Lower birth rates and the future of those BIG HOUSES?

[Forevermarypoppins]

How my topic came about:

I drove by my grandparent's old home again. My mom lived there for only a few years before marrying my dad. Awhile back I stopped and spoke with the current owners when I saw them outside doing yardwork. I told them how my grandfather had a bricklaying business and built the home and that 4 kids (3 girls/1 boy) lived in the home and how my grandmother ran a large rooming house before moving into this approx 1000 sq ft home and was thrilled!

This got me thinking also about the new trend of larger homes. We see it all the time expecially on the home improvement shows. I still roll my eyes every time a couple with 2 kids and 1 on the way will say they need a bigger house. I remember families in my neighborhood that had 6 kids and lived in a 1000 sq ft home. They made do with the bedroom set up in the basement, if they were lucky there was at least a toilet down there also.

SO, with birthrates falling and many people deciding that one or NO children is their desire, who will be buying these large homes in 20 to 30 years?

 

[Dug720]

The cats and dogs need rooms of their own!

 

[MillauFr]

How my topic came about:

I drove by my grandparent's old home again. My mom lived there for only a few years before marrying my dad. Awhile back I stopped and spoke with the current owners when I saw them outside doing yardwork. I told them how my grandfather had a bricklaying business and built the home and that 4 kids (3 girls/1 boy) lived in the home and how my grandmother ran a large rooming house before moving into this approx 1000 sq ft home and was thrilled!

This got me thinking also about the new trend of larger homes. We see it all the time expecially on the home improvement shows. I still roll my eyes every time a couple with 2 kids and 1 on the way will say they need a bigger house. I remember families in my neighborhood that had 6 kids and lived in a 1000 sq ft home. They made do with the bedroom set up in the basement, if they were lucky there was at least a toilet down there also.

SO, with birthrates falling and many people deciding that one or NO children is their desire, who will be buying these large homes in 20 to 30 years?

Won't many of them get torn down and replaced with 6 townhomes? That is what is happening in Seattle.

 

[Threehearts]

A bigger problem in my area is open floor plan regret. People seem to going back to preferring rooms on the first floor rather than the decorating and privacy issues which can be an issue with open concept. Maybe that's a regional change.

 

[Disneylover99]

SO, with birthrates falling and many people deciding that one or NO children is their desire, who will be buying these large homes in 20 to 30 years?

People with extended families who can’t afford to get into the housing market on their own.
Just a thought.

 

[barkley]

How my topic came about:

I drove by my grandparent's old home again. My mom lived there for only a few years before marrying my dad. Awhile back I stopped and spoke with the current owners when I saw them outside doing yardwork. I told them how my grandfather had a bricklaying business and built the home and that 4 kids (3 girls/1 boy) lived in the home and how my grandmother ran a large rooming house before moving into this approx 1000 sq ft home and was thrilled!

This got me thinking also about the new trend of larger homes. We see it all the time expecially on the home improvement shows. I still roll my eyes every time a couple with 2 kids and 1 on the way will say they need a bigger house. I remember families in my neighborhood that had 6 kids and lived in a 1000 sq ft home. They made do with the bedroom set up in the basement, if they were lucky there was at least a toilet down there also.

SO, with birthrates falling and many people deciding that one or NO children is their desire, who will be buying these large homes in 20 to 30 years?

I grew up in a 1080 sq foot 3 bed/2 bath home. 4 of us kids/mom and dad. we survived just fine (no basements in that region to utilize). I rolled my eyes at the show I just watched wherein the wife (mom of 2 soon to be college bound daughters) vetoed multiple homes that hit the mark on everything she and her dh wanted just b/c not all of the bedrooms were full ensuites (she said her dd's could 'never' tolerate having to share a bathroom with someone else-made me wonder what their college housing was going to entail). they ended up with a 3 story townhouse that was massive and I suspect between the overall size and all those stairs they will ultimately age out of.

Won't many of them get torn down and replaced with 6 townhomes? That is what is happening in Seattle.

depends on zoning, infrastructure and how much the local coffers can afford. the largest city near us has politicians that are pushing for more housing (claiming it will be 'affordable') and talk about rezoning some of the older neighborhoods with the oversized lots to allow for adu's or multiple family townhomes. the questions/concerns that are continualy raised pertain to how the existing water, sewer and power infrastructure cannot support those additional structures. fire officials point out that the alleys the politicos point to as 'alternate access' (since the narrow old streets can't even support the existing traffic) are too narrow for fire and other emergency equipment access. it's not like raw land where a developer can come in and start from scratch so the cost is prohibitive. the local taxpayers have no desire to vote in massive increases so it continues to be talked about with no realistic plans offered up.

 

[china mom]

I do think there is a need for large homes as so many households become multi generational. We bought a huge house so tgat we could move my aging (now deceased) mother in.

 

[HopperFan]

SO, with birthrates falling and many people deciding that one or NO children is their desire, who will be buying these large homes in 20 to 30 years?

It will def vary by region, and what the housing market will be then.

We have plenty of empty nesters not leaving their homes in our neighborhood. It would be much more expensive for them to downsize. I joke I'm going out with toe tags.

You can buy one of our homes for less than the cost of most townhomes being built in the area, and their taxes will be much higher and add the monthly fees ~ our big houses are quite the bargain.

We've had young couples buy that 4 bedroom homes ... they work from home and use the bedrooms as offices, and still have a guest room. I feel like the young ones are entertaining more, and as the cost of going out has gone up, having the space to entertain is good.

I think COVID shutdown left a lasting mark, and many young couples, kids or not, want the space and outdoors. Those yards were priceless for people, young kids and our furbabies. Folks also began cooking more and even I enjoy it so much more than before COVID.

As others have mentioned multi-generational households are making a comeback. It is so expensive for young people to enter the housing market, paying lower rent at home allows for some savings. Some folks are having to bring parents back in and that is going to get much worse.

DS#2 has been living here while working until his finances were at a point to move out, which he is in process of doing now. He is currently living in our basement apartment paying rent. Win/win for us. DH and I were just talking about replacing all the flooring downstairs as we have on the other floors. I said we need to rip out the tub (when we put in bath / with kitchenette we saved by putting in a once piece fiberglass) and make it an accessible shower. We have to be ready for taking care of our own as the services out there are declining. I'm glad we have never talked about downsizing.

I think there will be a demand for these homes for many reasons. We already have shortage now, and new starts are slowing.