# Anyone with a larger home?



## mamasaurus (Jun 20, 2004)

Is there anyone here with a larger home, or am I the only one? I've got a 5000 square foot house,







: and although it's a big one, we do utilize the space. DH and I both work at home so we both have work-spaces here, we have a comfy guest room and bath for long-term company, we have room to spread out, etc.

I know the trend on MDC is to downsize, but I'm just wondering if anyone has a larger home and is using it well?


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## mugglemom (Aug 5, 2006)

Our house is pretty big counting the finished attic. We moved from a tiny bungalow a couple of years ago in anticipation of DH eventually working from home and my mom coming to live with us. Although neither of these things has happened yet, they probably will in the next year or two. We homeschool and like having the room to spread out projects. Plus we have a lot of pets. Our house is very energy efficient, though, about the same utility bills as the old house, and has a small footprint since it's tall. Some parts of it don't get cleaned as well as the old house did; that's the main downside to me. But it's comfortable and we do use it all.


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## koru (Sep 7, 2006)

i would say we have a larger home....about 3000 sq. ft including the finished basement. we just moved within the year & seriously debated getting something smaller but everything smaller we looked at needed a lot of work (and we just moved from a 1946 cape cod that we bought from the original owner with original everything! we weren't ready for more of the same).

even though we could live with much less space right now, we're expecting baby #3 in may & are having an 18 yr. old girl come live with us starting in august. the 4 br's will be used up & i'm sure the addition of a teenager will put better use to the basement! i'm confident that our now seemingly huge house will feel well lived in within the year!


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## mamasaurus (Jun 20, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *mugglemom* 
Our house is very energy efficient, though, about the same utility bills as the old house,

Can you tell me more about that? We are thinking of getting solar water and electric to help cut down on our electric bills. They are about $400/month. I don't know if that is due to our electricity usage, the size of the house, or just that electricity seems to be expensive here.


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## oldgirlnewtricks (Aug 30, 2006)

Five would be a bit too big for us, but we are perfect with 3,000. It was built in 65 and is better quality construction than I could get with anything new. We did a whole house remodel and made it fit how we live. Six bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, large kitchen, but a small living room. No family room, but DH and I both have home office spaces. I used space to make hallways 5 feet wide, so movement in the house flows really well. We are just on a typical urban lot.

I don't feel like we need to justify this. DH and I have busted our proverbial behinds for the last 30 years so we could enjoy ourselves. We spend a lot of time at home and it is very comfortable for our family. I'm not going to join the myrtar bandwagon here on MDC. If people like a small home, I don't care. I don't want to live like a sardine when I have other choices.


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## gr8tfulmom (Mar 13, 2005)

We are building a big house. At times I'm embarassed at the size, most of the time I'm pretty comfortable with our decision. The domes are on a full walk-out basement and will end up somewhere around 6500 sq ft when all is said and done. We did plan toward the future, my gram and dh's mom, will end up living with us. Add them to the 2 preteens (and another that's always with us), the toddler and dh & I both working from home and that's a recipe for a big house. Also one of our reasons for building was to have a large enough home for all of my family to be relatively comfortable at holidays, everyone elses' homes did not fit all of us very well







We were mindful of choosing renewable, recycled or efficient products the whole way through, that's gotta count for something huh?


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## 1growingsprout (Nov 14, 2005)

hi, yes we have a big home... 4000 sq ft, we purchased it last summer almost complete from someone who fell on financial hard times... so while the walls and plumbing was done we got to pick colors, appliances etc... that being said the floor plan is totally wrong for our family... dh knows it ;(

we have a huge room as the nursery dh has an office... i have a quiet room... ds 6 dd 3 have thier own rooms... there is a playroom...we have a huge great room a huge kitchen and a wonderful backyard... i dont see us staying here past the nursery years... 2 more years... we are just a family that needs space..

eventually i would like to move us to a midwestern state . yes i long for a basement !!! but we will have to see how that goes... DH has been with his company for 15 years... i dont want him to leave them now

while bigger is not alway better it definately works for us


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## sunflwrmoonbeam (Oct 9, 2006)

We're buying a 2700 sq ft house now, including unfinished (but eventually will be) basement. DH and I want a bunch of kids, I'm self-employed and need a home office for my clients, and we have a rather large library. I can fully sympathize with the urge to downsize, and we have very few possessions we don't consider necessary. But, we will never give up our large and growing library


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## mugglemom (Aug 5, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *mamasaurus* 
Can you tell me more about that? We are thinking of getting solar water and electric to help cut down on our electric bills. They are about $400/month. I don't know if that is due to our electricity usage, the size of the house, or just that electricity seems to be expensive here.

By comparison, our house is about 3500 square feet and our electric plus gas bills for last month totalled $200. That's for the Chicago area in winter, our most expensive time. In summer, our bills would total about $50 if we didn't run the AC (which we don't unless it's over 90 degrees). We have gas heat, range, dryer, and hot water. Our house was built about 3 years ago to Building America standards (http://www.eere.energy.gov/buildings...ca/about.html), so it has tons of insulation, etc.

I'd love to eventually get solar something, too, but the payoff just wouldn't be enough for us right now. Sometimes I go stare at our big south-facing roof and dream about solar panels...Are you in a location where solar would work well?


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## MomToKandE (Mar 11, 2006)

I think our house was around 3,500 sq ft before we finished the basement. It's 4 bedrooms and a study. I don't know how much "living area" that project added. There are things I love about the house and things I hate too.

The master BR is a good size but the other BRs are actually on the small side. To me that's actually a good thing. I hope it will encourage people into the main areas of the house when the kids get older instead of having everyone treat their rooms like small apartments.

On the other hand we have a formal living room and dining room that hardly ever get used. We use them for family parties and holidays but otherwise we're in the family room, basement, or study. I often feel like it's wasted space.

I also laugh because each child has his/her own room but everyone sleeps in my bed. The kids rooms are mostly just for storing clothes right now. Dd sometimes plays in her's when she needs alone time but otherwise they're empty. I'm hopeful that they'll eventually move out of my bed but for now we do most of our upstairs living in the master bedroom.

The guest room sees guests a few times a year... right now it's trashed because that's where I was hiding/wrapping Christmas gifts and I haven't cleaned it up yet.

On the other hand... we have a full bathroom on the main floor with a door off of the study. MIL is not in good health and may end up moving in with us eventually. If she does the study will be her BR and she'll have her own bath attatched. This was definitely something in our plan when we bought the house. There's also a good chance my mom will end up with us someday so I'm glad we'll have room for her if needed.


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## mamasaurus (Jun 20, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *mugglemom* 
Are you in a location where solar would work well?


Yes, Hawaii.


