I think you have posted some great questions. We live in 1400 sq feet, 3/2 (with vaulted ceilings and a medium sized backyard) and we have 2 young boys. It is great for us. Any larger and there would be more to clean, heat, cool and buy.
We have been to those lovely 3000 sq ft model homes in Temecula for the same price as our place, and while it is tempting to “move up”, we believe less is always more. We want to have more quality, not so much quanity. We took our 1990s 1400 sq ft home and were able to remodel in a way that we would have never been able to financially do to a 3000 sq ft home. And everyone is right, the vaulted ceilings/open layout make a HUGE difference. I lived in a 3400 sq ft house in Vegas and it felt like a claustrophobic maze.
I don’t like the thought of getting a larger home to accommodate the kids and more stuff only to have the kids move out one day. I think it would feel too big and lonely. So then, people may say, just down size to a smaller home when the kids are gone. I wouldn’t want to do that because I would love to stay in the same house as my kids did growing up. I would love them to be able to “come home” with their family one day to all of the memories of the house that they grew up in. I never had that. We moved around constantly. That kind of stability and nostalgia is very attractive to me.
Having a decent sized backyard has been great for the kids, especially in my lazy days when I don’t feel like going anywhere but I can open up the back door and the kids can still get there vitamin D and wiggles out. I would much rather have a smaller home and a larger back yard. That’s really were the kids want to be anyways.
Our boys have shared a room and we have kept the 3rd bedroom as a play room/guest room. It has been great. I believe my kids have grown closer because of it. I have a friend who desperately wants his 2 boys to share a room because he did with his brother growing up and they are extremely close, but unfortunately his wife is not going for it. My mother grew up on a ranch in an 800 sq ft home with 3 other siblings who all shared 1 room and they all turned out great. WIth that said, just last week my oldest (he’s 6) declared he wanted his “own” room and so we moved him into in the play room/quest room. So, it has been great to have an additional room in case the kids really want to be separated, but funny thing is, now my 3 year old is sleeping next to the 6 year old in the new room. Lol! They really do prefer being by each other, but we’ll see how that goes as they continue to grow older.
My advice to you and yours: stay in your home in Encinitas, make it the best you can, and add on and open up the ceilings or walls if you feel like you need to. 🙂
