Poll: Annual Housing cost/SF

[Gumby]

$11.46 per square foot per year in coastal Connecticut. We don't have a mortgage.


I think adding in mortgage P&I renders your poll less useful than it could be. For example, when we were paying a mortgage, our total cost was $18.65 per sqft or 63% more.

[pb4uski]

Our main home cost (2,400 sf lake house in Vermont) is ~$13.50/sf including our mortgage payments. However, we have a mortgage because we want to, not because we have to... without the mortgage payments our cost would be ~$6/sf.

The cost of our winter home (1,444 sf condo in Sarasota) is about $5/sf (owned free and clear).

[cathy63]

$4.75 -- we don't need AC or central heat here and the condo is paid off so our cost of housing is pretty low.

[FIREd]

Currently: renting in downtown San Francisco: $65 per sqft
Next year: owning a house free and clear in a medium-size southern city: <$5 per sqft.

Vacation condo owned free and clear in large European metro area: $7 per sqft

[Meadbh]

Quote:

Originally Posted by FIREd Currently: renting in downtown San Francisco: $65 per sqft.

Yikes!

[samclem]

$9 now, will be about $5 when the mortgage is paid off--about a decade from now (no hurry).

Kinda interesting to think that every square foot of this place costs us $0.75 per month. And yet, much of the cost wouldn't change a lot if we downsized. We'd still use the same amount of hot water, etc. Hey, ya gotta live somewhere . . .

[eta2020]

15-16 bucks a sqft. Western Suburbs of Boston, mortgage free.

Almost 50% of it is property taxes.

[ShokWaveRider]

Under $6 ($4.65) in North East Florida. 3,300sqft 1 mile from the beach. No Mortgage.

[braumeister]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gumby I think adding in mortgage P&I renders your poll less useful than it could be.

No doubt.
I included mortgage payments just because they normally go on for many years.
I did intend to list water/sewer cost, but just forgot to.

Since this is not a scientific poll, and I'm not related to Copernicus (a scientific Pole), I figured everyone could interpret the "rules" to their own satisfaction.

Even with only a small number of responses, it's already very interesting!

[Danmar]

I came in at about $15. This includes a fair bit of repair/maintenance/upgrading and professional management when we are not there. The Arizona house is the most expensive at about $20/ft. Every place is over $10/ft. No mortgages.

[btdt22]

Lake front home in mid-west with no mortgage= $5.40/sf

With just the basics; utilities, maintenance, tax & insurance drops to $2.75/sf

[Totoro]

Under $20, renter in urban city, The Netherlands. It's almost all rent.

Was tempted to included part of the car since I consider much of that cost as a result of not living in the inner city.

[Taxman59]

$9.75 per foot, $2.50 after mortgage is gone
Mid size NC city suburban

[prototype]

$12.48 - Renting Large TH in outer Va. "burbs" of DC.

Used the 2800 sq. ft. living space (per county tax records) not sure it's all really usable or in some cases even used or needed since there are just 2 of us. 2 car garage and deck sq footage not included.

[dunkelblau]

Mine is exactly $25/sqft so I can't vote. Coastal southern California suburb. My previous place in suburban south San Jose was $38/sqft when I left two years ago; I just checked and they're offered at $48/sqft now.

[VFK57]

Our home is paid for so there is no mortgage, it reduces the cost per sq ft.

[rodi]

$7.50/ sf. Paid off mortgage and temperate climate. It was $22.50 when we had the mortgage.

[W2R]

Quote:

Originally Posted by samclem Kinda interesting to think that every square foot of this place costs us $0.75 per month. And yet, much of the cost wouldn't change a lot if we downsized. We'd still use the same amount of hot water, etc. Hey, ya gotta live somewhere . . .

For some reason, when I first looked at this poll I assumed that larger places (like a 4500 sf three story home, for example) would have lower upkeep per square foot than smaller places (like a 1000 sf one story home). But to me it seems difficult to find any pattern like that from casually reading this thread.

[samclem]

Quote:

Originally Posted by samclem Kinda interesting to think that every square foot of this place costs us $0.75 per month. And yet, much of the cost wouldn't change a lot if we downsized. We'd still use the same amount of hot water, etc. Hey, ya gotta live somewhere . . .

Quote:

Originally Posted by W2R For some reason, when I first looked at this poll I assumed that larger places (like a 4500 sf three story home, for example) would have lower upkeep per square foot than smaller places (like a 1000 sf one story home). But to me it seems difficult to find any pattern like that from casually reading this thread.

Some of my square feet are definitely pulling their weight more than others. My kitchen, bathroom, and MBR square feet should be grousing at my basement and guest bedroom square feet to be more useful.
If the "authorities" came around and actually charged me a buck per month for each square foot actually in use, and if I could just section off and "cede" unused square feet in my house to avoid the charge, I'd probably clean out a lot of junk and tell guests I'd be happy to put them up at a nearby hotel when they visit.

[6miths]

I'm thinking between USD 6 and 8 (in the Toronto area) depending on what maintenance needs to be done. Looking forward to downsizing and losing the pool. I'd be interested to here the numbers sans rent/mortgage. No mortgage here.