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## jkpmomtoboys (Jun 1, 2004)

What a great thread! We are adding on to our house and remodelling at the moment--it's 2900 right now and with the addition it will be almost 3500 plus our porch. But the space works for us and it doesn't feel big to me, but really right. At the same time, even though people are building much, much bigger houses around here, I'm still embarassed at the size when talking with people....ah, well.


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## mugglemom (Aug 5, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *mamasaurus* 
Yes, Hawaii.

Oh! Well, I guess you do have sun, then! I envy you, it's absolutely grey here right now.

As for electricity use, have you done things like getting a blanket for the hot water heater, changed to compact fluorescent bulbs, etc.? I've noticed some difference in our bills just from changing burned out lights to compact fluorescents. Older refrigerators are huge energy hogs, too.


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## mugglemom (Aug 5, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *jkpmomtoboys* 
At the same time, even though people are building much, much bigger houses around here, I'm still embarassed at the size when talking with people....ah, well.

I know exactly what you mean. Most of our friends live in pretty small places and sometimes I feel sort of embarassed, too. But, been there, done that, and we moved to a bigger house for a reason. And we plan to be here _forever_.
Or at least until I'm too decrepit for the stairs.


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## thismama (Mar 3, 2004)

Wow, I'm really surprised to see this thread on this site.


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## MeganW (Jul 11, 2004)

We purchased a 200yr old home almost 2yrs ago half is for rent right now, the half we are living in is 2100sq ft and we plan to return it to SF use in about a year or so and we'll have 4100 sq ft at that point in time. 6br's etc and we have even discussed finishing the attic which would give us another 2000sq ft of living space. Like a previous poster mentioned we'd like a big family and bought the house with the intention of staying a LONG time.

FTR I'm HAPPY to see this thread here. It takes all kinds of people to build a diverse community we can all learn from.


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## mmace (Feb 12, 2002)

My home is just about 4000 square feet of living space. We live in maybe about 2600 square feet of it, we rent out a 900 square foot apartment, and there is another 500 square feet that I am hoping to get turned into an efficiency apartment this year. My house is 150+ years old. It is perfect for my family. I have three kids and they each have their own space (my oldest just moved into a very cool attic room we finished for her this summer), and the income I get for the rental really helps out.


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## ComeOnLetsGo (Nov 19, 2001)

Our home is 3500 - we use every square inch of it! I wouldn't want or need to get anything bigger than this, but I certainly would hate to go any smaller.


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## mamasaurus (Jun 20, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *jkpmomtoboys* 
What a great thread! We are adding on to our house and remodelling at the moment--it's 2900 right now and with the addition it will be almost 3500 plus our porch. But the space works for us and it doesn't feel big to me, but really right. At the same time, even though people are building much, much bigger houses around here, I'm still embarassed at the size when talking with people....ah, well.

Well, no worries. I'm over being embarrassed, actually. I know why we bought this house, how we are utilizing it, and I know we do a lot in other areas to still be "mindful home managers".

People who have large homes to accommodate aging parents, relatives, guests, work-at-home spaces, rentals to help their income, etc., are not just living in McMansions to satisfy some need to keep up with the Joneses.


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## mmace (Feb 12, 2002)

Not to mention some of us are living in big *old* homes. Would it have been more enviornmentally friendly to let this house rot? Knock it over and build something smaller? Would it have been more frugal? Should I have done that just so I wouldn't have lived in a big home? I don't think that would have been smart at all....


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## jkpmomtoboys (Jun 1, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *thismama* 
Wow, I'm really surprised to see this thread on this site.

Why?


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## jkpmomtoboys (Jun 1, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *mamasaurus* 
Well, no worries. I'm over being embarrassed, actually. I know why we bought this house, how we are utilizing it, and I know we do a lot in other areas to still be "mindful home managers".

People who have large homes to accommodate aging parents, relatives, guests, work-at-home spaces, rentals to help their income, etc., are not just living in McMansions to satisfy some need to keep up with the Joneses.









You are right, of course. I'm getting over being embarrassed. Part of my problem is that we just moved into this house in an older neighborhood, paid the highest price for a house in this neighborhood and then immediately proceeded to put another 350K into remodelling and adding to it.

People think we're







: but I love the house, the lot, the location. It allows us to walk to school, walk downtown and generally be mindful of our resources in other ways. And I would rather remodel an older home than buy a brand new one...

So I'm over being embarrassed now too...


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## charmander (Dec 30, 2003)

This is an interesting thread. While I don't technically live in a larger home (our home is 2920 sq ft total including the garage - so 2300 sq feet of actual living space) I can identify with some of the comments about having more space to live in. We love our 50-yr old home and it is th absolute, perfect amount of space for us.

I can't imagine being squeezed into a tiny home like a sardine, either. Oh, wait - yes I can - because our first home was 790 sq ft on the main level. It had tiny closets and only 1 person could fit in the kitchen at a time. We had to store the vacuum cleaner in the basement because there wasn't anywhere to put it on the main floor.

I celebrate the day we moved into our more spacious home!! I must have a mild form of claustrophia because house #1 was slowly destroying my soul (I'm kidding, but only sort of). So, let's celebrate a good amount of space - one that works for every one of us!!


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## HelloKitty (Apr 1, 2004)

We live in a large older home and actually I would like to downsize - we simply don't use all the space. That said, it would not be a smart financial move for us to try to sell and move right now so here we stay.

Our electric bill is outrageous and we are struggling to try to figure out why. We have all energy saving lights, all new energy saving appliances, we don't have electric heat. We would love to get solar panels put in but that's not something we can afford to do right now.


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## thismama (Mar 3, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *jkpmomtoboys* 
Why?

Because some of you are living in *gigantic* homes, mansions really. I grew up in a 3500 square foot home and our neighbourhood was labelled "monster homes." I hear people saying that they use the space, and that's all well and good, but I don't think we *should* be using that much space for a single family dwelling. Seems pretty contrary to NFL values IMO.


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## mmace (Feb 12, 2002)

Do you think we should knock down all those big older homes like mine (150+ years old) and build a bunch of small ones? I'm not trying to be snarky...Technically I know you aren't talking about mine because it isn't single family, but if it were, would it be better to destroy it and build new in your eyes?


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## thismama (Mar 3, 2004)

Is everyone here talking about living in old homes instead of knocking them down and building newer, smaller ones, and debating the merits of that as it impacts the planet? If that's the case, then my apologies, but that was not my perception of the discussion here.


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## mmace (Feb 12, 2002)

No, I'm not saying that! I'm honestly just asking your opinion on those big old homes. Like I said, I'm truly not trying to be snarky, I'm just honestly wondering what your thoughts are!


