Charter Homes & Neighborhoods

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February 9, 2006

Families are smaller, but homes keep growing. Even empty nesters want dream house. Is bigger really better? Paula Wolf More single- family homes these days come with four bedrooms, and real estate agent Ed Diller isnt at all impressed. Its stupid, he said. That trend helped the average new house nationwide set a square footage record in 2004, according to the Census Bureau. And this is happening, ironically, while households are getting smaller. Diller, who works for Long & Foster Real Estate, bemoans what he said is lack of functionality in todays new homes, which he contends are bigger but not better.

Theres too much focus on what people think they should build because of resale concerns and less on what they really need, he said. This topic provokes a division of opinion among agents and builders. While some confirm Dillers assertion that the amount of wasted space is growing, others say much of the square footage making houses larger is in areas homeowners do spend time in, such as kitchens. One builder said specialized rooms, including conservatories and media rooms, are adding square footage, too. According to census figures, a new, single-family home in 2004 averaged 2,349 square feet. In 1984, it was 1,780 square feet. Thats an increase of 32 percent over two decades. At the same time, the average household size declined from 2.71 people in 1984 to 2.57 in 2004. In 1961, the average household was composed of 3.38 people, the census reported. The National Association of Home Builders released other numbers at its annual convention last month in Orlando, Fla. Almost 40 percent of new houses now come wiith four bedrooms, compared with fewer than 25 percent in 1973, according to the home builders association. And more than half have at least two floors; 23 years ago, almost 70 percent were ranch-style residences. Twenty-four percent also feature three or more bathrooms, double the rate from the early 1970s. Gopal Ahluwalia, head of research for the home builders association, said todays homes do not meet the functional need for space. He said some buyers gravitate toward oversized houses because theyre a good investment. Theres also an element of keeping up with the Joneses, and the desire to build a dream house, Ahluwalia said. Houses are expanding as lot sizes shrink. In Orange County, Calif., 5,000-square-foot houses are being built on 5,000-square-foot lots, he said. Diller said hes trying to break the four-bedroom addiction with his clients. They think they need four bedrooms because they heard they need four bedrooms, he said. When I tell people they only need three bedrooms, I think Im giving them goood advice. John Knosp, president of Olde Towne Builders & Remodelers, Ronks, said 99 percent of the single-family houses he constructs have four bedrooms, even though at least one inevitably ends up as an office, a craft room or a junk room, he said. Diller said hes listing a home in Lebanon County with a first- floor master suite where only one of the three upstairs bedrooms was ever occupied, and that was during a single week out of the year. I personally think its a shame to have space you dont use, he said. Wade Hartz, president of Apex Realty of Lancaster Ltd. in Lititz, said two or three bedrooms are often underused in four-bedroom homes. And, like Diller, he said some people with first-floor master suites dont even go upstairs. The Not So Big House, a book by architect Sarah Susanka, is Dillers real estate bible. Susanka talks about designing homes where every room is functional. She explains that many modern floor plans include outmoded spaces, such as formal dining rooms, that are remnants of the Vicctorian era. Why do you have three places to eat? asked Diller, questioning why many new houses are equipped with a dining room along with the kitchen and breakfast area. Some people never even use their dining rooms. Tom and Pippa McPhillips planned their new house with Susankas recommendations in mind. The empty-nester couple is building a saltbox-style colonial house in Jamesfield Manor, a Rapho Township subdivision where all the residences must have a historic look. Because of covenant restrictions, the house has to be at least 2,500 square feet, Mrs. McPhillips said, so its only a little smaller than their current house in East Hempfield Township. But the layout is vastly different. The McPhillipses made list upon list of areas they didnt use in their old house and areas that were too big, she said. As a result, their Jamesfield Manor colonial will include a large library for reading, watching TV and listening to music, instead of a traditional living room, Mrs. McPhillips said. And the first- floor mastter suite will feature a modest-sized bath with no whirlpool. Of the two bedrooms upstairs, one is a sewing area; the guest bedroom is the smallest of the three bedrooms, she said. Diller said large homes remain a powerful status symbol, and a sign that youve made it. But the trend wont continue indefinitely, he said, because lots are getting smaller. Weve reached the point where they [houses] cant get any bigger. Rob Bowman, president of Charter Homes, said spacious houses can make sense. Today, he said, its more likely that each room has a specific purpose, and specialized areas are growing in popularity, increasing square footage. For example, Bowman said, homes might include a study and a second office, so both spouses have places in which to work. Media rooms, sunrooms. conservatories, and second-floor game rooms (for children) also are hot items, he said. In addition, Bowman said, Everybody wants big spaces. Kitchens are becoming larger, as are pantries, he said. That all adds up. Apex Realtys Hartz saiid buyers are splurging on expanded kitchens, great rooms and master suites, which take up a lot of space. Bigger houses dont necessarily contain wasted square footage, Bowman said; even formal dining rooms, if not used for everyday meals, come in handy for entertaining, he said. Families who build four-bedroom houses often end up occupying all four, Bowman said, because many children now have their own bedrooms. With downsizing empty nesters or retirees, however, what could be considered [a fourth] bedroom ends up as something else, he said. We call it a flex room. Most people that move down look to have three bedrooms, with one or more set aside for children and extended family, Bowman said. Of those who build new homes with first-floor master suites, I dont know anyone who doesnt use the second floor, he said. Homeowners dont mind houses growing while lots are shrinking, Bowman said. Less outside maintenance means they can spend more time enjoying their homes, and traveling, he said. They're looking for quality of life.

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