# How big is your home?



## Ihatetaxes (May 5, 2010)

My family of four is currently pretty comfortable in our 2,500 sf 3+1 (3 upstairs plus 1 in the basement for guests) bedroom home. Is it my dream home, no. By most standards its a nice place and I think the market value is somewhere around $800k. I don't know how people in Toronto do it as I think my house would be double the price just 50 kms away in Toronto.

How about you? Happy in your space?


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## Spudd (Oct 11, 2011)

Someone told us our house was 1000 sq ft. I haven't actually measured it myself but I suspect it might be slightly bigger. There's only the two of us so we don't need a huge place.

We are very happy here. The basement is kind of dated - think 60's chic with faux wood paneling and exposed brick walls. But we try not to let it bug us.


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## Homerhomer (Oct 18, 2010)

I like my house, nice neighbours, fairly quiet street, at 2100sf is actually way to big for two of us.
For the first 15 years of my life I was raised in one bedroom apartment, about 350sf, 5 people, and we did all right, no issues there either.


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## marina628 (Dec 14, 2010)

3900 sq ft


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## marina628 (Dec 14, 2010)

With basement 5200 sq ft and so glad because currently have my parents sister and husband and two cousins with us because of my brother being sick.Never thought we could fill this place but if we had 7 bedrooms they would do right now lol


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## Video_Frank (Aug 2, 2013)

2000 sq ft plus finished basement. 4 bedrooms, back on to a ravine. Paid for about 9 years ago. Cottage 600 sq ft on a private island, paid cash in 2001.


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## sags (May 15, 2010)

1300 square foot townhouse......rented. We have no need for anything bigger.

Unfinished basement man cave.........where I sit in silent bliss........amid the precisely arranged tote boxes.

I worked a lot of overtime.............to get to where I am today..........lol.


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## fraser (May 15, 2010)

Just moved from a 3600 sq foot home plus full finished basement to a 1400sq ft. condo and we love it! It was such a good feeling to downsize. Second car just went two weeks ago.


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## Eder (Feb 16, 2011)

My motor home is 430 sq ft and the sail boat is about 440 sq ft...the two of us no longer own a sticks & bricks home.


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## Ag Driver (Dec 13, 2012)

1622 sq ft with a market value around 265k for a 6yr old detached 3 bedroom, 3 bath and single car garage. Will have myself and two renters!


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## My Own Advisor (Sep 24, 2012)

1600 sq. ft. bungalow (for 2) that includes partially finished basement. Love it.


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## Mall Guy (Sep 14, 2011)

2,220 sf, 4 bdrm + den, with an 1,100 sf 2 bdrm apartment . . . became an empty nester this fall . . . so sure don't need to be rumbling around in all this space!


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## crazyjackcsa (Aug 8, 2010)

So many different measurements. Would you include a walk up attic that is partially finished (drywall and old carpet)? Do you include a basement that is finished? How about the utility room that is not? Some people measure all their rooms and add it all up. Others measure the outside walls and multiply by floors.

No matter. The total envelope is about 2,800 sq. ft. spread across 4 floors and a total of 14 rooms. We could get away with a smaller house, but we need about that many rooms.

Family of four that has family come over once a month for a weekend visit.


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## nobleea (Oct 11, 2013)

Our house is just under 1200 sq ft, bungalow. The basement is finished nicely but we just use it for storage. House is from the 50's but we've reno'd it over the past 4 years. I would estimate it's worth somewhere in the 450-500K range. The house could easily handle two toddlers.
In the next 3-4 years we will build a new house in the same neighbourhood. Bigger, but still less than 2000 sq ft.


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## fatcat (Nov 11, 2009)

750 feet condo ... paid off
it feels too big ....


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## Jon_Snow (May 20, 2009)

900 sq. ft in Vancouver suburb - more than enough room for a couple of D.I.N.K's. 

1200 sq. ft in Mexico - recently renovated for less than half the cost of a similar job in Canada. 

100 sq. ft bunkhouse/shed on our 10 acres. We have slept here quite often, yet now the tools are taking over. Will build our dream cottage one day.

Oh yeah, forgot the 16 sq. ft outhouse on the acreage!


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## Janus (Oct 23, 2013)

Renting 400 sqft in Hong Kong. The price of living in a tax haven! But it's just me in there.


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## Four Pillars (Apr 5, 2009)

I think our house is about 1500-1600 sq ft? I'd love to have something bigger for 4 people, but it's good enough, great area etc. Upgrading would mean either moving out of the downtown area or spending another $300k+.


