How much space do you need?

rayb · Hot Air Balloon

How much space do you need?

Euphrasie · Senior Bucketkeeper

Hard to say. The bigger the house, the more there is to clean and maintain. However, if you're in too small a space, there's no where to put things, and it feels crowded.

I would love to have a whole room (or at least a large pantry) to put shelving in for my food storage. It's much more difficult to rotate things when they're part of the furniture. But...while kids are home, we're probably okay with 4 bedrooms (unless we have a lot more kids than seem likely currently). Yard area's not a big deal to me. I don't garden well enough to justify too large an area anyway.

Roper · Senior Bucketkeeper

If you want to take in foster children or adopt children through any state agency in Texas, you have to prove that the child will have a certain amount of private space--they send inspectors to verify. We have some friends who are going through the process right now. I can't remember exactly how many sq ft is required per child, but I remember it being more than any of our own children have ever had.

For me, it's more about time. I function much better when I get about an hour of uninterrupted time to recharge every day. The logistics of our home means that I get that hour in the mornings before everyone else is awake. I guess that gives me space, too--I have the living room and kitchen all to myself.

rayb · Hot Air Balloon

When we moved to washington we moved into a house in which each of the kids could have their own room, but prior to that we'd all lived in the same room for nearly a month waiting for the mortgage to close. At first, in the close quarters we would bump into each other, though we'd come from a townhome, it was really cramped. Imagine a family of five living (three little girls and a very pregnant wife) in one room with a tiny kitchenette, every movement ended in someone crying or accidentally bumping into another. Yet we learned to live together without bumping and we actually got along very well. The first night we tried to put all the girls in seperate rooms. When we woke up in the morning, they were all sleeping in the same room. They just liked being together. Even now (with two more children in the family) we still have a spare room, because the kids don't care about their own space as much as they enjoy being together. (I'm sure that'll change with puberty... (Ugh... four girls pubescing at one time...) then Dad will need his own house somewhere far away...)

I find we use the extra space in our house differently than most folk. We always have fold-out tables setup in the house, and there's always some puzzle, or craft project, or scrapbooking scrap, or book club gathering. We enjoy the space so we can have others over, and for that we feel very privileged, but at the same time, I like to think that someday when the kids have grown and gone away, we'll move back into a little townhome that's extremely low maintenance.

--Ray

Ros · Senior Member

Our reality is that no matter how large the house we only live in about two rooms. Our current abode is quite perfect for us. We have the requisite "home teacher room" that is always acceptable and triples as music room and library. We have dining space and family space. We each have our own room, the kid, the master bedroom and my sewing, crafting, project, storage, throw stuff into when there's no where else to put it room. (I find that regardless of the size of the house, this room will materialize whether you plan for it or not.) We have office "space" in the middle of the family space and, our splurge, the home theatre, which is just a room with couches, surround sound and a treadmill.

The yard is just big enough to throw a football, grow tomatoes and play basketball. I finally have a garage that my car will fit in and I wonder how I ever lived without it.

In truth, we are incredibly blessed. My husband made some very good financial decisions regarding our home purchases that have enabled us to live in far, far, far better homes and neighborhoods than our income would normally allow.

I think we could live in a camper and get used to it pretty quick....I would only miss the piano.

bokbadok · Senior Bucketkeeper

(Ugh... four girls pubescing at one time...) then Dad will need his own house somewhere far away...)

Take poor Lionel with you.

I like to think that someday when the kids have grown and gone away, we'll move back into a little townhome that's extremely low maintenance.

Yeah, but they keep coming back, and bringing more bodies with them.

What we need are accordian houses: expand when the family reunion week comes, scrunch back down small after everyone goes home.

-- Edited by bokbadok at 09:30, 2007-02-23

TitusTodd · Senior Member

From what I understand, Roper, Texas has relaxed the space requirements somewhat. I was talking to a friend of mine who has adopted (after fostering) three kids in addition to their original two. From what he told me, our small house would probably get approved for six kids as long as girls and boys over six are segregated.

As far as what kind of space do we need is concerned, the term need is the key. Space we truly need is also determined by what stuff we truly need to have. Having merely what we need we can do with little space.

