I know a bunch of people who live in these (buying the biggest house possible was The Thing To Do), and I tend to disagree. What I've observed is that you trade

I know a bunch of people who live in these (buying the biggest house possible was The Thing To Do), and I tend to disagree. What I've observed is that you trade a too cold or too hot yard for enclosed space you also only occasionally use. Which you are paying to climate control, clean and fill with stuff so it at least looks like it's being used. The formal dining room you use once or twice a year. The 5th or 6th bedroom in a house with 3 or 4 people living there. Sure...more WFH offices these days, but I've seen so many 'gym rooms' that have become 'just put those boxes and other crap in there rooms' it's a bit of a joke now. The 'bonus room' whose door hasn't been opened this decade. Realizing that this or that part of the house smells funny because no one has used the 4th or 5th bathroom in so long to water has evaporated from the toilet and they're getting sewer gas leaking back. Less noise, tho, sure.