As we’re home today w the kids for the holiday…

[forchristjesus]

@rogger I feel you. We’re in 1300 sq ft with only two real bedrooms. 3-4 bedrooms in our area go for 2+ million

 

[theperfectbone]

@rogger Can you consider an addition?

We live in a house that was originally a 3/2 and has been Frankensteined into a 4/3.5 monster with a second living room, an office, and a sunroom. (We did not do these additions, but we're already planning a bathroom remodel and another addition)

Construction is terrible to go through, but on the other end you'd have more room and have increased your property value. And they're expensive but not as expensive as moving.

 

[steve293000]

@theperfectbone It’s so expensive to add on and not necessarily a great return for your money. It’s also really tough to add on without complicating your floor plan.

 

[bnnewsome013]

@steve293000 Our neighborhood is mostly 1930-60 and filled with unique floor plans of the time: small kitchens, small bathrooms and no closets. It's become very desirable due to it's proximity to downtown, parks, river and shopping. Most people in our hood can't find a similar neighborhood with larger houses at a reasonable price point so they are being creative with additions. There are a lot of what I call "box around the back" add ons. Cape second floor "blow outs" and the four square side bump out are popular. Because we are in an area with a lot of older housing stock, there are several talented architects/designers/contractors. We've walked through several and were really impressed at what can be done.

 

[nekkam]

@steve293000 You're totally right but (as someone "stuck" in a small house) I've shifted my thinking on this a bit. We're going to be here for life, so I'm not looking for a monetary return on my renovation/expansion investments. I'm looking for a long-term quality-of-living return!

 

[steve293000]

@nekkam I totally get that! Our house is 1275sq feet and only has one bathroom. We considered adding on but the quotes were astronomical. I bought this house 8 yrs ago when I was single, so schools were not on my mind- and they are garbage lol. That’s the only reason we’re holding out to hopefully move before our 3 year old starts school in the next couple years. I’m expecting our 2nd baby in November and he won’t have a room . Just riding by the seat of our pants over here. I always joke that worst case we can just get a really nice shed and route power to it so I can use it as my home office and closet lol.

Edit: I am all for doing whatever you want to your house and not doing it expecting money back! Especially if you’re in your forever home- do it all. You might as well make it somewhere you enjoy living .

 

[mvhope]

@rogger Nothing wrong with wearing headphones at home from time to time!

 

[singingmichelle74]

@rogger Yeah. I have a loud dog and 6 kids in a four bedroom house from the 60s. And then I WFH. I use my AirPods Pro when I need them to cancel noise, not just when I am working. I have an area rug in my WFH office and I need to put striping in now that I’ve switched rooms (my office shares a room with the baby).

I am going to try to felt right panels on the wall in our stair well, on the hollow panel door to my office, and on the living room wall opposite the TV. I may think about base traps too.

 

[bobbyfisher]

@rogger Loop earplugs. I don’t like them, but everyone I know with noisy kids and sensory overload loves them. If not loop, maybe another brand. Modern problems. Modern solutions.

 

[amorphus]

@rogger I have noise-cancelling headphones but mostly I just cry inside.

 

[rogger]

@amorphus same. I can’t wear my AirPods ALL the time (I try…) but eventually I need to talk to my family

 

[kenseth03]

@rogger I’m in the same boat. We got this house 12 years ago expecting to eventually move into something better suited for our family, but there’s no way I’m buying in this market. Even in my little rural town decent sized properties are so insanely overpriced I think we’ll be here for a while longer.

It’s hard because the kids really need more room than they have so the house is always a mess, nobody has enough space to themselves. I’m just so thankful that we bought when we did I try not to complain.

 

[gearysa]

@rogger so i have a small house in a HCOL area. we ended up moving overseas for a few years, kept the house and rented it out, and moved back. time passed. by the time we came back they were teens/tweens. now one’s in college and we only have one at home. suddenly the house feels a little closer to right sized.

i do still wish for more space…my husband snores and i kind of want separate sleeping rooms…but also need room for a home office as i’ve stayed fully remote since covid.

but just a reminder that time passes and they won’t be loud and taking up as much space forever. make use of as much outdoor space as you can. we belong to a neighborhood pool and thank goodness for being able to get out of the house and cool off somewhere in the summers.

we’ve rearranged rooms and gotten creative with the space we have. we don’t currently have a real dining room or even a kitchen table at the moment but we have a bar/counter and that works for 75% of the year when my oldest is away at college.

 

[confused71f3]

@rogger If you've owned for a decade in an HCOL then you must have some equity- do you have space to expand the house or are able to build up to add another story with a HELOC?

 

[craighah]

@rogger take your kids outside and clap your hands and scream along with them! turn on the water hose and run around with them. can't fight them, might as well join them

 

[gautier]

@rogger Yes we are stuck in our house for various reasons will skip over, it’s okay size BUT we have no effing basement!!!!! We aren’t minimalists so this is hard!!! It sucks so much I feel like my life would improve so much if I had more place to put stuff. When we grow out of clothes I have to decide whether to keep all of it, all of our Christmas stuff, all of our winter stuff, or put some/all of it in my parents’ basement 35 min away. I literally cannot house it all. My husband is an avid hunter and a lot of his stuff is in the garage

 

[taylorgrace]

@rogger I feel this so much. Our house is just under 900 sqft. We are on top of each other! Doesn’t help that we have several unmoveable things in our living room- a piano, a bird cage, a fish tank and a trampoline. There’s nowhere for us to go to get away from each other

 

[kristih]

@rogger For everyone with a small house I would suggest @stephssmallspaces on IG. Has great tips on functionality and decluttering to help the house feel more peaceful! It’s been helpful to me.

 

[mitchellh]

@rogger You need noise canceling headphones

 

[determinedmomof3]

@rogger I don’t have any solutions but just wanted to say I feel so seen with that IG post too and I didn’t even see it! Lol