tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4939462579252426448.post4904693638981622206..comments2023-11-02T06:44:14.850-07:00Comments on City Wife, Country Life: Planning a House: Square Footage?Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger42125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4939462579252426448.post-75620857942156036672011-05-18T15:15:12.811-07:002011-05-18T15:15:12.811-07:00Hello hello! :) Welcome!
Yes, a basement/root cel...Hello hello! :) Welcome! <br />Yes, a basement/root cellar/homeschooling area would be <i>fantastic</i>. Even if we only spring for a tiny little house, I want a good root cellar! :)Farmer's City Wifehttp://www.citywifecountrylife.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4939462579252426448.post-51195738042333845732011-05-18T13:17:36.510-07:002011-05-18T13:17:36.510-07:00First, I just wanted to say that I came across you...First, I just wanted to say that I came across your blog a few days ago,<br /> and I have really enjoy reading your posts! Now, as far as houses <br />go...we built a "shouse" (looks like a shed on the outside, finished as a<br /> house on the inside) about a year and a half ago. We had some local Mennonite builders put up the outside. It was extremely <br />economical, especially since we finished the inside completely (and by <br />we, I mean mostly my Mr. Amazing). We started small (just under 1000 sq <br />ft) but the plan is to add on in a few more years. We still plan to add on in the same fashion. We put our shouse on a slab, but you could do it on a basement or crawl space if you so desired. I really like it, a lot! We went with a really open floor plan: we have a big room that houses the living room, dining room, and kitchen. I love being able to cook and see everything that is going on. We plan to do the same thing again in the big house: we'll be adding on another kitchen, as well as a bigger living room and dining room. The plan is to convert the current living space into the school! I'm excited for that as well as having a second kitchen for canning and butchering. So, I guess I would recommend an open floor plan as well as two kitchens, if you can swing it. :) Also, even though our kids aren't old enough for us to have formal school, I can see that a space for homeschooling is really going to come in handy. I do wish that we had a basement, or rather, really, just a storm shelter/root cellar. That's really only because we live in the midwest, though. Also, we kept our floors concrete and put an epoxy on them; we plan do that again, at least in part of the addition. It was a pretty cheap route to go and it's super easy to clean. The only down side it that it's pretty hard on the little noggins, but I figure not too much worse than tile. Let's see...I do wish that we had some built-in bookshelves, and I'm planning on that in the newer house. I think that's about it! Sorry, this ended up being a really lengthy post! I hope it was helpful. :) God bless you as you plan your house!Emily Brownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4939462579252426448.post-35873556689337326232011-05-07T00:33:02.150-07:002011-05-07T00:33:02.150-07:00How neat to have stained glass! Must be gorgeous w...How neat to have stained glass! Must be gorgeous when the sun comes up :).Farmer's City Wifehttp://www.citywifecountrylife.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4939462579252426448.post-42555189806097828442011-05-06T12:14:49.593-07:002011-05-06T12:14:49.593-07:00We bought a condo last summer and we are appreciat...We bought a condo last summer and we are appreciating the importance of a good floor plan. The kitchen is very small but it is so well designed and 'open' that it is perfect. And instead of having a room devoted to laundry, we have a closet in the bathroom where the washer and dryer fit. But I wasn't going to tell you about our house - I was going to tell you about my inlaws' house. They designed it themselves and planned it so that almost every main room has a stained glass window. They collected them before they built the house. In the kitchen is the stained glass window from the restaurant that where they got engaged. They have old church windows in their library and chapel. They have a porch off of the master bedroom and a brick patio off of the porch. They also have an observatory off of the patio so he can go out and look at the stars at night. The whole place is set back from the road with a fence around it all and an electronic gate across the driveway. The fence is nice for keeping loose horses, llamas, dogs, children, etc. from getting out to the road. I was amazed when my husband started telling me about the house but it doesn't feel that big even though it has 4 bedrooms. I love the library the best - it is at the opposite end from the bedrooms so we can stay up late hanging out with siblings without disturbing the whole household. :-)Emnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4939462579252426448.post-452912714606676522011-05-05T13:29:58.702-07:002011-05-05T13:29:58.702-07:00Welcome, Victoria! Love your ideas.
