When it comes to a home, which is more important to you: space, or aesthetics? Assuming everything else is the same (monthly rent/mortgage payments, proximity to work, safety of the neighborhood, quality of the schools, etc.) between two homes, which would you choose?
pros: Twice the square footage of option B, has a dishwasher, laundry, two bedrooms, 1 & 1/2 bathrooms, plenty of storage space.
cons: wall-to-wall carpet instead of hardwood floors, no architectural details or charm, no yard or space to plant anything in the ground, ugly on the outside, 1 mile from the beach (option B is 1/2 mile from the beach)
You can click here to get a pretty thorough tour of option A, but here are a few pictures of it before it was furnished and decorated to make a better comparison between A and B.
Okay, I know the patio looks pretty rough here, but imagine it without all the rocks, dead plants, and broken concrete pieces (it's very loose and could be removed with no tools).
Space, AKA "option A"
(where we currently live)
pros: Twice the square footage of option B, has a dishwasher, laundry, two bedrooms, 1 & 1/2 bathrooms, plenty of storage space.
cons: wall-to-wall carpet instead of hardwood floors, no architectural details or charm, no yard or space to plant anything in the ground, ugly on the outside, 1 mile from the beach (option B is 1/2 mile from the beach)
You can click here to get a pretty thorough tour of option A, but here are a few pictures of it before it was furnished and decorated to make a better comparison between A and B.
Aesthetics AKA "option B"
(where we're thinking of moving)
pros: Built in the 1940's, original kitchen, original hardwood floors, a small yard surrounded by a picket fence, a large back patio (about 3x bigger than option A patio), lots of room for planting and gardening, lots of craftsman-style charm, only 1/2 mile from the beach.
cons: only 1 bedroom/1 bath, no dishwasher, no laundry, half the square footage of option A, very little closet space.
view of the living room from the front door:
view of the front door from the living room... look at the cute little mail slot!
Teensy little dining area and doorway to the kitchen. And yes, that is a fold-out ironing board in the wall.
I would be re-upholstering it ASAP.
The kitchen. It has a back door that leads to the patio, and (surprisingly) even more cabinet/storage space than our current kitchen. I would hang pegboard above the oven for my pots and pans, just like Julia Child's kitchen:)
View of the kitchen from the back door:
The biggest con this house has ... the tiny little bedroom and closet:
But that little heater sure is cute.
And the bathroom has a floor-to-ceiling linen closet, so that's good!
Okay, I know the patio looks pretty rough here, but imagine it without all the rocks, dead plants, and broken concrete pieces (it's very loose and could be removed with no tools).
Now imagine it with outdoor rugs, flowery vines on the fence and my patio furniture. It could be cute, I promise!
I'm so torn on this one. Half of me says "It's the cutest little house EVER ... Move in TODAY!!!" and the other half of me says "WHERE is all of our STUFF gonna GO!?!"
What would you do? Which would you choose?
Well ... Place B is REALLY cute.
ReplyDeleteI moved into a tiny place because I wanted to be able to afford rent AND food, haha, and thought it would be no big deal to do without a dishwasher and haul my laundry to the laundromat. For me, though, those 2 things have turned into a really big pain in the rear, as has the lack of closet space.
So ... just based on the past year, I would really hesitate to give up space and laundry, in particular, for cuteness.
But on the other hand, if you are renting vs. buying, it's just one year. Moving is a giant pain, but if you spend a year someplace and can't tolerate it you have the option to get back into a bigger space. So ... bottom line? Jacki's no help ;)
We recently moved from a house that had lots of storage AND a shop outback (for more storage) to a house with NO storage AND tiny closets...We had stuff coming out of our EARS (and a lot of our stuff is stored away/we got rid of!). This current house was built 1920's, realllly cute....but I miss the extra space. AND the no-laundry would be a no-deal for me. (My husband creates waaaay too much laundry!) Good luck with your choice! yikes!
ReplyDeleteOPTION B!! Yes I'm screaming it through the computer. It is soo soo soo soo cute!!! Go for it girl, you'll make it sooo lovely.