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## conflictedmama (Aug 5, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *thismama* 
Because some of you are living in *gigantic* homes, mansions really. I grew up in a 3500 square foot home and our neighbourhood was labelled "monster homes." I hear people saying that they use the space, and that's all well and good, but I don't think we *should* be using that much space for a single family dwelling. Seems pretty contrary to NFL values IMO.

This is what she thinks. I thought it was very clear.


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## mamasaurus (Jun 20, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *thismama* 
I hear people saying that they use the space, and that's all well and good, but I don't think we *should* be using that much space for a single family dwelling.

But not everyone is using the space for a "single family dwelling".

There's been talk here of WAH office space, extended family living with the main family, grandparents moving in, renting out part of the home to help support the family, etc.


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## mugglemom (Aug 5, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *thismama* 
Because some of you are living in *gigantic* homes, mansions really. I grew up in a 3500 square foot home and our neighbourhood was labelled "monster homes." I hear people saying that they use the space, and that's all well and good, but I don't think we *should* be using that much space for a single family dwelling. Seems pretty contrary to NFL values IMO.

I agree that many big American houses contain wasted space. But the posters here are using their homes for a variety of uses: Is it more sustainable/moral to have the grandparents living in one home and the parents/kids in another, possibly far away from each other, or to live together in one somewhat larger house? What about the environmental (and family) costs of commuting to work vs. working in a home office? I don't agree that big houses are always antithetical to NFL values. I think it depends on how the space is being used.


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## mamasaurus (Jun 20, 2004)

Oh, and what if your single family is a large one? Like the families with 10 or more kids?







: Bless them, it's not for me, but bless them!


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## thismama (Mar 3, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *mamasaurus* 
Oh, and what if your single family is a large one? Like the families with 10 or more kids?







: Bless them, it's not for me, but bless them!









If that's the situation people here are talking about, forgive me. I was under the impression that people were talking about gigantic spaces for relatively small families.


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## annakiss (Apr 4, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *oldgirl,newtricks* 
I don't feel like we need to justify this. DH and I have busted our proverbial behinds for the last 30 years so we could enjoy ourselves. We spend a lot of time at home and it is very comfortable for our family. I'm not going to join the myrtar bandwagon here on MDC. If people like a small home, I don't care. I don't want to live like a sardine when I have other choices.

Too bad your choices effect the rest of the world, eh?


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## charmander (Dec 30, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *annakiss* 
Too bad your choices effect the rest of the world, eh?

Not sure how this applies to her as she said her home was built in 1965 and was on a typical urban lot.


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## mamasaurus (Jun 20, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *thismama* 
If that's the situation people here are talking about, forgive me. I was under the impression that people were talking about gigantic spaces for relatively small families.

You are forgiven.


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## mmace (Feb 12, 2002)

Quote:

This is what she thinks. I thought it was very clear.
Oh yes, that answered my question! Thanks, very helpful!







:

Thismama - I really am enjoying hearing your thoughts, and whether you believe me or not, I'm not trying to start an argument. I recently had someone tell me (in real life) that homes like mine are a total waste and should be knocked down so that smaller homes could be built in it's space. She didn't want to hear about the fact that it is already a two family home and that hopefully soon it will be a three family home (with my Grandma moving into the third part, fingers crossed!). She didn't want to hear about the fact that it was built over 150 years ago. She didn't want to hear about the fact that it sits on less than an acre of land. She just kept saying that big homes should be knocked down. Personally, I thought she was crazy, and since she either wouldn't or couldn't give me any real argument, I was hoping that someone like you, who can hold a real conversation, would either a. explain her reasons, or b. tell me that she is crazy. I hope you can truly see that I am interested in a real conversation about this. If you want to PM me, great, or if you want to drop this, that's fine too and I won't push.

But unless conflictedmama sees something I don't, I don't think this has truly been answered.

Thanks!


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## gr8tfulmom (Mar 13, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *mugglemom* 
I agree that many big American houses contain wasted space. But the posters here are using their homes for a variety of uses: Is it more sustainable/moral to have the grandparents living in one home and the parents/kids in another, possibly far away from each other, or to live together in one somewhat larger house? What about the environmental (and family) costs of commuting to work vs. working in a home office? I don't agree that big houses are always antithetical to NFL values. I think it depends on how the space is being used.

Exactly! Dh and I would be commuting 100 mi+ round trip if we were working in our closest "large city" (where both of us have worked in the past). My MIL would be going into assisted living 150 miles away and my gran would be in yet another facility or apt with a whole nother set of bills/resource usage. I don't see that as very pro-environment. All of our building has been geared toward going off the grid in the next 2-5 years. We do not want to rely on communal resources (other than water), we can't wait to produce our own power.

I know there are many homes with wasted space that have been purchased to for the "look", ours is not one. We have thoroughly researched and spent quite a bit more money pursuing a green and renewable home rather than throwing up what was cost effective and the planet be damned. The idea that big = bad does not always ring true


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## jkpmomtoboys (Jun 1, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *thismama* 
Because some of you are living in *gigantic* homes, mansions really. I grew up in a 3500 square foot home and our neighbourhood was labelled "monster homes." I hear people saying that they use the space, and that's all well and good, but I don't think we *should* be using that much space for a single family dwelling. Seems pretty contrary to NFL values IMO.


I don't want to beat a dead horse, but this is not what is generally happening here. (Not that we should need to defend ourselves). Many of us have older homes. Many of us have extended family or work at home.

There are many NFL values that can and are expressed in a larger home.

Our home is not very old but is older. I think it is much more NFL to live in this house than to buy a brand new one. I think this house allows us to walk to school and downtown, walk to the park, grow our own vegetables, stay in the same home until we can no longer live on our own, have our parents live here if they so desire, etc...

So I guess that I'm saying I appreciate neither the comment that we don't have NFL values nor comments like this

Quote:


Originally Posted by *annakiss*
Too bad your choices effect the rest of the world, eh?

which imply that our choices are poor choices from a worldview.


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## papercranegirl (Jun 27, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *HelloKitty* 
We live in a large older home and actually I would like to downsize - we simply don't use all the space. That said, it would not be a smart financial move for us to try to sell and move right now so here we stay.

This is our situation too. Our house is a 50's midcentury modern monstrosity. It looks really cool but it is such a drain energy-wise. (the kind that comes from the grid and from me cleaning







) It needs too much work to be able to sell in our area and come out without losing our shirts. EVERYONE is trying to move out of state around here and there just aren't any buyers. So we're sitting tight for now...

