| Author | |
crusermom
Forum All-Star
Joined: Aug 09 2007
Location: New Jersey
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 878
|
| Posted: July 17 2008 at 7:37am | IP Logged
|
 |
|
We are in s small house (for us) because we were not able to sell our other home when we moved here to TX. I never thought we could do it. About half the square footage. But you know what? After a year of being here - it seems just about right. I think of cleaning that other house. I think of the utilities. I think of the mortgage payment!
The kids could care less. There is so much less space just to shove stuff that I find I have to deal with the clutter and not just hide it. The hard thing is I had to get rid of many of my books. They just took up too much space. So, my rule is if I can get it at the library - let the library store it for me. I cut way back on toys. When birthdays roll around - i don't just look at the cost of the item - I think about where I am going to put it and often just go with the experience birthday. As in, how about instead of a gift we all go ice-skating? Most of mine would rather do that.
I was worried about losing my guest room - but in the past year most of the guests just squeezed in. On one occasion we had to get a hotel room . That cost was minimal compare to paying for the extra square footage every month!
But, what I do want/covet/miss is my property. I just can't take being a few feet from neighbors and not having much of a yard. A small house is tough if the kids cant even go out and yell and scream. So, here we are looking to move. But, I am not looking for the McMansion - smaller house on a larger lot. Also, I want a big porch!
Sorry, not many hints here - but keep them coming - I can use all the help I can get.
Mary
P.S. Sending one away to college helped too!
__________________
Mary
Army wife and Crusermom to 8 wonderful children!
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Maryan
Forum All-Star
Joined: Jan 02 2007
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 3145
|
| Posted: July 17 2008 at 9:39am | IP Logged
|
|
|
helene wrote:
| A table trick that many people don't think about is that a round table holds more people in a smaller space. A round table that seats ten takes up much less space than a traditional rectangular one. |
|
|
Helene, I've been thinking about a round table... but am curious about what diameter table???
I LOVE the little toddler bunk idea!
We have loveseats with wooden legs (I have no idea what style/period of furniture)... so the bottom of the loveseat is open and fits baskets underneath them to store lincoln logs, etc. We have wingback chairs just like it as well.
__________________
Maryan
Mom to 6 boys & 1 girl: JP('01), B ('03), M('05), L('06), Ph ('08), M ('10), James born 5/1/12
A Lee in the Woudes
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
JodieLyn
Forum Moderator
Joined: Sept 06 2006
Location: Oregon
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 12234
|
| Posted: July 17 2008 at 10:15am | IP Logged
|
|
|
Another way to save one space with a table is to use benches.. they can be pushed clear in under the table giving critical walking space (we also push out table to the wall for the same reason) when you're not actually sitting there as a family.
__________________
Jodie, wife to Dave
G-18, B-17, G-15, G-14, B-13, B-11, G-9, B-7, B-5, B-4
All men who have turned out worth anything have had the chief hand in their own education.
-Sir Walter Scott
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
LucyP
Forum All-Star
Joined: Aug 05 2007
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 791
|
| Posted: July 17 2008 at 2:22pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
Like Kathryn, I'm English too. Our house is less than 1000 sq feet, about 900 I think, and the lay out is NOT practical, as so many walls are "devoured" by low windows (upstairs the windows in the two main bedrooms are four inches from the floor) and doors, and chimney breasts. We are lucky with bedrooms as our house overhangs a 3 foot wide passageway which gives access to the back of our row of terraced houses, and that makes 2 of our bedrooms bigger - dh was able to put a wall up in one room to create a study and give separate access to the two back rooms, as previously you had to walk through one bedroom to get to the smallest one. But our kitchen is tiny! And the bathroom is reached through the kitchen - very inconvenient for potty training time - and is also tiny.
For me, just ruthlessness has been the key. I don't have seasonal stuff - just two boxes of Christmas decor. I have recycled so many many books, just to clear space. I recycle toys like billyo. For me, it is having clear and empty space as often as I can to create an illusion of space.
