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November 15, 2010 at 12:26 PM #630973November 15, 2010 at 12:26 PM #631051bearishgurlParticipant
[quote=sdrealtor]Funny thing about living rooms. Focus groups have been telling builders to get rid of them for years. They have been shrinking them but rarely get rid of them altogether. I just sold a new house this weekend to a buyer about the same size and on a big lot like yours also. It actually had no living room. Thats a first for me.[/quote]
One-story houses built before 1970 typically did not have family rooms, so the living room WAS the family room. They were not built with a separate front entry, either. The front door went right into the living room (with perhaps a small “room divider” installed there). Families didn’t know about or care back then about having a living room AND family room. Many of these houses now have a “family room” added onto the rear of the house.
In all cases where I have owned a home with a living room AND family room, the living room did not get utilized (except when having a house party of 20+ people). IMO, they are a waste of space and one more area to clean, even if unused 95% of the time.
In older areas of the country where basements are prevalent, the “family room” is in the basement. This room typically houses the pool table, ping pong table, piano, perhaps a kitchenette, etc. Basements are not prevalent in SD County, except for partial basements (less than 1000 sf) in 92106 and 92107 hillside properties. Many of these SD “basements” are “rentals” (legal or illegal) because they have a separate entrance on the street level. In the “olden days,” many of these SD “basements” were used for ham radio operations or as woodworking shops :=)
November 15, 2010 at 12:26 PM #631624bearishgurlParticipant[quote=sdrealtor]Funny thing about living rooms. Focus groups have been telling builders to get rid of them for years. They have been shrinking them but rarely get rid of them altogether. I just sold a new house this weekend to a buyer about the same size and on a big lot like yours also. It actually had no living room. Thats a first for me.[/quote]
One-story houses built before 1970 typically did not have family rooms, so the living room WAS the family room. They were not built with a separate front entry, either. The front door went right into the living room (with perhaps a small “room divider” installed there). Families didn’t know about or care back then about having a living room AND family room. Many of these houses now have a “family room” added onto the rear of the house.
In all cases where I have owned a home with a living room AND family room, the living room did not get utilized (except when having a house party of 20+ people). IMO, they are a waste of space and one more area to clean, even if unused 95% of the time.
In older areas of the country where basements are prevalent, the “family room” is in the basement. This room typically houses the pool table, ping pong table, piano, perhaps a kitchenette, etc. Basements are not prevalent in SD County, except for partial basements (less than 1000 sf) in 92106 and 92107 hillside properties. Many of these SD “basements” are “rentals” (legal or illegal) because they have a separate entrance on the street level. In the “olden days,” many of these SD “basements” were used for ham radio operations or as woodworking shops :=)
November 15, 2010 at 12:26 PM #631753bearishgurlParticipant[quote=sdrealtor]Funny thing about living rooms. Focus groups have been telling builders to get rid of them for years. They have been shrinking them but rarely get rid of them altogether. I just sold a new house this weekend to a buyer about the same size and on a big lot like yours also. It actually had no living room. Thats a first for me.[/quote]
One-story houses built before 1970 typically did not have family rooms, so the living room WAS the family room. They were not built with a separate front entry, either. The front door went right into the living room (with perhaps a small “room divider” installed there). Families didn’t know about or care back then about having a living room AND family room. Many of these houses now have a “family room” added onto the rear of the house.
In all cases where I have owned a home with a living room AND family room, the living room did not get utilized (except when having a house party of 20+ people). IMO, they are a waste of space and one more area to clean, even if unused 95% of the time.
In older areas of the country where basements are prevalent, the “family room” is in the basement. This room typically houses the pool table, ping pong table, piano, perhaps a kitchenette, etc. Basements are not prevalent in SD County, except for partial basements (less than 1000 sf) in 92106 and 92107 hillside properties. Many of these SD “basements” are “rentals” (legal or illegal) because they have a separate entrance on the street level. In the “olden days,” many of these SD “basements” were used for ham radio operations or as woodworking shops :=)
November 15, 2010 at 12:26 PM #632071bearishgurlParticipant[quote=sdrealtor]Funny thing about living rooms. Focus groups have been telling builders to get rid of them for years. They have been shrinking them but rarely get rid of them altogether. I just sold a new house this weekend to a buyer about the same size and on a big lot like yours also. It actually had no living room. Thats a first for me.[/quote]
One-story houses built before 1970 typically did not have family rooms, so the living room WAS the family room. They were not built with a separate front entry, either. The front door went right into the living room (with perhaps a small “room divider” installed there). Families didn’t know about or care back then about having a living room AND family room. Many of these houses now have a “family room” added onto the rear of the house.
