My wifeand I have been working through township, state and federal red tape for the last 5 years in an attempt to build our dream home on a dairy farm that has been in her family for over 100 years. After being granted an exemption from the moratorium on building from the township and successfully navigating the state and federal environmental regulations gauntlet we are looking forward to moving into our new home at the end of March. Many of the personal touches we had hoped to include in our home were abandoned as a result of the 10's of thousands of dollars we spent to gain building approval. I'm trying to concentrate on the fact that location is more important in the long term. We sold our previous house in 2011 so that we could move our family into the area that our children would be going to school since my oldest was ready for Kindergarten at the time. We never imagined that it would be 4 years before we moved out of our 800 sq. ft. temporary living quarters with our 3 children. I am grateful to have had a place to live over the last four years during this transitional period in our lives, but moving in with three children under 6 and putting 2500 sq. ft. of items into this space has been challenging and while I'm hesitant to sound spoiled/entitled, I have to say that it has been a bit too small.

summitsittin, what does ur place/space look like. sounds nice to have 2500sqft..800sqft might be the memories u cherish the most when ur kids get older.
my sister just bought a 816sqft house, which we will be spending part of Christmas in. her place looks like a doll house wanna be. but i also understand a need for a bigger house..

Susan, ill keep u in prayer, is what u have terminal? ..never heard of Chuckanuts. .we also like u live in what is called the "Banana Belt" in the NW. some say it begins in Burns,Or and sweeps across So. Idaho. others say it is Just the lower part of Idaho.because we are on the Snake River Plain. Actually we do have some awesome weather...it doesnt get Hot like Az, but it also doesnt get Cold like Northern Idaho either. our taxes are low and so is crime,..lots of people come here to retire because of both...i live in the country...after talking with DW maybe i should just embrace living here.

certain areas are too small, none are too big and nothing is just right! Maybe once we de-clutter and renovate!

i like watching Love it or List it.

Susan, we lived in Port Townsend. Love PT. We still visit as often as we can. The Olympic Peninsula is beautiful.

mntflwr, the old house that we sold was about 2500 sq.ft. and we wanted to build something bigger. That's why we tried to shoehorn 2500 sq.ft. of stuff into our current 800 sq. ft. space. I'll have to admit that it has been the perfect house since our son was only 6 months old when we moved in and we haven't had to worry about stairs and we've all been very close together. I think it is safe to say however, that now that they are 9, 7, and 4 both mom and dad and the kids are eager to be able to have a little more room and a little more privacy. Again this tiny house has been a blessing and we are grateful to have had it while we were in need, but we're more than ready to move on.

oh ok now what u say makes sense!! sorry lol..Did u have to rent space for some of ur stuff we bought an old travel trailer to revamp. every time my husband peels off a layer of anything inside or out .there is so much water damage. it is 7'wide and 20long from tongue to tail. the bathroom is in a wall. we have replaced the toilet. thus far. He will be rewiring it for lights we may never use. but u never know. we have a new used fridge propane. we might find the right land to build on ..be it Idaho or So Oregon. and have to live in it

i call it our tiny home on wheels

Both of our families are nearby and they were all kind enough to let us store a little bit at each house. Then, as I mentioned, there is the farm so things that weather well and weren't sensitive to smell and cold were located in the shop and the equipment shed. There is also the old farmhouse which the whole family is in the process of refurbishing. We had renters in it, but when they moved out we began storing some things there as well. Unfortunately, we put a lot of things in the basement of the house we are living in, which only has access from outside. It is a moldy, smelly, wet basement that apparently has had, prior to us, sewer backup. Most everything that was down there we either threw away or sold at last year's yard sale. Anything that is left is probably going to have to be burned or thrown away -lesson learned.

I think my house is just right !!!!!!!!

Just right! Any bigger and cleaning would be a constant nightmare =P

Just right is my dream home. House I'm in now is too small, and that means I've got to go house shopping. Thank you Jesus.