Is there a calculator for figuring out when it would make the most sense economically and environmentally to tear down and build smaller? We need: a new roof, energy efficient garage doors (garage is under the living space), new windows, new heat system (our radiator fans have been known to catch fire







), to remodel one bath (just finished fixing the other), and a tile floor for the lower walk-out level (since we had to take out the original carpeting due to my mold allergies). To me, it seems like it would be cheaper to build a smaller, energy efficient house than to replace everything and still have the energy costs associated with a 3,500 sf house.

We were thinking of doing just that and selling off some of our land (3 acres) but after the last round of layoffs by the area's major employers we're back to waiting... for the market to change or for global warming to make this the next Florida.


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## Jennisee (Nov 15, 2004)

I feel like our 2200 square feet is huge, but I see our house would be the smallest one in this thread.







We talk constantly about building a smaller "eco-house," but it would cost considerably more than paid for this house and would drastically increase our mileage driven. So, instead, we are constantly working on making it more environmentally sound. When I pay our utility bill, the clerk frequently comments on how low it is, but we'd like to get it much lower still.


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## mamasaurus (Jun 20, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *papercranegirl* 

Is there a calculator for figuring out when it would make the most sense economically and environmentally to tear down and build smaller? We need: a new roof, energy efficient garage doors (garage is under the living space), new windows, new heat system (our radiator fans have been known to catch fire







), to remodel one bath (just finished fixing the other), and a tile floor for the lower walk-out level (since we had to take out the original carpeting due to my mold allergies). To me, it seems like it would be cheaper to build a smaller, energy efficient house than to replace everything and still have the energy costs associated with a 3,500 sf house.

I guess if I were in your shoes, I'd get quotes on all of that repair/remodel work - at least three quotes for each thing that needs re-doing. Then take it all and sit down and make a list. Come up with a grand total cost for EVERYTHING to repair/remodel.

Then work on the quotes for tearing down the house, removing the debris, seeing what you can salvage to put in a new house. Get quotes on building a new house, smaller, energy efficient, etc. Then add all that up for a grand total cost for a new house.

Then see where you are.


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## MomToKandE (Mar 11, 2006)

Is the size of my home the most NFL thing about me? No.

We are all on different paths and walking at different speeds. The choices I make are what is best for me and my family at this point in our lives.

Our house provides room to work from home. It provides room and a floorplan that will allow MIL to live here instead of going into a nursing home. It has room to build an in-law suite in the basement if my parents want it someday. It is walking distance to my SIL. It is in a good school district. There are a zillion other reasons why this is the right house for us.

Maybe someday I'll decide that this is all crazy and go live in a teepee in the woods. (with high speed Internet access of course, LOL!) I can't see that happening now but as I continue down my path striving for greener living who knows where it will lead.

I am continuing to look for ideas that I can incorporate into our lives to reduce our footprint on the planet. As our life situation changes we will continue to reevaluate what works for us.

I understand why some might be surprised to see this thread here. Acutally I was too... I'm glad to know that there are others like me though.


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## koru (Sep 7, 2006)

i just want to say that i was glad to see this thread! if MDC is about supporting each other in NFL, i don't see why it can't be about encouraging each other to improve our families & lifestyles within the walls of a larger home. with it comes different challenges than living in a 500 sq ft apartment (which i've done, too) and we all appreciate new & fresh ideas on how to make our families closer, lives greener & bodies healthier.

i struggled with our decision to buy a ~3000sf house but i've come to peace with it & am happy with our _home._ i'm working to make it as energy efficient as possible, my children share a room, we now live closer to dh's work & he can bicycle instead of commute 50 miles a day, 75% of our furniture is used/passed down/from yard sales and i honestly feel like my mission in life has changed because i'm able to spread the NFL news to a community that's pretty much oblivious (instead of preaching to the choir in our previous urban environment).

thank you all for 'fessing up & sharing your stories!


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## papercranegirl (Jun 27, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *mamasaurus* 
I guess if I were in your shoes, I'd get quotes on all of that repair/remodel work - at least three quotes for each thing that needs re-doing. Then take it all and sit down and make a list. Come up with a grand total cost for EVERYTHING to repair/remodel.

Then work on the quotes for tearing down the house, removing the debris, seeing what you can salvage to put in a new house. Get quotes on building a new house, smaller, energy efficient, etc. Then add all that up for a grand total cost for a new house.

Then see where you are.

We've started to do that. It's starting to look like it might be cheaper to rebuild. I'm just trying to reconcile this with knowing how much would be going into a landfill. A lot of our home was built with renewable or recycled material- used brick, cork floors, barnwood panelling, etc. I know we could reuse a lot of things if we built new- appliances, interior doors, the newer windows and could recycle the copper plumbing but that's still a lot of stuff just being dumped. But then again, tearing off the roof and scrapping the old windows and plumbing creates waste too. With a smaller place we'd be consuming half the amount of new materials







:

This house met many needs when we bought it from DH's grandfather. He was able to move to a nursing home quickly, we had room for my sister to live, and there was room left over for my studio, sis's studio, and DH's woodworking. It's amazing how much our lives have changed since then. I create with my kids in the kitchen now, sis bought her own house and DH hasn't had the time or motivation to make anything.

I'm ready to make the change but we'd need to free up the capital to do so and that's going to take some time.


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## mamasaurus (Jun 20, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *doulalove* 
i just want to say that i was glad to see this thread! if MDC is about supporting each other in NFL, i don't see why it can't be about encouraging each other to improve our families & lifestyles within the walls of a larger home. with it comes different challenges than living in a 500 sq ft apartment

True. I have to add - we bought our home 5 years ago. It's only a 10 year old home, not one of those ones that has been around forever.

This home was an incredible deal at the time. We got it for so much less than it could have been sold for. It was actually bigger than we needed, but the home was in great shape, in a nice neighborhood, and for a good, actually a GREAT price. We just could not pass it up. It was a great financial move for us, and honestly, I think that is keeping in line with NFL values in some way. One of my favorite forums here is Frugality and Finances. I'm always looking for an efficient use of our finances.

Most of our money is tied up in this home, but that has been fine for our family. Our home has increased in value and we haven't spent tons of money on other CRAP, KWIM?







We know that we are investing in our future, for our retirements, for our girls' education, for caring for relatives, etc. This home is making that happen for us.

Maybe this home is the *size* of a mansion, but it's not, really. The materials used are pretty basic. We have a lot of hand-me-down furniture and we shop very frually to furnish and decorate our home. We are very laid-back, and I can't imagine someone coming in here and feeling like they can't just sit down and be comfortable or hop up on the kitchen counter for a chat.


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## oldgirlnewtricks (Aug 30, 2006)

It would be really nice to be able to post on a thread without someone coming and jumping in your face.

We hear a bunch on MDC about using free communities services like the public library. It would probably be wise to remember that those of us with larger homes are usually contributing a larger proportion to the tax base of the community and making it so that those families who feel they are leaving a smaller footprint have those services.

