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A lot of this McMansion stuff has trickled down into smaller homes, in the 2000-3000 square foot range. I think the term is neo-eclectic. Multiple roof lines, n
by ssharp 10y ago
A lot of this McMansion stuff has trickled down into smaller homes, in the 2000-3000 square foot range. I think the term is neo-eclectic. Multiple roof lines, no two windows looking the same, lacking symmetry, front-facing three car garages, three or four different types of materials on the outside (siding, shake shingle, brick, etc.). These houses also suffer the same fate as many McMansions, where the house takes up a massive amount of the lot and you get houses stacked on top of each other with very small backyards[1].
Almost all of the new houses I see being built are using this style. I'm looking into building a house and in my area and it's impossible to find a builder advertising their plans online who don't use this style. So if you want to deviate from this style of house, you have to start working with an architect to draw something up or try and find your own house plans. I'm not saying this is a terrible burden, just that it's hard to get something more traditional "off the shelf", so to speak, and many people building a house don't want to go through that much of a process.
I'm looking to build my house a rural lot in the 5-10 acre range, so fitting into neighborhood aesthetics isn't that crucial to me, but many places people build, it's going to look ridiculous to place a traditional cape cod amongst all the neo-eclectic stuff.
[1] Small backyards and closely built houses work well in city neighborhoods but seem to be in conflict with why many people move to the suburbs -- to have more space. I'm not sure the desire to live in such compact lots. Certainly the developers like the small lots because they can squeeze more houses onto the acres their developing on. However, I'm probably an exception because people build these types houses on these types of lots in troves.
- Broken_Hippo 10y ago> I'm not sure the desire to live in such compact lots. I do understand the small lots to an extent - adults don't actually use their yards very often especially in climates with cold weather half the year. Yards are a lot of work if you live in a place where you have to care for it. Inside space = usable space for many folks. I'm truly no different in this respect. I'm a low yard-use person and despise things such as grass mowing. I might go outside with a laptop or a book occasionally, if the space is private. Which to me, is truly the most horrible thing about these neighborhoods. Some of them merely have walking space between the houses, and it cuts down on privacy. To me, that is the main reason to have a yard - a buffer zone between me and my neighbors. I'd be quite happy with the rural lot you describe, but I don't think the folks moving to the suburbs view it as such.
- nommm-nommm 10y ago>A lot of this McMansion stuff has trickled down into smaller homes, in the 2000-3000 square foot range. Oh, god, yes. My well off but not rich (high 5 figures, low six figures) friends are buying these. They are pouring a ton of their wealth/income into these pseudo-prestigious things. It's strange to watch.
- ssharp 10y agoI wonder what the resale value on these houses will be. In the areas these are built around me, housing prices aren't skyrocketing, so if you built and had to sell within a few years, you're probably going to take a loss unless the market changes substantially. However, these places likely have a 20-25 year lifespan for the original owners as kids are born, raised, go off to college, and then start their own lives. There's going to be a glut of these things out there that someone needs to buy. Everyone wants new things, so why would people in 20-30 years have demands for a house that was "stylish" 20-30 years ago? I'm only in my 30's, so maybe I'm just ignorant of housing construction cycles, but it my social group, I see a lot of these things being built. That's another reason why I want to build something more traditional -- to hopefully stand out from the pack when I eventually go to sell.