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## Kail (Feb 7, 2012)

Renting 850 sqft 1 bedroom condo in DT Toronto. It's a little tight though since the dining room is doubling as my fiance's home office. Looking to buy a house/semi/townhouse north of the city after we get married next year. I can't see us getting anything larger than 1,200 sqft + basement.


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## Jungle (Feb 17, 2010)

1500 sq feet, not including (finished) basement. 3 bed, 3 bath.


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## Hawkdog (Oct 26, 2012)

1600sq feet rancher plus 2 car garage. 3 bedroom 2 bath. More than 2 DINKS need.
It is on 20 acres with mountain views though.


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## Pvo (Jul 4, 2013)

2200 sf., double garage. Great size for the two of us with room to grow. 

Previous house was 1400sf. Loved the amount of space, hated the single garage.


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## Toronto.gal (Jan 8, 2010)

The size of Casa Loma, LOL.


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## Toronto.gal (Jan 8, 2010)

Homerhomer said:


> I like my house, nice neighbours, fairly quiet street, at 2100sf is actually way to big for two of us.
> For the first 15 years of my life I was raised in one bedroom apartment, about 350sf, 5 people, and we did all right, no issues there either.


+1.

Loved the appreciative answer & attitude.


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## kcowan (Jul 1, 2010)

3300 sq.ft. rented penthouse. But 1300 of that is outdoors and provides some storage space. 3BR/2Bath. With a laptop and iPad, the den is now superfluous. In fact, when we rent it out, we lock off the den as an owners storage area. Been here for 16 years. Prior to that was a 5000 sq.ft. place on an acre north of Unionville, and a 700 sq.ft. cottage on Nottawasaga Bay.

Our snowbird property is 1750 sq.ft., 2BR and it is just about right for the two of us (and 2 cats).


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## dBII (Mar 12, 2013)

Well, my wife told me once that size doesn't matter, so I built her an 1880sqft house rather than something larger. At least I THINK that's what she was talking about.

The best part is, we're half a block from the ocean without the high-taxes and winter winds, plus we have nothing behind our small lot so mucho-privacy.


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## Beaver101 (Nov 14, 2011)

Toronto.gal said:


> The size of Casa Loma, LOL.


 ... wow, that's a nice place you got there T.Gal. I think I better learn how to trade to trade-up my place:

My home-sweet-home:






:biggrin:


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## Synergy (Mar 18, 2013)

1100 sq foot condo - 2 bed, 2 bath...


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## piano mom (Jan 18, 2012)

3700 sq ft in BC. No mortgage and collecting rent from basement. Will live here until kids move out. Kids are only 10 and 12 now :O


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## Mall Guy (Sep 14, 2011)

Jon_Snow said:


> Oh yeah, forgot the 16 sq. ft outhouse on the acreage!


must be a two holer :biggrin:


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## Itchy54 (Feb 12, 2012)

Somewhere around 2000 in total with basement. Could rent out the basement but there is no way in h#ll!! Kid is gone so it's just me and hubby and the dog. More than enough room!! Don't want to clean more, don't want to furnish more. Small lot that backs onto parkland, and lots of it. It is my tax-free back yard and we use it daily! Nice little duck pond too....
It is our retirement house and may get downsized to a condo after the dog goes so we can avoid the winters we both hate so much. Don't really want to leave a home unattended. Luckily my sweet neighbor is dogsitting and housesitting this December for us as we head down to Mexico for the month.....wish it was longer!!


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## uptoolate (Oct 9, 2011)

fraser said:


> Just moved from a 3600 sq foot home plus full finished basement to a 1400sq ft. condo and we love it! It was such a good feeling to downsize. Second car just went two weeks ago.


Congratulations. I'm so looking forward to these events.


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## jcgd (Oct 30, 2011)

My suite is around 900 sq ft. The size is fine, but the place needs more storage. Whoever designed my place could have been smarter and more creative and have found a lot more room for storage. Most of the extra space is squandered. Been here almost four years and pretty satisfied though. I wouldn't be willing to clean a 2000 sq ft house.


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## crazyjackcsa (Aug 8, 2010)

So what was the point of this little exercise? What conclusion have we come to? Different strokes and all that?


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## Jungle (Feb 17, 2010)

The conclusion is that most members polled live in 1000-2000 sq foot homes except Kcowan because he's ballin.


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## scomac (Aug 22, 2009)

Jungle said:


> The conclusion is that most members polled live in 1000-2000 sq foot homes except Kcowan because he's ballin.


