Is anyone skipping their "starter home"?

[actuarial]

We skipped our starter home (moving into new build in October).

We were approved for a lot more than we purchased (implying starter home), but I don't really consider 2200 sqft and 4 bedrooms a starter. We did do the minimum down route (something like 7% was the builders policy, it was a flat amount). I figure we'll live there until we have teenagers (so for a looooong time from now).

 

[DisgruntledVirus]

Originally posted by: SacrosanctFiend

Originally posted by: waggy

Originally posted by: SacrosanctFiend

Originally posted by: Descartes

Originally posted by: DougK62
LOL, only on ATOT does everyone own a McMansion and think that having a family of three in a 1500 sq.ft. house is "cramped".

I grew up in houses around 1500sf with a family of four, sometimes smaller. There's no question in my mind that it's cramped, because we were cramped. You're practically stepping on one another, especially if you have active kids that have their own hobbies, etc. A nice basement and/or yard helps though.

I agree that people talking about 8ksf houses as small as being disillusioned with the real world though.

Good lord. I never said it was small, nor did I say it wasn't enough room. I said, "it wasn't enough room all the time." Guess what? It wasn't all the time. People need to learn to read and understand idioms.

i find it hard to beleive that in a house that big you couldnt have enough room any time you wanted.

I don't know how to explain it without listing every type of room we had, what rules were in place for certain areas of the house, what percentage of the house certain rooms had (which I'm not going to do)...sure, I could always been in my room and been comfortable, but who wants to stay in their bedroom (watch out, this is an idiom) all the time?

Well artificially limiting the space available in an 8000 sq ft home (i.e. parents not allowing you to use/be in certain rooms except in special situations) makes it smaller sure. Honestly though I can't think of any time when it could feel "cramped" for a family of 4. My ex with a family of 11 (and the kids SO also) regularly had 15+ people in the home, and there was not once that I felt there wasn't enough space.

Can you give just one example of how it could feel like you were stepping on one anothers toes?

Oh and FWIW a second ex of mine lived in a home of about 4000 sq ft, and a family of 4. That wasn't cramped either.

 

[CRXican]

enough about the stupid 8000sqft home already

who gives a fuck

 

[middlehead]

I wouldn't doubt if my ideas change over time, but as of this moment, I don't plan on buying a house until I can get what I want. I'm not buying a house just to have a house.

 

[rasczak]

Originally posted by: SacrosanctFiend

Originally posted by: Fritzo

Originally posted by: SacrosanctFiend

Originally posted by: Fritzo
He's a rich boy! LET'S GET 'IM!!!!!!!

I'm not. I currently live in ~1100sq.ft. of space.

OK then...but we're keeping an eye on you.

Great, only a matter of time before the paranoia sets in...

**Taps sacrosant's shoulder**

BOO!

 

[HardcoreRobot]

i went for 'starter' home. my reasoning, if the value increases at the rate of interest you are gonna break even in the long term, if its better than that you will come out ahead by getting in early. obviously in the short term the market has dropped, and if i had waited i could have gotten a lot more for my money. BUT, i have also had the privilege of having my own place and not paying rent for 2 years which has some intrinsic value.

since loans are harder to come by now and down payments are important again, i bet you will find more people waiting and saving though

 

[vi edit]

Like a couple people pointed out, starter homes are nice because you don't really know what you want or don't want until you live in a house for a while. Some people may be perfectly happy in a 1400 sq/ft 2 BR 1 bath home. Some people may need more, a lot more. Some people might like a lot of yard to roam around, others see it as excessive work for no real gain. Plus there's intangible things like neighborhoods, schools, proximity of shopping/dining/ect.

Very few people are in the position to immediately hop right into their "dream" homes for their first purchase. You are still young in your career with probably more loans to your name than savings. You are a couple promotions away from really having a nice paying job.

You do have to make some compromises, and that's where a starter home comes in to play. Plus if your first house doesn't have everything you want, then you really appreciate those things A LOT more once you do get them.