Ah, wooden flo...Welcome, Victoria! Love your ideas.<br />Ah, wooden floors! If there's any way we can swing that one, I think it's a must :).Farmer's City Wifehttp://www.citywifecountrylife.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4939462579252426448.post-66611947221146645312011-05-05T05:02:15.186-07:002011-05-05T05:02:15.186-07:00So interesting to read about your American homes! ...So interesting to read about your American homes! Here, in Australian some things are a bit different eg. we normally hang our washing on the line rather than use a dryer and basements are unusual, but a lot is quite similar.<br />We have renovated 2 houses and built one for our family of 8 kids, and thinking of the issues we've had has helped us to plan for next time. <br /><br />These have been our biggest design headaches-<br />1. Children's bedrooms that guests have to walk past to reach the lounge or garden - a huge embarrassment as our kids can be little piglets!<br />2. Too much open plan - older kids need to be able to shut themselves away to study, etc, and babies sometimes need to be shut in for their own safety (more doors, next time)<br />3. A pantry and other storage - oh, how much tidier our house would be if there was only more storage!<br /><br />Our favourite features are -<br />1. A large parent's room away from the noisy areas - but why do the kids treat it as another lounge room?<br />2. Large windows opening onto the garden - love to see the view<br />3. Wooden floors - easy to keep clean , dishes break less often when dropped (the carpets looked worn within 6 months)<br />4. Larger living areas, smaller bedrooms - room for bunks and good closets is all that's really necessary<br /><br />I totally agree about design being more important than size. Good storage and practical work areas make housekeeping easier - and it's surprising how many kids will fit into small bedrooms.<br />Good luck with your planning!Victoria Leachhttp://profiles.google.com/victoria.lchnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4939462579252426448.post-38899619640214808922011-05-04T17:39:57.550-07:002011-05-04T17:39:57.550-07:00Jen, what I've read and heard time and again i...Jen, what I've read and heard time and again is that square footage isn't as important as a good floorplan. A 2000 square foot house with a bad layout (wasted space, hallways in the wrong place, etc.) often feels smaller than a 1400 sq. ft house with a great layout. <br />The part that's killing me, though, is I don't know what a "great layout" looks like :-D. <br />As my mom says, a woman can change any house into a home :). And for what it's worth, I think it's totally possible to raise stellar kids without a formal dining room.Farmer's City Wifehttp://www.citywifecountrylife.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4939462579252426448.post-22708617694889059722011-05-04T17:14:32.412-07:002011-05-04T17:14:32.412-07:00Wow. This is scaring me! We're actually just ...Wow. This is scaring me! We're actually just now looking to buy our first (and hopefully only!) home. We've been thinking 1,300 square feet would be perfect -- 3 bed / 2 bath, not too much space to clean. But all this talk about 2,000+ and 4 bedrooms?? Hmmm... we have a growing family (4 of us at the moment) & I guess coming from our 900 sq. ft. rental house anything over 1,200 square feet looks ginormous to us. Maybe I won't think so one or two babies from now, though.... Hmmmm!Jen&Ericnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4939462579252426448.post-86066228995300119822011-05-04T15:17:29.108-07:002011-05-04T15:17:29.108-07:00Goodness, such helpful things to keep in mind! I d...Goodness, such helpful things to keep in mind! I didn't even know about zone heating, and the sloped ceilings I'm so terribly fond of, I never even considered would be awful for bunk beds.Farmer's City Wifehttp://www.citywifecountrylife.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4939462579252426448.post-91802701276381888662011-05-04T15:11:27.706-07:002011-05-04T15:11:27.706-07:00Well, given as we currently don't have kids I&...Well, given as we currently don't have kids I'm not going to be much help there. But as someone who lives in a 1,400 sq ft house(4 bed/2 full bath) I do have some thoughts on things that would make the upkeep a bit easier.<br /><br />For starters, if you have multiple full baths, you really probably only need to have a tub in one of them. For instance, anyone old enough to bathe without supervision is also probably old enough to shower. Plus, I at least, find cleaning a shower easier than cleaning the tub.<br /><br />If you can fit it into the budget, you could install a zone heating system that closes off the ducts(not just the vents) in the portions of the house you don't want to heat/cool. Since it's just the two of us at the moment we close off the entire upstairs of our house rather than heat it in the winter and it's really helped a lot.<br /><br />While sloped ceilings in the upstairs are kind of fun and cozy, they also make it hard to put bunk beds in those rooms(if you (hopefully!) need them some day). We've been trying to figure out which rooms in our house would be best for kids' rooms and have determined that only one out of the four is actually ideal for bunk beds; the other three have either sloped ceilings or less than ideally located windows. This might be important to keep in mind if you opt for a smaller bedroom option.<br /><br />That's all I have for right now.Kathrynnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4939462579252426448.post-17781934615228729042011-05-04T10:58:03.932-07:002011-05-04T10:58:03.932-07:00Sounds reasonable to me ;).Sounds reasonable to me ;).Farmer's City Wifehttp://www.citywifecountrylife.