| Thursday, February 09, 2006 |
| The spending just doesn't end... |
The Boston Globe House & Home section has the story: XXL, Just how do you furnish a McMansion? I guess we should feel sorry for those folks living in starter castles. They have the terrible problem of trying to figure out what to name and use all those rooms in their homes as. The game room, workout room, family room, home office, man's room, Costco room, dogs room (with shower of course), bonus room - the choices and designations are endless. Some appear so overwhelmed that they just leave them empty. But what about those who stretched to purchase these huge spaces?
Jennifer O'Brien is already anticipating this. Her family is moving from a three-bedroom home in Melrose to a nine-room Colonial in Saugus with nearly 5,000 square feet of living space. ''This house is way over our heads," says O'Brien, whose husband, Steven, works in sales for their family business, Metropolitan Pipe and Supply in Cambridge. ''We have no money for decorators. The furniture we have now would look ridiculous in this house because it's worn out from use and this is such a gorgeous house."
So despite their best intentions to make do with what they had, they've swallowed hard and gone shopping. ''It was, 'You know, what we really should get is a new desk.' So the first thing we did is go to Jordan's Furniture, and then we said, 'Let's buy a bedroom set.' That started it. We got a king bedroom set, and then we had to go to get the mattress. Then we decided we wanted a bigger TV for the great room, so we got a 50-inch TV. So then we got a real nice entertainment center for that. Then we needed a new kitchen table, because we only had a small round one. This kitchen is huge, so I had to get a big kitchen table and six chairs to go with it."
Then there was the chandelier. And the lamps for the bedroom set. And ''we're getting a new rug for the great room. It's overwhelming," she says. ''We have cathedral ceilings and a lot of wall space. In terms of pictures and stuff, this is going to take years."
Not only will it take years, but it will also take quite a bit of dough to decorate that home. Think small people. Buy only the amount of living space you will actually use. Not only will you save money in square footage and furniture and decoration, but you will also be ahead with utilities, maintenance, and upkeep. Don't try to keep-up or even over-reach the Jones's - instead undercut and underspend them - you will make out far better in the end.
- Just say no to storage
- How my Aerobed saved me money
- How could I afford my house? By renting out my basement! |
| posted by Boston Gal @ 12:00 PM *
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| 6 Comments: |
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My wife is into a series of books about "The Not So Big House." The premise (I think) is buying a house slightly smaller than you think you need. She's probably into it since everyone asks us if we're moving into a bigger house with another child on the way. Nope, we've just got to figure out how to make do with what we've got.
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Oh my God!! The pet's room does have a shower. Before I clicked the link, I thought you were being sarcastic.
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...and here we are seriously thinking of moving to a *smaller* home! We must be nuts ;)
I too am a fan of the not so big house stuff (less square footage frees up money to be spent on details making the space very livable and customized to how you actually live) I really don't get the McMansion thing.
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Oh, that dog room is adorable! I laughed out loud! :) No, I wouldn't want one--I'm just a Crazy Dog Lady (TM).
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What I find entertaining is they're pouring all this money into their decorators' pockets to make the house look "cozy". Uh, maybe I'm not getting it, but if you wanted cozy why'd you buy a McMansion?
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I have a bigger home than I need. Maybe I shouldn't had buyed it. A 5 room house for two people wasn't exactly needed.
However, it has been a good investment. It has doubled up its value in five years, and...
* I have rented two of the rooms to one person (first a friend, then a sister in law).
* I have used the house for networking entertainment. Maybe it has paid off a little.
* I only furnished it with spare furniture that my mom sent me (that was going to get thrown away). Haven't spent a single dime in new furniture in this house since I moved from previous.
* As for decorations... I use the pictures I take myself with my camera. Not impressive, but it is a good way of combining a hobby with a need. It cost a little to enlarge them, however. Friends have also brought decorations from time to time, and I can display them all without throwing them away.
Should I have bought the big house? No, I should have bought two smaller ones and rent one out. But... if you do the big jump, you have to do it frugally.
Money And Investing
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My wife is into a series of books about "The Not So Big House." The premise (I think) is buying a house slightly smaller than you think you need. She's probably into it since everyone asks us if we're moving into a bigger house with another child on the way. Nope, we've just got to figure out how to make do with what we've got.