I just love this forum! I am new to this board but I love it! Hubby and I have a 1200 sq. ft. cottage on 1.5 acres in West Central Fla. (we have a few little hills here, rare for Fla!) and just recently bought a smaller 1000 sq. ft. in Asheville, NC for vacations and future retirement. I love the smaller homes - I am more about the outside, anyway - outdoors is my living room!

Northern Virginia here! I bought for the location (10 minutes from work, very unusual considering the traffic around here!), so that's how I ended up with a small house.

Amy

P.S. Silly, 24 x 25 is 600 square feet, but that's still tiny!

Thanks Jackie! I bet you do miss your mountains. I can't imagine not being near ours. I grew up exploring them and just love the smell of the pinon pines and spruce after a good thunderstorm. We've been having quite a few of those lately.

Welcome everyone! Can't wait to read more posts from all of you.

Diana

San Francisco. Land of the million dollar starter home. That's why our house is so small.

Mary

Donik,
This is probably more of a discussion...but your homes are wonderful. Am beyond intrigued by the design and what you are doing for our earth.

Hi there from the banks of the Beautiful Brazos river in central Texas!!!! Our smallish house sits on 2 acres right in the middle of town...a mile from the reservoir one way and the river the other!!!
I've lived all over the world, but I really like this area of Texas! My kids gave me a bumper sticker that says "I'm not from Texas, but I got here as fast as I could"! That says it all!

This sounds like its going to be a great forum! Lots of folks to keep track of! And AMEN! its nice to hear people appreciate a small home. It seems 'more is better' is all around us, but I agree with Silly, its what fills your home that counts! And who wants to clean a big house when its much more fun to dig in the garden...

As for our 400sq ft...come on there's got to be someone out there in a smaller house than us? Please...LOL! I'm getting a complex!

We're building (well its an ongoing work in progress, although progress seems to be the wrong word here!)a 900 sq. ft. log home with a loft on our property, so the cabin is alledgedly temporary. We'll see...We built it the summer before DH and I got married and literally moved in on our wedding night. Very romantic. Sigh. That was 5 years ago. LOL!

So, keep life simple, build a shed, don't collect things and do regular clutter control!

Toots

Hello from Albuquerque. Been lurking but have decided to join the fun. My DH and I live in a 1350 sq. foot manufactured home. Believe it or not, this is the largest place we've ever lived in. It's nice to know there are others who live in small homes and enjoy it. We've always believed that less is more. And yes, it's been pretty warm here although nothing compared to Phoenix, where our son and DIL live. They can have it.

Adrianne

Southwestern VERMONT.

We live in a town of 850 people and our local school has 53 students. To us, heavy traffic is when we have to wait for 5 cars to go past on the highway before we can pull out.

Many roads around here are not paved, so that keeps maintenance costs down and most everybody has either a woodstove or fireplace for winter. Nothing like the smell of woodsmoke in the air on a snowy December evening knowing all your neighbors are gathering around the hearth.

Two things we don't have around here: "Wind chill"... we know it's cold, and "Snow days"... School's OPEN except for a blizzard.

Hi everyone!!!

I'm georgeanne from Ohio. DH and I live on 6 acres in a one statue and one trafficlight town called Doylestown. It's 1/2 hour SW of Akron where I was born. DH and I lived for 30 years in Cuyahoga Falls where I'm still working (5 more months!)

There's a lot of history in our area. Tire capital of the world, Quaker Oats, Roadway Trucking. Diamond Salt mines, Fifth largest wine producing state, Home of the Soap Box Derby, And airdock for the Goodyear Blimps.
We also call ourselves the Northcoast being so close to Lake Erie.
We have all 4 seasons and shake in our boots when the weatherman talks about "lake effect storms".

We have soft rolling hills and live on top of the highest hill in Wayne County. Nothing like mountains but still have a great view.

georgeanne, who gets warm, fuzzy feelings from this forum.

suburbs of philadelphia.

I'm in New Brunswick, Canada (east coast). Just calculated my sq footage tonight. 1300 sq ft.

We see New Brunswick across the bay just about every day!

Leasa

Leasa - where are you? I'm in Fredericton.