Now, my dream house includes a library for all the books I have in boxes and stacked in closets, my genealogy materials and my computer. There would also be a sewing and craft room for my wife so that she could have easier access to all her material and supplies that are located in boxes and stuffed under our bed. I really think with easier access to some of our stuff would result in more usefulness obtained from them.

Believe me, I can get more carried away with what my dream home would contain but the above are higher priority desires.

Cat Herder · Understander of unimportant things

"Space... We need more of it..."

http://www.cygnus-x1.net/links/lcars/STW.php

Oh, give me land, lots of land
Under starry skies above,
Don't fence me in.
Let me ride through the wild open
Country that I love,
Don't fence me in.
Let me be by myself in the evening breeze-
Listen to the murmer of the cottonwood trees,
Send me off forever, but I ask you please,
Don't fence me in.
Just turn me loose,
Let me straddle my old saddle
Underneath the western sky.
On my cayuse,
Let me wander over yonder
Till I see the mountains rise.
I want to ride to the ridge
Where the west commences,
Gaze at the moon till I lose my senses,
Can't look at hobbles and I can't stand fences,
Don't fence me in.

Unfortunately, the concept of not fencing in has taken an absurd twist in modern day suburbia... almost to the point of "Your land is our land, it isn't your land. Don't tell us to get off, don't run dogs or kids off. Don't plant no garden, it'll lower our home values. Make sure your house is pretty too."

arbilad · Head Chef

Cat, your window coverings are the wrong shade of blue. I'm afraid that the HOA will have to fine you.

salesortonscom · Wise and Revered Master

The concept of need smacks of communism. Really,we only need one room for a couple, right? I say that if you can afford it and you want a big house then get one. If you want to live a minimalistic life then go for it. There are many even in the U.S. that want the government to force me to only have so many square feet, so much MCDonalds, and so much gas. To heck with them. They deserve a Boot to the Head for their arrogance. This is america not Bejing.

rayb · Hot Air Balloon

Hooray for Communism!!!

--Ray

Roper · Senior Bucketkeeper

If you put the scroll bar just right, you can get Arbi's "Comrade Secretary" title, the red star, Jason's statement about Beijing, and Ray's statement about communism all on the screen at the same time.

All we need now is somebody with a nym of "Nixon" to post on this thread next--this week is the 35th anniversary of his visit.

That would be surreal...

salesortonscom · Wise and Revered Master

Roper wrote:

If you put the scroll bar just right, you can get Arbi's "Comrade Secretary" title, the red star, Jason's statement about Beijing, and Ray's statement about communism all on the screen at the same time.

All we need now is somebody with a nym of "Nixon" to post on this thread next--this week is the 35th anniversary of his visit.

That would be surreal...

Not surreal, a communist conspiracy by Ray and his Red Brothers. I'm calling for hearings!

rayb · Hot Air Balloon

Haven't I made it clear that I'm sympathetic to the Red states!?

Kevin · Veteran Member

I'd rather be in a single wide on 20 acres than an 8-bedroom on 1/4 acre.

rayb · Hot Air Balloon

that's an interesting choice. Where would the 20 acres be? In Oklahoma in Tornado Alley?

Mahonri · Senior Bucketkeeper

We own 8 acres in Utah Valley. I'm hoping that some day we can build a retirement home there. Until then we get by with our 2300 sq feet with 7 kids and we bump into each other a bunch. It's nice in the summer because we spend a bunch of time in the pool on our .25 acres. (tiny lot) When #1 went off to Utah to school, we noticed how much more room we seemed to have. He's coming home for spirng break in a couple of weeks to get his endowments and to get ready for his mission to the great northwest of the US. (Oregon Eugene (spanish speaking)).

Glad my wife and I can cope with all of these kids... we don't have any free space and I feel I need it at times. The little girl is much harder to deal with than the previous 6 boys. Ah life.

rayb · Hot Air Balloon

Congrats on the son's mission call! Oregon is a peculiar state... I have a good friend who lives in Salem and we visit her from time to time. :)

--Ray

Mahonri · Senior Bucketkeeper

Wow... wonder if we have the same friend in Salem.... my friend is a RS president there. :0)

rayb · Hot Air Balloon

Doubt it. She's a single mom. Super person, but no RS pres. :)

--Ray