In all cases where I have owned a home with a living room AND family room, the living room did not get utilized (except when having a house party of 20+ people). IMO, they are a waste of space and one more area to clean, even if unused 95% of the time.
In older areas of the country where basements are prevalent, the “family room” is in the basement. This room typically houses the pool table, ping pong table, piano, perhaps a kitchenette, etc. Basements are not prevalent in SD County, except for partial basements (less than 1000 sf) in 92106 and 92107 hillside properties. Many of these SD “basements” are “rentals” (legal or illegal) because they have a separate entrance on the street level. In the “olden days,” many of these SD “basements” were used for ham radio operations or as woodworking shops :=)
November 16, 2010 at 11:22 AM #631214UCGalParticipant[quote=bearishgurl]
One-story houses built before 1970 typically did not have family rooms, so the living room WAS the family room. They were not built with a separate front entry, either. The front door went right into the living room (with perhaps a small “room divider” installed there). Families didn’t know about or care back then about having a living room AND family room. Many of these houses now have a “family room” added onto the rear of the house.
[/quote]This is very true. I’d go further and say that many 2 story houses only had 1 living space. Our house (2 story, circa 1963) has a very small family room – most folks with our model have either pushed out the wall – or added a bigger family room off the back. (We just “live” in our living room.) We rented a smaller house in UC before buying this house – no family room… just the main living space that flowed to the dining room and kitchen.
I’ve never fully understood the reason for having both living and family room. Our family room is set up with an oversize kitchen table (it’s right off the kitchen), used for family meals, homework, art projects, etc… Maybe our family isn’t modern enough. I know briansd would call our house non-functional or obsolete, but it works for us.
November 16, 2010 at 11:22 AM #631291UCGalParticipant[quote=bearishgurl]
One-story houses built before 1970 typically did not have family rooms, so the living room WAS the family room. They were not built with a separate front entry, either. The front door went right into the living room (with perhaps a small “room divider” installed there). Families didn’t know about or care back then about having a living room AND family room. Many of these houses now have a “family room” added onto the rear of the house.
[/quote]This is very true. I’d go further and say that many 2 story houses only had 1 living space. Our house (2 story, circa 1963) has a very small family room – most folks with our model have either pushed out the wall – or added a bigger family room off the back. (We just “live” in our living room.) We rented a smaller house in UC before buying this house – no family room… just the main living space that flowed to the dining room and kitchen.
I’ve never fully understood the reason for having both living and family room. Our family room is set up with an oversize kitchen table (it’s right off the kitchen), used for family meals, homework, art projects, etc… Maybe our family isn’t modern enough. I know briansd would call our house non-functional or obsolete, but it works for us.
November 16, 2010 at 11:22 AM #631864UCGalParticipant[quote=bearishgurl]
One-story houses built before 1970 typically did not have family rooms, so the living room WAS the family room. They were not built with a separate front entry, either. The front door went right into the living room (with perhaps a small “room divider” installed there). Families didn’t know about or care back then about having a living room AND family room. Many of these houses now have a “family room” added onto the rear of the house.
[/quote]This is very true. I’d go further and say that many 2 story houses only had 1 living space. Our house (2 story, circa 1963) has a very small family room – most folks with our model have either pushed out the wall – or added a bigger family room off the back. (We just “live” in our living room.) We rented a smaller house in UC before buying this house – no family room… just the main living space that flowed to the dining room and kitchen.
I’ve never fully understood the reason for having both living and family room. Our family room is set up with an oversize kitchen table (it’s right off the kitchen), used for family meals, homework, art projects, etc… Maybe our family isn’t modern enough. I know briansd would call our house non-functional or obsolete, but it works for us.