I sometimes think those who are the most critical of others on these boards should really put out there everything they do. It's pretty easy to be the perfect MDC family when no one can really "see" anything you do.


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## babybun (Mar 22, 2006)

I think it's funny that standards of size differ so much according to where you live.

I'm in Israel where it's most common to live in apartments or maybe smaller homes in cities on very small lots. If you live out of the cities, maybe you'll live in a larger home with more land. I grew up in a bungalow in Canada and now I think, "Wow! A front and back yard! An upstairs and a downstairs! A driveway and garage! All that space between the neighbours!"









We left a tiny apartment an expensive city to move to a cheaper one where we could afford a bigger house (2000 sq feet including a balcony, parking, and small back garden). It's kind of a row-house, as most of the homes that aren't apartments are here, and has 4 bedrooms, a playroom and a living/dinning/open plan kitchen, 3 baths. I am conflicted about having more space than we need, but we plan to fill all those bedrooms up







, and we have guests (my parents, friends w/ kids, etc.) over often to use our guest room. And it was a great investement and has already increased substantially in the year since we moved in.

Living here means we have cleaner air, my DH can take the train to work instead of driving, we have a vegetable patch and a compost heap. My kids will be able to walk to school. We try hard to conserve energy and are quite successful with it.

I believe that it is important to realize that you can live with less - we could have bought something larger, but we wanted something that was "big enough" not big. I still often think about moving back to the city into a smaller place, but I don't see us in something that small for the long run, as our family (God willing) grows.

I don't think that it is inherently un-NFL to live in a bigger space. A sprawling McMansion with different wings and indoor skating rinks and movie theaters, perhaps. But I doubt people on MDC are talking about those kind of homes.

*And I think it's great to see people in different situations and contexts trying to live a greener and more mindful existence.*
Each situation brings its own challenges, as a PP stated.


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## MeganW (Jul 11, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *oldgirl,newtricks* 
It would be really nice to be able to post on a thread without someone coming and jumping in your face.

We hear a bunch on MDC about using free communities services like the public library. It would probably be wise to remember that those of us with larger homes are usually contributing a larger proportion to the tax base of the community and making it so that those families who feel they are leaving a smaller footprint have those services.

I sometimes think those who are the most critical of others on these boards should really put out there everything they do. It's pretty easy to be the perfect MDC family when no one can really "see" anything you do.









:


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## mamasaurus (Jun 20, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *papercranegirl* 
I'm just trying to reconcile this with knowing how much would be going into a landfill. A lot of our home was built with renewable or recycled material- used brick, cork floors, barnwood panelling, etc. I know we could reuse a lot of things if we built new- appliances, interior doors, the newer windows and could recycle the copper plumbing but that's still a lot of stuff just being dumped. But then again, tearing off the roof and scrapping the old windows and plumbing creates waste too.

Is there some sort of recycling company in your area that could recycle those things? What about trying to sell some of the stuff that might still be usable? Or maybe a notice in the paper saying - "House being torn down, various housing materials will be free to whoever can haul them away." You never know... my Dad always loved getting those old bricks from tear-downs and building new fireplaces with them.


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## Justmee (Jun 6, 2005)

We're in Israel too and I have noticed the same thing with US standards. I love watching house hunting on H&G while we are here, but sometimes I just have to laugh when she gets on and says "Now that they have a one year old, their 1500 sq foot house is feeling a little tight." We own an apartmen in a suburban type city area which is 1076 sq feet plus a 100 square foot balcony (3br). We wouldn't consider moving, except our neighbors are moving to build a 2500 sq foot house (seems like a mansion) and we had the opportunity to buy their 1500 sq foot apartment (with a 250 sq foot balcony) and we jumped on it becasue there just isn't a lot of real estate in our area (built on a hill what is there is there







). Their apartment is a 4 bedroom and it is our "forever house." I could see us having 8 children in it. I feel like it's so... big







. Big and small house is all in your frame of mind I guess.


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## mugglemom (Aug 5, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *mamasaurus* 
Is there some sort of recycling company in your area that could recycle those things? What about trying to sell some of the stuff that might still be usable? Or maybe a notice in the paper saying - "House being torn down, various housing materials will be free to whoever can haul them away." You never know... my Dad always loved getting those old bricks from tear-downs and building new fireplaces with them.

So many houses are being torn down in the Chicago area that there are salvage companies that do just that -- put an ad in the paper saying bring your own tools and sell off all the usable stuff. Might be something similar in your area, or I guess you could do it yourself, although I'd be concerned about liability if someone got hurt. Someone in our freecycle group was gutting a house and had a freecycle party where people could just come and take anything they could haul. Habitat for Humanity takes donations of building materials at their stores, too.


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## sparkprincess (Sep 10, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Jennisee* 
I feel like our 2200 square feet is huge, but I see our house would be the smallest one in this thread.







We talk constantly about building a smaller "eco-house," but it would cost considerably more than paid for this house and would drastically increase our mileage driven. So, instead, we are constantly working on making it more environmentally sound. When I pay our utility bill, the clerk frequently comments on how low it is, but we'd like to get it much lower still.

LOL Maybe we should start a "mid-sized house" thread.

Dh estimates that our house is around 2000 sq feet now that we have our basement done. When we bought the house 5 years ago we were totally into the whole "bigger is better" thing. For a few years we even talked about how our next house would be even bigger...someday.







Luckily, we have learned a lot and realize that this house meets all of our needs as it is.

I can see where we could easily live in a smaller house - if it was designed well. Right now Dh and I both work at home so we are using our space. Not to mention, the house is already built. It really doesn't make sense to sell it at this point. Like someone else mentioned, we are simply trying to do the best with what we have at this point. And learning as we go!


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## Oh the Irony (Dec 14, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *oldgirl,newtricks* 
We hear a bunch on MDC about using free communities services like the public library. It would probably be wise to remember that those of us with larger homes are usually contributing a larger proportion to the tax base of the community and making it so that those families who feel they are leaving a smaller footprint have those services.

thanks for the reminder.

i wish more people would buy big houses so that i can have more free services.


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## thismama (Mar 3, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *oldgirl,newtricks* 

I sometimes think those who are the most critical of others on these boards should really put out there everything they do. It's pretty easy to be the perfect MDC family when no one can really "see" anything you do.

There is doing, and then there is advertising in inappropriate places, kwim?


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## thismama (Mar 3, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Oh the Irony* 
i wish more people would buy big houses so that i can have more free services.


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## jkpmomtoboys (Jun 1, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *thismama* 
There is doing, and then there is advertising in inappropriate places, kwim?

I don't understand this comment--could you elaborate?