It's a dirty job, but someone had to do it! :biggrin:

As for us, we live in a 2100 sq. ft. Victorian -- ~160 yr. old -- that underwent a full gut renno 17 years ago. As empty nesters, it's too much with too many stairs and too far from town, but the lake view is nice.  A downsizing is in our future, but what form it takes and where is still an unknown at this time.


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## mind_business (Sep 24, 2011)

We recently moved from a 1100 SF home to a 1500 SF home (both also had full basements). We weren't looking for a bigger place, it just happened that way. 1100 SF was more than adequate for my wife and I (no kids).


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## Berubeland (Sep 6, 2009)

I should have clicked Trump would live here. He would be lucky to live with my great family


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## Jon_Snow (May 20, 2009)

My wife is itching to move up from 900 sq. ft.... I am trying to convince her that we should enjoy our mortgage free status for a few more years. Not sure if I am succeeding judging by the stack of new home flyers she always has lying around. 

Personally, I find the space more than adequate - we have the other properties to retreat to when we start to feel "squeezed". I really don't want another mortgage - EVER.


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## marina628 (Dec 14, 2010)

My favorite house was our 1132 sq ft bungalow and when it was just us and one child the house was perfect for us but when our youngest was born in 2003 it just could not work anymore even with the finished basement as both kids needed to sleep on main floor with us.We have the house we have now because we bought a piece of land and the plan was approved for this size house.If we move again it will be a ranch bungalow about 1500-1600 sq ft.Our taxes are now $6800 a year compared to $3400 on the last house and our monthly hydro ,gas,water is $500 a month compared to $250-$300 a month and our house insurance is $1900 a year compared to $900 a year.
We definitely can afford it but lots of wasted after tax money ,in 7 years we are planning to look around for another piece of land and build our dream retirement home just two bedrooms and an office ,big country eat in kitchen and no dining room as I have one now collect dust for past 3+ years lol.My husband will finish the basement to add a couple bedrooms bathroom and tv room for when kids come home and if they bring grand kids.


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## AltaRed (Jun 8, 2009)

kcowan said:


> 3300 sq.ft. rented penthouse. But 1300 of that is outdoors and provides some storage space.


Vancouver must be one of the few jurisdictions to include outdoor space in square footage.


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## Synergy (Mar 18, 2013)

Jon_Snow said:


> My wife is itching to move up from 900 sq. ft.... I am trying to convince her that we should enjoy our mortgage free status for a few more years. Not sure if I am succeeding judging by the stack of new home flyers she always has lying around.
> 
> Personally, I find the space more than adequate - we have the other properties to retreat to when we start to feel "squeezed". I really don't want another mortgage - EVER.


There's really no rush - stick to your guns! With a bigger home you need more "stuff" to fill it, let alone the increase in property taxes, utility bills, etc.

A George Carlin Classic - "Stuff"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MvgN5gCuLac


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## summer (Jul 7, 2011)

Synergy said:


> There's really no rush - stick to your guns! With a bigger home you need more "stuff" to fill it, let alone the increase in property taxes, utility bills, etc.
> 
> A George Carlin Classic - "Stuff"
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MvgN5gCuLac


I get your point but 900sq ft is really really small.
I would not live like that.
There is more to life than being mortgage free.


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## piano mom (Jan 18, 2012)

My husband and I can live in a 900 sq ft home once the kids are grown up and moved out. We hope to be "out of the house" most of the time by then - travelling. There's really no need for more space if it's only for 2 peolple, really.


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## summer (Jul 7, 2011)

I guess it depends on if there are just the two of you, then yes its easier.
I still need my space.
I guess it's what your used to and what you value.
Even if it was just hubby and me, 900sq ft is awfully small. If thats all I could afford then fine. If I can afford more than for me personally I would want a bigger place. Even if it meant sacrifices in other areas.


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## Mall Guy (Sep 14, 2011)

Berubeland said:


> I should have clicked Trump would live here. He would be lucky to live with my great family


No doubt, but he strikes me as a bit of an *** :biggrin:


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## Jon_Snow (May 20, 2009)

summer said:


> I get your point but 900sq ft is really really small.
> I would not live like that.
> There is more to life than being mortgage free.


If I didn't have 10 acres on an island paradise, and our Mexico retreat (both paid for by the way), then 900 sq ft wouldn't cut it. In fact, we would probably be a bit depressed by it. We view our condo as merely a nice (and cheap) place to stay in the city where we are making enough money so we can retire early and spend more time on our island, and in the Baja for months at at time. The city condo will likely be sold to beef up our retirement funds - we have no real attachment to it.


