Before looking at sizes make a list of what you want and need. If you are building and starting to reach the stage that health problems start consider a bathroom that if you would need outside help to bath is large enough for two people. I like a bedroom that has an area large enough for a comfortable reading area. If you enjoy having people over think of what you do and how large an area would be needed. Sitting for two or twelve. Do you want a kitchen with all the storage at counter top or lower? That would require a bigger kitchen. Do you have a hobby that you would simply like to shut the door but leave things out until you are ready to start again? Perhaps an extra room for that. If you like lots of plants depending on the type sun or shade consider which direction would be best for them.

One thing that I would want are larger hallways and doors both inside and out. After you make your list take a piece of paper and simply draw how you would like the rooms arranged. Then if your area allows start going to open houses both of existing and new builds with copies of your drawings. You will probably never find the exact match but you could find one very close to what you want.

Thank you for the suggestions. I have an old 1990's brochure from an out-of-business modular home company. I was thinking of using one of their designs for a start. All their "lodge" plan layouts are very similar and already what I like. I'm just not sure which size to choose.

Does this square footage include garage?

Second person-different generation or not?

Do you (usually) entertain a lot/have a lot of goests staying overnight?

Do you need bigger kitchen/ office space?

If you just give us X being number of people, then I'd say 1200 s f is enough..can be easily 3 bedrooms 2 baths with a smaller kitchen and a laundry/service area..Master can have walk in closet too. and a balcony/small sunroom. Or one can do larger living areas and two bigger bedrooms. While still keeping to 1200 sq f.

If one needs to count the garage in tat squre footage/accommodate certain needs/lifestyle demands...if you anticipate change in the future as per possible number of inhabitants...then 1600 s f is great size. More probably than you might need on daily basis but accounting for changes etc.

We bought our current house -was 1600 plus sq feet including garage..now we had 5 people to plan for, 3 generations so we added to it. Otherwise it had 2 living areas and four bedrooms and two baths. We added just 200 sq f and were able to add big master bath, reconfigure and thus add lots of storage etc. Of course while we were doing all that, kids grew up lol. But comes handy when they come and bring friends. Or when MIL needs to stay with us or when guests arrive.

Laundry had to go in the garage though as we added a powder room instead of it and that garage is my husband's domain=read messy abomination. Drives me crazy.

Then every place big or small can be messy, I'd say depends a lot on who s living there. Me and my son we're able to put things back. My husband and daughter-not really.

Will your future place have a yard where mainenance is needed?

If it's only you/you and somebody else-I'd be tempted to go smaller. Floor plan and organization play very important role that can compensate over square footage.

PS tried to edit typos etc, probably didn't catch them all, sorry about these

This question is almost impossible to answer because every individual has a different concept of the space that is "enough" for them to live comfortably. Configuration of the space makes a huge difference too. 1600 sf in one structure can feel entirely different in another layout. I know my own individual space requirements and you could find out your needs by experiencing various homes/structures/space layouts to get a feel for what works for you. I can tell you that there is a vast difference between 1200 sf and 1600 sf IMO when it comes to comfort. But my opinion isn't what counts. What counts is what makes you feel at home.

The first house I bought was 900 sf. A 3 bedroom 1 bath ranch. It seems pretty roomy to me. People used to share bathrooms. There weren't walk-in closets, master suites, home gyms, home offices, bonus rooms, you name it. It's all up to you to figure out what's important to you. I agree about going to open houses, just the right ones.

Start by getting a copy of The Not So Big House by Sarah Susanka.

I think reading through it will help you define what YOU need. What will work for you won’t for someone else. For example as someone else mentioned, all that land would be way too much for my spouse and myself yet we built a 2870 square foot house on a 9100 square foot lot for the two of us. We have lots of entertaining space since in normal times we do lots of informal entertaining and what could be considered 3 bedrooms, an office, and 2.5 baths. However one bedroom is my studio and the guest bedroom doubles as a gym. While we have lots of room we only have 6 rooms total

I have just shy of 2100 sq ft ranch style home. It's just DH and I and the dog. There's more than enough room. My first home was around 1200 sq ft ranch, and it was perfect for the two of us. How much room do 2 people need? I bought this house even though it's bigger than I need because it checked the "must have" boxes and I do love it here. But yea - I could make due perfectly well in something smaller.

