We have 6 children. Our current home (1800) has fit our need well, but as my children grow we are starting to feel crammed. What is a good size to fit our large family, yet still adhere to the small home philosophy? Are there homes out there that have more room, without all the wasted space (ie. large closets, huge/multiple bathrooms . . . ).
Hmm... I'm not an expert, and I hope Marie (Sarah's assistant) replies, but it seems like you're talkin' something like a 7 bedroom/4 bath place (if all the kids are to have their own bedrooms, and no more than 2 kids share any 1 bathroom).
When you check out most of the 7 bedroom floorplans out there, they seem to weigh in at 4000 square feet and up... pretty frickin' huge. I guess its not just about having enough bedrooms, but having large common areas to handle all the bodies. Though often they seem to neglect the NotSoBig principles... that'd get the square footage down quite a bit, without sacrificing functionality, I would think.
So in my VERY unprofessional opinion, if you want 7 bedrooms in a relatively small square footage, I think you're usually talking building custom or doing a big addition to your existing house.
Of course, there's the occasional exception. I remember seeing a two-story floorplan that was 2800 square feet and pretty customizable, and it lets you modify it on up to 7 bedrooms (though only 3 baths)... kinda nifty, if you like their choices:
Sarah says that for your particular situation, you might be hard-pressed to find a Not So Big home plan or an already built home that has a separate bedroom for each child and isn't gargantuan. But then again, do you really want a separate bedroom for every child?
Your family's particular needs are really the main thing that will dictate the size of the home you require. You will want some space, but you will also want some cozy spots, some communal, connected spots to be close to each other. There is no one number that we can name as the right size for you, in other words. Remember too that it's not just about size - it's about quality of space. A big room is just empty square footage if it's not a place you really feel drawn to be in.
Take a good look through The Not So Big House and really do the exercises that Sarah has in there to help you understand what kind of house will perfectly suit your family. Involve your kids, too.
When you have your homework done, and you know what you need and want, you can try to find it in an existing house (with remodeling possibilities), find a home plan that suits you, or hire an architect or designer to design something perfect for you.
You said you have six children but didn't specify gender. I knew a family of eleven children who lived just fine in a three bedroom house -- one for the girls, one for the boys and one for the parents. They were just big bedrooms and bunks, and six boys + five girls(i.e. evenly divided). I hope you figure it out and get something that works for you....
Posts: 40 | Location: Northern California | Registered: 07 January 2008