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## Karen (Jul 24, 2010)

As a widow living alone, I could live quite comfortably in 900 square feet. In fact that's probably all of my house that I use. I live in an 1830 square foot one level, no-basement three-bedroom house. I occasionally have guests so I appreciate one extra bedroom, but the other one hasn't been used for years. I have both a living room and a family room - the only time the living room is entered is to dust and vacuum.

So I have far more space than I need, but I love the neighbourhood, and it isn't simply isn't worth worth moving, either from a financial or any point of view. The thought of moving after 24 years in this house sends shivers down my spine! I jokingly tell my daughters that if they resent having to get rid of a lot of junk after I die, remind themselves that my estate will be providing a good hourly rate for their work!


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## brad (May 22, 2009)

Our house is just over 900 square feet and the previous owners were a family of seven. When we moved in we were a family of three, then four, for the first few years we lived here, now down to two. It didn't seem cramped even with four people, although it's a lot nicer with just two of us. I do sometimes wish we had a little more space, or a garage, but this is our dream home and we don't plan to move until we're too old to climb the stairs.


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## nathan79 (Feb 21, 2011)

I like my space but I guess that's because of my hobbies and interests. My dream place would be a 2000 sq ft house with a double garage plus a detached work shop, on about on acre with very few neighbours around. That would be enough space for me and one other person.

I grew up in rural areas with plenty of space. I've never been a fan of tight living arrangements; it makes me feel very uneasy.


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## Karen (Jul 24, 2010)

AltaRed said:


> Vancouver must be one of the few jurisdictions to include outdoor space in square footage.


I live in a suburb of Vancouver, and nobody that I know counts outdoor space as part of the square footage.


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## Jon_Snow (May 20, 2009)

Vancouverite here too - outdoor space most definitely not counted in official square footage... but a 1300 sq. ft deck on a penthouse suite is pretty darn sweet.


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## wendi1 (Oct 2, 2013)

Jon - my house is 1300 sq. ft!
LOL.

Seems like plenty to us, too - we have lots of space.


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## kcowan (Jul 1, 2010)

Jon_Snow said:


> Vancouverite here too - outdoor space most definitely not counted in official square footage... but a 1300 sq. ft deck on a penthouse suite is pretty darn sweet.


I agree that it is excessive. In fact it is just 6.5 feet deep all along the west side, enabling every room to have a walkout, but at the south side overlooking the water, it is 900 sq.ft. and very usable in the summer. The penthouses facing the forest behind us have 30x42 patios facing north. One neighbour even had a storage shed out there, and a freezer.
Some older pictures


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## Synergy (Mar 18, 2013)

nathan79 said:


> I like my space but I guess that's because of my hobbies and interests. My dream place would be a 2000 sq ft house with a double garage plus a detached work shop, on about on acre with very few neighbours around. That would be enough space for me and one other person.
> 
> I grew up in rural areas with plenty of space. I've never been a fan of tight living arrangements; it makes me feel very uneasy.


1+ for the detached workshop and acreage. Would luv a workshop and some acreage one of these days - one of my future goals. Garages also come in handy for our Canadian winters - I hate jumping into a frozen car.


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## piano mom (Jan 18, 2012)

Jon_Snow said:


> Vancouverite here too - outdoor space most definitely not counted in official square footage... but a 1300 sq. ft deck on a penthouse suite is pretty darn sweet.


Outdoor space doesn't count in square footage but it certainly adds to the value of the house. Some people sees it as more "living space".:encouragement:


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## KaeJS (Sep 28, 2010)

Hawkdog said:


> 1600sq feet rancher plus 2 car garage. 3 bedroom 2 bath. More than 2 DINKS need.
> It is on 20 acres with mountain views though.


Nice view. Gotta love being a DINK.

I hope to be a DINK one day.

/jealous.

My house is 1330 sq ft.


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## HaroldCrump (Jun 10, 2009)

KaeJS said:


> I hope to be a DINK one day.
> /jealous.


You are 23, and you have already decided to be NK?
Not saying it's right/wrong, just a lil' surprised because IMHO that is a little too early to make an exclusive decision like that.


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## KaeJS (Sep 28, 2010)

Well, currently, that is my stance.


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## Jon_Snow (May 20, 2009)

KaeJS, I'm 41 and DINK-dom does indeed rule. Don't let the child rearers here strong arm you!!! 

Kidding, kidding, CMF parents!!! :tongue-new:

But financially, it kicks all sorts of butt. Save more, spend a lot less, retire young! And I will likely live my whole life without ever changing a diaper!!!


