American Opulence?

[Bobbles]

60 Minutes had an interesting article last night regarding the size of some of the new housing and the extremes that some people go to in the pursuit of bigger housing.

One guy bought a mid-size home (in Chevy Chase, MD, I think) for $750K, just so he could tear it down and build a bigger home.

Some of these homes are as large as 12,000 sq ft with just 2-4 people living in them.

So why do people do this? Just because they can?

 

[Charade]

So why do people do this? Just because they can?

No, it's because they have more money than brains.

 

[we3disneygo]

 

[froglady]

I may be way out in left field, but I believe it may have to do with crowding on the roads, in our workplace (cubicles instead of offices) at leisure activities (WDW, anyone) etc.

We feel so crowded away from home that we need more space when we finally get home. We could afford a much larger home, but have no need for it because I'm a SAHM, and DH has his own office. My parents raised 5 children in a 3 bedroom house, and that was the norm in the 50s & 60s.

A lot of people I know who are happy in smaller homes also have close access to open spaces, so they don't feel shut in.

Of course, there are always people who feel the need to have more than they need just because they can. I grew up wearing hand-me-downs until I was old enough to work, so I have a tendency to buy more clothes than I'll ever need. DH does the same with sporting equipment; he always had to use his siblings or parent's used stuff.

I also believe that TV changed the way we look at what is "average" lifestyle in this country. Keeping up with the Joneses didn't result in as much extravagance when they were only the people in your neighborhood, or even town. Now average, middle class people expect to have the same lifestyle that was once reserved for a very few.

I'm not justifying the excessive consumerism of some people, just giving a couple of possible explanations for some of it.

 

[slo]

I don't know why people do this either

You have more to clean, more to heat, more to cool, more to furnish and etc.

I am so happy with our smaller home, and I would never want a huge house. Plus, I would feel so out of touch with my girls if they were on one side of the house, and I was on the other side of the house. I like a more small, cozy home

 

[mrsltg]

I live in the DC metro area (which Chevy Chase is part of). It seems there are more and more McMansions popping up everyday. Lots of people also buy existing older homes only to level them and begin again. The problem, of course, is the new home is completely mismatched for the neighborhood. Also, people buy these gigantic homes and put them on these tiny little plots. Not far from my home is a development where the single family homes are actually connected by an archway between (big enough for one person to walk through). The bathroom windows look right into each other. They fetch top dollar, though. It is very interesting...

To the pp who mentioned open space - I can see that. I do feel crowded at work, crowded on the roads, crowded when I'm shopping, etc. My home is bigger than it needs to be (3000 sq. ft), but smaller (by far) than most of the homes in my neighborhood. Hmmmmm.... perhaps I have some reflecting to do!

 

[pearlieq]

Faux Chateaux are quite popular in the town where I grew up as well.

I think it's wasteful, irresponsible, and self-indulgent.

 

[Serena]

I agree about the need for space. Sometimes I feel claustrophobic in my house.
Luckily the window I look out of right here is just sky and trees.

I guess I should add that my house is about 800 sqf, with 2 or 3 people here.

 

[Charade]

I was watching one of those home shows a few years ago and the show was about a family (of 4 or 5) that was going to do a major remodel on their home. The new home didn't even look anything like the old home but that's not the story.

The old home was 4000 sq ft. You may think, ok, that's plenty big for a family of 4 or 5.

The new home was 8000 sq ft!! Yikes!!

Their kids needed "space" of their own for when their friends came over. Uh, yeah, like a whole nother house worth!!

Idiots.

 

[GeorgeG]

With just the two of us (plus the two cats), our two-bedroom ranch is just the right size. We live in a retirement community where most houses are occupied by only two people and there aren't any growing families. Still, there are four basic sizes of homes: villa, ranch, designer, and premier. I can see where people want extra bedrooms for visiting family, but I think for many, it has at least a little to do with ego. Also, many still maintain a home where they moved from and go north (or west) for the summer.

I don't begrudge anyone the home they want, but when we have so many homeless families in our own country I can't help but feel the balance of things is way off.

 

[ericamanda01]

Can you imagine spending all that money to make your house 8000 sf. And they what are you left with, and extra 4000 sf to clean! No thank you!
I don't understand the need for an 8000 sf home. Unless you have 10 people living in your house, it really seems like you would have a lot of unused space.

 

[sorcerormickey]

One of my Dad's cousins own his own contracting business. A few years back, he built a 10,000 sf home for himself, his wife, and 2 boys. I thought that was a little excessive.

We recently heard from him that he is building a bigger home in the same area because they "do not have enough space".

I can't even imagine what you would do with 10,000+ sf, let alone clean it!!

 

[Chicago526]

A good friend of my parents was always into "bigger and better homes". It was an ego thing. Don't get me wrong, this couple are wonderful people, very kind and generous, and raised wonderful kids. But they liked their big homes with all the bells and whistles.

We stayed with them over the years for a few weeks at a time, on long visits. I will say, having those big, nice homes is pretty cool. Room to entertain guests, a good kitchen to cook for said guests, plenty of bathrooms (they had four kids, bathrooms were quite important, I'll grant them that).

But for all the nice homes they had (and one in particular was the nicest house I've ever been in!) and all the good times we had, I still like smaller homes. Our current house is about 1300 sqft (not including the partially finished basement) and I like it just fine. I do wish the bedrooms were a smidge larger, but otherwise it's perfect for a family of 4 (maybe 5 if the family get along real well! ) I doubt I'll ever own a home more than 2000 sqft. if I can help it. Too much to clean, too much to maintain, we don't entertain much, so why have it?