Near downtown Houston, Texas in an 1100 sq. ft. cottage. They're tearing down around us and building 4 story townhomes. We're staying put though.

De

Columbia, MD in an 1800sf ranch with a great layout. We're the original owners from 35 years ago -- back when it was bigger than the average new home. Personally, I still feel that our house is big.

I see many of my Cottage garden friends here :-)

Born in England, Navy brat & lived all over the world.

Settled in Walnut Creek, CA.

Bet my home is the smallest in this forum *LOL*

Pleasure to meet you all!

Edna

OK, how small, Edna?
It's a pleasure to meet you, too!

Toots (Who thinks she's the smallest, but hoping someone else is...)

Hi, all! We're in Southern California. Our house is 1173, but soon to be 1800!

Toots, my home is 950sq ft. Not much room with a St. Bernard and two Cockers *LOL*

Edna

Forgot to mention the 950 sq ft includes the garage.

Edna :-)

We live on 12.5 acres outside of Mount Calm, Texas(central Texas). Pop. 310. DD graduated this past May. Graduating class of 31. We came here from DFW area. DD's old high school in DFW had a graduating class of 1400. She loved the smaller schools. Her classes averaged 12 students to a class.

Joyce
Mount Calm, Texas

We live in beautiful Sandy Creek, NY, on the shores of Lake Ontario in a funky little 950 sf converted "camp". We're tearing it down in October (it's a little *too* funky to save) to build an 1800 sf home that we designed to suit the needs of our family: myself, SAHD and actor DH, 8 yo DD and our two stinky, doofus mutts.

Sandyponder

We are in a fertile transition zone between the low and high deserts of Southern California, but will be moving to the Ozarks this fall. I hope we are able to find another small home there that we love as much as we have this one that we are in now.

Only, maybe with at least another half bathroom, since my significant other is a "camper"...if you know what I mean.

Born and bred on the beautiful bluffs of Westchester, CA, overlooking the entire West side of Los Angeles in @1500 sq ft of renovation fun!

LOL,Edna! I totally know what you mean about having the dogs inside. Ours are mostly outside dogs (DH would prefer it otherwise!) But when its 'in time' it gets rather cozy with three 'Labtops':^)

Toots (still the smallest :^( )

Thanks for bringing this up Minnie. And bringing it up here. Especially whenever someone posts photos of their house and yard, I always want to know, "Where is that?"

I'm live in Silver Spring, MD which is a few miles from Washington, DC. My immediate neighborhood has lots of small, 2 bedroom starter homes built after WWII. 1948.

Southern Colorado. Born and lived most of my life in Western Colorado but have also lived in South Carolina, Tennessee, Chicago, Alabama and New Mexico before moving here.

1400 SF new house on 40 acres. Full unfinished basement originally designated for inlaw quarters (ie fully self sufficient) but health issues have meant my brother-in-law is more dependent so shares upstairs. Not sure what will come of basement but will probably still make it 'independent'.

I telecommute full time from home so one bedroom is fully dedicated to work. I have a large kitchen, but small living/dining area. Its a definite challenge for furniture!

I love a smaller house, the largest home I have ever had was 1800 SF. Which was considered spacious in Western Colorado when we built it in 1982!

I am really enjoying this forum!

We're in northern Colorado in a small-compared-to-most 2000 square foot split-level house built in 1967 on 1.5 acres at the edge of the foothills but within a 10 minute walk to the grocery store. We downsized when we moved here with our 3 kids and haven't regretted it for a moment.

Hello from Spartanburg, S.C. Where this week our heat index was 105! Today better around 89 outside! Still the pool water is a refreshing 91! Christopherh I would love to see snow! All we get are ice storms which knock out the power for about a week. Then there is the rush for milk and bread! Maybe this winter we will see that snow, a girl can dream!
I have around 1600sq, with a full apartment above garage. My in laws live there (under 800sq). This small home enables them to travel and have min up keep.

Hi from Joliet, Illinois! We are about 50 miles southwest of Chicago. We just moved in about 3 weeks ago to our newly built 1,540 sq. foot ranch home. We are still unpacking, so always trying to find out where to put stuff.
Thankfully we have a full basement. Which, by the way, is where the cats like to be right now. Our dog chases them, so they have found that they like it down there for now (they have only been here for about a week).