Just a bit to small but now we are moving

i wrote before that i thought the layout of my house wasnt user-friendly. space in places we dont use but cant adjust. Ok so now we have invited my mother to live with us for the rest of her life. She is a wiry on the go, city woman, going to now live on a mini-farm. Ive been thinking of giving her our Master suite and adding on the the back of the house about 600' of living rm and another master suite. on the North west corner of our house. where our current bedroom is at is on the Southwest side of the house.. and too hot for me.

Our home is way too small.My husband and I have 3 children,2 girls and 1 boy.We recently had to move into a smaller house,due to my husband having 3 back surgeries and now has had to sign up for disability.I dream that I'll be able to work enough to have my dream family home.Until then,we have 2 rented storage storage buildings running over and sharing bedrooms.

yeah Christina, a 3 bedroom house is small for a family of 5. when my kids were growing up; i gave them the bigger room to share..because the whole house was mine. and i didnt need a huge bedroom to hang out in..where as my girls needed the bigger bedroom for their girl-friends...i have 3 daughters and only a 2 bed 1 bath house. when i lived in Alaska. i took the smallest room and they all shared the biggest room. i was single at the time.. but when i was married we still had the same situation and we gave them the bigger room.(2 bed 1 bath)
it can be done if u dont mind giving the girls the bigger room.
my girls are all grown up now and have their own kids..and im now remarried. with a 3 bedroom 2 bath house..with a dish washer.. LOL

mntflwr;Then you know exactly how I feel.I'm currently in the same situation,having to give the master to my 2 daughter's.What's worse is we have 1 bathroom and that is NO fun at all,but someday hopefully we can look back on this and laugh or cry.(LOL)

1 bathroom..im so sorry.. just keep being thankful for that 1 bathroom. u could be cramped up in a 1 room cabin or a tent. and an out house.. Sorry about ur Husband and his back.. i know several people that have had lots of back surgeries and they are still in pain.
do u own ur own home? . just owning the small house is actually a dream house. u sound like u have an awesome dream family. and ur family is what makes a dream home..not the house..not a job, not money, i can actually say "little is much when God is in it" im not sure what a dream job is..except being a mother to ur children. the dividens are so much greater than money. i owned 3 businesses when my girls were growing up..my daughters needed me not money. does that make sense?

mntflwr.You are so right.God has blessed me beyond measure.No,we are currently having to rent,because we lost our home to foreclosure,when my husband started having leg numbness and back pain.He drove a truck for Old Dominion and was gone 6 days and home 48 hours.I was home-schooling our children and taking care of my mother.She passed away recently after losing her battle with COPD.Mom lived an unprecedented 13 years with this lung disease,and was so blessed to her as long as I did.Anyway, instead of rambling I'm hoping to get a job soon.There isn't much of this school year left,so I'll be able to put the children into the public school system and that way I can work and maybe get back on track.I do want you to know that you are absolutely right and things could always be worse and so I am very thankful for what I do have.Thank you for listening.

Go get 'em Ms. Russell. Never stop believing that God loves you and wants the best for you! Somewhere, somehow in this situation that you are in is God's hand and as long as you trust in him you will emerge stronger and more well equipped to fulfill the destiny He has for your life. Just think of what a great role model you are, and how you have a chance to continue being that for your young children! You sound positive, and grateful, and if you can remain that way through these trials it will be such a strong testament to your children. Stay strong and best of luck in your job hunt -just said a little prayer for you!

what job would u like me and summitsittin to pray for u to get!!
i also home schooled my girls for 4yrs. .U have lots of qualifications if u were able to do that!!
we will pray for ur husband too. it will be a hard transition for him too. So are u gonna drive truck? LOL they are always needing drivers!!! i wont say good luck ..but God Bless u and ur Husband and kids.
elaine.

summitsitten:Thank you so much for your great words of encouragement and especially for your prayer.I know that I need every prayer on my behalf.You didn't have to take the time out to even read my post,little long answer it plus pray for me.So from the bottom of my heart,I thank you so very much.

mntflwr and summitsitten: Now that's way too funny.I couldn't drive a truck,although I'd like to know how.I have been a CNA,home-schooled my children for 5 years,worked in factories on an assembly line,managed Subway,and everything it takes to be a mom and a wife.If the job pays,I'm not picky.Anything that will help my family and I out,I'm willing to do.Thank you so much.

ok then u need to be in Management. or Costco. pays good..and good insurance..
or work in the police department.. where do u live? what state,country, would u be willing to move for ur job?

truck driving might not be a job for u..what about a tour bus? u would need to get a CDL. most schools can teach u to drive a bus for free.

