Size House You Grew Up In

[Jerry1]

It's interesting how many here grew up in houses under 1000 sq/ft with bigger families, but now have 2000+ sq/ft homes with smaller families.

The first house I bought was about 1100sf and the person/family before me had 7 kids - so 9 people. It was a 3BR house but it did have two full bathrooms. The finished the basement but still, that’s a lot of people in that size house. Me and DW now live in about 1700sf (no basement) and want bigger, at least a basement.

 

[aja8888]

My 1,459 sq, ft. house is too big for me and the dog. Next, I believe, will be an apartment.

 

[finnski1]

My 1,459 sq, ft. house is too big for me and the dog. Next, I believe, will be an apartment.

just need a few more dogs!

 

[Koolau]

As my niece looks at FIRE, I anticipate that I will lose access to the old homestead within a couple or three years. I'm very nostalgic about the place and hate to lose it. BUT, I felt blessed to sell it (and the family business to her). No way I want to buy it back!

Maybe I'll get lucky and she won't be able to FIRE. (Wait, what am I saying)?!

 

[aja8888]

just need a few more dogs!

One is enough, believe me!

 

[FlaGator]

Had to look it up. 1900 sq ft, 4/2, 9600 ft lot, one of the largest in the neighborhood. It was enough for the 7 of us. It was a "John F. Long" development, the west Phoenix version of Levittown. Parents put in a pool in 1972, aerial view shows that pool is now drained and that large-ish lot is used for storage. Boomer kids like me and our sibs always running around the street. Went by there several years ago, there were bars on nearly every window.

As a sign of progress, or parental indulgence , my 2 kids finished growing up in 2800 ft. Glad I could.

 

[Koolau]

Parents put in a pool in 1972, aerial view shows that pool is now drained and that large-ish lot is used for storage.

My dad went to the junk yard and purchased a hot-water-heater tank AND an old bathtub. He put these items in the back yard. When we kids wanted to "swim" dad would connect the garden hose to the tank (which he had painted black), fill the tank and let the sun heat the water. When the water was warm(ish) he would fill the bath tub with the water from the water tank.

It was wonderful. My dad wasn't well educated but he was creative (heh, heh and cheap).

 

[rodi]

First house I lived in was 1300 SF, 3br, 2ba. When I was 4 my dad bought a foreclosure (1966) on great terms: assumed the payments in the mortgage, down payment waived. The house was a 2 story 2000sf 4br/2.5 bath. At the time it was in the far reaches of the city with only one road to get to it and a 20 minute drive to get to the freeway.

I bought the house from my father in 2003. We are now centrally located with 3 freeways nearby. The city grew up around us.

 

[Route246]

We grew up modest in a 1800 sq ft ranch style home on 1/4 acre in the suburbs of what has become Silicon Valley. My parents paid $17K in 1958 and my father said it was a huge amount for them and he wasn't sure at the time if he was making a mistake or not. In 2022 when we sold it for $3M as-is I thought it was crazy. It was torn down and now shows on Zillow for $5.2M with double the sq ft and a nice ADU in the back.

 

[Flieger]

1200 Sq Ft, 3 BR, 2BA, 2 car garage just outside of Charleston SC. I think my Dad paid $12k for it in early to mid 1960's. He was enlisted military (submariner) so it was a big swing! This is the only pic I can find where you can see part of it because obviously, the main focus was my car.

Flieger

 

[HFWR]

Can’t say exactly, but years one to five was a small two bedroom, guessing 1000sf? After little brother came along, the folks bought a split-level, three bedroom kit house, and put it on an acre out in the country. Size again unknown, but maybe 1500-1800sf. Lower level was the family room, for us heathens. The “living room” was for guests.

 

[38Chevy454]

Grew up in east San Francisco bay area. The time from 8 years old through high school was in a 4BR, 2.5 BA, 2300 sq ft 2 story house on just under 1/4 acre lot size. Large lot compared to most in the area that were more typically half that size. My sister just sent a link where it went up for sale, $1.6M current asking price. In 1971 my parents bought the house for $35K, back when houses in SF bay area were not so outrageous prices. For comparison, that $35K would be $279K based on just dollar inflation factor.

 

[calmloki]

Hmm. Single wide mobile home, small rental house, larger 2Br,1Ba, then the folks started having cattle ranch dreams and it was all about the land. The houses afterwards were all single bath, bedrooms under the sloping roofs, floors you could put a ball on and chase after it when you let go. Remember a schoolbus driver asking about our barn, which was actually our house, just that barn red paint was cheap and we would spray the places with it to make the mish-mosh of siding boards and peeling paint look a bit more cohesive. A standard new place celebration was the burning of the outhouse - once there was some confidence in the plumbing. Mostly wood heat. Probably 750-1600 in size.

 

[Time2]

Wow, most of you grew up in big houses! I grew up in a 2 bed, 1 bath house until I was 12 years old, at that time my dad added 200 sq ft consisting of a bedroom and a laundry room. This gave my sister and I separate bedrooms.

 

[MichaelH13]

I can really relate to this. I grew up in a small, drafty farmhouse—one bathroom for six people, no air conditioning, and we thought nothing of it. My parents were proud homeowners, even if the house was modest and never updated much.

When I bought my first home, it felt enormous in comparison, even though it was just under 2,000 square feet. Funny how what once felt like luxury is now considered average or even small by today’s standards.

Our parents valued simplicity and practicality—they made do, fixed things themselves, and didn’t chase bigger or newer. That mindset stuck with me more than I realized. I think a lot of us are starting to feel that pull back toward simpler living again.

 

[Trailwalker]

The first five years of my life I lived in single-wide trailers, while my parents scrimped and saved to buy this: three bedrooms, two baths, and about 1400 square feet. It doesn't look half-bad for being sixty years old now.

 

[Route246]

Grew up in east San Francisco bay area. The time from 8 years old through high school was in a 4BR, 2.5 BA, 2300 sq ft 2 story house on just under 1/4 acre lot size. Large lot compared to most in the area that were more typically half that size. My sister just sent a link where it went up for sale, $1.6M current asking price. In 1971 my parents bought the house for $35K, back when houses in SF bay area were not so outrageous prices. For comparison, that $35K would be $279K based on just dollar inflation factor.

Must have been Contra Costa or Alameda County? $1.6M for 2300 sq ft is just not available on the Peninsula or South Bay these days. That sort of home is north of $2M now.

 

[statsman]

Only house my parents owned from when I was 5 until 14 (divorced) had 3 bedrooms, 1 bathroom, and 1015 sq ft.

 

[timbervest]

Suburbia tract homes -- 1600 sf single level. 3BDR 2BT. Two parents and three kids and a MIL. My dad built extra bedrooms in the garage. We thought we were doing pretty well compared to some others.

 

[EastWest Gal]

Grew up in a 1300 sq ft tract home in the SF East Bay-Contra Costa County. 3 bedrooms, 2 baths. No AC but mostly didn't need it. Off the back door entrance was a nice completely covered patio, with basically a corrugated tin roof. I think it kept the house much cooler. My parents bought it in 1961, with the down payment coming from a small inheritance. With two of us kids, we shared a bedroom for the first few years, then my sister moved into the third bedroom as we grew older.

No basements in any of the neighborhood homes.

 

[shridog]

Grew up in a house of 800 sq ft in Seattle. 2 bedroom 1 bath. Added a bedroom in basement for my sister. (She still thinks I was the favored child) This house now lists for $997,000 on Zillow. Guess that's why we now live in a ranch with full basement. First floor is 2100 sq ft and basement is 80% furnished including large workshop.