Size of Avg. US home over time

[briansd1]

[quote=Nor-LA-SD-guy]I think I saw this on another thread or this one,

Anyway the perfect retirement (or near retirement) home is one huge Master, two Baths, a big huge kitchen and 6 car garage on 2- 5 acres (single level).

OK maybe a Laundry and a office room as well.[/quote]

Are you sure you want to live all by yourself on 5 acres at 80 years of age?

I personally don’t see retirement until at least 75. It’s always good to do something to stay relevant and active.

[Nor-LA-SD-guy]

Well there is the wife who will out live me with any luck, But Yes I am sure.

[Nor-LA-SD-guy]

Well there is the wife who will out live me with any luck, But Yes I am sure.

[Nor-LA-SD-guy]

Well there is the wife who will out live me with any luck, But Yes I am sure.

[Nor-LA-SD-guy]

Well there is the wife who will out live me with any luck, But Yes I am sure.

[Nor-LA-SD-guy]

Well there is the wife who will out live me with any luck, But Yes I am sure.

[UCGal]

[quote=briansd1]
I think that a wood cottage with only one bathroom and no walk-in closet is functionally obsolete. People who want that can have it.

My problem with current zoning and urban planning is that they protect those old houses and freeze the neighborhoods in time.

We should allow organic growth. Otherwise, decades down the road, we get blight and then eminent domain type redevelopment.
[/quote]

Since you travel to Philly pretty frequently… What would happen if they’d allowed widespread decimation of some of the center city areas like Rittenhouse Square, Old City, etc… I have friends who live on Locust – 2 blocks east of Rittenhouse Sq. They took a “functionally obsolete” rowhouse and remodeled it inside. It’s got the charm of the high ceilings, casework around the windows, etc – but it also has a new/modern kitchen, 2 baths (it’s a 3br), walk in closets, and a roof deck. There was no need to raze it and start over.. they could modify the interior to suit their family’s needs.

I don’t think anyone will be protecting the 1940’s rowhouses you see in north east philly – near oxford cirle, mayfair, etc. But there has been a move towards rehabbing them. My brother in law is refitting one – adding a 2nd bathroom, finishing the basement into a media room… There is nothing preventing him from repurposing and reapportioning the interior space to make it functional for todays lifestyle.

I don’t have a single walk in closet in my 1960’s house. My kitchen doesn’t have an island. Yet my house functions just fine.

[UCGal]

[quote=briansd1]
I think that a wood cottage with only one bathroom and no walk-in closet is functionally obsolete. People who want that can have it.

My problem with current zoning and urban planning is that they protect those old houses and freeze the neighborhoods in time.

We should allow organic growth. Otherwise, decades down the road, we get blight and then eminent domain type redevelopment.
[/quote]

Since you travel to Philly pretty frequently… What would happen if they’d allowed widespread decimation of some of the center city areas like Rittenhouse Square, Old City, etc… I have friends who live on Locust – 2 blocks east of Rittenhouse Sq. They took a “functionally obsolete” rowhouse and remodeled it inside. It’s got the charm of the high ceilings, casework around the windows, etc – but it also has a new/modern kitchen, 2 baths (it’s a 3br), walk in closets, and a roof deck. There was no need to raze it and start over.. they could modify the interior to suit their family’s needs.

I don’t think anyone will be protecting the 1940’s rowhouses you see in north east philly – near oxford cirle, mayfair, etc. But there has been a move towards rehabbing them. My brother in law is refitting one – adding a 2nd bathroom, finishing the basement into a media room… There is nothing preventing him from repurposing and reapportioning the interior space to make it functional for todays lifestyle.

I don’t have a single walk in closet in my 1960’s house. My kitchen doesn’t have an island. Yet my house functions just fine.

[UCGal]

[quote=briansd1]
I think that a wood cottage with only one bathroom and no walk-in closet is functionally obsolete. People who want that can have it.

My problem with current zoning and urban planning is that they protect those old houses and freeze the neighborhoods in time.

We should allow organic growth. Otherwise, decades down the road, we get blight and then eminent domain type redevelopment.
[/quote]

Since you travel to Philly pretty frequently… What would happen if they’d allowed widespread decimation of some of the center city areas like Rittenhouse Square, Old City, etc… I have friends who live on Locust – 2 blocks east of Rittenhouse Sq. They took a “functionally obsolete” rowhouse and remodeled it inside. It’s got the charm of the high ceilings, casework around the windows, etc – but it also has a new/modern kitchen, 2 baths (it’s a 3br), walk in closets, and a roof deck. There was no need to raze it and start over.. they could modify the interior to suit their family’s needs.

