though most of the time it's way more than needed. I'd love a basement for a shop, but inertia just keeps us here. We like the location (unless our two kids would actually take up permanent residence somewhere we like almost equally) and the fact that we look out on a lake makes it very appealing to us.

I'd guess if we were drawn away we'd go under 2000 ft. As much as I prefer a SF house as opposed to a condo, the repairs are becoming tedious. The house is only 19 years old but like so much built these days, has some serious issues I've had to deal with. It makes not owning a 19 yo house appealing. As other posters mentioned you almost have to oversize to acquire quality.

I think my dream home, which would be hard to sell, would be two car garage w big shop, then 2000 sf with two bedrooms, huge custom kitchen, and simple great room. We'd have to give up the grandchildren visits but we'd just go there.

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

I am retired and the current home is about 2200-2400 SF (can't remember the specifics, I think there was an issue with the basement size on the tax records, and I am too lazy to measure it off). Our house in Texas was about 2100 SF and was a perfect size for DW and me (no kids). When we make the last move to our retirement home (probably 2-3 years) I am thinking it'll be about 2000 SF. Any more is just too much and any smaller the DW won't be happy.

Oh and to add. The "last house" will be single story (NO STAIRS!) with 4-sided brick. There will be a simple hip-roof (metal) and only concrete patios...no wood decks. Just about as simple as you can get for maintenance in a SFH.

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

our FRP is pretty big (5000+) mostly one story - we needed to make sure we could get gurneys and wheelchairs in it along with DWs antiques - not a joke

My Dad's home is about 2400 SF and they built it when they were in their 40s as their last home. My Mom (who designed it) made sure the doorways were wheelchair friendly and it's all single level, no stairs at all. It is an excellent home for getting older in and in fact, when my Mom got sick, that is where her palliative care was administered. She died in that home and that is exactly how she wanted to go. When the funeral home came to wheel her out, they made the comment about how very easy the removal was which I guess isn't the case most of the time. Not trying to be morbid, but just highlighting how good planning can actually work out sometimes.

 

[Lisa99]

There needs to be a vote for "Other".

When I retire in January we'll be spending 8 months of the year in our 5th wheel (400 sq ft with the slides out) and 4 months of the year in our house which is 2,000 sq ft.

I guess technically my answer is >999.

 

[Alan]

We used to live in a 3,300' place, then downsized to 1,500' and 3 years ago downsized again to 1,250' (2 bed, 2 bath, integral double garage). The spare bedroom is only used for visitors once or twice a year these days but it has a nice walk-in closet that is full of our stuff.

 

[Sue J]

Our house is 1654 sq ft. When the kids moved out we "downsized" by just not using the upstairs 2 bedrooms and a full bath.

Now DH has moved his desk, computer, shortwave radios, scanners and assorted electronics stuff out of our downstairs bedroom to one of the upstairs bedrooms. It's his own man cave kind of area.

 

[REWahoo]

When I retire in January we'll be spending 8 months of the year in our 5th wheel (400 sq ft with the slides out) and 4 months of the year in our house which is 2,000 sq ft.

I have a similar situation and was going to do a weighted average, but before going too far down that road I thankfully remembered my sig line...

 

[Dog]

2BR/2bath I700' living space all one level on 1/2 acre. Have an exercise room downstairs and the rest of lower area unfinished and used for storage. 700' 2 car garage. There was a very "rustic" cabin on the property (no water or electricity) that we now use to store crab traps, garden tools, lawn mower, fertilizer and potting soil. The second BR is for guests or DD when she visits. Otherwise, not used.
Have a 500' deck facing the water and that is where we spend our time in the warmer months.




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