I think Kathryn is right that many British homes are very cluttered. I am freakishly attached to order and get overwhelmed by visual clutter so I need to keep working on it all the time, and it is a challenge. I just did a tour of my home on my blog if you want a peek through my keyhole.
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Philothea
Forum All-Star
Joined: Aug 15 2006
Location: Virginia
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 824
|
| Posted: July 17 2008 at 8:44pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
ikeahacker.blogspot.com always has great ideas for small spaces, as does apartmenttherapy.com -- it may not be your "thing" aesthetically since you ladies all lean so country/traditional, but the underlying ideas can be modified to suit your taste.
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Kristie 4
Forum All-Star
Joined: June 20 2006
Location: Canada
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 1508
|
| Posted: July 17 2008 at 11:12pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
Our tiny (maybe 4 feet square?) entrance hall is a shoe disaster zone.
 So is ours!! I had started a thread once to ask how people dealt with the shoe overload. Right now I am just putting the extras in the cellar in a big bin and limiting the kids to rubber boots and sandals in the hallway.
__________________
Kristie in Canada
Mom to 3 boys and one spunky princess!!
A Walk in the Woods
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Sarah
Forum All-Star
Joined: Aug 17 2005
Location: N/A
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 1624
|
| Posted: July 18 2008 at 8:31am | IP Logged
|
|
|
helene wrote:
Sarah,
Oops! Just read the post you wrote about this topic on your blog and it seems I have repeated several of your ideas unwittingly (above)!! Sorry about that! I guess we think alike. |
|
|
Oh Helene, I was so glad to hear that you agree! Thanks for posting!!
__________________
Six boys ages 16, 14, 11, 7, 5, 2 and one girl age 9
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
sevenblessings
Forum Newbie
Joined: June 23 2008
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 8
|
| Posted: July 18 2008 at 9:12am | IP Logged
|
|
|
I am laughing right now, not at you ladies but at myself and realizing how blessed I am to have found this forum!! It is so wonderful to know that there are actually women out there like me
Dh and I have been looking for a new home recently. The number one reason was to move closer to extended family. We were also looking for something larger  . With 7 children (so far) I felt we needed more space for all the "stuff" we have!!
We almost bought one that was almost 3000 sq. ft. and a full finished basement to boot! As we were going through it the 2nd time we got down to the basement and I all of a sudden panicked (sp?)!! I said (outloud) "How am I ever going to keep this clean!!"  .
Well, we didn't buy it. But the good news is, I now have a clean and uncluttered home. When we thought we were going to buy the bigger home, we VERY quickly went through our current home and decluttered and painted!!
We got rid of everything that we didn't feel needed to go into a new home. Items that hadn't been used for 6 months or more (other than the obvious...canning supplies, etc.), books that were not read often or just didn't seem to fit into our educational philosophy, alot of clothes that I had been hanging onto for the littles to wear (hanging onto them for the next 5-10 years when they could wear them all of a sudden seemed silly  !).
The BEST news is that we realized how truly blessed we are in the home God has given us!! He has provided us with the perfect home for our family to love, live, laugh and learn in and around!! So now our plan is just to stay put and make our visits to Grandma and Grandpa's house more frequent. I am also adding to that plan to pretend as if we are going to sell our home about every 6 months to 1 year just to declutter and clean (dh doesn't know that part of the plan yet )!! When you think people are going to be coming into look at your home for purchase things really start happening  .
Blessings,
__________
Michelle
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Cay Gibson
Forum All-Star
Joined: July 16 2005
Location: Louisiana
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 5193
|
| Posted: July 18 2008 at 9:37am | IP Logged
|
|
|
sevenblessings wrote:
| I am also adding to that plan to pretend as if we are going to sell our home about every 6 months to 1 year just to declutter and clean |
|
|
What a great idea, Michelle. 
It's so true too.
We often joke that the reason my cousin sells and moves every two years is because that's the way they "declutter".