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## NotJustDreaming (Oct 20, 2013)

Our house is 1400 square feet measuring corner to corner from the outside. It seems pretty spacious and has a great floor plan. We have lots of built ins and great character. I'd love to have an extra foot of width in each of the bedrooms though. We have a walk out basement which I love. And the best is our 100' by 70' lot. The house footprint leaves tons of space for a yard. We are a family of five. We use every room every day and we all have our own space.


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## NotMe (Jan 10, 2011)

Ihatetaxes said:


> My family of four is currently pretty comfortable in our 2,500 sf 3+1 (3 upstairs plus 1 in the basement for guests) bedroom home. Is it my dream home, no. By most standards its a nice place and I think the market value is somewhere around $800k. I don't know how people in Toronto do it as I think my house would be double the price just 50 kms away in Toronto.
> 
> How about you? Happy in your space?


It's amazing to me how people are sensitive to one thing and not to another (not in a bad way). I live in Toronto in a 1300 sq. ft house and find it just fine for my family of 3, and the previous owners had a family of 4 no problem. But I am sensitive to distance - 50 kms is far!  It's not just size, but location that will determine the value of your house. My 1300 sq. ft house is more than equal in value to my brother's 3200 sq. ft house in Oshawa, but a 2500 sqft house in a bad part of Scarborough would be worth much less than a 2500 sq. ft house at say Yonge and Bloor.


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## Ponderling (Mar 1, 2013)

2 storey 46 year old bungalow, 900 sf per floor, and a semi finished basement (carpet in about half, all wall insulated and boarded but not all drywall taped and painted).
Single car garage that we actually park a car in. 
I recently built a 100sf shed in the back yard so as to not have to be such a gymnast to get yard stuff out of the garage while a car is parked in it. 

Bought 11 years ago with substantial deposit. Paid off the mortage a few years ago, and gradually tackling infrastructure things. New roof, new windows, doors, insulate basement, improve attic insulation, new h/e furnace, water heater, a/c.

After that we have been diy fixing up room by room.
A job we enjoy, but try not to go over the top on.
After all, the money we sink into the house is how we want to enjoy it money, not viewed strictly as investment improvements.


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## Homerhomer (Oct 18, 2010)

NotMe said:


> It's amazing to me how people are sensitive to one thing and not to another .


Conclusion: we are not all the same and have different priorities ;-)

Some people like chocolate others like their feet stink, different strokes for different folks.


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## Toronto.gal (Jan 8, 2010)

À chacun son goût! 

Statistics indicate that families are shrinking in Canada as fewer children are born [DINKs are also increasing], but the desire for bigger cars/houses, seems to be increasing just the same. 

But yet many talk against energy projects, as though they weren't driving the big cars or cooling/heating the big houses [not referring to forum necessarily].

*"There is an old Japanese saying, "Full Mat, Half Mat, A Fist Full of Rice". No matter who you are, when sleeping you take up a full mat, when sitting you take up a half mat and your stomach can only hold a fistful of rice at a time."
*
Speaking of size: *Antilia* has 400,000-square foot with space for 168 cars. But if you prefer to arrive to the house by air, there are also multiple helipads on the roof. :02.47-tranquillity:










http://www.businessinsider.com/antilia-mumbai-most-expensive-house-mukesh-ambani-2012-5#


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## Beaver101 (Nov 14, 2011)

Only heli-landing pads? Ah, that's too bad, too small a space for a space-shuttle or space-ship landing ... :biggrin:


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## marina628 (Dec 14, 2010)

In mid 90's we bought a condo on Prince Arthur in Toronto and we lived in Brampton , we loved going into the city on weekends to eat and shop .When we hit early-mid 30s we became more sensitive to the crowds and the traffic so we sold it and the Brampton house and moved about an hour east of the city surrounded by Farms.I can be happy with a 700 sq ft house but I need land , cant stand being boxed in by neighbors anymore , did that for 16 years.


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## Toronto.gal (Jan 8, 2010)

marina628 said:


> In mid 90's we bought a condo on *Prince Arthur* in Toronto....


That's one of Toronto's richest areas [even back in the 90's] and just steps away from the haute couture & finest dining area of Yorkville [and my alma mater].

Today, you could have sold it for 1 million+, and for sure without ever a problem renting to nearby U of T students.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life...rd-for-price-per-square-foot/article15047872/


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## Homerhomer (Oct 18, 2010)

marina628 said:


> I can be happy with a 700 sq ft house but I *need* land ,


Farmers need land ;-)

In this discussion I find it interesting to see what others qualify as need.