What size car should I buy? What? How big is my spouse? Linebacker for NFL? Midget in a circus? Can the kids fit in the back? 6’ 4” teenager or skinny three year old? Honestly, I found the perfect red convertible for me— but no legroom on passenger side for DH. Square footage doesn’t mean anything if the layout doesn’t suit you and your needs. What I would consider comfy, you might think is too crowded for you. The flow of the spaces, the relationship of the rooms to the views, the storage or lack of it for essentials, the usefulness of the kitchen layout are all more important than square footage. We have all seen on Houzz those 600 square foot monstrous houses with poorly planned kitchens, small closets, no access to the backyard, etc. A well planned house of half that square footage would have been more livable. And, for the record, I didn’t buy that red convertible, preferring a car that could accommodate my honey.

Thank you to all who taken the time to contribute thoughtful answers and personal experience. I'm just trying to get an idea, since I have not moved in 43 years. Since the death of my mother one year and eight months ago and now being responsible for one massive house and one rental, both with current "issues," I've had just about more than my head can handle, so maybe I asked a dumb question. Big, emotional changes are ahead, and I appreciate your feedback. Since the majority of the floor plans I'm thinking about are from one company and all very similar, it just comes down to size.

questions are rarely dumb.

ok. I'll try not to ask too many questions like I'm prying too much (example-why you choose to build over buying existing maybe? it''s just while it can be very rewarding= it's also very time consuming, energy drawing, etc) and just share my experience.

This year I bought an apartment (that'd be 6 th property I buy..I did move a lot, not counting childhood homes and various rentals). It's abroad, it's a condo just under 1000 sq f, but it has a storage room (in the building) and an assigned parking spot. It's a great size for one or two people later in life, or would be fine for younger family of four just as well.

Now, I already found it overwhelming in terms of maintenance (and I didn't even get to storage room, and parking spot doesn't need maintenance).

Not because of the size-but because I was either completely and utterly alone there, and had to tend to tons of stuff-or I had my elderly ailing Mother with me. Granted this year is different than most. Weird year. I don't know how I swinged it at all.

And I had to compromise on layout of main living room for example because prices are insane were I bought it. And I had to have X, Y, Z in that apartment, so one commpromises on something.

(They'd at least throw me some community pool in OC, CA where our single family home is and where we also had a townhouse before and own a condo now. For that price.)

I guess I'm trying to say-depending on where you are in life, physically, emotionally, etc-bigger things, they might seem small. And small, might still seem too big.

If you in a place where you can try and imagine how it'll feel for you..in the long run..because nobody can predict for sure.

I like the idea of checking places of similar square footage you're looking at

As an example-I know about myself I'm always drawn to (well designed) smaller properties.

Was very hard to find 4 bedroom in our price range-I was constantly drawn to houses that were smaller. Well this one as I told already was smaller than we needed too-and then we gutted and added. Stupid endeavor, it was. I learned a lot, tons-but if I didn't, I wouldn't know what I missed either)) Don't get me wrong we're very attached to the house. Yet still.

In any case. Not sure how helpful I am right now. But whatever you decide to do..it is emotional yes, and big change. Maybe share here whenever you wish, these are good boards. Read different threads-if ou haven't yet. We can recommend books as well. Maybe you'll find buildng highly rewarding, with all work and time and energy that goes into it.

Based on your description of your situation, I would look for an existing 2-3 bedroom, one-story house that is close proximity to shopping, medical, and other services you need as you get older. Moving to a house that was close to services, and limiting (or eliminating) your need to drive or own a car would really lower your expenses.

Envision yourself as unwilling to drive more than a few blocks and with limited walking endurance, and then determine how you would live in that new house and make trips to the grocery store, pharmacy, etc.. Look at bus service, train service and other ways you could get around if you decided to sell your car. Also consider how you would navigate around the house and get your daily tasks accomplished (bathe, dress, cook, etc.) if you were injured and had to use a wheelchair or walker for support.

Bruce

^^ Bruce gives great advice; ditto that.

5,896 sq ft house sounds wonderful. What do you mean "it was never finished"? No heating, no insulation, no plumbing, no flooring? You have mentioned you fixed 1 unit already. You could live in 1 unit, rent out 1 unit, and save up to finish the 3rd unit later as the 2nd rental. Many people would love to own a property with rental opportunity on site. How many sq ft in each unit? Did you include the garages, basement, attic in the 5,896 sq ft? Unheated area shouldn't be a part of sq ft. What's the new sq ft for the heated area? 1 unit might be prefect for 2 people. :-)

