Building a house, how small is too small?

[ER Eddie]

I live in a 1200 sq ft house. It's a 2/1. It's the perfect size for me and my dog. I wouldn't want another person living in the same space. It would feel too crowded. Yet that is probably my personality, more than the space itself.

75 years ago, when this house was built, 1200 was about the average size for a full family home (I think it was actually a little less than that). So times have changed, and home sizes have expanded exponentially. Expectations about the space we need have changed, too. It all depends on what you're used to, and how close you mind living to your spouse.

Personally, if I had another person living in this space, I'd feel like they were right on top of me all the time, and it would annoy me. But again, I prefer to live alone, because I like the freedom and space to myself, so part of that is just me. Since you're married, you're probably different.

 

[Teacher Terry]

It’s too small for a 2 story. The smallest 2 story I have lived in was 1600 sq ft. We live in a 1400 sq ft home single story and it’s perfect for 2 people. We have a one car garage and a huge shed. I have happily lived alone in 869.

 

[Jerry1]

You can live in just about anything. However, I think 1200 is a bit small. We have a 1700 sqft ranch with no basement. I'm okay with that for just me and DW. However, it's a 3br 1-1/2 bath that is not the best use of the space for us at this time in our lives. I'm okay with not having storage, but instead of the family room, I would have liked the master bedroom to be a couple feet wider and longer (I think it's about 10x12 and 12x14 would be better with a king size bed). I would also prefer two full baths. I like the tree bed rooms because that give me and DW each our own space (office).

The bottom line is that it depends on what you want from the house. If you want guest space and personal space 1200 is going to be hard to accommodate that. If you just want a place to sleep and eat, it would be plenty.

 

[Sarah S]

For resale it is a 1 bedroom with a living room. If you call upstairs a bedroom no living room which would be deal breaker for most people I think.

I echo the concern about the stairs You never know when something will happen that will make stairs difficult/ impossible. Would be content living on the first floor only? Where would hang out in daytime? If you are limited for stairs it is likely you will be spending more time at home

 

[aja8888]

We sold our two story 5 years ago when DW got ill. One level is great now that we are in our 70's. It's too big though (1,976 sq ft). 1,700 sq feet would be optimal in my opinion.

 

[Music Lover]

We're quite happy in a 1000 sq ft bungalow. Bear in mind that with a 2 storey you will lose 80 - 100 sq ft on each floor for stairs. But 1000 sq ft can be enough for many people if it's laid out correctly.

Rather than a breakfast nook and a pantry, my choice would be with an island with seating and a few extra feet of cabinets. If you really want a 2 story price out the cost of an elevator (seriously).

 

[Fermion]

I am thinking about expanding it to maybe 1600 feet and work in 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms instead of 1.25 bathrooms.

No bigger than 1800 sq ft, but sounds like for resale we should be in the 2 bedroom 2 bath area.

Normally I would not care so much about resale but you never know what life is going to throw at you.

 

[braumeister]

We're quite happy in a 1000 sq ft bungalow. Bear in mind that with a 2 storey you will lose 80 - 100 sq ft on each floor for stairs. But 1000 sq ft can be enough for many people if it's laid out correctly.

Rather than a breakfast nook and a pantry, my choice would be with an island with seating and a few extra feet of cabinets. If you really want a 2 story price out the cost of an elevator (seriously).

Certainly true. I grew up in a 1,200 sf 2-story house with one bathroom and there were often five of us living there.

 

[momoftwo]

Yes to good view, if possible.
Our small house has a sizable raised deck off dining area that overlooks a beautiful lake. Even in winter it expands our "living space" as we cook and eat inside. When it snows, it is even more beautiful.

 

[pb4uski]

I am thinking about expanding it to maybe 1600 feet and work in 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms instead of 1.25 bathrooms.

No bigger than 1800 sq ft, but sounds like for resale we should be in the 2 bedroom 2 bath area.

Normally I would not care so much about resale but you never know what life is going to throw at you.