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4939462579252426448.post-11785436421260929712011-05-04T10:57:48.367-07:002011-05-04T10:57:48.367-07:00We're all about the farmhouse look with a wood...We're all about the farmhouse look with a wood burning stove! Good gravy, we've got a whole orchard of prunings to heat our house with :).<br />Thanks for the links: there are some awesome ideas there!Farmer's City Wifehttp://www.citywifecountrylife.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4939462579252426448.post-71262342606482603432011-05-04T10:50:23.326-07:002011-05-04T10:50:23.326-07:00Yeah, my dad grew up in a tiny house with 10 kids ...Yeah, my dad grew up in a <b>tiny</b> house with 10 kids (7 boys) so I guess we can make anything work :). <br />Soon to be 11? Congratulations!! :-DFarmer's City Wifehttp://www.citywifecountrylife.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4939462579252426448.post-36637884990842608402011-05-04T10:47:10.031-07:002011-05-04T10:47:10.031-07:00An upstairs simple bonus room (especially above a ...An upstairs simple bonus room (especially above a garage) seems like a great place for the family to hang out that doesn't need to be shared with casual visitors :). <br />A guest bedroom (I LOVE to entertain) would be so lovely.Farmer's City Wifehttp://www.citywifecountrylife.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4939462579252426448.post-49670221388563987182011-05-04T10:44:32.905-07:002011-05-04T10:44:32.905-07:00In our current postage stamp house, I'm just a...In our current postage stamp house, I'm just able to keep it all clean. That's <i>definitely</i> a consideration! :-D Plus, the bigger we build, the more temptation to fill it with clutter.Farmer's City Wifehttp://www.citywifecountrylife.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4939462579252426448.post-52254439336114767302011-05-04T10:43:06.359-07:002011-05-04T10:43:06.359-07:00Mud rooms and summer kitchens -- two things lost t...Mud rooms and summer kitchens -- two things lost to media rooms and workout rooms of the modern McMansions, eh? <br />Love the idea of your fort :-D. If we can't go that elaborate, I at least hope to do something like this: http://thriftydecorchick.blogspot.com/2011/05/closet-turned-book-nook.htmlFarmer's City Wifehttp://www.citywifecountrylife.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4939462579252426448.post-51974038174045052162011-05-04T10:41:19.308-07:002011-05-04T10:41:19.308-07:00True true true!True true true!Farmer's City Wifehttp://www.citywifecountrylife.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4939462579252426448.post-34507530261372291462011-05-04T10:40:43.478-07:002011-05-04T10:40:43.478-07:00I love the idea of an expandable house (without ha...I love the idea of an expandable house (without having to build additions). Finish as we can, and as we need :).Farmer's City Wifehttp://www.citywifecountrylife.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4939462579252426448.post-33240547428558066422011-05-04T10:37:09.834-07:002011-05-04T10:37:09.834-07:00Oh, and you're so right about a mudroom with a...Oh, and you're so right about a mudroom with a utility sink! Dirty farm clothes are the bane of my clean floors! :)Farmer's City Wifehttp://www.citywifecountrylife.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4939462579252426448.post-57197495241453961042011-05-04T10:36:34.599-07:002011-05-04T10:36:34.599-07:00Yeah, this whole not knowing if/when we'll eve...Yeah, this whole not knowing if/when we'll ever be able to have kids is kind of a big deal... 4 bedrooms for just us two would be major overkill, but having 8 kids in two bedrooms would be tough too. <br />The kitchen is definitely the most fun place to plan, and yes, a wrap-around porch is in the dreams!Farmer's City Wifehttp://www.citywifecountrylife.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4939462579252426448.post-35274282345947495392011-05-04T10:34:30.841-07:002011-05-04T10:34:30.841-07:00Assuming we can afford it, that's probably the...Assuming we can afford it, that's probably the route we'll take...Farmer's City Wifehttp://www.citywifecountrylife.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4939462579252426448.post-66846503474088159392011-05-04T10:34:11.610-07:002011-05-04T10:34:11.610-07:00Will check it out :).Will check it out :).Farmer's City Wifehttp://www.citywifecountrylife.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4939462579252426448.post-16495442464352181992011-05-04T10:33:26.255-07:002011-05-04T10:33:26.255-07:00Gah gah gah, you're so right! Stairs are such ...Gah gah gah, you're so right! Stairs are such a nightmare with little babies! A ranch house with a basement would be really nice, but I've heard planning out vs. up is a lot more expensive. Decisions decisions! (Love the idea for small bedrooms and big communal areas!).Farmer's City Wifehttp://www.citywifecountrylife.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4939462579252426448.post-57981107622419288222011-05-04T10:31:11.241-07:002011-05-04T10:31:11.241-07:00Two houses (especially if one could be a mother-in...Two houses (especially if one could be a mother-in-law house) would be <i>awesome</i>. Maybe if we have ten great farming years in a row ;).<br />Yeah, we figured adding on later would be cost prohibitive, which is why we're trying to get a good idea of how much we'd need right now (though obviously we can never be sure).<br /><br />You're purchasing your first home this Friday?? Congratulations! How exciting!Farmer's City Wifehttp://www.citywifecountrylife.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4939462579252426448.post-50417466787220773872011-05-04T10:28:07.984-07:002011-05-04T10:28:07.984-07:00Lots of space for canning? Yeah, since we're i...Lots of space for canning? Yeah, since we're in the dreaming stage, I'm planning a Summer kitchen (and outdoor building to can in so it doesn't heat up the house). A girl can dream, right? :-DFarmer's City Wifehttp://www.citywifecountrylife.comnoreply@blogger.com