The one indulgence I would like is a gormet kitchen. It doesn't have to be one of those really huge kitchens, an average sized one will do. But I'd love to the granite counter tops, the comercial stove, the really big fridge, premium cabinets, etc. I love to cook and I'd really love a kitchen worthy of a magazine spread! But that's a few years (decades?) down the road yet, we've got other priorities.

 

[goofy4tink]

We watched it last night as well. Loved the term 'Vulgaria' or 'starter castles'. Our garrison colonial has 2400 sq ft...just right for us. It's funny but in our area, that's considered small...almost a starter house. We know of at least 3 families that have to sell their 'starter castles' because of job issues. I feel badly for them. Must be hard to have to do that. And for their kids, it's a comedown. A lot of these same kids were looking down their noses at those other kids in lesser houses.
With energy prices the way they are now, I'm glad we have the house we have. I can afford to stay at home, still have a few trips to WDW each year. That's much better than worrying about having to downsize at any moment.

Can you imagine living in one of those nice, older neighborhoods, and having someone come in, and then want to bulldoze their house in order to build something huge right next door to you? I can only imagine what it must be like to live in the same nice older home for 40 years and then have to look out your bedroom window at some huge mcmansion....right there, in your face.

 

[J.C.&ALI'SMOM]

I saw that last night and had the same thought as Charade "They have way more money than sense"

$750,000 for a LOT !!! Seems like such a waste of money when there are so many that need decent housing.

 

[SandraVB79]

I want a large house later on. I am used to live in a large house now (well, it's not a mcmansion, but for the part of Brussels I live in, it's pretty big, large rooms, high ceilings, ...) and I feel claustrophobic in smaller places.

I think it's all a question fo priorities. Why do some people need a Suburban, if they are only going to drive it themselves (no passengers) and don't need it for work (to transport stuff)?

Why do people need suites in hotels, when all you need is a bed and a bath?
Why do some people buy very expensive clothes, shoes, ... when you can as well buy them at Walmart?
It's all about priorities

Also, whether family X has a huge house or a small one, will not change anything for the homeless ones. When I was younger, at school, they said: oh, you have to eat everything your mom gave you for lunch, because the children in Africa are starving. Well, whether I would have eaten that apple or not, wouldn't have changed one thing to their situation.

 

[BeNJeNWaFFLe]

This is happening a lot around me. Where I live the houses were originally 900sf. The lots they are on aren't very big. Enough for a shed and a swing set. Lately a lot of houses are either being completely demolished or remodled. Around the block from me they took an original house and completely remodled it. It is a 3 story, very large house. Don't get me wrong, it was done beautifully. But they have ABSOLUTELY NO land left. They left themselves about 2ft on each side of the house and maybe 5 ft in the back. They are literally on top of their neighboring houses. I just don't get the need to build a huge house on a tiny plot of land. I wouldn't want to be so close to my neighbors that I can hear them sneezing inside their house.

 

[AmazingGrace]

There's an article in this month's Ladies Home Jounral about "McMansion families". They interviewed thios on family who bought a McMansion, but have no furniture. When company comes, they break out the folding tables. I'd never want a house I couldn't afford to furnish.

 

[Alice28]

I loved the home of the lady who had lived in the Chevy Chase neighborhood for years and years- THAT is my sort of dream home!

I don't think it's wrong for people to build whatever kind of house they want to build. I see it as helping the economy.

But I do not covet those huge homes- it's too over the top for my taste.

True story- my grandparents owned a 1000 square foot home on a corner lot in CA zip code 95070. (just for reference). My grandpa bought the house for I think 8K or something like that in 1950. It was run down by the time by grandparents passed on, and I can see why whoever bought it would want to remodel. But what happened in their neighborhood was EXACTLY like what was happening in Chevy Chase. Someone bought the lot/house (I think the lot was .3 of an acre) paid my dad and aunt $840,000 for it, bulldozed the house, and built a McMansion. I just cannot imagine having that much money! It boggles my mind.

My house is 1300 sq feet and there are 5 of us in it! We plan on finishing the basement next year to give us another 400 sq feet or so. It's fine. I mostly just want another family room, which is what the basement will be. And new countertops and cabinets. But I don't want 8000 sq feet of house to clean! Whatever floats your boat I suppose!

 

[pearlieq]

Also, whether family X has a huge house or a small one, will not change anything for the homeless ones.

You're right, someone building a bigger house doesn't usually mean that someone else won't be able to have a house.

My problem with the giant houses is twofold:

1.) It ruins the character of the neighborhood. As others have mentioned, the new trend is to buy a lot in a neighborhood, tear down the house (all of that's going into a landfill!), and then built a huge, enormous house that takes up the whole lot and is only a few feet away from the property lines. So then you have a whole block of cute 40's and 50's bungalows and this giant monster totally overshadowing the neighbors. They're usually built in a radically different style as well. The overall asthetic effect is ruined.

2.) My bigger problem, though, is just the overconsumption of resources. If you buy that lot and tear down the house, you're taking all of the building materials from the old house and turning them into more trash that we have to figure out how to deal with. Plus the gas and oil required to run the machines and the noise disrupting the neighborhood. Then you build this giant house--think of all the wood, metal, and stone that goes into that. Think again of all the oil and gas needed to run the machines. Think about all the garbage produced from the various boxes & wrappers. Then think about how much extra power it will take to heat, cool, and light the house. Think about how much extra cleaning supply residue will be washed into our groundwater.

These houses are just such a vulgar display of waste and arrogance. They drive me mad!