Could you move to a smaller house?

luvmykids wrote: I have been checking out potential places in GA and all the places I really love are a lot smaller than our house now. I like to think we could downsize a little, but realistically I think it's about impossible

I even got motivated to start packing up stuff for a garage sale and as ruthless as I was, I don't think I could get rid of 1000sf worth of stuff

I know lots of people with the same number of kids live in 2200-2500sf, I just can't figure out what to do with all our stuff

redchief replied: If we downsized we'd be in the lawn mower shed.

maestra replied: 2200 sq ft? That would be a dream! We have two kids and expecting our third, and we have a 1300 sq ft house.

Calimama replied: Yep.. I could make it work anywhere with my family but it would be hard downsizing by 1000 sg ft!!

mom21kid2dogs replied: We're living with Ed & Lisa & crew in the shed!
1850 sf but it's been paid off for 10 years!

Our Lil' Family replied: I doubt it! Soon we'll be 3 people in 2000 sf in our new house and that was the smallest I was willing to go. Eventually we'll be 4 but still I can't imagine 5 and sometimes 6....no way!

BUT, what I learned while we were deciding on a floor plan was this....if the sq ft is good in the areas that count (bed rooms, family room) then it's doable. For instance I chose a slightly smaller home because the 3 other bedrooms were considerably larger, the master bed and bath are smaller but not enough to make that big of a difference, and we're hardly in there anyway. I really wanted the kids bedrooms to be a decent size as well as the family room.

Got some links to share? I LOVE LOVE LOVE looking at houses!

lovemy2 replied: We went from 1100 sq ft to 1800 sq ft added a kid and I think we now need at least 2500 sq ft It is amazing how fast you can fill up a house - our new house seemed bare when we moved into it - I got rid of ALOT when we moved but it has all come back ten fold....

How big is your house now?

DillsMommy replied: I don't think I could move to a smaller house.
Before we moved into our house we lived in a 900sf apartment--when there was 3 of us. Then when I got pregnant with peyton, we knew there was NO way that was gonna be big enough. So now our home is about 1700 sf and it feels huge because I was used to the apartment. I think it's the perfect size for us. The kids bedrooms are on the smaller side--but for now--it works!

mommy~to~a~bunch replied: We're at about 2400 s.f. right now with our family of 8, and we *could* do a smaller one if we had to. I would have to do a LOT of decluttering though. Our house is on the market right now.

My3LilMonkeys replied: It would be difficult, but we could probably do it if we had to - right now we're in about 1100 sf and there will be 5 of us soon. To go smaller it would definitely have to be laid out just right.

coasterqueen replied: We live in a ~2400 sq ft house and then another 1000 in the basement. We used to think the house was too huge before we had kids, but now I'd say it's just right. There are times when it feels pretty crowded, but that's when I start decluttering.

I'm not sure I could go down a 1000 but if I had to, I would.

luvmykids replied:
I didn't know you were getting a new house! Congrats, and pics please!

The market is weird there, houses are either super cheap or super expensive (compared to here) depending on how close you are to the lake. And I really want five bedrooms but there just aren't very many anywhere These are the two I like in the strict confines DH has given me for where he wants to be....but I may have to work on that because all the houses I REALLY love are outside that little box

http://www.crispareamls.com/default.asp?co...312648&sortby=2

http://www.crispareamls.com/default.asp?co...312648&sortby=2

There are lots of them that are bigger, more bedrooms, etc but in the wrong area

This is in the perfect spot (DH could take a golf cart to work ), right number of bedrooms, everything is just right....but out of my price range But when we drove by it took my breath away, it's right in the middle of a pecan orchard and soooo beautiful
http://www.crispareamls.com/default.asp?co...312820&sortby=2

Our Lil' Family replied: I REALLY like the 2nd one!! Ok, well who wouldn't want the 3rd one but OMG, that's a little pricy!
I like the outside of the 2nd one better and LOVE the back porch. I tried to zoom on the floor plan but couldn't, but I did see a feature that is a must for me, the laundry room next to the garage!!!!!!!!!!! Definitely a plus in my book. I did like the 1st one too, really nice kitchen, like the granite, but I think, without having walked in either, I'd pick #2.

Maybe Jeff will bend a little if you explain that you'd like something bigger.

luvmykids replied: He doesn't like the second one because it's only an acre but I don't see the issue because we're only keeping three horses and they'll be somewhere else. The weird thing I've noticed there is NOBODY has fenced yards....do ya'll in the south just not have dogs, or what?