I don’t think anyone will be protecting the 1940’s rowhouses you see in north east philly – near oxford cirle, mayfair, etc. But there has been a move towards rehabbing them. My brother in law is refitting one – adding a 2nd bathroom, finishing the basement into a media room… There is nothing preventing him from repurposing and reapportioning the interior space to make it functional for todays lifestyle.

I don’t have a single walk in closet in my 1960’s house. My kitchen doesn’t have an island. Yet my house functions just fine.

[UCGal]

[quote=briansd1]
I think that a wood cottage with only one bathroom and no walk-in closet is functionally obsolete. People who want that can have it.

My problem with current zoning and urban planning is that they protect those old houses and freeze the neighborhoods in time.

We should allow organic growth. Otherwise, decades down the road, we get blight and then eminent domain type redevelopment.
[/quote]

Since you travel to Philly pretty frequently… What would happen if they’d allowed widespread decimation of some of the center city areas like Rittenhouse Square, Old City, etc… I have friends who live on Locust – 2 blocks east of Rittenhouse Sq. They took a “functionally obsolete” rowhouse and remodeled it inside. It’s got the charm of the high ceilings, casework around the windows, etc – but it also has a new/modern kitchen, 2 baths (it’s a 3br), walk in closets, and a roof deck. There was no need to raze it and start over.. they could modify the interior to suit their family’s needs.

I don’t think anyone will be protecting the 1940’s rowhouses you see in north east philly – near oxford cirle, mayfair, etc. But there has been a move towards rehabbing them. My brother in law is refitting one – adding a 2nd bathroom, finishing the basement into a media room… There is nothing preventing him from repurposing and reapportioning the interior space to make it functional for todays lifestyle.

I don’t have a single walk in closet in my 1960’s house. My kitchen doesn’t have an island. Yet my house functions just fine.

[UCGal]

[quote=briansd1]
I think that a wood cottage with only one bathroom and no walk-in closet is functionally obsolete. People who want that can have it.

My problem with current zoning and urban planning is that they protect those old houses and freeze the neighborhoods in time.

We should allow organic growth. Otherwise, decades down the road, we get blight and then eminent domain type redevelopment.
[/quote]

Since you travel to Philly pretty frequently… What would happen if they’d allowed widespread decimation of some of the center city areas like Rittenhouse Square, Old City, etc… I have friends who live on Locust – 2 blocks east of Rittenhouse Sq. They took a “functionally obsolete” rowhouse and remodeled it inside. It’s got the charm of the high ceilings, casework around the windows, etc – but it also has a new/modern kitchen, 2 baths (it’s a 3br), walk in closets, and a roof deck. There was no need to raze it and start over.. they could modify the interior to suit their family’s needs.

I don’t think anyone will be protecting the 1940’s rowhouses you see in north east philly – near oxford cirle, mayfair, etc. But there has been a move towards rehabbing them. My brother in law is refitting one – adding a 2nd bathroom, finishing the basement into a media room… There is nothing preventing him from repurposing and reapportioning the interior space to make it functional for todays lifestyle.

I don’t have a single walk in closet in my 1960’s house. My kitchen doesn’t have an island. Yet my house functions just fine.

[DaCounselor]

“I read the other day that the size of the average US home in 1960 was 1200 square feet. By 1980 it was up to almost 1800 square feet and today it’s over 2200 square feet.”
__________________

More space to cram more stuff that Madison Avenue says we need while we chase the Joneses. Forget about a useless yard, build it out to the lot line, we need more floorspace for the kids to play video games.

Watching the lifestyle of the middle class evolve over the decades has been an amazing experience.

[DaCounselor]

“I read the other day that the size of the average US home in 1960 was 1200 square feet. By 1980 it was up to almost 1800 square feet and today it’s over 2200 square feet.”
__________________

More space to cram more stuff that Madison Avenue says we need while we chase the Joneses. Forget about a useless yard, build it out to the lot line, we need more floorspace for the kids to play video games.

Watching the lifestyle of the middle class evolve over the decades has been an amazing experience.

[DaCounselor]

“I read the other day that the size of the average US home in 1960 was 1200 square feet. By 1980 it was up to almost 1800 square feet and today it’s over 2200 square feet.”
__________________

More space to cram more stuff that Madison Avenue says we need while we chase the Joneses. Forget about a useless yard, build it out to the lot line, we need more floorspace for the kids to play video games.

Watching the lifestyle of the middle class evolve over the decades has been an amazing experience.

[DaCounselor]

“I read the other day that the size of the average US home in 1960 was 1200 square feet. By 1980 it was up to almost 1800 square feet and today it’s over 2200 square feet.”
__________________

More space to cram more stuff that Madison Avenue says we need while we chase the Joneses. Forget about a useless yard, build it out to the lot line, we need more floorspace for the kids to play video games.

Watching the lifestyle of the middle class evolve over the decades has been an amazing experience.

[Author]

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