ReplyDeletexo,
Di
http://simply-freckled.blogspot.com
P.S. i know you'll find so many cool storage options for DIY projects. ;)
ReplyDeleteWell I would love to see how cute you would make option B, because it is charming. I love the floors and the kitchen is so cute. But I lived in an old home built in 1914 for 6 years and not having space is a huge bummer.
ReplyDeleteI am being super practical in this, but the one thing that made me decide no to option B, no laundry. I can't stand the laundromat. there is no way I would choose a place without a washer dryer.
So my vote is option A, sadly...
I LOVE option b! Are you renting or buying?? Even though it is smaller and has less storage it is so nice to downsize and live simply. and you'll get to decorate a whole new place!!
ReplyDeleteCan't wait to see what y'all choose!!
since you are a young couple with no children I would go with option #2. I am sure you could get rid of lots of stuff that you don't NEED. Plus being closer to the beach would be a dream.
ReplyDeleteFor me, I would stay with option A and keep looking. I however have a lot of stuff and like for it to have a place. That being said option B is beautiful. Do you feel like you can't find a place that is bigger with some of those awesome characteristics?
ReplyDeleteWow, getting all this feedback is awesome! I am seriously refreshing my dashboard page every few minutes hoping for more comments! It's also great that 3 of you have already moved from a big/not cute place to a small/super cute space and can speak from experience! Did any of you end up getting storage units to compensate?
ReplyDeleteDiane - If we get it, you're invited to the housewarming party! Haha:)
Emily Ann - The awesome thing about option B is that our monthly rent would be about the same as what we're paying now ... But getting a bigger house that close to the beach would end up being hundreds of dollars more a month, easily.
I would stay where you are or keep looking. Only a half mile difference in house-to-beach distance isn't worth losing space, storage, a dishwasher and (most importantly) laundry facilities. I've lived in places with my own washer and dryer and places without, and I would chose a place with a washer and dryer without hesitation as long as it was in a safe neighborhood and the building wasn't falling down around my ears. If it were me, I think I would feel like I was losing more than I was gaining (especially since you have a knack for including the aesthetics of your living area).
ReplyDeleteI don't know.... are we talking buying or renting?
ReplyDeleteI would stay where you are. 1 mile to the beach or a half mile isn't that much (and think of the exercise!). Storage space can't be changed, but aesthetics can. Look what you did with your current place!!
Keep looking...
for me this is a no-brainer. i'd move so fast your head would spin. i live in a tiny house and it could even be smaller. it forces you to pare down and live with only the most precious/best stuff you own. plus you'd have a little more room to garden and you'll prob live outside. i haven't had a dishwasher for 3 yrs now and don't miss it at all. do it!
ReplyDeletexo
janet
I think it depends on your mentality. For me, when we moved I really wanted to downsize. I am so glad that we did. A smaller home means I bring less furniture/clothes/knick knacks in because space is at a premium. My goal is to just surround myself with things I really love, not stuff just to fill my house. I want to live a simpler, greener type life. That house you found is so cute. I would totally be on board with it.
ReplyDeleteBut that being said, I used a laundromat for two years when I lived in San Diego. Do-able but a huge pain. Plus I think if you aren't excited about down sizing it might not be the right time to move to a smaller place. Because more than likely you will have to get rid of stuff. I was happy to (good bye giant desk! good bye bookcase! goodbye extra clothes/kitchen stuff etc.) but it sounds like you wouldn't be. And that's okay, everyone is different. (And if you end up renting a storage unit to keep everything, well, I'd definitely say stay put or find something else.)
Wow, that is a tough one. I reread this post like 3 times because even I wouldn't be able to decide.
ReplyDeleteUsually I'd pick space over aesthetics anytime. You can change aesthetics, like carpets to hardwood, but not space. That tiny bedroom will always be tiny.
But in this case... it's impossible to decide! I love that place B has a bigger patio and that amazing linen closet. Plus it has tons of curb appeal - it's super cute! And you're creative enough that you could probably make organization projects fun and innovative.
But, at the same time, it's more fun to make your space pretty (as you do now) than functional, right? And your place now is so cute too! And bigger. That's a lot of square footage to lose.
Ok, ok, I'll be honest. I'm Canadian and it's cold here right now so I'd move to B just to get closer to the beach! ;)
I would stick with your current place. Others have said, but you're losing an awful lot of conveniences to move into a cuter home.