November 16, 2010 at 11:22 AM #631993UCGalParticipant[quote=bearishgurl]
One-story houses built before 1970 typically did not have family rooms, so the living room WAS the family room. They were not built with a separate front entry, either. The front door went right into the living room (with perhaps a small “room divider” installed there). Families didn’t know about or care back then about having a living room AND family room. Many of these houses now have a “family room” added onto the rear of the house.
[/quote]This is very true. I’d go further and say that many 2 story houses only had 1 living space. Our house (2 story, circa 1963) has a very small family room – most folks with our model have either pushed out the wall – or added a bigger family room off the back. (We just “live” in our living room.) We rented a smaller house in UC before buying this house – no family room… just the main living space that flowed to the dining room and kitchen.
I’ve never fully understood the reason for having both living and family room. Our family room is set up with an oversize kitchen table (it’s right off the kitchen), used for family meals, homework, art projects, etc… Maybe our family isn’t modern enough. I know briansd would call our house non-functional or obsolete, but it works for us.
November 16, 2010 at 11:22 AM #632310UCGalParticipant[quote=bearishgurl]
One-story houses built before 1970 typically did not have family rooms, so the living room WAS the family room. They were not built with a separate front entry, either. The front door went right into the living room (with perhaps a small “room divider” installed there). Families didn’t know about or care back then about having a living room AND family room. Many of these houses now have a “family room” added onto the rear of the house.
[/quote]This is very true. I’d go further and say that many 2 story houses only had 1 living space. Our house (2 story, circa 1963) has a very small family room – most folks with our model have either pushed out the wall – or added a bigger family room off the back. (We just “live” in our living room.) We rented a smaller house in UC before buying this house – no family room… just the main living space that flowed to the dining room and kitchen.
I’ve never fully understood the reason for having both living and family room. Our family room is set up with an oversize kitchen table (it’s right off the kitchen), used for family meals, homework, art projects, etc… Maybe our family isn’t modern enough. I know briansd would call our house non-functional or obsolete, but it works for us.
November 16, 2010 at 11:39 AM #631224sdrealtorParticipantThe house I grew up in (2 story built in 1963) had both. The family room was for the family. The living room was Mom’s place to have a formal sitting room to entertain friends, neighbors and relatives. As kids we barely stepped into it. When they sold the house almost 30 years later the original couch was almost as good as new. It was a different more formal world back then and the lving room is an artifact of that time.
November 16, 2010 at 11:39 AM #631301sdrealtorParticipantThe house I grew up in (2 story built in 1963) had both. The family room was for the family. The living room was Mom’s place to have a formal sitting room to entertain friends, neighbors and relatives. As kids we barely stepped into it. When they sold the house almost 30 years later the original couch was almost as good as new. It was a different more formal world back then and the lving room is an artifact of that time.
November 16, 2010 at 11:39 AM #631874sdrealtorParticipantThe house I grew up in (2 story built in 1963) had both. The family room was for the family. The living room was Mom’s place to have a formal sitting room to entertain friends, neighbors and relatives. As kids we barely stepped into it. When they sold the house almost 30 years later the original couch was almost as good as new. It was a different more formal world back then and the lving room is an artifact of that time.
November 16, 2010 at 11:39 AM #632003sdrealtorParticipantThe house I grew up in (2 story built in 1963) had both. The family room was for the family. The living room was Mom’s place to have a formal sitting room to entertain friends, neighbors and relatives. As kids we barely stepped into it. When they sold the house almost 30 years later the original couch was almost as good as new. It was a different more formal world back then and the lving room is an artifact of that time.
November 16, 2010 at 11:39 AM #632320sdrealtorParticipantThe house I grew up in (2 story built in 1963) had both. The family room was for the family. The living room was Mom’s place to have a formal sitting room to entertain friends, neighbors and relatives. As kids we barely stepped into it. When they sold the house almost 30 years later the original couch was almost as good as new. It was a different more formal world back then and the lving room is an artifact of that time.
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