4 ms·

Most of these homes have awful interior features like oversized entryways that feature giant voids. The heat flows to the ceiling, which is a terrible waste. Si

Most of these homes have awful interior features like oversized entryways that feature giant voids. The heat flows to the ceiling, which is a terrible waste. Similarly, the "great rooms" of these homes tend to have too-high ceilings which once again is wasteful as furnaces must work even harder. These homes tend to also have ridiculously oversized garages that are fashioned to make the home look much larger than it is.

WalterBright 10y ago
My garage is too small, it's hard to maneuver tools around the car. Worse, the ceiling isn't high enough to have a lift installed. I regret that every time I have to work under the car.
- gluggymug 10y ago
  Dig a pit perhaps?
  - WalterBright 10y ago
    Garage pits are illegal. I would have put one in otherwise.
    - jessaustin 10y ago
      How many transmissions do you rebuild in the average year? If this is to change the oil, just use a couple of small ramps like a normal person. I once changed the oil on my old Integra by driving one tire up on a regular red brick. b^)
      - WalterBright 10y ago
        When I was a kid, the biggest barrier to working on my car was I had no money for proper tools, and was always making do. Having good tools makes things much more fun, and I get better results, too. A lift falls into that category, it makes working under the car fun rather than a painful bitch. It's especially bad as I get older and I am not able to move my head back and forth to get what I'm looking at in focus :-) And I am tired of setting my hair on fire with the lamp (fortunately, that at least isn't a problem anymore as my hair has decamped for the fjords). Getting the car up on jack stands takes about 10 minutes, off is another 10 minutes. It just takes away from the fun, whereas a lift is boom! it's up. So it doesn't really matter how much I'd use it, a used one isn't that expensive and I am willing to spend the bucks on it. A piece of advice - never ever support your car on brick. It can crush unexpectedly and then the car falls on you, you die. I once used cinder blocks to hold the car up (making do), and they suddenly turned to dust and the car fell, fortunately before I got under it. Now I use two sets of jackstands (the extra set as backup), and I give the car good shoves before getting under it.
- karma_vaccum123 10y ago
  I owned a home with a lift (previous owner was a classic car nut, I never used it)...but we lived in an unincorporated part of the Bay Area...in most city zoning, lifts are disallowed by residential zoning code.
cstejerean 10y ago
Could it be the case that people actually want large garages that can fit their cars, a second fridge, their bikes, strollers, and other items? Could the oversize entryways provide an easy way to move furniture into the house? Might it be the case that people enjoy large rooms with tall ceilings? Or is everyone buying all of these houses despite all of these "negatives"? If you prefer to live in a small house with low ceilings and a tiny garage, that's great. But don't assume that everyone else has the same preferences.
- karma_vaccum123 10y ago
  What do you mean by "preferences"? Buyers have no choice...builders are plopping out these communities in one fell swoop, buyers have no input. When you buy in a KB, Toll Brothers etc community, you get to buy design A, B or C. Buyer tastes are dictated to them. Custom building in new developments is extremely rare.
  - nradov 10y ago
    That's only partially true. The big home builders actually do a lot of research to determine what prospective customers want before building spec homes. They conduct focus group sessions and even hire social scientists to observe people (with their consent) going about their daily lives. McMansions are designed specifically to fit how upper-middle class Americans actually live. My friends and relatives who have purchased them seem to generally like them, despite the high heating costs.
  - cstejerean 10y ago
    Of course they have a choice. You don't have to buy a new KB or Toll Brothers home and you don't have to buy a home in a new development. Around where I live even the new developments is just the builders buying and tearing down old homes. If none of the existing inventory on the market suits your needs, or if you really want new construction, you can either buy an empty lot or buy an old house and tear it down. Also, if you have the budget to pay for it the builders can go to great lengths to customize even a cookie cutter home.

WalterBright 10y ago

My garage is too small, it's hard to maneuver tools around the car. Worse, the ceiling isn't high enough to have a lift installed. I regret that every time I have to work under the car.

gluggymug 10y ago
Dig a pit perhaps?
- WalterBright 10y ago
  Garage pits are illegal. I would have put one in otherwise.
  - jessaustin 10y ago
    How many transmissions do you rebuild in the average year? If this is to change the oil, just use a couple of small ramps like a normal person. I once changed the oil on my old Integra by driving one tire up on a regular red brick. b^)
    - WalterBright 10y ago
      When I was a kid, the biggest barrier to working on my car was I had no money for proper tools, and was always making do. Having good tools makes things much more fun, and I get better results, too. A lift falls into that category, it makes working under the car fun rather than a painful bitch. It's especially bad as I get older and I am not able to move my head back and forth to get what I'm looking at in focus :-) And I am tired of setting my hair on fire with the lamp (fortunately, that at least isn't a problem anymore as my hair has decamped for the fjords). Getting the car up on jack stands takes about 10 minutes, off is another 10 minutes. It just takes away from the fun, whereas a lift is boom! it's up. So it doesn't really matter how much I'd use it, a used one isn't that expensive and I am willing to spend the bucks on it. A piece of advice - never ever support your car on brick. It can crush unexpectedly and then the car falls on you, you die. I once used cinder blocks to hold the car up (making do), and they suddenly turned to dust and the car fell, fortunately before I got under it. Now I use two sets of jackstands (the extra set as backup), and I give the car good shoves before getting under it.
karma_vaccum123 10y ago
I owned a home with a lift (previous owner was a classic car nut, I never used it)...but we lived in an unincorporated part of the Bay Area...in most city zoning, lifts are disallowed by residential zoning code.

cstejerean 10y ago

Could it be the case that people actually want large garages that can fit their cars, a second fridge, their bikes, strollers, and other items? Could the oversize entryways provide an easy way to move furniture into the house? Might it be the case that people enjoy large rooms with tall ceilings? Or is everyone buying all of these houses despite all of these "negatives"? If you prefer to live in a small house with low ceilings and a tiny garage, that's great. But don't assume that everyone else has the same preferences.

karma_vaccum123 10y ago
What do you mean by "preferences"? Buyers have no choice...builders are plopping out these communities in one fell swoop, buyers have no input. When you buy in a KB, Toll Brothers etc community, you get to buy design A, B or C. Buyer tastes are dictated to them. Custom building in new developments is extremely rare.
- nradov 10y ago
  That's only partially true. The big home builders actually do a lot of research to determine what prospective customers want before building spec homes. They conduct focus group sessions and even hire social scientists to observe people (with their consent) going about their daily lives. McMansions are designed specifically to fit how upper-middle class Americans actually live. My friends and relatives who have purchased them seem to generally like them, despite the high heating costs.
- cstejerean 10y ago
  Of course they have a choice. You don't have to buy a new KB or Toll Brothers home and you don't have to buy a home in a new development. Around where I live even the new developments is just the builders buying and tearing down old homes. If none of the existing inventory on the market suits your needs, or if you really want new construction, you can either buy an empty lot or buy an old house and tear it down. Also, if you have the budget to pay for it the builders can go to great lengths to customize even a cookie cutter home.