Optimum house size for early retirees in the USA

[RockMiner]

This is a spin-off from an earlier thread. How much space do you need in your home to feel comfortable on a long term basis? Yes, I know family size varies but that's OK here, fire away...

 

[73ss454]

DW and I are moving to Fla. next month. We bought a house there 4 years ago and it's just shy of 2600sq. ft.. Hopefully this will be our only ER home, we shall see.

 

[yakers]

We have 1,000 sq ft for the last 20 years, don't expect to have more or less when we retire. DW retired this spring, I have another year or two to go. This California where our 2BD 1 BA small place is >$500K.

 

[Khan]

Now in 1000sf.

Would prefer half that.

Super insulated.

 

[youbet]

We need only a minumum for daily living, 1500 sf or less. But we do require an additional space for my shop and DW's hobbies. A full basement or heated/cooled outbuilding would do.

 

[sgeeeee]

I consider out-structure space and acreage as important as house space.

A barn or large shed reduces my required house space significantly.

 

[Mr._johngalt]

I consider out-structure space and acreage as important as house space.

A barn or large shed reduces my required house space significantly.

And thus the ongoing SF cost of your "space".

JG

 

[Mr._johngalt]

For a couple, I like about 1000SF. Seems like plenty to me, if they
get along. If not, no amount of space is too much.

As a bachelor, my last apartment still seems the perfect size,
about 600SF, plus a one car garage. BTW, I agree with sgeeeee
that the "out-structure space" is pretty important, too.

JG

 

[donheff]

Looks like you should modify your poll with an "...or less" option.

 

[farmerEd]

We currently have just over 3000 square feet house, plus garage and 2 barns with more to come. With 4 kids that amount of space is just right. I suspect that as the children grow older and start leaving home it will be too big and I can envision building a smaller house on my farm to live in some day and letting the most prolific of my kids move into the "main" house with the 5BD. The plan at this point is to build 4 more houses on this property, one for each of the kids when they settle down enough to need a permanent dwelling.

 

[REWahoo]

The plan at this point is to build 4 more houses on this property, one for each of the kids when they settle down enough to need a permanent dwelling.

I'd guess the odds of all 4 of your children wanting to live in the OldMcDonald Family Compound as adults are near zero. "How You Gonna' Keep 'Em Down On The Farm After They've Seen Paree?"

 

[janeofalltrades]

We're living in an approx. 950 sq ft. apartment. Our last condo was 1045. So 1000 would work well. We'll be looking for a single story, to be more energy efficient and also no stairs.

 

[Texas Proud]

The other thing needed is where you are living...

When I was in London and New York, 750 feet was 'big'.. even though if I was married I would want a bit more...

Where I am now, 2000 seems 'big', but I use most of it at times... probably could be lowered to 1500 without much difficulty excpet that the neighborhood would not be that good..

 

[jeff2006]

Jane (and others) -- how do you like apartment living? Seems like it would be good for retirees, but it's been a long time since I had any direct experience.

Any problems with parking, noise, other peoples' dogs, etc? Capricious landlords?

 

[RockMiner]

Oops, in designing the poll I greatly underestimated how many people would be happy with less than 1500 sq feet of living space...I edited the poll to include such an option.

I'm guilty of assuming that my own preferences would cover the range of replies. It's interesting in that this illustrates how such things are largely a function of what we are accustomed to rather than what we actually "need". To me, 1500' feels a bit cramped however I admit that this sensation is more a matter of conditioning than anything else. It's also a concession needed to prevent divorce

I agree that things such as yard size, basements, garage size, and shed space do increase the sensation of living space but I was trying to stick with house size as is typically quoted on a real estate listing.

Rock

 

[Martha]

We have lived in an apartment of less than 1500 square feet for the last nine years. I would like one more room, but it still could be within a 1500 square foot size and be fine.

For the last year or so we have been casually looking around at buying a house and selling the building we live in. A few weeks ago we looked at a rural place on a small lake. House is maybe 1800 square feet. Plus there is an outside sauna (a rural Minnesota necessity). Seems luxuriously large to me. We liked the place a lot. Plus a lot more for the money than the houses we have looked at in the city.

