Is This House TOO Big? 8 Questions To Ask

When looking at big houses, it is quite common to feel overwhelmed by their grandeur. Big houses are nice and when you see a big beautiful house, it’s so easy to visualize yourself living in.

However, living in a big house isn’t always dreamlike especially when you realize the disadvantages of it.

So before you make a decision to buy a big house, it’s important to ask yourself some questions. We’ve listed 8 important questions to get you started. Let’s get to it!

1. How Many People Will be Living in the House?

If you’re looking at houses, this is one of the most important questions to ask yourself. How many people will be living in the house?

Household size is an important factor to consider when weighing up how big of a house you should get. As a general guideline, each person in the household should have a living space of around 400 to 600 square feet on average. 

For a single occupant, the ideal house size is around 500 to 1,000 square feet, and for a couple without children, the ideal house size is between 800 and 1,500 square feet.

Small families with up to 2 children can live comfortably in a house that’s around 1,500 to 2,500 square feet. On the other hand, larger families with at least 3 children should have at least 2,500 square feet or more.

Of course, these are just general guidelines and the actual size of the house can depend on other factors such as the family’s lifestyle, budget, needs, and preferences.

Ideally, you would want a house that’s big enough to accommodate each member of the household, providing them with their own rooms. At the same time, you do not want too many extra rooms in the house because it may end up as wasted space.

2. Will I be Having Guests or Family Members Stay Regularly?

This is another important question to ask yourself when you’re considering buying a big house.

Once you have figured out how much space you need for your household, you also have to consider if you’re planning to host guests, such as friends and extended family.

If you feel like a house is too big for your household or if it has too many rooms for what you need, then ask yourself this question. Will any guests be staying regularly?

If, in fact, there will be guests staying regularly in your home, then the house possibly isn’t too big. If you like having your friends and extended family over, then you would need more rooms to accommodate them and provide them with a place to stay.

Not all people want their guests to stay in the living room and sleep on the couch. If people have the space and budget, many prefer to offer guests a comfortable place to sleep while providing a good amount of privacy.

Now, if you don’t plan on having guests regularly or you don’t like hosting people, then the house may be too big for what you need.

3. Can I Afford It?

This is the million-dollar question!

This is vitally important to ask yourself when looking at a big house. And this doesn’t just apply to the initial cost of buying a house.

On top of the purchase price, a big house is generally more expensive to maintain. The heating and cooling costs are higher because you have more rooms to be comfortable. Utility costs are higher because you have more lighting fixtures, appliances, and electronic devices.

Because you have more rooms and larger square footage, everything is simply more expensive when you live in a big house.

Can you afford this house and the other costs included? Will the size of this house create a financial burden on your part or limit your family’s lifestyle choices?

Sometimes, a house may be too big that you end up spending more than what you can afford.

You may be able to pay your mortgages, property taxes, and utility bills, but you may end up having less money for other important things.

4. Do I Have the Time and Money Needed to Clean and Maintain the House?

Houses need regular cleaning so you can keep them looking neat and presentable. Regular maintenance of the house can help you identify and prevent potential issues before they become a bigger problem.

Regular maintenance includes checking the heating and cooling systems to ensure that they are running smoothly and inspecting the home’s foundation for any water damage that could weaken the structure over time.

A clean and well-maintained home is more likely to retain its value if you are planning to sell it in the future.

A big house generally requires a lot of time, effort, and money to clean and maintain. If you do all the cleaning by yourself, you can’t finish it in one day if you live in a big house. So do you have the time for it?

If you don’t have the time to clean a big house by yourself, then you would need to hire a professional cleaner. Can you afford it?

And as for the maintenance of the house, more often than not, you would need a professional to properly inspect and check the structure and the systems in the house for potential issues.

If you live in a big house, hiring a professional can be expensive, and they charge more for even bigger houses. So do you have the money for this?

So if you’re thinking of buying a big house, you have to think about if you have the time and money for its regular cleaning and maintenance.

5. How Much Energy will be Needed to Heat and Cool the House?

A big house technically requires a lot of energy for heating and cooling. It also needs a lot of energy to power up all the lighting fixtures, appliances, electronic devices, and safety devices, if there are any.

You may realize too late that a house is too big when you find yourself paying ridiculously high utility bills. In addition to a hefty energy bill, it’s also less environmentally friendly. So, if you’re environmentally conscious, the “energy” question is an important one.

So before deciding to buy a big house, make sure to ask yourself how much energy is needed for it and if you can afford it.

In this case, the question is best answered by an expert. You can consult with a heating and cooling professional so that you’ll know more or less how much it would cost to heat and cool the entire house.

6. Will Any Rooms Remain Regularly Unused?

It is great to have a designated space for every activity, but it’s not a good use of space if it’s for an activity that you don’t do frequently.

For example, you wanted an extra room for working out but then you end up realizing that you’re too busy to work out regularly. Then it ends up being a wasted space.

In this case, it would be wiser to combine two or more functions in one room instead of having one room for each function. This way, you can maximize the space while ensuring that no room is left unused.

7. How Much Furniture and Decor will I Need to Fill the Space?

One of the challenges of living in a big house is furnishing and decorating it. With so much space, you would need a lot of furniture and decor pieces to fill up the space.

In addition, there’s also the challenge of making sure that the design in every room is cohesive. Not all rooms have to be similar but many people like their decor to be cohesive.

So if you’re planning to buy a big house, you have to ask yourself how much furniture and decor you will need to fill the space.

You would want every room in the house to look polished and well put together without having unused space. You have to get vases, wall art, sculpture, indoor plants, and other decor pieces that you can place on shelves or table tops to prevent them from looking bare.

This involves not just placing basic furniture but also putting large pieces of furniture to accentuate the different parts of your house.

While furnishing a home can be fun, it can also be expensive. So again, it is best to consider many house-hunting questions within the parameters of your budget. 

8. How Much Rime will I Spend in the House?

This is another consideration that you have to make when you’re planning to buy a big house.

It is important to ask yourself how much time you will spend in it versus outside of it because this can help you realize if a house is too big for your needs.

If you work a lot, if you frequently go on trips, or if you are always from home for any reason, then you may not need a big house because it all ends up as wasted space.

A big house is nice, especially if you have luxurious amenities such as a swimming pool, home gym, recreational room, and a huge space for entertaining guests. But it doesn’t make sense to live in a big house if you spend most of your time away from home.

However, if you and your family like to enjoy all these comforts at home, then a big house can be ideal for you.

Sources:

6 Questions To Ask Yourself Before Buying A Home

Is Your House Too Big For Your Family? – How To Pick The Right Size