When you’re making plans to build your own home, you’ll inevitably need to answer the question of how many rooms you’ll need. It may seem like a simple question based on how many people are going to live in the house, but you should also think about your lifestyle and the future.
Are you planning on starting a family? Do you plan to have more children? Will relatives stay with you? Do you want to create a multifunctional room?
In a time when both “tiny houses” and minimalism are as popular as increasing your square footage, there are many things to consider when deciding on how many rooms you need.
Want some inspiration? Check out our Pinterest board of floor plans!
Who Will Be Living With You?
The first question you should address is how many bedrooms you’ll need. Are you single or a young couple? Do you have children, or planning on having children? What about having more children? Ideally, you want one bedroom per child, but kids can always double up when they’re young. It’s when they grow into teenagers that you might want to consider what you’ll do when they want their own space.
Consider Your Lifestyle
Think about what will best suit your lifestyle. Do you work from home and need a productive space? Building a home office might be a top priority for you. Maybe you want a space where you can exercise at home. That home office can double as a home gym.
Do you like to entertain family and guests a lot? You might want to think about having a guest room made up for when people spend the night. Have small children? They might benefit from their own play room so that your living room isn’t littered with toys all the time. Are you the type of family that has movie nights? An entertainment centre can have its own home in a home theatre room.
Outdoor Living
How important is having an outdoor space? Living in Australia means that it would be rude not to take advantage of outdoor living by including some nice alfresco areas in your home build.
What About Hobbies?
Some hobbies require more space than others. Sure, you can relegate some things to the garage if you must, but you can always talk to your home builder about including a room in your home that can accommodate hobbies, from an art space to a model airplane space.
In the event that your family grows, you can always transform that space into another bedroom and build a backyard studio suite outside instead. Studio suites, or granny flats, can have a great number of uses. Read more about it here.
If your hobby or love is cooking, or if you feel that the kitchen is a place where the whole family convenes everyday, consider creating an open kitchen that connects to the dining area and living area for a warm, inviting space.
Have any questions about how many rooms you’ll need in your new home? Get in touch with McDonald Jones Homes today. Enquire online or call us on 1300 555 382.
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Historically, a mansion would be at least 5,000 square feet, but with the size of the average house continually increasing, mansions are getting bigger as well. Nowadays, most real estate agents consider homes larger than 7,000 sq ft to be mansions.
What Makes a House a Mansion?
Sorry to burst your bubble, but there is no strict definition of a mansion. Merriam-Webster defines a mansion as “a large imposing residence.” Honestly, though, the idea of a mansion means different things to different people. A mansion in the downtown streets of Chicago or New York might be different than one in the foothills of the Rockies or the plains of Oklahoma.
Realtors, however, have their own definition, one that sets a minimum mansion size. Realtors claim that mansions are houses that have at least 7,000 square feet of floor space. To put this in perspective, the average square footage of houses in each state is between 1,600 and 2,000 sq ft. However, the average square footage of new homes built last year was over 2,700.
Realtors do not use the term mansion when marketing houses unless the term has significance to the residence. Famous examples might include the Vanderbilt Mansion or the Ringling mansion.
Besides the additional legroom, many people agree that mansions have other amenities. These include:
- The number and size of rooms often far exceeds the average home. Mansions might have two or even three full style kitchens. Each of the five or more bedrooms might come with its own bathroom and shower. Living areas are likely to be large and open with massive TVs and sitting areas to match the size and complexity of the house.
- Mansions are often accompanied by lavish landscaping. This can include beautiful shrubbery, plant life, or decorations. Some estates also have a luxurious pool and outdoor patio section. Of course, mansions in the city might be a bit more limited in their outdoor space, but they may have other indoor features or rooftop views.
- Most such estates have rooms dedicated solely to leisure activities. This might mean an impressive library, small fitness center, spas, multimedia rooms, or in-home office space. Some of the largest mansions have bowling alleys, indoor pools, basketball courts, and tennis courts.
- Mansions also need to entertain. Some homes have private dining or bar areas for guests to hang out when they are not out by the pool. Or, they may have game rooms or theaters for everyone to enjoy. Vast and expansive yards are also fantastic for a variety of outdoor activities. Mansions in smaller towns and the countryside may have hundreds or thousands of acres to accompany it. Here you might see horse stables, hiking paths, shooting ranges, or private lakes.
- Beautiful design is commonplace among mansions; they are both big and beautiful. Aside from the luxurious groundskeeping, they likely have vivid brick or stonework. They may have elaborate security, solar, or smart home features as well.
Types Of Mansions
Perhaps you are unaware that there are different types of mansions. The main differences between the types mostly have to do with structure and design. There are undoubtedly various sized mansions, but they are all considered mansions just the same.
1. McMansions
McMansions are generally the most common type of mansion people are aware of. These are the large, mass-produced mansions often found in the suburbs and newly developing areas. Most of these were built after the 1970s. And, what they gain in freshness, they lack in design and character.
The design of mass-produced homes is a secondary thought. Most of these mansions are just going for size. This does not mean they look bad, but there is a clear difference between McMansions and older Victorian or Classical style mansions.
This is partly because they typically lack an architect. McMansions use cheaper material and have unorthodox detailing plans. All the mansions look nice together, but they likely will not fit in with the older neighborhoods in town.
2. Classical Style mansions
Think Great Gatsby! These houses are grand with large hallways, beautiful and winding staircases, and towering ceilings. They may even have a ballroom or party room common during the roaring 20s. These mansions are carefully crafted by an architect who notices every detail - the landscaping, patio, windows, columns, roofing, interior design, and all else fits perfectly together.
3. Colonial Style mansions
Colonial style mansions are not as fashionable in the United States as they are in other parts of the world. These are more common in Latin America, part of South America, such as Brazil, and in some European countries, primarily Portugal or Spain. However, the United States still has its fair share of these homes as well.
Similar to the classical style mansions, the colonial-style architects pay every attention to detail. The interior is not as grand and illuminating as classical, but the design is elegant nonetheless. The design is often wide and expansive, making their appearance as a mansion known.
4. Victorian Style mansions
These are also elaborate and carefully detailed mansions in the style of Victorian Europe. Their unique style is known to feature jutting towers, large gathering halls, wrap-around decks, and colorful appeal. Given their style, these mansions also have an older feel to them as well with their aging gates and entrances, wooden appearance, and unique roofing design.
What’s So Special About Mansions?
Although there is no set definition of a mansion, there is a broad consensus as to what one is. It simply means a large and grandiose house, somewhere around 8,000 square feet. Since the square footage of a home is likely unknown, there are other characterizing features that can help identify one. This may include any number of luxurious amenities such as an equally large pool, patio area, or entertainment features. Or the design of a Victorian or classical style house might be a giveaway as well.
Mansion Size Bottom Line
What is considered a mansion varies from state to state and city to city, but in most places, any house over 7,000 square feet will be considered a mansion. Of course, if homes keep getting bigger and bigger, the size and price of mansions will increase as well. And you can always expect mansions to be in high demand. After all, for many people, there's an irresistible allure in owning a mansion. They're simply the ultimate status symbol.