https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Tue, 05 May 2026 23:20:43 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-big-is-too-big-1/page/2#post-2600713 Mon, 08 Aug 2016 16:13:57 +0000 BSB 2600713@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Wow. Yeah, 4000 sq ft sounds huge to me... but I live in a 1800 sq ft home now. </p> <p>Oh, though, my house does not have a basement and I can't wait to move into a house with a basement again. I'm sure if I find a finished basement, it could bump the sq footage higher. Also, if we can afford it, I would love to find a home with an in law suite or house. </p> <p>I think right now, living in the space we do, 4000 sq feet sounds huge. I would have to see what 3000 sq feet looks like and what it offers. Oh, I think having an enclosed sunroom could be considered livable space and bump the sq footage... so I'm going to hold off before saying something is too big. :wink: </p> <p>I think if you have time the clean it and each room has a function... and you can afford it... who are we to judge that it's too space for you. </p> <p>Shoot, there are people living in tiny home. Like 500 sq ft or less. I just don't think I could do it, but if they can, more power to them. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-big-is-too-big-1/page/2#post-2600710 Mon, 08 Aug 2016 16:04:03 +0000 youboots 2600710@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Foodnerd81: yeah. It would have weighed on me. I was so worried we would love it then have too big of a house. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-big-is-too-big-1/page/2#post-2600700 Mon, 08 Aug 2016 15:48:56 +0000 pachamama 2600700@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I am all about being comfortable but remember, the more space, the more cleaning, the more STUFF! That really weighs on me. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-big-is-too-big-1/page/2#post-2600695 Mon, 08 Aug 2016 15:42:58 +0000 avivoca 2600695@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@youboots: Oh wow, I'm glad you got to go look at it at least! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-big-is-too-big-1/page/2#post-2600694 Mon, 08 Aug 2016 15:41:29 +0000 Foodnerd81 2600694@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@youboots: it's always good to check it out so you can get it out of your head at least! We saw many houses that left me really impressed by the photographer. :silly: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-big-is-too-big-1/page/2#post-2600635 Mon, 08 Aug 2016 14:35:27 +0000 lamariniere 2600635@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@youboots: at least now you know! Good luck with your continued search! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-big-is-too-big-1/page/2#post-2600612 Mon, 08 Aug 2016 14:13:33 +0000 youboots 2600612@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>It was a mess. The photographer did a great job masking it. Nearly every surface needed to be repaired or replaced. It was too good to be true. Oh well. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-big-is-too-big-1#post-2593620 Wed, 27 Jul 2016 11:57:21 +0000 wrkbrk 2593620@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@youboots: Ok that IS enormous! It depends what they are asking, I guess. We are upgrading soon to 2250 and I feel like that is big for us. That said, we only have one child. If you otherwise love the house and can afford it, DO IT! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-big-is-too-big-1#post-2593546 Wed, 27 Jul 2016 10:50:36 +0000 Kimberlybee 2593546@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I understand the pain. I rented from an older, fixer upper before and it was such a headache! Something was always wrong and the owners had to repair something constantly. I hope you find something great soon! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-big-is-too-big-1#post-2593534 Wed, 27 Jul 2016 10:41:06 +0000 Mamaof2 2593534@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@youboots: we went from a 1200sq ft condo to a 3400 sq foot house - 7 years later every inch is full! :silly: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-big-is-too-big-1#post-2593526 Wed, 27 Jul 2016 10:30:29 +0000 Maysprout 2593526@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Is any of that finished basement or attic space?<br /> We looked at a house that was probably close to 1000 sq ft bigger than the one we moved into. Sometimes I would love, love that extra space. But the layout of that house and the way they had built additions on were really, really odd. a lot of families seemed like they were looking but it took a long time to sell, but I think it was less about the size and more about the poorly designed size. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-big-is-too-big-1#post-2593512 Wed, 27 Jul 2016 10:13:11 +0000 alphagam84 2593512@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'd go for it! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-big-is-too-big-1#post-2593506 Wed, 27 Jul 2016 10:07:12 +0000 MrsBucky 2593506@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I am worried about this too, but on a different scale. We are moving and are looking at places twice the size of our current home- from under 1000 sq ft to over 2000. I have definitely been wanting more space- a second bathroom, a room for guests, a dedicated office, a larger kitchen-- but I'm worried about utilities and upkeep/ cleaning on a bigger place. Luckily, we will be renting for a year and will have a better sense of how much square footage we want to buy after that! Ultimately, it's a personal decision and it sounds like you're thinking about all the right considerations. Those plus some of the thoughts people have added on this thread and actually seeing the house will I'm sure help you make the right decision for your family! