Do you have a small house? We're looking. Can't afford much.

[NoSheep]

I hate to be cluttered and have little room for storage. But I would be grateful for a home of my own (I'm 41 and still pay rent:scared: ) It's just the two of us and a 4 lb dog. No kids. Tell me your small house stories.
:hi:

[crispini]

1. Define "small."

It's so relative....

[NoSheep]

2. Under 13-1400 sq. feet. I meant small ;)

[crispini]

7. Meh. That's not all that small.

If you're living in NYC, for example, under 500 square feet... now that's small! I have 1200 square feet and that's a lot of space to me! No dogs, though, and not much stuff. :shrug:

[NoSheep]

10. I have visited friends and relatives in NYC. Yes! they are quite

cramped there.

[crispini]

12. Just de-stuff.

It's easier to say than to do, but if you haven't used it or looked at it in a year, it's probably time to get rid of it. Empty space makes any house seem huge.

And, organize organize organize. Learn to love the Container Store! :)

[NoSheep]

23. I de-stuff every move. Last time from 1250 sq to 910. I needed ALL of

it immediately! (true) I'm good at purging. It's the only way.;-)

[valis]

25. Got a ~ 1600 sq feet single familiy in Boston. Superquiet area

Some tiny street near Harvard... I love it... Mortage is less than what I'd pay for rent of something similar... Got lucky, I guess... Had to spend some of my own time fixing it up a bit (was built in 1890 or so, like many houses around here), but all the important stuff has better materials than new construction houses...

[MADem]

3. Small houses are wonderful, if you have a snug one

Cheap to heat, easy to care for (a 1 and a half story, e.g.) has gutters that are low enough that you can manage them on your own, and if you think about your furnishings, they can be very livable. Bottom line, if you have more than two rooms, with two people, you can stake out your space!

[NoSheep]

5. That's the kind of positive thinking I need!!!!!

:)

[ewagner]

4. Too bad you don't live in WI

My good neighbors and their three kids just bought a new house and put the one they bought before they had any kids up for sale....3 brd, 1-1/2 bath, detached 2-car garage, nice yard, $104,000. (They have brochures in a holder on the for sale sign that's how I know the price)

[NoSheep]

8. Yeah-we're looking in the Triangle area of NC-Raleigh at first then

Durham. Houses are expensive! But we're in the bluest part of the state
:7

[LiberallyInclined]

36. we're selling our chicago two-flat, and moving to cheeseland...

in the 9 years that we've owned it, the value of our home has tripled. now we can sell, pay off the mortgage, and have more that enough left to buy a new place outright.

no more mortgage!
yay! :party:

[NoSheep]

44. WooooHoooo!!!! That must feel GREAT!

:woohoo:

[Writer]

6. There's a very small house for sale here in CO

But it's not cheap. 1000 sq. feet., but it's priced at around $170,000.

[NoSheep]

9. That's about the "size" of it here too. I lived in 910 and it was too

small.

[LynzM]

11. We lived in a smallish house

Two adults, 1 kiddo, 2 cats, 1106 sq. feet. I don't think that counted the basement, but it was basically only good for laundry and some garage-type storage (we didn't have one). Pretty much, my advice is simplify the stuff you have, eliminate things you rarely use, and be creative with storage. If you're planning to stay for a long time, you might consider some custom storage stuff. Good luck! :)

[NoSheep]

13. Having the basement for w/d helps. Any out of site storage helps.

[Momgonepostal]

14. We have just under 1000 sf and a family of 4

We were renting, and our rent went up quite a bit so we finally decided it was time to take the homeownership plunge. We didn't feel like we could afford it before, but felt that home prices were rising so fast, AND our rent was going up anyway, so it was time to move.

The bummer was, when we got to looking for homes in our price range, we had the choice between larger, fixer dumps in neighborhoods we didn't like (near the airport, the tallow plant, the sewage treatment plant, in flood plain, etc)or smaller condos in decent repair, in decent, safer, less smelly, better schools neighborhoods. We felt like the better decision for us was to sacrifice a little space, and I have not regretted that decision.

That said, we would like more space. Someday.