Yes, definitely 2/2 at a minimum.... and for resale it is both price and time to sell... IMO a 2/2 would sell quicker that a 1 bedroom... more demand.

In Florida we have ~1,400 sf on one floor that is very comfortable for 2 and includes a guest bedroom... and our footprint is roughly 50'x28'

 

[harley]

Too small! We live in a 1200 SF house in FL, and DW keeps saying "This is perfect! This is all the house I need". My reply is sure it is, as long as we have that 4400 SF storage unit we live in up north.

Personally, I would not be happy full time in anything under 2000 SF, and probably closer to 2500. Unless, of course, I had a very large barn/shop/garage/storage building also available. I need places for my tools and workshop, as well as kayaks and bikes and things like that. Also I want an office area, although that could be a guest bedroom when someone shows up.

To each his own, obviously, but I like a little space.

 

[Fermion]

Well remember we have a 30 acre parcel of mountain land outside of town with a 1200 sq-ft pole barn and a 1200 sq-ft concrete floor shop so this is just a place in town to live, not to store our toys or work on big projects (all electric 1966 corvette I am looking at you!)

 

[fasteddie911]

I just cannot identify with those who need so much living space. My spouse and I have lived in a 400sf studio, 600sf 1br and 1000sf house. We found the house more than comfortable. We spend most of our time in the living room, dining or kitchen area. The only time we spend in our bedroom is for sleep, it doesn't need to be big. Certainly layout matters.

 

[Fermion]

I just cannot identify with those who need so much living space. My spouse and I have lived in a 400sf studio, 600sf 1br and 1000sf house. We found the house more than comfortable. We spend most of our time in the living room, dining or kitchen area. The only time we spend in our bedroom is for sleep, it doesn't need to be big. Certainly layout matters.

Well, we currently live in a 580 sq-ft 1bd 1bath apartment and have been for 3 years so we are used to small spaces. Our sailboat has even less living space.

I was more concerned about building something that would take 4 years to sell because the market didn't like it at all. On the other hand, I don't want to build something too big that is hard to heat or has large property tax if we end up staying here for 20 years.

 

[Music Lover]

Another option is to build a 1 bedroom and to lay it out so that a 2nd bedroom can be added in the future by simply building a wall or 2. You get to enjoy the extra square footage of living space now and if you want to sell in the future you have the option to turn it into a 2 bedroom house.

 

[meierlde]

I think 1000-1200 sq/ft is fine, especially for just two people. Heck, we raised our daughter in 750 sq/ft for over 18 years and were quite comfortable. My wife's family raised eight kids in less than 700 sq/ft, but that's probably a little extreme.

We built our own 1456 sq/ft three bedroom, two bath, house in 2003. 2003 - Building Our Own House Now that our daughter has moved out it feels like a mansion to us.

I think the size of your proposed house is fine, but do have a few recommendations if you are planning for this to be your forever home. Most important, make it one level. Climbing stairs gets difficult as you age, and if you need a walker or wheelchair you're basically shut out of the upper level. My wife's grandmother spent her final years sleeping in her living room because she couldn't get upstairs to her bedroom. Not to mention stairs and elevators are expensive and take up valuable floor space.

Make all doorways 36" wide in case you need to use a walker or wheelchair later in life. Wider doors also make it easier to move furniture in and out, and just make things feel roomier.

Try to design a roll-in curbless shower in your bathroom. Install grab bars, or at least ensure blocking is installed behind the walls so you can install grab bars when you need them.

Try to minimize hallways. They waste space, and can be difficult to navigate with walkers/wheelchairs if too narrow. They can also make it difficult to haul furniture in and out of rooms. When I designed our house I made sure every room had a straight shot from the front door for bringing in furniture. I've hauled enough furniture up stairways and through narrow hallways to know I never want to do that again.

Remember, smaller spaces cost less to build, less to heat and cool, have lower taxes, cost less to maintain, and are easier to keep clean.