 

[hanoverphist]

i bought my starter home 11 years ago... wish i could sell it and buy something a bit closer to kids schools and my work tho.

 

[lokiju]

Originally posted by: sdifox

Originally posted by: lokiju
Yes, I already bought my starter home.

While it's not the home I'd like to keep forever, it is big enough to do the trick if need be.

It's a 4 bedroom 2 bath with 2 car garage.

Only things I'd like to have in another home would be a basement and a larger back yard/more land. Also a half bath would be nice.

you have 2 bathroom but don't have a half bath? or do you mean you want 2.5?

Yeah.

I have 2 baths right now but would like in a future home to have 2.5 baths.

 

[sdifox]

Originally posted by: lokiju

Originally posted by: sdifox

Originally posted by: lokiju
Yes, I already bought my starter home.

While it's not the home I'd like to keep forever, it is big enough to do the trick if need be.

It's a 4 bedroom 2 bath with 2 car garage.

Only things I'd like to have in another home would be a basement and a larger back yard/more land. Also a half bath would be nice.

you have 2 bathroom but don't have a half bath? or do you mean you want 2.5?

Yeah.

I have 2 baths right now but would like in a future home to have 2.5 baths.

mine is 3 bedroom, 2.5 bath. That excludes the basement that is configured as a rental unit with kitchen, bath, bedroom and living room with separate entrance of course.

Each floor is 1400sqft and garage is detached.

Sits on a 50.5x211 lot... I need a flame-thrower instead of a lawnmower.

 

[rh71]

Originally posted by: DougK62
...and think that having a family of three in a 1500 sq.ft. house is "cramped".

It is cramped. We have 2 kids but even with 1 kid their toys have to go somewhere... their highchairs... their almost-daily laundry... it's all sitting out between the "den" and "living/dining room" in spaces we walk through. And then we have our stuff + furniture of course. If there's anything that's needed, it's extra rooms.

 

[erub]

I think instead of comparing sf, we at ATOT should compare houses based on how many WiFi routers are needed to provide full coverage in every corner of the house. Then we can tell who is really ballah. My dad was complaining that he couldn't get WiFi while sitting on the toilet, so now we have 2 (helped with the back coverage as well). The house I am renting here in AZ is perfectly covered by 1, as are all the apartments I've had. So..how many?

 

[sdifox]

Originally posted by: rh71

Originally posted by: DougK62
...and think that having a family of three in a 1500 sq.ft. house is "cramped".

It is cramped. We have 2 kids but even with 1 kid their toys have to go somewhere... their highchairs... their almost-daily laundry... it's all sitting out between the "den" and "living/dining room" in spaces we walk through. And then we have our stuff + furniture of course. If there's anything that's needed, it's extra rooms.

you are 4 no? 2 adult 2 kids?

 

[lokiju]

Originally posted by: erub
I think instead of comparing sf, we at ATOT should compare houses based on how many WiFi routers are needed to provide full coverage in every corner of the house. Then we can tell who is really ballah. My dad was complaining that he couldn't get WiFi while sitting on the toilet, so now we have 2 (helped with the back coverage as well). The house I am renting here in AZ is perfectly covered by 1, as are all the apartments I've had. So..how many?

We talking 802.11g or n?

2 G's or 1 N for me 😛

 

[child of wonder]

My family is still in our starter home we purchased 2.5 years ago. It's a split foyer, about 1800 sq ft., 4 beds, 2 baths, 3 stall garage, 13,000 sq ft yard. Our kids are 6 and 4. We plan on staying in it until either I get a great job offer in another city or the housing market recovers and we make more money.

As of now, we're not cramped and the house fits our needs. I don't anticipate "growing out of it" for at least 3 years.

 

[BlahBlahYouToo]

Originally posted by: SacrosanctFiend

Originally posted by: waggy

Originally posted by: SacrosanctFiend

Originally posted by: Descartes

Originally posted by: DougK62
LOL, only on ATOT does everyone own a McMansion and think that having a family of three in a 1500 sq.ft. house is "cramped".