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-big-is-too-big-1#post-2593497 Wed, 27 Jul 2016 09:53:25 +0000 mdf106 2593497@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My house is smaller than that, but pretty big, and I really like it. It is almost exactly twice the size of our previous home. The cost of the utilities is the only downside to me. We are homebodies, though, and spend a lot of time at home. I like that it has enough room for the children to run around some inside. We use all the rooms at least some, although we like having visitors. The biggest maintenance issue is the pool. I don't feel like the larger space is harder to clean, if anything there are more places to stash stuff. We do have one bathroom we currently only use for guests, but that will change when our children can use the bathroom on their own. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-big-is-too-big-1#post-2593449 Wed, 27 Jul 2016 09:04:03 +0000 youboots 2593449@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@lamariniere: no since I don't like indoor photography much. But I could set up a dark room, which I wanted to do at this house but I lost and it's a wine cellar. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-big-is-too-big-1#post-2593442 Wed, 27 Jul 2016 09:02:09 +0000 lamariniere 2593442@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@youboots: could you use some of that space for a photo studio?! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-big-is-too-big-1#post-2593440 Wed, 27 Jul 2016 08:58:40 +0000 youboots 2593440@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Thanks everyone for chiming in. I think taking a look will be what we need to do. I also did not mention that our taxes will double. @lamariniere: yes. The layout makes a big difference. We will see. I wanted something in the 3000 sq ft range.@Modern Daisy: yeah as others have mentioned furnishing is a concern. But my parents have a storage unit full of furniture, my BIL has a sectional he wants to give us since he wants a different one. And my main photography client is an artisan furniture maker and we do trade. So I think I can manage over a couple years.</p> <p>DH has been the one more anxious to move and I've been the resistant one. So he's really excited. But having the big fancy house like his parents did I think is something that's important to him.</p> <p>@KayKay: good idea on the piano- more furnishings :)@yoursilverlining: well it's 2x the living space but about 1250 bigger. And they have a heat pump (and we don't) so I think it sounds about right. The wife is unable to clump stairs, they dropped the price because they are supporting 2 households. I hear you, but I have a great home inspector I trust.@looch: yeah I was thinking craft room. Total dream. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-big-is-too-big-1#post-2593414 Wed, 27 Jul 2016 08:42:28 +0000 looch 2593414@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I would have zero problems trying to figure out what to do with all the rooms, assuming it's a 5 bedroom house, I'd have a master, room for my son, guest room and two offices (one each for my husband and I). </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-big-is-too-big-1#post-2593364 Wed, 27 Jul 2016 07:57:47 +0000 yoursilverlining 2593364@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I know you called the utility companies, but I would be very suspect that you can move to twice the size and only increase utility costs by $125 a month. We doubled our house size and in both cases both homes were/are energy efficient, new windows, etc and the utility costs are much more than $1500 a year difference. Much more!</p> <p>Our home is nearly 2700 and it’s big enough and we entertain often and have overnight guests often. We don’t really use all the space we have now. We looked at homes in the 4k+ range and they were just too massive. </p> <p>I'll be honest. It sounds too good to be true (i.e., free from major issues). 100k difference from other homes in the neighborhood for a place that’s larger and only needs some minor cosmetic upgrades? Sounds way too good to be true. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-big-is-too-big-1#post-2593362 Wed, 27 Jul 2016 07:56:15 +0000 Modern Daisy 2593362@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Foodnerd81: I'm sure with a larger house you can close off rooms you don't use everyday and clean them less often! We kind of use every room in the house on a regular basis so it all needs cleaning. We have 4 bathrooms and only use 2 of them, but the other two still get dusty, bugs, mold etc. that we can't just pass over on cleaning day. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-big-is-too-big-1#post-2593354 Wed, 27 Jul 2016 07:49:15 +0000 Foodnerd81 2593354@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@youboots: you should be able to ask the list agent what the previous owners utilities are monthly. The previous owner utilities were actually quite a bit more than we expected, even with the extra size. So we have been able to factor that in when deciding to purchase. Also we will be getting new windows sooner or later which should reduce the heating and cooling bill significantly. </p> <p>@Modern Daisy: I am r ally hoping I just won't have to clean the parts we don't use? Like how often will I have to clean a formal living room that we don't go in? Just vacuum every couple of weeks? Honestly not sure about that! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-big-is-too-big-1#post-2593345 Wed, 27 Jul 2016 07:26:08 +0000 KayKay 2593345@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Like others have mentioned, I think it depends more on the layout and how you would use the space than just the size. </p> <p>Our house has a formal living room area that is currently mostly unfurnished and minimally used. I could probably do without that square footage, honestly. But eventually it will have a piano for the kids to play, it will be the space where we put our xmas tree &amp; some other holiday decorations throughout the year, and it has our fireplace so will be a snuggly place to use in the winter eventually (you know, once it has any seating in it...ha). We also have a finished basement that will eventually become our family room/entertaining area...with a large utility room (storage!), a large bedroom for guests, and a 3/4 bath. At this point, we don't even heat/cool or clean down there, unless we have had guests. But none of our family is local and often comes to stay with us for a week+ at a time, so it was important to us that they have a free, comfortable place to stay.