I think I've finally reached a point where my house is a good size. We don't have a guest room, but we live in our hometown, so we don't have family visiting anyway. I want to make my kitchen larger, but over the last few years we've done a great job at reclaiming under-used space, and decluttering.

mtnflwr)I live in Sneedville,Tennessee.Yes I would be willing to move cities,however not states.The city I live in is the type you hear on hear on country songs.Literally,we have 2 red lights,3 restaurants(Subway,Pizza Plus,and Hardees,0 buisnesses(the quickest time to go to work is an hour),2 stores(Dollar General and Family Dollar)so the closest county to get groceries is 45 minutes.I know how ridiculous this sounds(a real-life Mayberry)but it's true.(LOL).My husband and I have been discussing moving to Hamblen County,because everything missing in Sneedville is in Hamblen Co.I had gotten really depressed over our situation,however,now I know things happen for a reason so I'm going to stay positive and I know that God is with us.

My home is the perfect size for us, since we are retired with no kids at home. We have two extra bedrooms and a bathroom upstairs for when they visit. The house was built in 1907 and is so cute and comfy! I love my neighbors and my tiny town. Crime is zero and we know everybody. It really is Mayberry!

If your house is too small. 1. Spend more time outside. 2.Change underused rooms to more frequented rooms. 3 get rid of all stuff! Storage is for groceries and bikes not stuff you are never going to use! Get rid of half your clothes furniture linens every thing. Again spend more time outside. And if your space is too big. Move.

Karenslikes,

I don't disagree with the general idea you have, in that we should not hoard items we have no use for. However, there are many places in this country that do not support year round outdoor living. I spent a lot of time in Arizona and I absolutely loved the outdoor living spaces there. I begged my wife to move out there with me, but she is tied to the northeast.

I have a husband, 2 cats and 4 dogs. We live in about 800 square feet. We have too much stuff despite downsizing several times due to international moves. I have more kitchen equipment

than I need since I am "semi-retired" as a cook. The kitchen is the largest room in the house. We live in Central America where most of the houses are this size or smaller. People here do not purchase things that are not necessary. Some of the expats bring all their "stuff" and build big houses, most of us do not.

I always thought it was too small when my boys were teenagers...but now I'm so glad we never upsized and got a larger home. It's perfect for our empty nest phase - and paid off! Wish our yard was smaller but feeling grateful overall.

kitchen

that is Lucky, who was brought to me at 1 month of age because he could not walk. and a view of the kitchen from the other end.

then the dining room which is about 9by11 ft. you can see where we closed a doorway. on the other side was a bedroom which we sacrificed to make a bath and walk in closet. Originally there was 1 closet, 24 inches wide, for the entire house.

and the living room which is smaller than the dining room.

and finally the front veranda. The rear veranda is not screened and holds a range, washer and dryer. The gorgeous legs on the antique Chinese coffee belong to my husband.

We are about 1/3 way thru the renovation and obviously have "stuff" still sitting around from the recent move. The small space does limit our dinner guests to a very tight 8, or 6 is better. When our car port is done we will use it as a patio for parties. even then, it will be small parties.

Way, way too small - 4 kids sharing a teeny tiny bedroom. However, the economy is totally tanked where we are, so chances of improving, adding or moving are now zero. Still dreaming, though. Only thing big here is my yard!

Just right.

My home is way to small.We live in a simple ranch-style house,3 small bedrooms,1 bathroom and laundry room is outside built at the end of the carport.I'm thankful that we have a roof over our heads,but a family of 5,and 1 bathroom is so hard to live with.I don't want a mansion,but I'd love to have the home that accommodates our family well.In fact it's been my dream since I was a little girl,I'll keep working and hoping someday my dream will come true.