I grew up in houses around 1500sf with a family of four, sometimes smaller. There's no question in my mind that it's cramped, because we were cramped. You're practically stepping on one another, especially if you have active kids that have their own hobbies, etc. A nice basement and/or yard helps though.

I agree that people talking about 8ksf houses as small as being disillusioned with the real world though.

Good lord. I never said it was small, nor did I say it wasn't enough room. I said, "it wasn't enough room all the time." Guess what? It wasn't all the time. People need to learn to read and understand idioms.

i find it hard to beleive that in a house that big you couldnt have enough room any time you wanted.

I don't know how to explain it without listing every type of room we had, what rules were in place for certain areas of the house, what percentage of the house certain rooms had (which I'm not going to do)...sure, I could always been in my room and been comfortable, but who wants to stay in their bedroom (watch out, this is an idiom) all the time?

plz stfu. thx.

 

[SacrosanctFiend]

Originally posted by: BlahBlahYouToo
plz stfu. thx.

cihpittfoth. idkwydtbiapaarlt. pgwitafstfu. k? thx! l8tr.

 

[Electric Amish]

I am still in my starter home after 14 years.

 

[Turin39789]

"One cannot conceive anything so strange and so implausible that it has not already been said by one philosopher or another."

Originally posted by: SacrosanctFiend
Lord, I spent 4 years in a ~8000 sq.ft. house with one sibling and it wasn't enough space all the time.

You are contradicting yourself.

 

[SacrosanctFiend]

Originally posted by: Turin39789

"One cannot conceive anything so strange and so implausible that it has not already been said by one philosopher or another."

Originally posted by: SacrosanctFiend
Lord, I spent 4 years in a ~8000 sq.ft. house with one sibling and it wasn't enough space all the time.

You are contradicting yourself.

A spoiled child is not strange, nor implausible, so I fail to see how I contradict myself.

 

[AdamK47]

My house is 1500 square feet if you don't count the garage. One story with no basement. It's just my wife and I. Really don't need anymore space. It's a 3 bedroom 1 and 1/2 bath. My wife has her hobby room and I have my computer room. It was a fraction of what we could have gotten. It affords other pleasures in life.

 

[Turin39789]

Originally posted by: AdamK47
My house is 1500 square feet if you don't count the garage. One story with no basement. It's just my wife and I. Really don't need anymore space. It's a 3 bedroom 1 and 1/2 bath. My wife has her hobby room and I have my computer room. It was a fraction of what we could have gotten. It affords other pleasures in life.

Vette, Maro, Goat

 

[Drako]

I'm still living in my "starter home". Been in it over 20 years now. My original plan was to live in it for 5 years, then maybe move into something bigger.

There have been many times over the years when moving up contemplated, but never acted upon. Particularly right before and after I got married.

 

[krylon]

Originally posted by: sdifox

Originally posted by: DisgruntledVirus
I lived in an ~1800 sq ft home, with mom and stepdad. We had 3 dogs (great dane, collie, and lab), and I had an iguana as well. We had plenty of room, and was about the right size house for us. I had a friend who lived with us for a few months, and there was plenty of space for the 4 of us+dogs in it.

I don't want a house much over 2000 sq ft, and don't plan on having kids (want to get a vasectomy actually).

Oh and to the dude who said that an 8000 sq ft home was small for a family of 4. I dated a girl for a bit who grew up in a house that was 8000 sq ft, with a 3000 sq ft basement, and a 1250 sq ft garage. She had 8 siblings, and two parents. They had PLENTY of space, and she said that they weren't "cramped" or anything. I seriously doubt you grew up in an 8000 sq ft home. For those of you who want to see the house.

wow... that is huge...

That's what she said

 

[AdamK47]

Originally posted by: Turin39789

Originally posted by: AdamK47
My house is 1500 square feet if you don't count the garage. One story with no basement. It's just my wife and I. Really don't need anymore space. It's a 3 bedroom 1 and 1/2 bath. My wife has her hobby room and I have my computer room. It was a fraction of what we could have gotten. It affords other pleasures in life.

Vette, Maro, Goat

Exactly