What do you consider a McMansion?

[stinkerbelle]

I've seen this term thrown around alot - what makes a home qualify as a "McMansion" to you?

And where the heck made up this term anyway?

 

[Christine]

To me, a McMansion is:

A huge house that should be on a one-acre lot, but is built on 1/3 acre.

All the other houses around it are the same size style and seem "crammed" in.

You know a McMansion neighborhood when you see it because it kind of looks absurd/ridiculous because the houses are so big and the lots are so small.

I think the term came from the fact that they are massed produced mansions versus a custom built mansion, i.e., tract home.

 

[bananiem]

Depends on where you live. Our home is 2800 sq. feet. In this town that's considered huge. The town we came from it would be a very modest mid level home.
My opinion of a McMansion is one where the people spend all of their money on a huge house and can't afford to go on vacation or buy furniture for the house. I've actually seen a house and family in that situation.
I don't have a problem with people building big houses that they can afford. Our neighbors have a 5500 sq. ft. house. They have 4 kids. The husband is an anesthesiologist and the wife's an OB/GYN. Their house is big but the floor plan was well thought out and I know they can still afford to take vacations and could have had an even bigger house.
Edited to add: I agree with Christine's definition. The cookie-cutter, all-look-the-same ones on teeeny-tiny lots are McMansions. Our neighbor's house is on 7 acres. Ours is on a little over 2 acres.

 

[MomofKatie]

I agree- these are large homes on very small lots that are very close to one another. Basically, houses for people who have lots of money and want a big impressive home, but don't have the time, inclination, or money to care for a large lot to go with said big house. Usually you see these subdivisions spring up in desireable areas where one or two old homes are sold and razed to make way for many McMansions. There seem to be alot of them in the close-in Atlanta suburbs. We have friends there, and used to live there ourselves.

 

[caitycaity]

My opinion of a McMansion is one where the people spend all of their money on a huge house and can't afford to go on vacation or buy furniture for the house.

i agree.

i guess after so many years of living in this area, the big house on a little lot thing doesn't bother me. that's like practically every house in the dc metro area compared to where i grew up.

 

[peg2001]

Originally posted by MomofKatie
I agree- these are large homes on very small lots that are very close to one another.

This is my definition as well. I don't give any consideration as to whether the owners can afford to buy 10 more of the same or can't afford their light bill.

I heard another term for McMansions that I love: "Starter Castles"

Peggy

 

[CEDmom]

My DD thinks McMansions are monster houses because monsters are so big and so are these houses.

 

[two4ruff]

Gee, I must have a McNugget house....

Only 1400 square feet but on 2 1/2 acres!

 

[CourtasanSatine]

just about anything on TS latley

 

[CheshireVal]

I agree with what most of you all said. Huge houses, tiny lots, crammed so close together you can look out your window and right into your neighbor's.

There are TONS of these subdivisions springing up around Atlanta now.... to me the houses just have no character. They're cookie cutter mansions.

 

[Growin'upDisney]

Pretty much everything being built new here in the Bay Area. 2700+ sq ft. houses built on 6500 sq ft. lots!! It's amazing. You pretty much can watch your neighbors TV through your windows. and don't even get me started on the pricing for these things.

 

[dianeschlicht]

Originally posted by two4ruff
Gee, I must have a McNugget house....

Only 1400 square feet but on 2 1/2 acres!

I have no idea what a "mcmansion" is. I have never heard that term, but I have to say two4ruff's post made me LOL!

 

[MosMom]

A house high in fat and calories?

I've never heard the term before so I'm not sure.

 

[kadaten]

Originally posted by bananiem
[My opinion of a McMansion is one where the people spend all of their money on a huge house and can't afford to go on vacation or buy furniture for the house. I've actually seen a house and family in that situation.
[/B]

We've always called that "house poor". Buying the house made them poor....can't afford to furnish it, eat out, go on vacation, or do anything extra....

Saw LOTS of those in the DC 'burbs....some people aren't willing to drive 1 hour plus commutes each way (can you blame them?), so they're forced to put every cent they have into a mortgage....and have nothing left over In some communities it's just a poor decision by the family, but in hot housing market areas, sometimes it becomes almost a necessity just to be able to live in the area near jobs/family/whatever that brought them there. They then wait for rates to go down or to build up a little equity so they can refinance, decrease their payments, and stop being "house poor".

 

[JayCT]

stinkerbelle - Have you ever been to Devonwood in Farmington? It is a big development (big by CT standards) off Route 4. The newer homes are beautiful ($1 million +) but enormous and on relatively small lots. Fortunately, here in CT we tend to have larger lots in the suburbs (1 acre or more) so there are not a lot of these true to life McMansions. Though we come close.

Where I live (southeast of Hartford), they only build large houses now. We can not find a lot to build a modest house on because the builders are gobbling them all up as fast as they come on the market. I can not believe how fast and how many of these homes are built and sold. During the last recession, they never stopped building and selling them. I know CT is wealthy, but I am not sure who is buying these houses.

The orgin of the term McMAnsion is unknow, but I think it is an obvious reference to McDonalds - big, fast and cheap.

 

[C.Ann]

Originally posted by JayCT

Where I live (southeast of Hartford), they only build large houses now. We can not find a lot to build a modest house on because the builders are gobbling them all up as fast as they come on the market. I can not believe how fast and how many of these homes are built and sold. During the last recession, they never stopped building and selling them. I know CT is wealthy, but I am not sure who is buying these houses.

---------------------------------------

Many towns now have a minimum size requirement for building homes - which I think is absolutely ridiculous! Let's say DH & I decided to build in one of those towns.. We basically would only need 2 bedrooms, don't need a family (bonus) room AND a living room, could EASILY get by with a bath and a half (considering we have managed with one bathroom for many, many years) and would probably go with a large country kitchen rather than a dining room.. BUT - unless those rooms were HUGE and I "think" you have to have at least 3 bedrooms - we would not be allowed to build there..

Why? It's basically demanding that people build something they don't want and maybe can't even afford..

 

[MomofKatie]

We also refer to them as cluster mansions.

 

[disykat]

I agree that it is a very large house on a very small lot. I don't think it has anything to do with whether you can afford it or not - that could be true regardless of size.

 

[goofy4tink]

We have them here too. Usually in the $700,000 range and up. Huge houses with those open to the second level foyers. 4 bedrooms but they're tiny. All the room is taken up with the open foyer!! Built on small lots since land is incredibly expensive here. And usually the construction isn't all that great. The really good builders use more land and leave open space/woodland around the house. We have one area that we call the 'executive ghetto'. Our fire chief told us when we were looking for a new house not to buy in that particular neighborhood. Seems the whole house acts like a chimney. And the emt's in town got a call from a family there whose son had been pushed through a bedroom wall!!! Terrific construction, but people feel the houses are 'glitzy'. Not me.

 

[Lachesis00]

Originally posted by two4ruff
Gee, I must have a McNugget house....

Only 1400 square feet but on 2 1/2 acres!