Our current home is the perfect size for us now. We are a family of five in a 4 BR, 3 BA ranch. It has about 2500 square feet of finished space, with a good portion of that being in the basement (bedroom, office, full bath, rec room, utility room and storage and workspace). I fear as the kids move out, we won't use the basement much. I am contemplating hosting foreign exchange students for that very reason!

I am 13 years old I have 2 brothers and 2 sisters about 2 years ago we lived in a 3500 sq ft house it was an okay size for us, it was 6 bedroom 4 bath, I shared I mean it's a size that's comfy but then we upscale to a 5,000 square ft house and for me it's perfect we all have our own space, living,kitchen,dining,breakfast,sunroom,master,master bath,his and hers closet,6 other bedrooms with private bath, (one is a jack and Jill with another bedroom) bonus room and office for my dad my room is 13 x 14 which is perfect for me but it really depends on you're preference, our family likes larger homes, to us that old 3500 sq ft home was small and crowded (for a family of 7) because my room is 186 sq ft and a 55 sq ft bathroom and a 30 sq ft closet (I have the smallest). When it comes to kids 250 to 400 is good (Count their bathroom, closet, and other rooms made for them) then like if you have 3 kids that's about 975 sq ft for the kids areas, so now you have kitchen, living, dining, and master(you may have more rooms) but my parents room is 374 sq ft with a bathroom that's 150 and closet that is 160 so about 500-700 sq ft for master, and then I always add about 190 sq ft for each room and every room since living would normally be bigger you still add 190 to even small rooms, like extra bathrooms or even something as small as a mud room and you should have around your perfect sq ft

Just right. 2800 sqft, 3 bdrm, 2.5 bath,

Just right!

I'm 6'7 and still think my 2400 sq. Foot home feels and looks tiny. Claustrophobia always hits me when I walk in smaller homes. My preferred home size is 3000 + square feet

Although I chose just right, I'd like a bit more room in my master bath and the closets. Other than that, it's pretty close to just right for my 19yo daughter and I :) It's a beautiful townhome. I'm grateful to live here.

I'm curious almostjane, what is a 4-side or 3-side linen closet? I've never heard those terms. It sounds like you would have access from 3 or 4 sides? But I can't imagine how that could be. Could you explain? Or show photos?

We are a retired couple living on cape cod, which is an extremely popular vacation spot in Massachusetts, near the ocean. Our house is too big in the winter, but too small in the summer when we have nonstop houseguests:) We wanted to live where people would want to come, and that's exactly what we have. We call it the ten year house, figuring we will need to downsize when we can't take care of it anymore. In the meantime, it's perfect.

My house is too big right now. Its a 2 story home with a finished attic and basement. We keep the attic closed off so we don't have to heat or clean it. We only use 2 of the 3 bedrooms on the second floor because it's just me and my husband. The large finished basement allows us to hoard things we don't need. We chose this home because it's big enough that we can grow into it. It might be too big right now, but this will allow us to stay for the long term.

House is an okay size, but I wish we had more storage and closet space.

I read somewhere that the average adult needs 600 sq feet of space to feel comfortable. This includes space to move, store things etc. That would mean a family of 4 wouldn't need more than 2400 sq feet of space. That number likely goes up when you account for poor layout or unusable space and the sheer amount of stuff people accumulate today. Our house is too big based on this logic but we bought it before we had kids and mostly because we saw the housing prices skyrocketing in our area so we bought the biggest house that we could afford, planning for a future family or if that didn't happen, planning to sell in the future and downsize to make a profit.

No complaints with that choice but we do heat/cool a lot of space that isn't used on a daily basis. We paid to replace a roof for square footage we don't need. Heating for empty rooms and now replacing windows in rooms we don't need. The biggest waste of space is having a guest room. Most of our family is within 30 minutes from us so for the number of times we've had guests stay overnight, one of us could have bunked in together or slept on the couch.

I'd give up a bedroom and ad another bathroom and a space to have exercise equipment!

Yes, just right. Total of about 2300 sqft, 4 bedrooms, 2 living rooms, 1 dining room, plus 3 bathrooms. In addition, we have a family of 5 members.

Just right. 2800 sqft, 3 bedrooms, media room (4th bedroom), dining room, living room, den, laundry and 3 bathrooms. Family of 3.