 

[crazy connie]

I am currently in 3600 + sq ft home. I look forward to getting my young adults settled elswhere but am encouraging sound investment and expectations they can live with. When I can downsize it will still be fairly large (2500 at a min) so I can enjoy things, space and an enormous kitchen area. Entertaining of friends and family will be one of my main recreations as I age. I traveled non-stop for several years in employment and could care less about a plane trip. Some road trips will be nice but I want a nice comfy home base to enjoy day to day life in.

 

[kcowan]

We have 2000 sq.ft. Large MBR, large LR/sun room. Normal DR, 2BR, one used as an office/den, other a guest room. If it was designed to better use the LR, we could do with less space. Could probably eliminate the DR with a redesigned kitchen.

So with conventional design, it is about right. Better design would make 1500 sq.ft. even nicer for two people. Guest room was for MIL but now she does not travel well.

 

[Brat]

We have 3200 sq ft, not counting a generous double garage and storage area, but live in less than half of that. The first floor is accessible and has all we need. We knew it was more than we needed when we built it but it is view property and the land was expensive. In a couple years we plan to add another bedroom and maybe a bath then put it on the market to move into smaller digs closer to the kids. It is a perfect home for a retired couple with lots of visiting relatives . No need to fight Seattle traffic to go downtown, just catch the ferry - kick back with wifi or a book and a latte.

 

[Kwirk]

2500 sq ft finished, great when we had 2 kids at home but too much now except when we have annual visits of my wife's parents and sibs. Also have 750 sq ft of nice but unfinished basement, garages for 3 cars (use 2 for cars and one for tools and lawn equipment), ~1500 sq ft of attic space, half acre lot including easements. (Built 1980. Very pleasant views but no water view. Assessment is 210k, probably could get 250k or more.)

We think about downsizing but haven't found anything we like as much in a similar price range.

 

[janeofalltrades]

Jeff, for numerous reasons we are enjoying living in the apartment more than the condo.

1) We were living in San Francisco and we got a lot of outside noise. We are now living feet away from a lagoon. No cars drive by. We get some noise from planes off in the distance flying into SFO, but their a ways off.

2) When we lived in the condo we felt more responsible for things that were broken etc. in the building. Mostly because we paid 780.00 a month for HOA dues and it would get me upset if things weren't taken care of. The building had a security and concierge at the entrance of the building, but they didn't always do their job very well, it made me nervous. I'd rather live in an apartment/condo that is not enclosed.

3) The neighbors we have now are all very nice and generally everyone is quiet.

4) Dogs were allowed in the condo and you would smell pee in the carpeted halls and elevator. Dogs are not allowed here at the apartment complex. Cats are suppose to stay indoors.

5) The condo did not have any guest parking, street parking was difficult, here at the apartment we have plenty of street and guest parking.

6) The HOA office was on site, but never returned phone calls or emails. I could go on with the HOA but I'll stop here. Now the apartment management is on site, very responsive and proactive if you have a problem.

 

[free4now]

You don't live in Foster City do you Jane? I used to live in an apartment there and I can see why you would prefer it over San Francisco living. The city was literally forged out of nothingness to be the perfect residential community. But man, what a cultural wasteland the suburbs are compared with the city.

Someone said the suburbs are designed to remove all external stimuli. No crime, no noise, no strangers, few hassles. It makes sense if you have a family or something to focus on. But for a single person like myself I find that having removed all that external stimuli makes things a bit dull.

 

[jeff2006]

Hi, Jane -- thanks very much for your reply. Sounds like a good place to live . . ..

 

[janeofalltrades]

free4now, yes it is FC. It is totally different from the City. We still visit friends there, so we do get our City fix. I was born in SF but have always been a small town girl at heart, so it was nice to move out. Actually, we have been busier and meeting more people in FC than when we lived in SF.

As a single guy or gal FC is probably not the ideal place to live, it is very family oriented and not much happens here.

Jeff, it is a nice place to live and your welcome.

 

[flipstress]

Two of us live in a 1260-sq-ft, 3-BR, 2-bath house.

I would like a house with a bigger living room than what we have. I would also be willing to have just one nice big bathroom instead of two and then have the bigger living room and/or bigger bedrooms. I'm thinking 1500-2000 sq ft would be nice, but if I could find one we like with just one bathroom, maybe 1500 sq ft would be enough.

Newer houses come with multiple bathrooms, but the older houses with single bathrooms present more maintenance problems than a newer one.