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## MoneyGal (Apr 24, 2009)

Toronto.gal said:


> That's one of Toronto's richest areas [even back in the 90's] and just steps away from the haute couture & finest dining area of Yorkville [and my alma mater].
> 
> Today, you could have sold it for 1 million+, and for sure without ever a problem renting to nearby U of T students.
> 
> http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life...rd-for-price-per-square-foot/article15047872/


I was at a meeting once at 16 Prince Arthur (years ago) and my mom commented that was her sorority house in the 1950s.


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## marina628 (Dec 14, 2010)

95 prince Arthur a 2 bedroom , we paid $227,000 for it.We did rent it back in 1997 for $1500 a month and did that 2-3 years then sold it.


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## marina628 (Dec 14, 2010)

We use to go to Four Seasons for lunch and window shop alot in that area .Bought a few things there ,Remy's was another favorite place to eat.Just looked on internet to see what they sell for , the one bedrooms going for $560,000.Last two bedroom I could find sold in 2010 for $540,000 but we sold ours for less than $400,000 so probably in the $700,000+ now.


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## brad (May 22, 2009)

I like this place, which fits 1,000 square feet of functionality into 420 square feet:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BtYxuoj6x9o


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## crazyjackcsa (Aug 8, 2010)

Homerhomer said:


> Farmers need land ;-)
> 
> In this discussion I find it interesting to see what others qualify as need.


I'd say a need comes down to "Allows me to keep my mental health" I lived in an apartment for 5 years. My wife characterized me as a caged animal. I never really felt at ease, I didn't sleep well, and I was usually on edge. Move to a house with some room to roam, and in short order that all went away. 

That's a need.


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## jordan_paul (Jul 1, 2013)

My house is only an 850 sq ft bungalow but we live in the country and have acreage so it doesn't matter, were hardly inside anyways. This spring I'm breaking ground on a 30'x40' shop and hopefully one day I will finish the basement and throw another bedroom, bathroom and rec room [hunting room] down there.


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## Sherlock (Apr 18, 2010)

I live in (rent) a 1 bedroom condo in toronto.  Probably about 650 sq ft.

I wish I could afford a detached house but I can't.  I suppose some might say that detached houses are for families, and as a single guy with no kids, I don't need a house and should embrace condo life, but I really hate it. Condo living sucks, I'm constantly listening to noise, being awoken by footsteps stomping or somebody above me moving furniture at 3 am, people shouting as they walk down the halls, dogs barking, and not to mention having to smell peoples' smelly cooking wafting into my unit. Also I own a motorcycle and am constantly in fear of it being stolen as several have already been stolen from my condo. All you people who live in houses are really lucky to be in the position that you are in. But I guess you bought your house when they cost 3x your income, not like today when an average house is more like 12x an average income.

With my income and savings, I could probably buy a house up to about 450k if I really wanted (just guessing, never actually tried to get preapproved). That would require depleting my TFSA/RRSP and other savings, and getting a high ratio mortgage (I'm not stupid enough to do that) and it STILL woudlnt' buy me a detached house with a garage within reasonable commuting distance to my job. That would require at least 650k, and more like 800k for anything half decent.

I could afford a decent house on the outskirts of the GTA (something like Ajax or Keswick) but then I'd have a horrible commute. Currently my commute is a 15 minute walk. I only drive on cold/rainy days, it's a 5 minute drive. I hate toronto but I have a fairly good job and I'm sure I would be unable to find anything half as good in any other town (already tried) so moving to a cheaper town is not something I'm considering. Sometimes when I get especially annoyed by condo living I think about biting the bullet and just buying a house somewhere like Ajax (would probably cost about 370k), but then I remind myself that I'd proabbly hate the commute more than I hate my condo.


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## AltaRed (Jun 8, 2009)

There are other options than a detached house that are serious contenders. An end unit townhouse, or a semi-detached (side by side) house offers pretty decent privacy, and can be purchased at less cost than an equivalent detached home. On a side-by-side especially, make sure you understand the 'party wall agreement' and condition of things like roofs that may require joint replacement if the roofline is seamless between the units. Many side-by-sides now have varying elevations for that very reason (roofs and sides). Condo fees are likely to be less on any strata that does not have interior corridors and elevators, both of which are expensive to maintain.


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## dogcom (May 23, 2009)

Hawkdog said:


> 1600sq feet rancher plus 2 car garage. 3 bedroom 2 bath. More than 2 DINKS need.
> It is on 20 acres with mountain views though.
> View attachment 325


Are you one of the lottery winners hawkdog. I could be wrong but I think it was Smithers a small town where a number of people have won or split the Lotto 649. One of the few towns where counting on the lottery is part of the retirement plan.

Anyhow my house is 2,300 sq feet and I could also use more with my daughter and family living in the bottom half of my house.


