To think that some people live in too big houses?

[URSick]

Lots of people live in (in my opinion) already big houses yet they want to move into even bigger ones.
I see so many families where all the children have their own bedrooms, bathrooms, big bedroom for the parents, guest room, study, living room, and yet they never seem to be satisfied and want to move into a bigger house. They all want playroom for the children. What's the point, when they could easily play in their bedrooms or the living room? There are houses where everybody has their own level, plus bathrooms on the landings, more toilets than family members, and yet they want Buckingham palace. It's good to have enough space and not be in each other's pockets but am I the only one who thinks these people are greedy and unreasonable? You don't need to live in a mansion to be a happy family.
Not to mention those houses where entire rooms are never used, lots of space is taken up by massive stairs and there are parts of the house that are just walkways.
What's your take on it?

I also agree with Salmon.

We have one TV. We have never allowed devices/phones at the dining table, the children always had to do their homework and practice their instruments. No TVs or computers in bedrooms.

They had stories every night, play time, park trips, activities, sport, etc., instead of plastic tat. The free things were best: collecting conkers, leaf kicking, pooh-sticks, watching for butterflies, examining stones and pebbles, finding five pretty shells at the beach, etc. Oh, and counting cracks in the pavement, spotting yellow cars, how many dogs and how many cats, etc. Oh they were such lovely days.

I like living in a smaller house. It's quick to clean, easy to maintain and cheap to heat. Big houses are a liability. I think lots of people see them as a status symbol; I'm not interested in status, it's just a made up thing. Having much less cleaning and smaller bills is a real thing.

So if you had the opportunity to buy a house of that magnitude, I take it you wouldn't out of principle? We have a playroom and it's a godsend, no toys are allowed in any other room in the house, except a few in their bedrooms maybe.

If they got the house through honest means them what's the problem.

Bigger house doesn't necessarily equal better person, better life or being more happy.

Dontbeasalmon, Navyandwhite, Ohtheroses....
What a load of rubbish!! How you choose to parent has nothing to do with the size of your house. Worrying your judging the ' small house' people

Worrying your judging the ' small house' people

But it's OK to judge the 'too big' house people?

My job sometimes involves home visits to pensioners houses in an affluent part of town, many of them widows/widowers. I am often like this> at the size of some their houses. I'm talking mansions and 4 story townhouses where they live alone. In those circumstances I'd say, yes, they live in houses that are too big for them. Families are a different matter, someone with a large family can obviously use the space. Saying that a relative of mine who lives with her DH and one child has recently moved to a mahoosive property and it's really far too big for them, too many floors, it all feels a bit disconnected and she's already regretting it. Personally I like living in a small house, easy to clean and stops me collecting crap I don't need, though I would kill for an extra bathroom.

Worrying your judging the ' small house' people

not judging, just stating a fact.There's a huge difference around me in the amount of toys, Christmas/birthday presents received by friends in your average 2 to 3 semi and friends living in mansion-size house. I don't know any WAG-wannabee so it clearly doesn't apply to everybody.

I am hardly going to look down at people who are trying to do lots for their children, aren't we all? We just do it differently. I merely disagree with the poster who think that having a huge house = drowning your kids in tat. Not true.

It's ok on mumsnet to judge the 'big house' people, and to question their parenting (as has been done on this thread with references to scrawny kids and suggesting they give their children mountains of plastic tat and don't see them as they're always off in other rooms).
But woe betide ye who questions how people can afford luxury items (we've all seen the sky tv threads with their snippy comments about council goats and the rest of it; we've all seen them swiftly pulled) on low wages/benefits/tax credits, and even has the audacity to suggest that someone should behave responsibly with the money given to them.

I believe you can do what the hell you like with the money you earn. Spend it, save it, have your entire body tattooed blue with it.

How dare you tell me how I should spend my money- this works both ways.

It's no business of anyone's how people spend their hard earned cash.

I prefer a small apartment as it's more economical for me to run. I can't afford a cleaner and hate doing housework and gardening so it works out well.

I can understand people living in huge houses though if it gives them pleasure.

I do think that once children leave home having a big house might feel more empty than a smaller one and make the empty nest syndrome worse. Maybe then location is more important and people seem to downsize as they get older.

Lots of people are missing the point that does affect everyone. All the 'No one else's business' posts are ignoring the fact that there is a housing crisis with many families homeless and overcrowded.

and again, this has nothing to do with the size of other people's home...

All the 'No one else's business' posts are ignoring the fact that there is a housing crisis with many families homeless and overcrowded

And I am yet to see any sort of sensible solution suggested to this.

Lots of people are missing the point that does affect everyone. All the 'No one else's business' posts are ignoring the fact that there is a housing crisis with many families homeless and overcrowded

Nonsense.

Yanbu. My brother and sister in law with one child recently moved from a lovely 2 bedroom house to a 4 bedroom detached house with bathroom, toilet and ensuite and garage. It's about 3 times the size of their lovely cozy house and this is just a show home. It's a status symbol so they can show how well off they are. Nobody visits them. They all come to mine, a 3 bedroom with 5 people that's lived in and cramped but it's a home not a house

I think that says more about the rest of you than it does about them.

We have a fairly big house; bought when we had one DC and now we've 2. We'll move when they're grown because it'll be too big for two of us but we all love it here. The garden is huge, the double garage means DH can tinker, the enormous playhouse means the DCs are rarely indoors from March to October and having a gorgeous kitchen is something I dreamed of growing up. There's space for parties, sleepovers and the DCs friends to pile in after school. The DCs separate bathroom means I never have to sit in boy-wee on the toilet seat at 3am and the utility room is great for rugby kits, dogs, boots and all the inevitable family crap we amass.

I grew up in a huge 500-year-old cottage and wanted my DCs to grow up somewhere beautiful. We work hard to afford it, so who are we offending? Our house doesn't define how we parent, of course, so being judged on it surprises me.

Ref connections between fewer people in big houses and overcrowding and homelessness I posted upthread about how stamp duty penalises people downsizing and Andrewffogg did too -although his was very complicated!!

4 bedroom detached house
bless them, it sounds lovely, but it's hardly a huge house, is it!

with bathroom, toilet and ensuite and garage
and their bitter and jealous family resent them for having a bathroom?!? good god.

Of course there is. It's riddled with absolute bollocks written by people seething with resentment and no clue how exactly anything might change for the better, they just want to have a pop at the people who have what they want.
Just look at the idiots criticising peoples parenting solely on the basis of the size of their house!

I had a thread in Property about a house I liked.
I was told it was gauche to live in a house too big.
And it was conspicuous consumerism.