@summersrhythm_z6a Lots of questions I don't really know the answers to! By "never finished" I pretty much mean the third unit. It's basically storage with unfinished rooms. It has some painted walls. When Mom and I moved in after Grandma died, Mom had heating installed (not sure what Grandma used other than a heater in the kitchen and a fireplace in the "east room") but a pipe froze and burst not too long after, so there's no heat in the third unit or in the top floor (there are two daylight basements and two other floors. It's built on a hill/slope.) I live in the main unit and have "Unit 2" listed in Furnished Finder. I had one awesome tenant for two months, but have no current leads and prefer it to be vacant in the winter, because the heat cannot be divided, and the bill would be astronomical. Especially with people working remotely from home! Trust me, I've thought of everything and before I got married for the first time two years ago (at age 53), I figured I would do just what you suggested. (My husband and I do not yet live together - a whole 'nother story.) I would love to be able to keep it and renovate the entire place, but I just don't have the funds, and am not as "vigorous" as I used to be. Bad back, kidney transplant = lower energy, and all that. I'm not sure of each unit's square footage, but they are good-sized. I'm not sure if the garage is included in the sq. footage, but I'm assuming it is. The main unit, where Mom and I live(d) would even house three comfortably. Four if the "office" were used as a bedroom. This is not counting the upstairs. Otherwise... more! There's a bathroom up there never finished. There are two "NOS" sink/tub/toilet sets still in their crates. One upstairs, one down. The unit I fixed up is two bed, one bath. I love my home. It has so much character and beauty to it. Rock walls, beautiful trees... It also was built with quality materials. I'm hoping that at some point maybe there would be a multi-generational family who could buy it, because it kills me to think it will be torn down. My grandmother planned on her and her two sisters living together but separately, but the youngest sister died at 55, so it never came to fruition. If you know anyone who would be interested in purchasing it at some point to renovate... :)

Now I understand what you meant unfinished. Do you know any licensed electricians? You could change the rental unit to electric heating with its own meter. That would be easier for you to rent it out long term. If you are in the countryside, it might not be that expensive. It won’t hurt to get some free estimates. It would be much cheaper than new build. Where are you located? Which state?

@summersrhythm_z6a I'm in Portland, Oregon. I do know an electrician. He said it'd cost about $50k to rewire the entire house. I never thought about just switching out the spare unit to electric heat. I like the idea of short-term rental, fully furnished, so I don't have to worry about getting rid of a bunch of furnishings right now. Although my first tenant was so great I wish she could have stayed. But still, it all comes down to $$. My boiler is going out and I've been staying warm with fires in two fireplaces and an electric oil heater. Monday they'll be here, and it'll cost close to $9,000. I had been saving to put a roof on the rental house next door, but there goes that savings. That roof 'should' last another couple years. I'm praying! I only happened to have that money because I withdrew too much out of my retirement to pay estate taxes. I don't make that much money and what I have won't last. Keeping up the entire property will break me, physically and financially. I need something I don't have to worry much about until I'm dead!

Over the past 43 years, I've moved 18 times. As long as you keep moving, the Grim Reaper can't find you.

All the points to consider are covered by the posters above. Except: the catalogue of a failed modular home builder from three decades ago may not be the best starting point for a new design.

Could you split off a couple of acres for yourself and sell the rest of the property for enough to put a home on the two acres? An investor who does rentals would probably love this property. Perhaps contacting a local apartment owners and managers association could help you.

@mainenell I only have about an acre and a half. The last few days I've been thinking of seeing how I could divide it up, and maybe finding a developer who would build what I want with as much (reasonable) space as I want.

Oh, thought you said 12 acres or something like that. In that case you will have to see what zoning says the minimum lot size is.

@Seabornman I'd like to thank you twice for your input! I've been working for several years on trying to get rid of stuff in this house. I "chip away" at an enormous task. I constantly think about asking if I can be furloughed and take unemployment just so I have time to work on it. I'm beginning to think there really isn't a lot of valuable stuff here, just a lot of mediocre stuff, and stuff that no one collects anymore. I talked to one lady and an estate sale would not work here. She said an auction would be best. There are areas in this house that I've never even dug into, and would like to see what's there first, but I'm getting to the point where my mind may change. A simple life sounds wonderful.

P.S. I also need to help my husband with his house. His mother died 10 months after mine, so we both have a house full of stuff to deal with. Once we do one, we can think about actually living together! Until then, I'll keep digging a tunnel with a spoon.

@mainenell Last I checked, it's R9. I hate the thought of losing the back (it's great wildlife habitat - I have rabbits, owls, newts, crawdads, lots of birds, and the occasional coyote) to cheap homes packed in there. Thought maybe I could take up two spaces and maybe put four or five more.