I'm afraid we're stuck in our home for the long-haul. People in SW LA don't move often.
__________________
Cay Gibson
"There are 49 states, then there is Louisiana." ~ Chef Emeril
wife to Mark '86
mom to 5
Cajun Cottage Under the Oaks
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
donnalynn
Forum All-Star
Joined: July 24 2006
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 581
|
| Posted: July 18 2008 at 10:02am | IP Logged
|
|
|
+
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
JenniferS
Forum All-Star
Joined: Nov 09 2006
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 1049
|
| Posted: July 18 2008 at 11:41am | IP Logged
|
|
|
I don't have a lot to add, as I am so incredibly unorganized right now, but you ladies have given me lots to think about for rearranging and reorganizing. I used to think we needed a bigger house, but I have found our smaller house with a bigger family to be a blessing. Thank you for helping me realize that!
Jen
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
LisaR
Forum All-Star
Joined: Feb 07 2005
Location: N/A
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 2226
|
| Posted: July 18 2008 at 11:58am | IP Logged
|
|
|
donnalynn wrote:
I feel it is a more ecological way to live which is important to us - so many families with one or two children have these huge houses - it seems that as the families get smaller the houses get bigger!
***How could you encourage others who might feel cramped and overwhelmed?***
Hmmm - my dh and I were going to put a small addition on this summer - it would have given us a bedroom and a small basement room (we have only a crawl space now). But instead we are using that money to pay for dh's vasectomy reversal. In the end it was important to us to sort this out with God than to have a bigger space. We will be able to add on - but I think this delay will be well worth the inconvenience.
Our oldest is 14 - it won't really be all that long before the house slowly starts to empty again.
. |
|
|
I, too agree about it just being plain good stewardship, and who can argue with being ecologically correct these days?
Praying for the reversal. Many blessings will come from your sacrifice in this way.
Our oldest is now 15, and while his 6 ft frame hangs off the bunk bed, and he and his growing-large-too 12 y/o brother are cramped in a 10x10 room, he will most likely be gone soon  and will sure enough be very comfortable in a (likely more spacious) dorm room!!
__________________
Lisa
dh Tim '92
Joseph 17
Paul 14
Thomas 11
Dominic 8
Maria Gianna 5
Isaac Vincent 9/21/10! and...
many little saints in heaven!
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
LisaR
Forum All-Star
Joined: Feb 07 2005
Location: N/A
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 2226
|
| Posted: July 18 2008 at 12:01pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
PS- a square-seats-8 table is the only table that would fit in our small dine in kitchen area. the round ones were too big (but I agree- could seat maybe even more than 8) and even our former 6 seater rectangle just was too long.
__________________
Lisa
dh Tim '92
Joseph 17
Paul 14
Thomas 11
Dominic 8
Maria Gianna 5
Isaac Vincent 9/21/10! and...
many little saints in heaven!
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Cay Gibson
Forum All-Star
Joined: July 16 2005
Location: Louisiana
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 5193
|
| Posted: July 18 2008 at 1:43pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
JenniferS wrote:
I don't have a lot to add, as I am so incredibly unorganized right now,
Jen |
|
|
I was too, Jen.
Throw in a family funeral and the fact we live in the old family home and that was an incredible motivation to kick us (ie: me ) into overdrive to have this house cleaned...completely.
Regarding getting organized in time for school, do what I did this morning. Open the school cabinet and unload that and all the book baskets onto the dining room table. Tell yourself the table has to be cleared by the time dh gets home from work. 
I now have the baskets cleaned and organized.
The cabinets are all empty and clean.
The books have all been sorted, thrown out, and put in a box for the upcoming book fair.
And the children's books for the new school year are in neat stacks on the table individually coded for each child waiting to be placed in the cabinets.
Call me Miss Organization!
I really don't mean to gloat. I'm just having fun, Jen. Really I don't wish anyone to have to go through a funeral like we did but if you need to feel organized (if only for a day) just empty one cabinet. It does wonders!
