Posts Tagged McMansion News

McMansion mania just doesn’t make sense

Here’s what financial guru Suze Orman had to say about McMansions in a recent article “When the already-expensive cost of heating your home in the winter and keeping it cool in summer could keep getting higher and higher, McMansion mania just doesn’t make sense. Why would you want to heat and cool a 4,000-plus-square-foot house when any family of four can live more than comfortably in a house half that size? A smaller home means smaller utility bills.”

Help us out here home builders and remodelers.  Design, remodel, and build smaller homes.  Let’s see how creative we can get with a smaller footprint, rather than trying to figure out how to fill a large space.

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Voluntary Simplicity

I think Stephanie Brail is on to something with her Natural New.com article entitled Voluntary Simplicity: Good for You, Good for the Environment when she said “…a person who is practicing voluntary simplicity may give up a large, expensive “McMansion” to move into a smaller home that needs less energy to heat in the winter and cool down in the summer.” She defines the philosophy of voluntary simplicity as “downshift(ing) from a high-pressure, high-cost lifestyle to one that is more spiritual, humble, and less materialistic.”

Queen Anne and Magnolia residents just received a flyer from Seattle City Light saying they want us to partner with them to help our neighborhoods conserve energy by passing out light bulbs. Neighborhood Power Project (NPP) It sounds like a good idea.

Maybe SCL should also consider partnering with developers and realtors to design and sell smaller, more efficient single family homes. A couple of light bulbs isn’t going to do much for my new McMansion neighbor with four bathrooms, three gas fireplaces, and a hot tub. We could all benefit by practicing a little voluntary simplicity.

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McMansion Trend Over? Homes in excess of 3,400 square feet aren’t selling in Manteca

“Instead of models 2,800 square feet and above dominating the new home plans being reviewed at City Hall, the trend is for homes less than that benchmark to effectively signal the end of the McMansion era in Manteca.” Manteca Bulletin

It looks like builders in Manteca, California have figured out what people want. How long do you think it will take for developers in Seattle to realize this? They seem to think that everyone with money wants to spend it on a big house so they can get lost in it.

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It’s harder to trade in a McMansion than it is an SUV

“It’s harder to trade in a McMansion than it is an SUV.” So said Stephen Schork, an analyst and trader in Villanova, Pa when asked by the Associated Press about the new record oil price set on Friday. Oil sets new record above $147 a barrel

Developers need a new game plan. How about designing smaller, greener homes with more space for trees and other plants?

Please email us a picture and description of a McMansion in your neighborhood. There is still time to convince developers and buyers that smaller portions are a good idea. Send suggestions to: nomcmansion@gmail.com

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