I live in a 944 sq ft house built in 1924 on 3,000 sq ft of land. Family of four, in Canada. It's great. So cheap to operate. We can afford to do fun renovations (ex we did hempcrete with lime plaster walls and cork floors in the basement, and tadelakt in the bathroom- gorgeous). A small house is much more financially secure. That being said, I live in a very sprawly city but in a dense neighbourhood. The neighbourhood is the main thing that makes it possible to live as small as we do. We have schools and parks and friends and services (multiple groceries, restaurants, a library, a pool, a community club etc etc) all within very close walking distance. There are no driveways in the front so we feel safe to let our kids run around and not worry about them having a car (or pickup truck more likely) back over them. We know our neighbours well, since there's 6 ft max of space between the houses.
I live in a 944 sq ft house built in 1924 on 3,000 sq ft of land. Family of four, in Canada. It's great. So cheap to operate. We can afford to do fun renovations (ex we did hempcrete with lime plaster walls and cork floors in the basement, and tadelakt in the bathroom- gorgeous). A small house is much more financially secure. That being said, I live in a very sprawly city but in a dense neighbourhood. The neighbourhood is the main thing that makes it possible to live as small as we do. We have schools and parks and friends and services (multiple groceries, restaurants, a library, a pool, a community club etc etc) all within very close walking distance. There are no driveways in the front so we feel safe to let our kids run around and not worry about them having a car (or pickup truck more likely) back over them. We know our neighbours well, since there's 6 ft max of space between the houses.
It all comes down to zoning and planning.
"You don't need that - *I* will tell you what you need and you'll be happy!"
Well, there's the expected "tell" right there of the person either thinking or lecturing with that mindset. Sure thing, Mrs. Kravitz!
Totally agree! We should be talking much more about house sizes!
One thing: the link to the "simultaneous sensitivity analysis" seems to be leading somewhere else?
Perfectly logical Lloyd, and I am looking forward to your future articles that address the inevitable debates that zoning home sizes will create:
(1) “Rural vs. Urban”
(2) “Freedom vs. Communism”