ReplyDeleteWe're living in a smaller space than we used to, have gotten rid of a lot of things, and stored some in a small unit. We have no laundry here which is a huge pain in the butt! Thankfully, we're in a one year lease and can look for something with space + laundry in the future.
Your home is beautiful and I'd love to watch how you decorate that hardwood beauty, but if it were my choice, I'd stay with the space and the laundry. :)
I think option B is absolutely adorable - but I've also lived in an old house and loved the charm, but lack of space and storage was a pain. And to have no laundry - my vote goes to stay with option A and keep looking :)
ReplyDeleteWow, so that's 7 votes A, and 6 votes B! So close to a tie! Keep the votes coming;)
ReplyDeleteIt's so interesting that no laundry trumps no yard for so many people! For some reason I expected the fact that our current place has no yard to be more of a B-vote-getter. I have to admit though, not having laundry would be a pretty big bummer. The dishwasher I don't think I'd mind quite as much, I hand-wash a lot of our dishes anyway.
Oh, and we'd be renting, not buying.
Thanks again for the awesome feedback!
I love small houses and don't mind not having a dishwasher... being close to the beach is awesome... BUT. I will never, never, never again choose to live somewhere without laundry facilities! That is a total dealbreaker for me. I say keep looking ... you can make almost any place cute, but storage & modern appliances make daily life more pleasant. :)
ReplyDeleteI've done the opposite. I spent 3 years with no laundry and no dishwasher in a beautiful but tiny apartment. I could walk everywhere I wanted to go and I overlooked a beautiful park-like area.
ReplyDeleteI have never been happier to move to a bigger space. My stuff has a home. I can do my laundry in my underwear and while I have to drive to get certain places; I'm also forced to seek out new places because my old favorite isn't a 5 minute walk. I am still paring down even with the big space.
I would suggest staying where you are until something even better comes along. Pare down anyway! Make your apartment a little more zen by freeing up the clutter we lovingly but mistakenly cling to! Maybe you could even look into a community garden area to get your outdoor fix. Option A is my vote.
Option B is so, so cute but..
ReplyDeleteI moved from a place with a dishwasher and laundry to a place without thinking "Hey, no big deal, I'll adjust!" but I have to say.. It was horrid. No laundry (in building) and no dishwasher is now a dealbreaker for me.
So, even tho option B is totally adorable and the outdoor space would be so fun to fix up, my final vote would have to be either A or keep looking.
Good luck!
honestly? I'd stick with A. the no laundry thing is a HUGE deal breaker for me. I had NO laundry hook up in our current house when I first bought it 5 years ago, and it sucked majorly. I'd spend an entire weekend day at the laundry mat every few weeks... and that was just MY clothes... add another person (aka your hubs) and it's much worse.
ReplyDeletefor me, space trumps aesthetics. I'd rather have the extra room for all my crap than hardwood floors.
I've lived in a small apartment (one bedroom apartment with NO eating area!) with no laundry facilities--I would never do it again! It hurts to have to get rid of things you love just to be able to make it work in the space you have.
ReplyDeleteWe recently moved into a three-bedroom house... I would never look back! I can do my laundry when I want, can actually fit everything into closets (rather than big tubs behind my couch like we were doing), and don't feel like I'm being suffocated.
I moved to a smaller house and it has been a lot harder to keep it clean...not sure how much stuff you have, but I hate having to see rubbermaids in plain sight in my guest room. The house we are moving to this weekend has plenty of storage and is bigger! It just depends what you prefer but I would probably vote A. Your condo is so cute! It's also not fun to have to tote your laundry and not have space for people to stay with you, but that also depends on how often that happens, etc.! Moving is expensive and tiresome, but also exciting! Good luck! I don't think you could go wrong either way!
ReplyDeleteI have been at this exact same crossroads a couple times and have gone each direction at least once over time. I can confidently say that I have been way more happy with the decisions we have made based on charm and location (even considering one of those decisions resulted in us not having a garbage disposal, ugh!)over the ones made on size. It is a major pain being without laundry, I'm not gonna lie, and that is probably the only major bummer I can foresee you having, but I'm sure you can find a solution to that that your happy about. Btw, the potential place is ADORABLE!!!
ReplyDelete