Honestly, this home is draining your life. If an estate sale person won’t tackle it, there is probably, as you are saying, not enough stuff of value to warrant the time you are spending on this property. It is an albatross around your neck. Have two or three Realtors look at it to give you an idea of market value. Tell the Realtor you choose you need professional help to clear it out. Do not remodel, spend money updating, or fixing. Sell it “as is”. Someone with energy will see this as an opportunity. Let them buy it and use their vision and money, not you. Find a nice rental and move in while waiting for the sale. Be realistic about the pricing and be willing to take less. Get your life back. Get peace and serenity back. You will make yourself sick trying to do this; it is not worth your mental and physical health to continue to do something you are not able to do. For example, one of my sons in law loves to remodel and doesn’t mind the upheaval and the mess. The other son in law needs everything finished before he can comfortably and peacefully live in a house. There is nothing wrong with either approach-what is necessary is to know which one will give you order and peace in your life.

geegeegee although it will hurt it sounds like you need to order a dumpster and start filling it. If you have been chipping away and it sounds like allowing the place to deteriorate it is time.

You have two problems actually three if you include your husband. The house has stuff in it. As you continue to live in it you will add to that stuff. It may not be as much stuff as you have been chipping away but it still fills up space. You can not maintain the house as it is and the more time you take to clear it the worse it will become. The lack of maintenance also increases the spoilage of the contents. Until the house has a lot less stuff in it you can not sell it.

You need also to be honest about your rental. An unused space deteriorates. Unless your tenant had planned on only living there a short time there was a problem with it. Which means it is unlikely you will rent it.

We ( two of us ) have a 2000 square foot home that’s just the right size EXCEPT that it’s two stories, which I’m not a fan of. Our second home is well over 3000 square feet but we prefer it , even though a little too large, because it’s a very open single level home. For us , an approximate 2400 square foot single level would be perfect. But we don’t accumulate a lot of extra “stuff”. I just donated 4 pieces of nice art to our local American Cancer Society Discovery shop today.

My husband and I retired to Florida. We moved from a large 4000 sq ft, 1 1/2 acre house into a 2,000 sq ft., 1/4 acre, ranch. At the time, we thought we needed this size because we both had hobbies which required room. Husband is a pianist and a music buff. Large speakers, tons of CD's, records (vinyl).

I was trying to find a house where he could play music that wouldn't overwhelm the house!

I'm a orchid grower and needed a yard and space outside. We needed a spare bedroom for family when they visit. We knew a condo wouldn't work.

We've been here for 8 yrs. and my husbands health has taken a downturn in the last year. He now just listens to Spotify on a small Bose speaker in the living room and due to Covid, cannot go to his audiophile groups nor do his work at the library in the music archives. The pandemic seems to have taken away the things he loved most.

I still love my yard and grow areas, but am starting to realize that if I had to live alone, I wouldn't need all this space.

Look at your lifestyle and your age and how long you would be able to manage the size house you might choose. Be realistic as much as possible. If it helps, I am 72 and husband 88.

If just you and your wife, you could probably live comfortably in a 1,200 sq ft., unless you have hobbies or need office space. Personally, I would keep the land if at all possible. It doesn't sound like it requires maintenance and would provide privacy and solace.

Good luck in your decision.

Jane

@remodeling1840 Thank you for your input, and I know you're right. I used to be very active. Snowboarding was my LIFE for many years, and now I worry about the price of a lift ticket. I just wanted to clarify the reason why an estate sale wouldn't work: This house is sort of like the Winchester Mansion. Lots of funky stairs and passages where I can't have people just wandering through.

@maifleur03 I do want to rent a dumpster, but winter isn't the right time. There's plenty of stuff that won't hurt to get rid of, and may be the easier place to start. Once I get rid of actual junk, I'll have space to sort out the good stuff and see what I'm really dealing with. My spare unit is a furnished, short-term rental only, at this time. Being as it's actually a part of my home, I'm being particular about who I rent it to. The gal who rented it for two months LOVED it, but she's another Californian moving up this way and only needed a place while she looked for a new home. She bought a condo up in Washington. Ends up she HATES it there, and if I'm still here in two years, she wants to sell her condo and rent my space again while she looks for a place in Portland, so that ought to say SOMEthing about it