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## charmander (Dec 30, 2003)

I think she means that starting a thread on large houses is at cross-purposes in a forum entitled Mindful Home Management on a site that is about Natural Family Living.

But where else would it go? In TAO???

Is it any different than starting a thread about extremely large families? I mean - think of the resources that a family of 2 parents and eight children use. And it would be perfectly okay to have that kind of thread on this site. So, go figure.


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## thismama (Mar 3, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *charmander* 
But where else would it go? In TAO???

Babycenter?

Quote:

Is it any different than starting a thread about extremely large families? I mean - think of the resources that a family of 2 parents and eight children use. And it would be perfectly okay to have that kind of thread on this site. So, go figure.
There are ways for large families to tread lightly on the earth, and ways to stomp heavily. Just like the rest of us.


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## jkpmomtoboys (Jun 1, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *thismama* 
Babycenter?

There's no need to be flippant--I think it was a genuine question...

Quote:


Originally Posted by *thismama* 
There are ways for large families to tread lightly on the earth, and ways to stomp heavily. Just like the rest of us.

Just substitute "families with larger homes" in there and you have the reason this thread is here on Mothering...


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## mata (Apr 20, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *mamasaurus* 
But not everyone is using the space for a "single family dwelling".

There's been talk here of WAH office space, extended family living with the main family, grandparents moving in, renting out part of the home to help support the family, etc.











That home with an office probably means less space required in a corporate office park somewhere.


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## thismama (Mar 3, 2004)

*


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## charmander (Dec 30, 2003)

*


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## babybun (Mar 22, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *thismama* 
_Off to start a thread about how to tread more lightly in my Hummer..._

I really do see your point, but again, I feel that there should be room for dialogue about how to tread more lightly in a variety of circumstances and living situations, in order to spread the word more. If people say, "Well, I don't live in a yurt off the grid I can't possibly live in an environmentally friendly way, so why bother trying?" then no effort would be made by those living in larger homes. And people here *are* making an effort.


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## jkpmomtoboys (Jun 1, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *thismama* 
Off to start a thread about how to tread more lightly in my Hummer...


OK I guess you can keep trying to be insulting instead of adding your voice to the dialogue but really why be constructive when you can attempt to look witty...


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## Jennisee (Nov 15, 2004)

I'll totally fess up that my 2200 square feet is too big.









When we bought it, we were in the mindset of "bigger is better," we used up our only First Time Homebuyer Loan opportunity, and we planned to have a large family. Now, we are trying to simplify and leave a smaller footprint, and fertility issues have limited our family size, but we don't have enough equity in this house to buy another one on a conventional (non-First Time Homebuyer) loan. So, we try to take advantage of the environmentally good things about our house--well insulated, within walking distance of park, library, restaurant, etc.--and fix the things that aren't ideal. Every time my furance kicks on, I think of my carbon emissions and how global warming is responsible for much tragedy in Africa (yep, I've watched "An Inconvenient Truth" twice this week), so we're looking into getting a wood stove with a catalytic converter.

Maybe instead of celebrating big houses, those of us with big houses could have a dialogue about making sure our homes leave small footprints on this world? I honestly believe that with a few more upgrades, our house will be one of the most energy efficient houses in my little town.


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## MomToKandE (Mar 11, 2006)

*


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## sabrinat (Jul 21, 2005)

Wow! I've been reading this thread. I don't have a big home, rather what in my area is considered a starter home (1700 sq.ft.). What has struck me though is the judgmentalness of some of the posters. Why as mamas, parents as human beings do we feel that if a person doesn't subscribe to a rigid set of our own world view and values that we have the right to say they aren't living right? Big home, small home...I'm just glad I have a home. I don't begrudge anyone their 5000 sf. Rock on sister.
I mean you can make the choice to live in a yurt off the grid if you want to and feel superior about it. I'll never make that choice, but that doesn't mean I feel any less about the world my children will inherit.
Why can't we support and respect the choices that people make when they feel they are best for them and there family.
Until you walk that mile in their shoes....


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## HelloKitty (Apr 1, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Jennisee* 
Maybe instead of celebrating big houses, those of us with big houses could have a dialogue about making sure our homes leave small footprints on this world? I honestly believe that with a few more upgrades, our house will be one of the most energy efficient houses in my little town.

I would LOVE to have this thread be this type of conversation. The fact is that for some of us we don't have a choice right now - sure maybe we should have bought a smaller house, or been given a smaller house, or whatever our personal circumstance is, but for many of us we are going to be living in our "too big for us" house despite what anyone on a message board says to us so let's talk about how our big homes can be the most enviro-friendly they can be.

We use 100% green electricity and recently joined a co-op for heating fuel so that we can use bio-diesel. I had no idea it was available near us but it is and we didn't need to make any alterations to our existing oil furnace!

One thing we do struggle with though is insulation - our house is old and poorly insulated, to get new insulation blown in will cost us way more than we can afford right now. Not sure what to do about that.


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## Earth Angel (Dec 13, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *babybun* 
I really do see your point, but again, I feel that there should be room for dialogue about how to tread more lightly in a variety of circumstances and living situations, in order to spread the word more. If people say, "Well, I don't live in a yurt off the grid I can't possibly live in an environmentally friendly way, so why bother trying?" then no effort would be made by those living in larger homes. And people here *are* making an effort.











i just happend to begin reading this thread.....I don't live in what I'd describe as a large home....we are renting a 1600 sq ft home, sold an 1800 sqft home to move east, and have plans to build a 2100sq ft home....I was just curious ya know. Then I read all these horribly negative comments from others....who just so happen not to disclose the sq footage of their own home (easier to throw stones that way I guess??)

When people are looking for help, or are asking questions, or are just trying to begin a dialogue, why should someone else come in and try to use that against them? I for one know I was not the person I am today, just even 5 yrs ago (thank goodness







) but I didn't change by people making me feel crappy about myself and my choices, the best teachers I had were kind, and caring.

When are we going to take the same values we hold with regards to how to care for our children (kindness, compassion, understanding, etc) and apply them to our community at large (both IRL and online)? Don't our children learn best by example?

Oh, and one more thing before I hop off my little soap box here







I have a friend that if you asked her how big her house is she'd reply "After the addition we are currently working on it will be 3600 sq ft". Wanna know how they build?

Dirt floor (with re-used carpeting to cover the dirt)
Straw bale walls covered with earth plaster that they make right on their land from the dirt on the ground.
Homemade, composting, humanure toilet
rainwater collection as their only water source
completely off grid solar power and also passive solar (which IMO makes so much difference in the heat you need)
And she is one of the "greenest" folks just in the way she lives

Should she too downsize just because someone else defined a smaller home as more "eco conscious"? Or should she go on with her addition so that she can create an actual studio for herself (she is a fiber artist), bedrooms for her daughters (her son will move into the room the girls currently share), and an actual private bathroom....a home that accomodates *her* family?

