Live in the house you have

In 1970 the average single family home was approximately 1,400 sq. ft., now it's about 2,300 sq ft.¹ That means most of us expect to live in a house almost double the size of our parents' homes. Given that the number of children per household has dropped, we should have fewer people inhabiting the average home. Per the U.S. Census bureau the household average in 2008 was .85 children per household, while in 1970 it was 1.20.². What really gets interesting is that the number of people living alone (not counting pets) has also risen significantly. Per the Census bureau in 1970, 17.6% of households consisted on one person. By 2000, it had risen to 25.8%.³ So unless a lot of adults have had to move back in with their parents or we've suddenly had a baby boom we should need less space per household.

So why can't we fit in our homes?

Well in my case we use to live in a 2,250 sq.ft. townhouse, with four bedrooms, 2.5 baths, family room and laundry room. Admittedly we moved and are now living in approximately 1750 sq. ft. home. This should still be plenty of space for two grown adults, especially since we did a massive amount of weeding before the move across country. Yet we have often felt cramped. I have a spacious study (one of the bedrooms) and it is crammed with stuff. But the size difference actually isn't significant, because we may actually have more storage than the old house! In addition to the 1750 sq. ft. of the house itself, we also have a 2 car garage, a 12' by 12' cottage in the back yard that just houses craft supplies, tools, and projects, a new shed to store garden tools, and an old greenhouse. See why I can't understand why our house doesn't seem spacious?

We've lived in this house since August 2004, so we've been here about five years. I love the area, the house, the yard, and the climate. In addition, given the housing market and the economy, selling and moving just doesn't make sense.

So how can I make my home feel more spacious?

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¹ Statistics from the web site by Professional Organizer, Jamie Novak

² Average Number of Own Children Under 18 Per Family, By Type of Family: 1955 To Present (Excel document)

³ Historical Census of Housing Tables Living Alone