Oh, and I'm also glad we bought because home prices have continued to skyrocket. We paid $79K for our place 4 years ago, and a unit just like it just sold for $190K. If we had stayed in the same rental, our monthly payment would be about the same, but we'd have no equity, AND an asshole landlord who never fixed anything.

[NoSheep]

16. Paying out all the rent gets crazy. Your situation sounds like ours.

At some point you have to say "enough" and take what you can get on the housing market. We haven't considered town homes or condos. I hate yard work....but I like to play the stereo loud :7

[Momgonepostal]

21. It was a good decision for us

One big drawback to condos is you have a homeowners association that tells you what you can and can't do. If you lived here and played your stereo too loudly, you'd probably get ratted out to the HOA. Of course, that would have happened to us in the old place too.

Good luck with whatever you decide!

[CornField]

15. I should ask Mr. CornField the square footage of our house

I know it can't be that much. We have 3 bdrms and 1 bath. The bedrooms are tiny, but they have really high ceilings (16 ft). We added ceiling fans to help with circulation and lowered them too (to save on heating/cooling). The dead space is used for storage.

[NoSheep]

17. 16 ft ceilings!!!!!

:wow:

[miss_kitty]

18. I have lived in a tiny apartment for over 20 years

about 600 Sq ft, including bathroom and closets. It's probably not THAT big even. I quit buying stuff in about 1990. I throw stuff out all the time and should be making up some more stuff to throw out today. I am kinda pack-ratty and a terrible house keeper. I become more organised as time moves along.

[NoSheep]

19. Some friends of mine have a rule. Bring one thing in-one thing must go

OUT!

[miss_kitty]

22. Yep. My sister intro'd me to that rule

she is Really organised. My mom would do a 6 month clean-"Have I used it in the last 6 months? No? POOF!"
But I am one of those-'throw it out, need it desperately 30 minutes after the trash guys empty the dumpster' people...

[carolinayellowdog]

20. 900 square feet, modified A-frame, lake view, a real steal

I'm in the far exurbs of the Triangle, 60 miles out. Have been thinking about putting it on the market for the appraised value of 55k. PM me if Lake Gaston appeals. Another suggestion: someone who works for me has a place in Henderson she's trying to sell, and reports it is a buyer's market. There you'd be within 40 miles of Raleigh and Durham and pay half what you would there (except in the worst neighborhoods.) Same size as mine, priced in the 70s. Again, PM me if you want more info. Or at least look into Vance, Warren, and Granville Counties.

[NoSheep]

24. Thanks-I'm originally from Granville Co. I know I may have to look further

out to afford something. Unfortunately-those are too far.:(

[GOPisEvil]

26. I have 1064 sq. ft., 2BR, 2 full baths.

I also have a small lawn, which I like when it comes to maintenance. I live alone, the house is the perfect size. If I ever got married (:eyes:) my house would be OK, too.

[AlCzervik]

27. How much can you afford?

[NoSheep]

31. about 130,000-150,000 max

[AlCzervik]

33. can you move outside the triangle area and have you considered a

or condo?

[NoSheep]

37. We really want a stand-alone. And are trying to stay in the triangle.

We could live in Hillsboro, Carboro, Garner (yuch) Bahama, Pittsboro and still be within acceptable commuting distance. Our ideal would be to walk everywhere!!!! Fat chance, huh? :hi:

[AlCzervik]

41. i don't how current these are but here are listings

from Realtor.com in your desired area in your price range
http://www.realtor.com/FindHome/HomeListings.asp?frm=bymap&mnbed=0&mnbath=0&mnprice=100000&mxprice=150000&js=off&pgnum=1&lnksrc=&fid=so&mnsqft=&mls=xmls&vtsort=&typ=1&poe=realtor&ct=Hillsboro&st=NC&areaid=87124&areaid=66886&areaid=7862

[NoSheep]

45. Thanks! I'll look at those tonight. It's exciting to see actual pictures

of what's out there. :bounce:

[Rainbowreflect]

28. Our house is very small.

We have a hallway with counters for our kitchen & you bump your knees on the tub when sitting on the toilet.
It is my husband, myself, a 75 lb dog & 100 lb dog. But we do have a half finished basement so it's not too bad & it is ours.

[NoSheep]

32. I like the idea of being creative to solve space problems.

Can you post a picture of your kitchen?