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## KaeJS (Sep 28, 2010)

Jon_Snow said:


> KaeJS, I'm 41 and DINK-dom does indeed rule. Save more, spend a lot less, retire young! And I will likely live my whole life without ever changing a diaper, *listening to screaming, crying, picking up food, feeding babies, dropping kids off at school, putting them to bed, sharing your bed, doing their homework, taking them to the doctor......etc *!!!


*Fixed.*

Snow, I didn't know that you were that young. Good stuff, mate.


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## Jon_Snow (May 20, 2009)

Well KaeJS, most days I don't feel young, but thanks for that.


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## Sherlock (Apr 18, 2010)

Jon_Snow said:


> Well KaeJS, most days I don't feel young, but thanks for that.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNIWmLC-i-U


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## Karen (Jul 24, 2010)

I don't think I'd want to go this small! From this morning's Vancouver newspapers, a 100 square foot house: http://www.news1130.com/2013/10/30/local-company-building-micro-homes-in-vancouver/


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## Jon_Snow (May 20, 2009)

Funny you posted that Karen... Just last night my wife and I were talking about that same little house and how it would be nice to have on our gulf island acreage. I'm 6'4", and that loft "bedroom" might be a tight squeeze for me.


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## Karen (Jul 24, 2010)

I can't quite picture you in there, Jon!


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## humble_pie (Jun 7, 2009)

Jon_Snow said:


> Funny you posted that Karen... Just last night my wife and I were talking about that same little house and how it would be nice to have on our gulf island acreage. I'm 6'4", and that loft "bedroom" might be a tight squeeze for me.


i can't see any tiny abode on that dramatic ocean-facing property, underneath the giant redwood tree ... what i'd see instead is a timeless post-modern house of weathered silver cedar, stone fireplace, windows with views & light, place to sit outside looking over the sea


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## Pigzfly (Dec 2, 2010)

I had to pick the 1000-2000... we have 1002 sq ft, 2 bed/2 bath condo, for the two of us.


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## Jon_Snow (May 20, 2009)

humble_pie said:


> i can't see any tiny abode on that dramatic ocean-facing property, underneath the giant redwood tree ... what i'd see instead is a timeless post-modern house of weathered silver cedar, stone fireplace, windows with views & light, place to sit outside looking over the sea


Down the road a bit I can visualize something very much like that... but for now we need something to sleep in other than a tool shed. :biggrin:

Humble, what you describe there would probably cost 200k+ to build on our property. Once my wife joins me in retirement we are going to sell our city condo, part of the proceeds of which will help create something akin to the cottage you so wonderfully described...


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## humble_pie (Jun 7, 2009)

lol & wouldn't it be easy to build an architect-designed jewel in cedar, stone, douglas fir & glass that would run well past $2,000,000!

but i think a good thing about natural materials is that they can also be used on a modest cost scale & they will still impart that sense of timeless quality & comfort.

i seem to recall you were going to do some of the work yourself? another cost-saver is that you might not need a gigantic amount of inside space. Lots of outside space in the summer but cosy up close to the fire in winter.

specifically, i thought that the tiny vancouver house as a temporary dwelling seemed expensive. Also it might be difficult to resell on a gulf island.

don't most people just buy a trailer & live in that while building a main house? we have some friends who summered with their kids in a trailer during the building years, which were long-drawn-out because first the parents had to save. But the kids remember good times in the crowded trailer.


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## donald (Apr 18, 2011)

With a property like that Jon(old world trees that run to the sky and trunks bigger than a small car)it would almost be a sin to build a small house!the investment of land you have requires a statlely/rustic,warm cabin.
nice big cobblestone hearth climbing up into the ceiling.
Rustic stressed planked hardwood floors.
Romantic loft upstairs looking down into the back views of your property with the back wall having a vault and nearly all windows,flooding the mourning sun.
maybe for contrast the kitchen cabinets are white with a big island,Cesar stone for counter tops.
basement you have your man cave,big pool table/flat screen and a poker table!overhead are exposed natural timbers that are left for strength and character!you can't lose!
and don't forget the deck of the house!jhst off the main room,tierd deck with a bad *** barbie and maybe a smoker,a lounging area,a hot tub!its endless!


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## Addy (Mar 12, 2010)

We live in approximately 3600 square feet and I hate it. It's a new, beautiful house, 5 bedrooms, 3 full bathrooms but the amount of crap we have accumulated is ridiculous. I feel we are in a larger house just to house all our crap. Our first (owned) home was our 548 sq ft condo near Granville Island in Vancouver. Two adults, two cats, with a small townhouse type yard, we loved it. It was always impeccably clean and almost always organized. My house now, is clean but rarely if ever 'tidy'


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## tiffbou2 (Jul 4, 2013)

^ I understand where you're coming from Addy. 