Can't judge a book by its cover ya know, so lets just all just be kind, helpful and gentle with each other.


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## annakiss (Apr 4, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *oldgirl,newtricks* 
It would be really nice to be able to post on a thread without someone coming and jumping in your face.

We hear a bunch on MDC about using free communities services like the public library. It would probably be wise to remember that those of us with larger homes are usually contributing a larger proportion to the tax base of the community and making it so that those families who feel they are leaving a smaller footprint have those services.

I sometimes think those who are the most critical of others on these boards should really put out there everything they do. It's pretty easy to be the perfect MDC family when no one can really "see" anything you do.

I hardly think that theoretical and indirect contributions to the public library make up for the resources used to maintain a large home.

Do you see how many posts I have? I think there is likely more information about all that I do and have done on these boards than any other MDC member. I have written lots about my choice to live in a small home as well as my personal dedication to treading lightly.

Please, by all means, do find ways to tread lightly when more living space is ideal, but don't be so brazen about it as though the idea of living in a smaller space for the purpose of using fewer resources is "martyr"dom and laughable. That's just insulting.


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## MeganW (Jul 11, 2004)

HelloKitty How did you find out about the Bio diesel in your area. i think I've seen a provider locally but wasn't sure it could work for us. That would be a HUGE change for us.


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## HelloKitty (Apr 1, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *MeganW* 
HelloKitty How did you find out about the Bio diesel in your area. i think I've seen a provider locally but wasn't sure it could work for us. That would be a HUGE change for us.

I actually found out about it from a neighbor who gave us the link. It's a local group http://www.reliance.org/ but if you do a search on fuel coop in your area maybe you can find one? Or you could try e-mailing the place we use and asking if they know how to find other ones. HTH.


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## MeganW (Jul 11, 2004)

thanks I guess my biggest concern was that we'd have to buy a new furnace.


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## HelloKitty (Apr 1, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *MeganW* 
thanks I guess my biggest concern was that we'd have to buy a new furnace.

Yeah I always thought we would have to but we didn't. Our furnace is only a couple years old though, I don't know if that helped us.


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## MeganW (Jul 11, 2004)

Thanks so much I've emailed them I'll let you know what I find out.

Is there anyone else here using alternative heating fuels or methods? Anyone else want to share how they've updated and improved their older homes? For us we have only been able to add insulation in one area of the house that had to have the joists rebuilt however we did use recycled materials for our flooring when all was said and done. Now that most of the necessary work is done I'd love some ways to make our home more friendly.


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## Earth Angel (Dec 13, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *MeganW* 
HelloKitty How did you find out about the Bio diesel in your area. i think I've seen a provider locally but wasn't sure it could work for us. That would be a HUGE change for us.

You can also look at www.biodiesel.org. They have a section to find providers in your area.







Then , you can call and find out exactly what the provider's situation is.


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## HelloKitty (Apr 1, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Earth Angel* 
You can also look at www.biodiesel.org. They have a section to find providers in your area.







Then , you can call and find out exactly what the provider's situation is.

Nice! Thanks EA.


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## mugglemom (Aug 5, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *MeganW* 
Is there anyone else here using alternative heating fuels or methods?

We have a woodburning fireplace insert that heats the whole house (2900 square feet; I thought it was bigger but checked the plans last night). The insert is very efficient -- about 9 logs for a 12 hour burn -- and has the lowest emissions of any model the EPA has tested. We get free downed and dead wood from my inlaws, so it should pay itself off in a few years, especially if natural gas prices rise. The insert works especially well in our house because it has a fairly open floor plan with the fireplace near the bottom of the stairs. Our house is also shaped like a box (four-square) rather than rambling, so the warm air just has to go up, not spread out much. We've just been tickled not to use the furnace at all on some recent sub-zero days.


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## Jennisee (Nov 15, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *MeganW* 
Is there anyone else here using alternative heating fuels or methods?

Because our fireplace is in the room where we spend the most time, the family room, we can keep the thermostat for the rest of the house set to the 50's. Our wood comes from my family's farm, mostly from dead, fallen trees. We are looking into getting a wood stove or furnace to heat the rest of the house, and this one keeps getting recommended.

Quote:


Originally Posted by *MeganW*
Anyone else want to share how they've updated and improved their older homes? For us we have only been able to add insulation in one area of the house that had to have the joists rebuilt however we did use recycled materials for our flooring when all was said and done. Now that most of the necessary work is done I'd love some ways to make our home more friendly.

When we bought our house, it was already remodeled and updated with new insulation, windows, roof, wiring, plumbing, etc. However, we did have to get new siding, and when we did, we added another extra layer of insulation to the outside of the house. Hello, second mortgage!







We've also put those little insulating squares behind outlets and light switches, recaulked areas, and hung heavy curtains on some windows. We still need to add extra insulation in the attic and around the basement foundation, do more caulking and weatherstripping, put a blanket on the water heater, and replace our sliding glass doors (which currently have two layers of heavy curtains over them). We plan to get Energy Star appliances when old ones give out and use CF bulbs as the regular ones burn out. Long term, I would love to get solar panels, but it is waaaay out of our budget right now.

Quote:


Originally Posted by *mugglemom* 
We have a woodburning fireplace insert that heats the whole house (2900 square feet; I thought it was bigger but checked the plans last night). The insert is very efficient -- about 9 logs for a 12 hour burn -- and has the lowest emissions of any model the EPA has tested. We get free downed and dead wood from my inlaws, so it should pay itself off in a few years, especially if natural gas prices rise. The insert works especially well in our house because it has a fairly open floor plan with the fireplace near the bottom of the stairs. Our house is also shaped like a box (four-square) rather than rambling, so the warm air just has to go up, not spread out much. We've just been tickled not to use the furnace at all on some recent sub-zero days.

What brand and model is your fireplace insert?


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## mugglemom (Aug 5, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Jennisee* 
What brand and model is your fireplace insert?

It's an Avalon Olympic:

http://www.avalonstoves.com/product....pt_id=5&sku=22


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## mamasaurus (Jun 20, 2004)

I'm so glad to see this thread turning out positively!


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## koru (Sep 7, 2006)

i just found this today...there's a section where you can enter your electric & gas usage from previous months & it will show where you stand related to comparable homes. i was very happy to find that we are waaayyyy more energy efficient than the average!!! (all the way to the left on the chart).

i just might go back & compare our usage to the average smaller home just to see where i fit in....

http://www.exeloncorp.com/comedcare_...it/default.htm


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## mugglemom (Aug 5, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *doulalove* 
i just found this today...there's a section where you can enter your electric & gas usage from previous months & it will show where you stand related to comparable homes. i was very happy to find that we are waaayyyy more energy efficient than the average!!! (all the way to the left on the chart).

i just might go back & compare our usage to the average smaller home just to see where i fit in....