[bertha katzenengel]

29. 1,400 sq. feet of living space. 3 bedrooms, incl. master w/ bath,

guest bath (incl. shower/tub), two small guest rooms (one is our office). Small kitchen. And a "great room" -- it's our combo living/dining room, separated by the couch. Unfinished basement and one car attached garage.

We have many cats, plus just the two of us. It's perfect.

This is in Southern MD., outside the beltway where things are less expensive.

Good luck, NoSheep.

[NoSheep]

35. Thanks-Your house sounds perfect for us!

[Hell Hath No Fury]

30. Our family home that I live in...

is around 1300 sq. ft but only half of that is technically living space. The house is what is called in San Francisco a "Junior 5" -- the 1st floor is a garage/basement while the second story has five rooms: two bedrooms, a kitchen, living/dining combo, and the world's smallest bathroom. It was built in 1952 and meant as a starter home. Everyone in the neighborhood (including us) has added an extra room/bathroom in the first floor basement to create more living space.

When we moved in in 1964 there were four of us -- Mom and three daughters -- who shared the house. It was not all that easy, lemme tell you.

I live there now with a roommate and sometimes even that is a little crowded for me. I have a great need for personal space and even with a whole floor separating myself and the roommie it gets a bit tight for me. Storage is always an issue. Personally, the house would be the perfect size for just one person.

I should add that little "Junior 5" was bought for $22,000 and recently valued at $425,000. That's SF real estate for you!

Also, when I watch HGTV and see the "House Hunter" shows with folks complaining about how the kitchen is just too small, I wanna scream, "That kitchen is bigger than my fucking living room, you freak!" :D

[NoSheep]

34. Ha! SF must be nice!

[gollygee]

38. I have a 1,200-square foot house for me, husband, young child and cat

it's great. Our heating bills are low, it doesn't take long to clean. We have plenty of room to do whatever we need to do.

We purposely chose a small house in large part because someone we knew bought a big house and had scary heating bills. Ours are a third of theirs, and we really aren't missing the extra space.

[luvLLB]

39. small...o.k. 1069 sq ft for me, big guy, and 2 teenagers..we like it

close and cozy. one story, 3 bedrooms, 1 bath...

[supernova]

40. About 1100 sq ft cottage-sized in NC

I have your standard brick ranch style, cottage-sized. I have 3 bedrooms 1 bath. It's just great for one or two people. Though I do wish I had more storage space: in the kitchen, not quite enough room for pantry supplies AND dishes; in the bathroom, not quite enough cabinetry for towels and supplies. When people visit, I wish I had one other bathroom.

But it's easy to clean. I can do most of my housework on Sat mornings. because it's brick, i save on the electric bill spring and fall when the weather is temperate. They brick warms up just enough in the daytime.

Decorating is a snap. Whatever feel or look you are going for only requires a coat paint and minimal accessories. You can easily overdecorate a small place.

[NoSheep]

42. I'm in Raleigh-where's your house?

[supernova]

47. I'm in Orange County

just outside Durham. :hi: neighbor!

[bleedingheart]

43. I live in a 1200 sq ft house with two kids and a husband...

there is a hamster but he doesn't take up much room....

I find that I would rather have a small base from which to wander...too much house means too much work.

[NoSheep]

46. We truly don't want or need more than that. I have lived in drafty

huge houses. Never clean-never warm.

[ulysses]

48. 1100 square feet

for the last nine years. We bought for $59,900, we're under contract now to sell for $116,500. :) Small houses can be good.

[xmas74]

49. Everyone in my town wants to upsize

(I swear that they think that life should resemble McDonalds). There are more than a few smaller houses around here for sale. I can think of even a few one bedroom houses (very old-all the rooms are large and include a three-season room) w/ a full basement that they cannot sell around here. I have thought about buying one myself and finishing the basement into two bedrooms (one for myself and one for my daughter) and then turn the actual bedroom into a combo office/guest room.
And the one that I am curious about has a huge backyard. Tons of old-fashioned flowers and a garden spot that has been sorely neglected. Even a picket fence.

[Lady Effingbroke]

50. Tiny houses...

I thought this was an interesting site.

[Momgonepostal]

51. I feel claustrophobic just looking at those

The designer's heart is in the right place but I'd need therapy after spending one day on one of those things.