</p> <p>The rest of our house is all very typical size and very livable, so despite it overall being 2x as big as our first house, it doesn't feel super-huge to me. Then again, we also now have 2 kids, a dog, and a baby on the way....so I don't complain that the kids can be making noise at one end of the house while I am at the other :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-big-is-too-big-1#post-2593339 Wed, 27 Jul 2016 07:15:20 +0000 LulaBee 2593339@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I just moved from 1300 to 2500 sq feet and it's been really great. Each kid has her own room, and I find we use *most* of the space right now, but I know we will as girls get older and want to spread out. We even use the formal living room (as a playroom right now). I've been picking up furniture as I go and fall in love with pieces- I'm in no rush to furnish the entire house right now. However, our electric bill did go up... considerably. I was kind of shocked. But overall, I'm very very very glad we made the move. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-big-is-too-big-1#post-2593336 Wed, 27 Jul 2016 07:11:57 +0000 T.H.O.U. 2593336@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Also growing up in a 4/3, we just had one bathroom that we didn't use. My mom didn't want to clean it constantly and it kept it clean for guests. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-big-is-too-big-1#post-2593333 Wed, 27 Jul 2016 07:09:56 +0000 rattles 2593333@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>It feels larger than necessary to me. I grew up in a family of 7 in 3600 sq feet, which was plenty of space for all of us. But if it meets your other needs and it's in your budget, it's up to you whether it would be more space to clean and maintain than you'd like. I don't think you'd have trouble reselling down the road, though perhaps your price/sq foot would be lower than some in the area if it's larger than average. Good luck in your decision! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-big-is-too-big-1#post-2593330 Wed, 27 Jul 2016 07:08:06 +0000 Modern Daisy 2593330@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I live in 2000 sq ft on a 1 acre lot and think it's perfect. I've been cleaning it myself while on Mat leave and holy cow does it take forever! I can't imagine cleaning anything larger on a regular basis. Our utilities are also very high but our house isn't exactly energy efficient either. Plus I had to furnish the whole house when we moved in 2 years ago and I'm still not done.. Furniture is expensive and it takes a while to find the right pieces. So yeah I wouldn't discount a house because it is that big, but these are things to factor into your budget for sure. Just because you can afford the mortgage doesn't mean the other expenses are within budget. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-big-is-too-big-1#post-2593327 Wed, 27 Jul 2016 06:57:33 +0000 ShootingStar 2593327@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>IDK, I live in 3300 square feet so 4000 doesn't seem unlivable to me. I don't feel like our house is all that gigantic. Some spaces are actually pretty small. We do have a ridiculously large living room that I wish could be redistributed to other rooms in the house, but oh well. </p> <p>It wouldn't really occur to me that having that much space would be a down side. And $125 extra for utilities seems pretty negligible. Especially considering all the positives. </p> <p>I mean yeah, I probably wouldn't want to buy a 10 bedroom 15 bath house or anything, but I assume at 4k sq ft it's a 4/5 bedroom with 3 baths - pretty normal to me. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-big-is-too-big-1#post-2593315 Wed, 27 Jul 2016 05:37:49 +0000 T.H.O.U. 2593315@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>As long as you look at maintenance costs. Even things like replacing flooring is going to be much more expensive. </p> <p>But if it's a better layout and still in your price range, go for it! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-big-is-too-big-1#post-2593314 Wed, 27 Jul 2016 05:35:13 +0000 lamariniere 2593314@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>It sounds huge to me (compared to my 1500 sqft. :silly: ). I would be really concerned about maintenance costs, cleaning and furnishing something that big. If this is a forever home with the possibility of your mom moving in, maybe (since it does sound so nice). But I would probably look for something smaller. FWIW, I grew up in a 2500 sqft home that had a good layout (and even then, not all of it was used) and that seems absolutely gigantic to me now. I can't even fathom something more than twice that size. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-big-is-too-big-1#post-2593297 Tue, 26 Jul 2016 22:48:12 +0000 sapphire 2593297@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>That's definitely a big house. i'm always surprised by how big some people want their house though, so I wouldn't worry too much about resale. But maintenance and utilities for sure. And having enough furniture! We have 2200 finished and a 900ft unfinished basement that we plan to finish in about 5 years. That will definitely increase our resale value as lot of the houses in our neighborhood are about 3000sq ft. Plus we want a basement rec room. More than that though? I don't know what we'd do with it! That will give us 4 beds plus office plus basement...I don't think we need any more rooms. </p>