Thanks for posting this link -- our house was also all the way to the left in the "least energy use" area. And I did just what you suggested above. I changed the square footage to a 1200 square foot house and our energy use was only slightly above average for a house that size. Very interesting (although I couldn't get the link to work for my $10 discount -- I was going to order more CFLs







: ).


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## 2GR8KIDS (Jan 17, 2005)

Do any of your "larger home" inhabitants feel you successfully maintain a minimalist/decluttered home despite having room for more stuff? We will be moving into a larger home soon and this is the aspect that makes me most nervous about it. I feel like it is human nature (mine at least) to fill up available space, and I really want to resist the impulse. Can anyone share their strategies?


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## MomToKandE (Mar 11, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *2GR8KIDS* 
Do any of your "larger home" inhabitants feel you successfully maintain a minimalist/decluttered home despite having room for more stuff? We will be moving into a larger home soon and this is the aspect that makes me most nervous about it. I feel like it is human nature (mine at least) to fill up available space, and I really want to resist the impulse. Can anyone share their strategies?

We're working on it. When we moved here (about 4 years ago) MIL was downsizing so guess where a lot of her stuff went... Between that and just extra space we ended up gathering a lot of junk. We're slowly purging and for the last year or so have been headed in the right direction.

One of our big problems is hanging on to old things that we've replaced. For example I'll buy a new pair of shoes but hang onto the old ones because I might still use them now and then. Repeat with worn out towels, kitchen items, and who knows what else the house can fill up with junk fast!


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## koru (Sep 7, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *2GR8KIDS* 
Do any of your "larger home" inhabitants feel you successfully maintain a minimalist/decluttered home despite having room for more stuff? We will be moving into a larger home soon and this is the aspect that makes me most nervous about it. I feel like it is human nature (mine at least) to fill up available space, and I really want to resist the impulse. Can anyone share their strategies?

we moved into our larger home last spring & i haven't had the urge to fill it up at all! we haven't had to buy anymore furniture than we already had....and actually, we got rid of a lot of stuff during the move. it felt great! we didn't move into a much bigger house, though. we went from a 3br to a 4br....the rooms are just bigger which ups the square footage, ya know?

my advise would be to start organizing & getting rid of useless stuff while you're packing. take your time & really think about what you don't need. once you move, this mindset will follow you.


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## oldgirlnewtricks (Aug 30, 2006)

Absolutely, you can have a larger, decluttered home. Empty spaces are so much more peaceful for us, than when things are jam packed. You just have to decide how you want your space to function.


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## Peppermint Leaf (Jan 11, 2008)

laughup














:














::bo uncy

















































:







: snap







:


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## Rhiannon Feimorgan (Aug 26, 2005)

I'm jumping into this thread a little late. Our house is about 2500 sq ft including the finished parts of our bacement. We bought it a year ago but the house itself is around 25-30 years old. It was litteraly the only house avaliable in our price range when we moved here that wasn't falling down. It is a little biger than we need. The fmaily room in the bacement hardly get's used at all but it seemd a better option than building new.

We've replaced the furnus with a HE model and beefed up the insulation in the attic. we are also planning on adding to the insulation in the walls when we replace the sidding down the road and updating the rest of the apliances to HE versions as we can afford it.

The house itself was build with excelent pasive solar qualities. I doubt that was intentional at the time but we make use of it. our livingroom/kitchen is heated almost entierly by the sun during the day and the rest of the house isn't really used so we keep it at about 15C. The location also allows us to walk to school, work, the store, the library and almost everywhere else we need to go. We only use our car for long trips or when doing a large grocery shop for heavy items like sacks of flour.

We are planning various improvements to the efficiance of the house as well as the look and feel. We are planning on using recycled materials whenever possible and recycleing as much as we can of the old materials. For instance one of our next projects it to replace windows. Our old windows will become cold frames in my garden where I grow a lot of our families food.


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## Barcino (Aug 25, 2004)

My 2400 home is getting small for us and we do live simply. Between kids with very different ages (cannot room together) and the fact that I have a business and I work full time from here I feel like what I thought of as a HUGE house has totally gotten small on us. I dont think I would need 5000 sq feet but I can see using 4000 well.


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## kkfum (Aug 14, 2005)

i currently live in a 3100 sq. ft. home with dh and a toddler and 3 dogs, on 1.3 acres. however, we are in the process of selling our home and are downsizing to help us free up some $$ while i sahm, as well as moving into a village with much more character and the ability to walk to local amenities. however, the downsizing we're doing is into a 2500 sq. ft. home, certainly not small. but, because it's over 100 years old, the rooms are very compartmentalized, so it feels much smaller...

i am looking forward to having a smaller home for the $$ and for having less to clean. it has also caused us to purge some of our "stuff" and think more thoughtfully about what we will own in the future.

however, if we didn't feel so financially constrained, we would have bought a 4,000 sq. ft. house in the same village we're moving into. it was slightly less than what we paid for our current home, but with loads more character: on the main drag, a grand historic home over 150 years old, just awesome!

i truly think it's great for people to buy these older homes and do what they can to fix them up/make them more efficient, regardless of how large they are. they are a part of our history and what adds character to our older communities.

and,many times, large homes have more roof area to install lots of solar panels to power themselves, as well as the more modestly-sized neighboring homes...


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## notwonamesalike (Nov 13, 2007)

I think we have what would be considered a "midsize" home here on mdc. It's about 1900 square feet.

We've been successful in minimizing and decluttering our home. It's always about 15 minutes from company clean, and a quick run through at night gets it picked up for the next day.

It's been a long process though. We've been decluttering now for over a year - the folks at Goodwill asked us last week how long it was going to take us to move. They've seen us so much - at least once a week for the past year.

It took me a while to get used to the clean, clear, flat surfaces and lack of junk after having lived in clutter for so long, but we love it now.

We now feel like we have time to do the things we want. Go to the park, have people over, host game nights, spend time in the garden, worm composting. Everything that we wanted to do, but seemed to take too much effort when our house was a disaster.

Simple living is where it's [email protected]


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## Mamm2 (Apr 19, 2004)

Well about 5,000 sqft here...dh wanted a big house to impress his family I guess







However, I love my house and we got a great deal on it. It has also allowed my mother to come and live with us. She could not possibly afford to live on her own and she has been a great help.

However, in a perfect world I would have a 3,000sqft home with a basement. The way the market is there is no way we are selling anytime soon.


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