__________________
Cay Gibson
"There are 49 states, then there is Louisiana." ~ Chef Emeril
wife to Mark '86
mom to 5
Cajun Cottage Under the Oaks
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Sarah
Forum All-Star
Joined: Aug 17 2005
Location: N/A
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 1624
|
| Posted: July 18 2008 at 2:44pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
You know your house is small when you keep your roasting pan under your bed!
Hmmm. . .I wonder if a round table would seat more. We are seating 7 at our table that should seat 6. We cannot go longer, but maybe round is what we need.
Its hard to find a round table, huh?
Thanks for all the replies. They have been great!
__________________
Six boys ages 16, 14, 11, 7, 5, 2 and one girl age 9
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
amyable
Forum All-Star
Joined: March 07 2005
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 3798
|
| Posted: July 18 2008 at 3:13pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
donnalynn wrote:
As we do look to add on we are pouring over books by Sarah Susanka. Dh and I love her books - we regualry take them out from our library. |
|
|
I have to chuckle - I was looking through her site and most of those not-so-big houses are much bigger than those of most of the moms on this thread! What does that make our houses..."really-pretty-tiny"?
Thank you for the link, though, I love the ideas that make small spaces look bigger.
__________________
Amy
mom of 5, ages 6-16, and happy wife of 
The Highly Sensitive Homeschooler
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
marihalojen
Forum All-Star
Joined: Feb 12 2006
Location: Florida
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 1883
|
| Posted: July 18 2008 at 3:33pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
Amy, try Compact Houses or Mini House instead. I want to live in a shipping crate too!
Seriously, if you want to talk small and well designed storage check out some of the liveaboard sailing books in your library. You'll never look at a couch (settee) or even a wall (bulkhead) in the same manner!
__________________
~Jennifer
Mother to Mariannna, age 13
The Mari Hal-O-Jen
SSR = Sailing, Snorkling, Reading
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Martha
Forum All-Star
Joined: Aug 25 2005
Location: N/A
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 2291
|
| Posted: July 18 2008 at 4:06pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
marihalojen wrote:
| Seriously, if you want to talk small and well designed storage check out some of the liveaboard sailing books in your library. You'll never look at a couch (settee) or even a wall (bulkhead) in the same manner! |
|
|
along that line, go to an RV store and try to picture how you could LIVE in one of those. NOT the McMansion on wheels kind, the pop up kind!
__________________
Martha
mama to 7 boys & 4 girls
Yes, they're all ours!
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
stefoodie
Forum Moderator
Joined: Feb 17 2005
Location: Ohio
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 8457
|
| Posted: July 18 2008 at 4:23pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
donnalynn wrote:
| As we do look to add on we are pouring over books by Sarah Susanka. Dh and I love her books - we regualry take them out from our library. |
|
|
I love Sarah Susanka's books! Or rather, used to love, when I was still in the "let's build a house!" stage (dh vetoed but we're happy now with our house so it all worked out). Yes, Amy, some of her houses are much bigger than my own concept of "not-so-big"...
I love her ideas though, esp. those of utilizing unused spaces, or "hidden" spaces, e.g., under the stairs, putting shelves between two posts (you'll have to carve out a hole in the wall but it is ingenious), and other things that are just clever-clever-clever and I never would have considered. I once had wished out loud to hubby that she'd write a "Really Small Home" book.
__________________
stef
mom to five
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
JenniferS
Forum All-Star
Joined: Nov 09 2006
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 1049
|
| Posted: July 18 2008 at 5:10pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
Cay,
I know I need to just make myself do it. LOL! We planned a last minute garage sale this weekend and that is helping some. But I need to just send the kids away for a day and dive in. As long as the kids are here, they will horde away anything I try to pitch. LOL! I guess they are "chips of the ol' block."
Jen
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
4Real Forums : Mothering and Family Life
Topic: Small Homes