I moved from Columbia, MD to Ohio about 5 months ago..I miss Columbia..

Hello I'm RaNae from DFW our 1869sf brick cottage home may be a bit larger than some but our lot is 110x50 and we love it.

We were both born and raised in the Awesome Finger Lakes region of beautiful Upstate NY - then to Mobile Alabama and then Tulsa OK for 20 years... so glad to be out of OK wasn't much to do there lol

Go Mavs!!
RaNae

Texas Gulf Coast...on Chocolate Bayou.

northcentral Arkansas

Hi, Marilyn!! LOL

Midcoast Maine! Always lived in sweet New England.

Boonies of western North Carolina. Just over half an acre of sloping land (mostly veg garden) surrounded by trees. The river is about 100 yds away across the road and it floods..so no one will EVER build there!

I am in San Diego. I live in a 1300 sq foot house, but I am adding a 450 ft. bedroom.

Inland Southern California (Redlands) 1600 sq feet, building an 1100 sq foot cabin at 6,000 feet in elevation (Idyllwild).

I've just been lurking here and sponging up ideas!

I am from Powell River BC Canada........beautiful British Columbia

I've been lurking here and thought it time to introduce myself. Dallas/Ft. Worth Metroplex is where I call home.

I've been amazed at all the good tips I've already picked up from the postings!

Hi Colohome! I'm in NW New Mexico and only a few minutes away from the Colorado border.

It just seems like the homes are getting bigger and bigger out here in the West.
Marilyn in NM

Crystal Lake, IL 50 miles NW of Chicago almost to Wisconsin!

mrskjun (Betty) is the only one close to me! I'm on the Ms. Gulf Coast (Katrina-ville!!) and one of the few lucky ones not still in a FEMA trailer.

I'm living with my sister while rebuilding my 1470 sq. ft. home. I'm very happy to find this forum!!

Can't believe I just discovered this forum. I've been having too much fun over on the Cooking Forum.

I live just northwest of Philadelphia on the Main Line, for anyone who knows the area. (A big shout to the other Philadelphia area folks here).

I have an almost 1600sf house with a small yard. Wouldn't want a bigger house but I wouldn't mind more space to garden.

Howdy, y'all. Native westerner, I now live in a Vermont village, just two blocks from the village green, in a 1300 sq foot house. This is the largest house I've ever lived in. It's also the first not in the country (or in the wilderness) in a good few decades!

This house began as a 14 by 18 foot post-and-beam two-story cottage sometime in the mid-1800s built from trees on the property on a native dressed marble foundation. One room down with cooking porch, one room up. Over the years it has accreted 7 additions (which is why my kitchen has 8 doors and no window). It was neglected and in sad condition when I bought it, and is gradually recovering.

Dayle Ann

Here is a link that might be useful: Pics of my house when I bought it...

Am I the only one from Miami, Fl.??

Hi, all,

I live in Portland, Oregon, where house prices are pretty steep. Thus, I just bought a 1929 English cottage with 900 square feet. But this is bigger than what we had before--our last house had 840 square feet, and before that we made do with just 610!

But I guess it's all relative. I have a friend who would kill for 610 square feet. She lives in New York City, where she has a mere 310 square feet and she is thrilled to have even that!

Add another from the state of "misery",south of St.Louis,in a 1930's shotgun,with indoor bathroom and laundry room(lol..1985!)Not quite sure of the size,tiny, the cooking and summer living used to be done in the basement,cooler there I guess.It's fine for myself and my cat.But,the shotgun layout is hard to decorate,3 chunky rooms,all visible as soon as the front door is opened.I'll hang out here more often,and get some tips!! Nice to meet you all :o)

I'm in a little town in Wisconsin called Kenosha, about 30 miles closer to Milwaukee, WI than to Chicago, Ill. I 've lived here 55 years. My first four years was in Racine, Wi. where my mothers family were founding members. It's just 5 miles up the road. I have never had the desire to live anywhere else. But I've traveled some.