How Much House Do You Need?

Brenda Crenshaw
CDS Community Development Strategies

If you're anything like me and my friends, you watch Tiny House Hunters on HGTV and wonder how someone could possibly fit their life into such a small space? Is it just my generation (Baby Boomers) who think you need at least 4 bedrooms and 2.5 bathrooms to survive? Is that because we shared bedrooms with siblings and want our children to have their own space? Or maybe we want big homes as a status symbol?   

If you're thinking of down-sizing as I am these days (since my husband and I are newly minted empty-nesters), you may be contemplating the following question: How much house do I need to live comfortably and well? Brad Kittel, owner of the Luling based company Tiny Texas Houses, believes most Americans only use around one-third of the space in their home on a regular basis. Does this mean I can easily down-size from my 3,300 square foot (sf) home to a 1,056 sf home? And if I could make that move, what about an even smaller space? Would 500 sf work for me and my husband if I really organized things well (and got rid of all his golf clubs).  

“Urban pioneers” are proving they can live in tiny homes all over the country as seen on TV and in the news. The Ivy Lofts right here in Houston is promoting a simplified and streamlined, yet savvy lifestyle in condos ranging from 304 sf to 1,020 sf. Steve Spillette, President at CDS, recently wrote an article about the Ivy Lofts project.

Well, I’m asking myself, have we as Houstonians sought the “dream” in our large expensive homes when we could have been just as happy in a much smaller home? Does age dictate our preference for smaller spaces? These are questions I'd like your input on. Please answer our 4 question mini-survey below. The questions are short and anonymous. We will compile the answers and share the results in a future article.