My house is 2600 square feet on the top two levels with a finished basement and I feel like it is too big for us. We are a family of 4. Maybe it's the layout, but we live in two rooms - the kitchen and family room. The living room and dining room are largely untouched. I do like having 4 large bedrooms upstairs, but right now the basement is a waste of space. There are 3 large finished rooms down there and nobody ever goes down there. I'm hoping when my kids are teens they will make use of the space. I would like to turn one room into a workout room but don't want to spend the $$. Larger house = more projects = more $$$!


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## fraser (May 15, 2010)

That's where we were. 3600 sq feet, completely finished basement, indoor hot tub, 4 full bathrooms...the lot. And our 2 children had left the nest.

We lived in the kitchen, family room, eating area, and office. We got tired of the housework, the heating bills, the taxes, the upkeep, keeping the driveway and sidewalks clear of snow. And we got tired of being a remote storage area for our children. Best thing we ever did was decide to sell, store, and travel. It forced us to only keep what fit into a 16X8X8 PODS storage container. We filled it to the brim. Guess what? Now we are back, we are still disposing of things that we no longer need or want. We found the entire process very liberating and we strongly recommend it to others with the same challenges.


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## kcowan (Jul 1, 2010)

fraser said:


> It forced us to only keep what fit into a 16X8X8 PODS storage container. We filled it to the brim. Guess what? Now we are back, we are still disposing of things that we no longer need or want. We found the entire process very liberating and we strongly recommend it to others with the same challenges.


After we downsized in 1997, we vowed to stay light. Well after 16 years the stuff had taken over. So we embarked another purge. We got all our personal stuff into the den and locked it off while we rented the place as a 2BR penthouse for the season. We actually have some spare cupboard space in that den.

We also discovered that WestJet does not charge extra for 4 overweight bags when you join their frequent flyer program. So now we have to purge our Puerto Vallarta cupboards too.


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## fraser (May 15, 2010)

We are being careful because we could move again. Even down to books. We used to keep row after row of books. Since coming back I have donated about five hardcover books to the local library. If we buy them, read them, and either don't want to read them again or no one we know wants the book, we simply drop it off at the library. Just about all of our mail is electronic. We have 2 bankers boxes filled with paper ready to go to the auto club shredders in the spring.

Last Jan we rented a condo in Costa Rica from a friend of a friend for the month of Jan. We may be interested in doing something similar in PV...not certain that we want to buy in Mexico. Any suggestions appreciated. But not this winter as we have plans.


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## kcowan (Jul 1, 2010)

If your try of PV is for a month, I recommend VRBO. For a shorter period, the resorts are good deal. We spent many years at Los Tules.


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## DayTek (Sep 26, 2013)

We live in a 1200 SF semi-detached, two-story. 3 bedrooms, 1.5 baths. Separate driveways. Bought it new for $184,000 in 2006. Land taxes are dirt cheap because it's a new subdivision in an older area (built where a school used to be...one which I attended for a several years oddly enough!). Big backyard. Turned the one bedroom into a den and the other a spare room. Not luxury, but very liveable, functional and modern. It's on a quiet cul-de-sac street and the neighbours are wonderful. It's our first home and I love it.

We are mutually decided D.I.N.Ks (hubby got the snip back in '09 when he was 26, so yeah, we're serious about it...haha). We do have a cat and he enjoys going on rampages through out the house!

As we talk about doing upgrades to the home (finishing the basement, adding a deck), our thoughts have admittedly lingered into detached home territory. It's not something we want to do any time soon, but it's an option. I am torn because there are so many memories we've made in this home - It's our first place we lived together independently, my husband proposed to me in the foyer the first night we moved in, we've hosted countless holiday dinners...I could go on. It's such a good home and it would be so hard to leave. It's just little things that would be nice that we don't have...A bigger garage (have a single right now), the main bathroom is small with little counter space (bigger tub is a dream, but it wouldn't fit), open-concept main floor is great for hosting but does get a little cramped during parties (I LOVE hosting!!!), front garden doesn't grow anything because the neighbour's garage is attached to our porch and blocks the sunlight. Just little upgrades that would be nice to have.

We found a layout that is extremely similar to ours, but detached. It's 1800 SF, which would not be exhaustive to clean and not overwhelming big. Being mortgage free is our goal right now, and a place like that could not be built around here for less than $300,000 nowadays. We'll just keep plucking at our mortgage and decide our priorities later on


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