@jane__ny I think I would be happy in a smaller house, a very large garage, and space to dig in the dirt a little. My husband and I both have motorcycles, and I happen to be a female gearhead, with two classic cars; one of which I've been thinking of selling just because I don't really have the time (& money, lol) for all of them like I used to. I have been taking into account my age and all that, as well, and want a single-level. The back lot really doesn't require a ton of maintenance. I mow it and every so often take my loppers or bowsaw back there. I do want a room for my music stuff, as well. I'm a drummer, but haven't played for quite some time. I have a small business - if you could call it that. It's more of a hobby business now, but I don't work on it much at all anymore. I quit my weekly gig 5 or 6 years ago in order to concentrate on Voodoostx - hand-painted drumsticks, but I didn't concentrate enough! I actually need to paint some more sticks and check the store where I sell them. I appreciate your response and hope your husband will be ok. I wasn't going to get into it here, but my other issue is Husband wants to move out of Oregon. He just turned 64, had open heart surgery in January and started smoking again about a month ago! I don't want to move away and end up being a widow who just left her home and support system. I'm 55 and have an 11-year old transplanted kidney.

This might sound like an odd suggestion, but....once we get through this Covid thing, why not try some short term rentals for a vacation or two? Try on different sized places. See how they work for you. Do you like open concept, or your privacy? Your own bathroom? A three bedroom? A separate family room vs. one living room? Do you need a dining room? Try different sized homes on for size. It will help you understand what you want, what you need, what you can afford. Good luck!

@ptreckel <chuckle> We planned on that when we were planning on exploring Idaho (that's where Husband wanted to move to) but yes, Covid came along and screwed it up. We went to Idaho, but stayed in an Inn and a motel. Husband doesn't mention Idaho so much anymore...

ptreckel and Bruce have great ideas about how to figure out what works for you.
I agree with the posters above who suggest you cut your losses, sell your place, and start fresh. If you cannot maintain your home, it will become less appealing to buyers as time goes on.
I’m 70, newly retired, and have lived happily in a 1600 sqft 100-year-old house with a pretty garden and a deck for 35 years. While my kids were growing up it felt a bit small, but we made it work. Now that there are just two of us, it’s perfect.

There are two of us in a 1500 sq. ft. house. We're house-hunting and our needs are two bedrooms, an office, which could be a third bedroom, two bathrooms, and two living areas--one for TV viewing and one for quiet activities when the other is watching TV. That could be a bedroom with a sitting area.

Peace on the road! I am a lady rider also! :-) I hope you could stay there for a long while, try to rent out 1 unit again and save up to fix the other. Your place is charming. Are you near any hospitals? Med school students need places to stay for rotations , and residency doctors can stay for 3-5 years. They work hard and never home. You can even rent out per room. Does the rental unit have separate entrance? I like properties that have multiple units, it creates opportunities for extra income. A small place won't have this option.

@summersrhythm_z6a Cool, peace on the road back! I am very near a few/several hospitals/clinics. I have a listing on Furnished Finder. Do you know if med school students and residency doctors use that site, or how they find housing? Yes, separate entrance. If you look at the middle picture, my spare unit is to the right. The balcony leads to the front door.

Thanks! That's awesome! I am not sure if they use Funished Finder though. I know they check Craigslist, Zillow in my area. Do you know anyone who works at your local hospitals? Some hospitals have post board at stuff rest area. I once had a nurse tenant, she mentioned that. There are also many traveling nurses between hospitals, they look for short term rentals. Rental ad on Zillow is free. You could start with that. Craigslist could be a jungle. A couple of my friends use facebook for apartment rentals. Do you have Landlord Assoc in your area? They can also help you with good ideas. The best thing to do is to talk to local landlords, and learn from them. There are many ways to rent out your unit, you just need to seek harder. You can do it! :-)

It doesn't sound like renovating and landlording are a good fit for your temperament, so I'd recommend you sell the place and buy (not build) something else with your husband. Set a goal, like by next June you want to both have your respective places emptied and be in a new (to you both) place. Break the work of decluttering down into monthly and weekly buckets, keep each other accountable, maybe swap weekends helping the other, and git 'er done!

By the same token, I would recommend you buy existing, not build new. The latter is more expensive and takes a lot more time and work, and your time would be better spent nesting with your new spouse.

As for how much space you need? That depends on you, your visitors, and your lifestyle. Mr. Weedy and I are empty nesters, and we first lived in a 4200 sf house, which was too big, then severely downsized to 940 sf, which was too small (we did add 200 sf which made it a lot better), and now are in 2500 sf with an 1800 sf pole barn, which seems just right. But that's us and you are you. We have guests/visitors and lots of mechanic and remodeling tools, so that's how we found our "just right" size. Sounds like you need a decent sized garage for your motorcycles and related tools.

So start househunting together, and use the future purchase as a motivator to get both of your existing houses cleaned out and sold.