Moving

[nathanm]

I am further east from there, closer to Sheridan with no gate. But I am still on the lookout for the hippies...What will you be wearing?

Lycra and a spare tire. 

[Red Arrow]

Lycra and a spare tire. 

Michelin Man?

[Hoss]

Michelin Man?

Sounds more like Paul Tay...wait, what?

[nathanm]

Somebody got the reference!

[Townsend]

Somebody got the reference!

We all got it.  I just thought we were banned from saying his name.

[nathanm]

We all got it.  I just thought we were banned from saying his name.

I think the blow is making you paranoid. 

[Townsend]

I think the blow is making you paranoid. 

jittery

[Conan71]

Anyone want a five year old, 4K sq/ft home at a bargain?

Already been there and done that...

[carltonplace]

1500 ft^2 would be big enough if we could throw a few things away once in a while.  Not talking about trash/garbage, it goes regularly.

right!? I'm not using all of the space in my house...my stuff is.

[heironymouspasparagus]

Anyone want a five year old, 4K sq/ft home at a bargain?

I could cut that up into four pieces and live in any one and still be moving into a bigger place.

Got granite countertops? 

I've seen enough granite in some of the new houses I have looked at to make a pretty fair sized mausoleum!

[nathanm]

Granite looks great on kitchen counters, IMO, but butcher block counter tops are much more functional. Of course, if you're OCD about everything looking perfect, the idea of using a knife directly on your counter might be more than a little disturbing. Maintenance is super-easy, though. Just a little mineral oil every couple of weeks and a sanding when it gets ratty-looking and it's good as new.

[guido911]

I could cut that up into four pieces and live in any one and still be moving into a bigger place.

Got granite countertops? 

I've seen enough granite in some of the new houses I have looked at to make a pretty fair sized mausoleum!

Yes it's got granite counter tops but mostly in the bathrooms and kitchen. My future house has the largest kitchen I have ever been in. Larger than the one where I took several chef classes. Two ovens (one convection), a built-in steamer/boiler, and a six gas burner range. Now, who wants my man card.

And I agree with most about space. The entire upstairs of our current house (massive media room, library/game room, and work out room), which is about 1/3 the size of the rest of the house, only gets used regularly by my son who loves playing the Wii with the surround sound on.

[heironymouspasparagus]

Yes it's got granite counter tops but mostly in the bathrooms and kitchen. My future house has the largest kitchen I have ever been in. Larger than the one where I took several chef classes. Two ovens (one convection), a built-in steamer/boiler, and a six gas burner range. Now, who wants my man card.

And I agree with most about space. The entire upstairs of our current house (massive media room, library/game room, and work out room), which is about 1/3 the size of the rest of the house, only gets used regularly by my son who loves playing the Wii with the surround sound on.

I guess I just don't get it...the whole McMansion thing...we go out and look at new houses several times a year, just to see what is happening, and it amazes me that somehow volume has become equal to quality of living.  (Not knocking you at all for having a big house, if that's what you want - I am a pretty extreme libertarian on that - I just don't get it.)  I have long ago decided I don't like doing housecleaning that much, nor maintenance.  Both seem to be a huge accompaniment to the big house.

I watch all the cooking shows I can, and so many of them show little tiny spaces where HUGE things in food are being done, I don't see the need for much of a kitchen.  I like having it open to the living area, but I have seen kitchens that were 1/2 the size of my whole house (over 500 sq ft).  That is worthless as a kitchen.

Now, the asterick to all that is that I want a pretty good size yard.  Like Red says - I don't want to hear my neighbors or be able to see them.
Plus get space for a garden and some chickens.  Maybe a cow or two.  Small pond stocked with bass and crappy.  Target shooting range.  Dirt bike track.  Wood lot for cutting some firewood.  Just a few of the small accessories that make life worth living.

[guido911]

I guess I just don't get it...the whole McMansion thing...we go out and look at new houses several times a year, just to see what is happening, and it amazes me that somehow volume has become equal to quality of living.  (Not knocking you at all for having a big house, if that's what you want - I am a pretty extreme libertarian on that - I just don't get it.)  I have long ago decided I don't like doing housecleaning that much, nor maintenance.  Both seem to be a huge accompaniment to the big house.

I watch all the cooking shows I can, and so many of them show little tiny spaces where HUGE things in food are being done, I don't see the need for much of a kitchen.  I like having it open to the living area, but I have seen kitchens that were 1/2 the size of my whole house (over 500 sq ft).  That is worthless as a kitchen.

Now, the asterick to all that is that I want a pretty good size yard.  Like Red says - I don't want to hear my neighbors or be able to see them.
Plus get space for a garden and some chickens.  Maybe a cow or two.  Small pond stocked with bass and crappy.  Target shooting range.  Dirt bike track.  Wood lot for cutting some firewood.  Just a few of the small accessories that make life worth living.

McMansion? The home I bought was built years before that word was a part of pop culture. And my current home is by no means a McMansion either. People that mindlessly throw that word around, to me, are so damned jealous of those with the ability to afford such a home that they feel they have no other recourse but to run down the "haves" homes.

Large kitchens that are functional can become the centerpiece of a home. This particular kitchen, which includes the granite top cooking island that serve as a table, is in excess of 500 square feet. I will post a picture of it and you can decide if it is ostentatious. Everyone I have talked to that has seen it believes it to be an outstanding entertainment area--particularly since it blends so well with the downstairs living room and sitting room/study.

And housecleaning? What's that? 

[nathanm]

A big kitchen, as long as it's not so big you can't make your workflow efficient, is great, IMO. It's one of the few places I feel like I need more space in my present house. Of course, my kitchen is about the size of a postage stamp, so...

That's not to say I would object to having a dedicated home theater room and game room. My office is more than a little crowded with the pinball machine...

So yeah, to me the real advantage of a big house is more room for toys.

Guido, I believe cleaning is what my housekeeper does. 

As far as jealousy, I don't think that's really the reason behind the term. Most people I've seen use it are the sort who have no interest in a big house anyway. I think the distinction between "big house" and "McMansion" is a) cookie cutter design, such that the entire neighborhood has only 3 or 4 different floor plans and facades and b) poor quality construction using the cheapest materials possible except where they are seen, often leading to structural issues down the line.

Whether or not you're one of those people, you have to admit that there are plenty of folks who buy houses like that as a status symbol and for no other reason. They are the ones the term is directed at.