This is another one I really like, it's bigger but in a competing golf subdivision
http://www.crispareamls.com/default.asp?co...313121&sortby=2

This one is on my list to look at but it doesn't have very many interior pics and he says he won't even look at it because it's too far away
http://www.crispareamls.com/default.asp?co...313121&sortby=2

I like the laundry off the garage too. I'm also picky about where the back door is, I prefer it out of the kitchen or something than the dining or living room, I don't really want two story but will live with it if I have to, the kitchen has to be great and have an island or nook for a breakfast table. I REALLY want a screened porch but he can add one if we don't find a house with one.

There is a piece of land we love too, but we can't live in a tent until he gets around to building

luvbug00 replied: love the first and 3rd house.
We live in a 2 bedroom apartment but not very big. we could downsize of course but we'd rather get bigger.

Celestrina replied: Those are downsizing ? I would kill to have a place like that! Right now we have a 3 br, 1½ bath, and not much of a yard.

cameragirl21 replied: oh gosh, Monica, that third one is to die for. And I can't believe the prices...in Miami you won't find anything in the 200k range that's halfway decent, not even a condo and that plantation home would likely be well over 3 million dollars here if it were on one acre, you won't find much on more than an acre here, to us, one acre is A LOT of land.
Maybe I should move to Georgia....

luvmykids replied: I've been suprised at the prices too, even here in NM five or more acres within decent proximity to town is expensive. In GA, this part of it anyway, those properties are a dime a dozen.

stella6979 replied: OMG, I'm in love with that 3rd house! Just give me the pool and I'll be happy.

MommyToAshley replied: Of the ones in the right price range, I really like this one:
http://www.crispareamls.com/default.asp?co...313121&sortby=2
But, I suppose he won't live in a competitor's area, huh?

Maybe you could buy the land, rent for awhile and build your dream home? Just a thuoght.

Have you tried looking on http://www.realtor.com? I think they have every house in the MLS system listed.

MommyToAshley replied: As far as downsizing, well.. we need to upsize. Our house is a little smaller than the ones you are looking at. We bought this house before we had Ashley. Kids fill up a house quickly. We financed it for a shorter period of time, and DH wants to stay because we will have it completely paid off in 5 years. But, I want to move to a bigger house in a better school district.

MommyToAshley replied:
WOW Cheryl!! Good for you!

luvmykids replied:
That's a big NOPE

We've talked about renting initially, and we may end up doing it anyway since we haven't even begun to figure out what to do with our current house...I want to sell it, he wants to rent it out Even if we sell it, it will be a little while I'm sure. Plus, if we sell it, I could bump up my price range The only problem is most of the rentals are lake cottage type places...I'm a little nervous about being on the water with the kids, and talk about downsizing

I think we'll buy the land no matter what....it's too good a price and location to pass up whether we eventually build there or not. I think we'd buy one of the 12 acre plots, that price is for the whole thing
http://www.era.com/cgi-bin/listing?Property=2316525

I love this one too, but wrong location and wrong price range
http://www.era.com/cgi-bin/listing?Property=2475541

MyBlueEyedBabies replied: We found when it came down to it downsizing really wasn't difficult. We went from 2700 sq ft. to living in the IL's office and the kids were in MIL's sewing room....most of their stuff still in it too...and we had a storage unit for our furniture. Now we are in 1500-1700 (i don't remember) but we could easily go smaller...just had to prioritize what we had vs. what we want/need. Clothes were teh biggest shocker for me. I went from an over stuffed walk in closet to sharing a little portable closet bar w/ dh and we each had our own shelf on the bookcase for clothes...and it totally worked. the kids had the same wardrobe downsize and never suffered with fashion. Now we are back to big closets and dressers and I think the only thing that changed is our laundry piles up more because I don't have to do it as fast.

oh yea...you cant buy a townhouse for under $300,000 and a house in a 'good area' is going to be at least 800,000

Boys r us replied: No way!!! I love having lots of room...and I find we all get along better that way!!!
our new house is roughly the same size as our current one, just different floor plan and new view off the porch

luvbug00 replied: i'm moving to georgia, forget virginia! lol! we are supposed to be a southern state too but we don't have ANY houses that look like that! and if we did they would be at a solid 2 mil or more.

5littleladies replied: Well we could downsize if we had to-Heck, I think we could do just about anything if we had to, but since we are a family of 6 going on 7 living in around 1,400 sq. feet I would really rather not! We really don't have any problems with the size of our house right now-the only problem with it is we only have 1 bathroom and that should be fun if we are still here when the girls hit their teens!