4 ms·

You are trying to fit the narrative to the symptom but the huge houses trend has been steadily increasing in the US and Canada for the last 30 years, well befor

You are trying to fit the narrative to the symptom but the huge houses trend has been steadily increasing in the US and Canada for the last 30 years, well before the pandemic. It is absolutely an aspirational thing of people made to believe they _need_ that space or that they will 'look poor' without the square footage. I would even go as far as say that, I think the increase in housing square footage in US/Canada and the increase in SUVs and SUV tonnage are a big factor in why the US/Canada are not on par with other developed nations in terms of carbon emissions. The average US house is 1660 square feet, to my knowledge most middle class families in Europe live in houses under 900 square feet and they still have room for baby rooms and WFH offices.

twblalock 5y ago
> It is absolutely an aspirational thing of people made to believe they _need_ that space or that they will 'look poor' without the square footage. It really is nicer to have more space. A lot nicer. If Europeans could afford it they would do it too. They are also buying a lot more SUVs than they used to.
- scruple 5y ago
  I'm dealing with a situation right now that is, IMO, simply unsustainable, in terms of number of living things vs. square footage of living space. I've got 7 humans and 3 animals living in 3 bedrooms / 1,634 square feet. 3 of us are working full-time remote. We can make it work, and we have been, but it isn't a healthy or viable long-term situation. Add on to that the fact that my parents are rapidly aging and dealing with declining physical and/or mental health and will likely be living with us in the next 3-5 years... I know that there are plenty of people who are afraid of "looking poor" and who are buying McMansions that they simply don't need but that isn't the case for all of us...
wink 5y ago
> The average US house is 1660 square feet, to my knowledge most middle class families in Europe live in houses under 900 square feet and they still have room for baby rooms and WFH offices. From my immediate friends and acquaintances: Yes, it works, but badly. 70-80m2 is a typical 3 room apartment in a city and that means you either have a room for the kid or an office. If one partner is working from home, the living room might help, but for both working from home it already really sucks.
cjohnson318 5y ago
I'm trying to say that houses that have been built over the last 30 years, that have been "too big" for a normal family in normal times, now feel "too small" now that everyone is at home 100% of the time. If you can work in an office, eat at a restaurant, and hang out with friends in a coffee shop, then yeah, you really only need space for a cot and a commode.

twblalock 5y ago

> It is absolutely an aspirational thing of people made to believe they _need_ that space or that they will 'look poor' without the square footage. It really is nicer to have more space. A lot nicer. If Europeans could afford it they would do it too. They are also buying a lot more SUVs than they used to.

scruple 5y ago
I'm dealing with a situation right now that is, IMO, simply unsustainable, in terms of number of living things vs. square footage of living space. I've got 7 humans and 3 animals living in 3 bedrooms / 1,634 square feet. 3 of us are working full-time remote. We can make it work, and we have been, but it isn't a healthy or viable long-term situation. Add on to that the fact that my parents are rapidly aging and dealing with declining physical and/or mental health and will likely be living with us in the next 3-5 years... I know that there are plenty of people who are afraid of "looking poor" and who are buying McMansions that they simply don't need but that isn't the case for all of us...

wink 5y ago

> The average US house is 1660 square feet, to my knowledge most middle class families in Europe live in houses under 900 square feet and they still have room for baby rooms and WFH offices. From my immediate friends and acquaintances: Yes, it works, but badly. 70-80m2 is a typical 3 room apartment in a city and that means you either have a room for the kid or an office. If one partner is working from home, the living room might help, but for both working from home it already really sucks.

cjohnson318 5y ago

I'm trying to say that houses that have been built over the last 30 years, that have been "too big" for a normal family in normal times, now feel "too small" now that everyone is at home 100% of the time. If you can work in an office, eat at a restaurant, and hang out with friends in a coffee shop, then yeah, you really only need space for a cot and a commode.