In addition to 36 inch wide doors use sliding or pocket doors to the bathroom/s In addition you might check your bathroom arrangement to see that it is easy to get to the toilet, i.e. not in a tight corner, as well as a very low threshold shower. This does of course call for more bathroom square footage. For bathroom layout you might visit web sites for assisted and independent living and look at their bathroom layout. (Typicaly a 48' space between the shower and the sink/toilet with at least a 18 inches on each side of the toilet. Also look at grab bars (could also double as towel rackls)

 

[street]

We have a one level just shy of 2000sf. We most definitely could live in a smaller home but I really do like the extra space thou.

I have a small 200sf cabin at the ranch and would be totally content to live there if not married. It is cozy, convenient and low maintence and love the small area when I'm there.

 

[Fermion]

Another option is to build a 1 bedroom and to lay it out so that a 2nd bedroom can be added in the future by simply building a wall or 2. You get to enjoy the extra square footage of living space now and if you want to sell in the future you have the option to turn it into a 2 bedroom house.

Yes, this is the current floorplan (updated). The 2nd bedroom is going to start off as a board/card game room, open on one side to the living room but with an easy addition of the wall to be turned into a 12 x 14 foot bedroom.

 

[LARS]

If I was going to build a house that small I would not consider making it two stories...

 

[Fermion]

If I was going to build a house that small I would not consider making it two stories...

It is the second empire look. Has a tower too. If I was going to build a single story rambler, I would just look around and buy something.

It is a bit like this:

 

[pjigar]

If I was going to build a house that small I would not consider making it two stories...

Me too. BTW we are rebuilding 2200 sqft single story ranch house from studs up. Re-framing for minor changes done, water plumbing done, electrical in progress.

 

[harley]

Well, we currently live in a 580 sq-ft 1bd 1bath apartment and have been for 3 years so we are used to small spaces. Our sailboat has even less living space.

I was more concerned about building something that would take 4 years to sell because the market didn't like it at all. On the other hand, I don't want to build something too big that is hard to heat or has large property tax if we end up staying here for 20 years.

I've often thought that if I was building for myself with no consideration to resale I'd build a one bedroom 1/1 bath house with a large kitchen and a sun room and a utility room. That's it. No dining room, no foyer, no living room, no extra bedrooms. And a 3-car garage, of course.

But that would be a tear down after I died, no way to resell it. So in your case I'd do at least a 2/2. But we both like to cook, and a tiny kitchen is a PITA.

 

[mountainsoft]

In addition to 36 inch wide doors use sliding or pocket doors to the bathroom/s

I know they are trendy now, but I have never been a fan of barn doors or pocket doors. For one they don't really close tightly around the opening, so smells come out and I can't help but fear eyes peering in.

From a practical standpoint, a barn door means you can't put anything on that wall (photos, bookshelves, etc.). Pocket doors don't allow space for utilities (plumbing, electrical, heaters, speakers, etc.) that are normally built inside the wall. You can certainly work around these issues, but it limits your options.

 

[38Chevy454]

No garage = no good for resale

 

[mountainsoft]

We have a 1700 sqft ranch with no basement. I'm okay with that for just me and DW. However, it's a 3br 1-1/2 bath that is not the best use of the space for us at this time in our lives. I'm okay with not having storage, but instead of the family room, I would have liked the master bedroom to be a couple feet wider and longer (I think it's about 10x12 and 12x14 would be better with a king size bed). I would also prefer two full baths.

The floor plan makes a big difference in how space is used. Our home is only 1456 sq/ft. Our master bedroom is 12'x16' with a 10'x10' master bath and 5'x10' walk-in closet. The other two bedrooms are 12'x14' each with a large 6'x8' guest bath. Except for a 6'x8' central hall room, we have no hallways in our house.

My sister-in-law and her husband are preparing to build a large 3000+ sq/ft house. The first thing I noticed was how small the rooms were for such a big house. Most of it is eaten up with hallways, nooks, or other areas that are essentially unusable.

We've toured many large "street of dreams" type homes with similar layouts. Huge homes with very tiny rooms, lots of hallways, and wasteful layouts.