To build McMansions in older neighborhoods, or not to build…*

Many people in Millcreek say not to build.

It’s a pretty heated issue, and not just in the Millcreek area. Neighborhoods that once were filled with strictly one-story and modest sized two story homes are now peppered with large, seemingly out of place McMansions.

It’s not surprising, and it was only a matter of time. Still, many Millcreek residents have taken a stand. They say the mansions aren’t consistent with the identity of the area. They also obstruct the views of the neighbors and are less than attractive. Another complaint is how these huge homes are being crammed onto lots that barley fit them. This is only following the trend of every other new development in Northern Utah, but these older neighborhoods don’t like it.

I hate to say it, but I think this is another one of those things that is here to stay. Like what is happening in Sugarhouse, the McMansions will probably continue to park themselves in these neighborhoods, permanently changing the dynamic that the older residents liked so well. People don’t have to like it, but I just don’t know how they will stop it. I hope I’m proved wrong.

*My service doesn’t stop here! In addition to maintaining The Salt Lake City Utah Real Estate Blog, I also help people buy and sell homes in Utah. When you need help with either of these, contact me!

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Which home is trendy, which is classic?*

For some reason, I find it fascinating to look at past Utah home design trends, and to think about where it might go in the future. I’m always asking myself what classic really means, or if it even exists in home design.

I recently got into a conversation about stone siding for homes, and how it has changed over the years. You had the huge orange colored stone slabs that people used to use for their fireplaces and sometimes on their home’s exterior. We’ve also seen near white, round river rocks used for home exteriors, then those gave way to a more jagged, cut look. Then we started to see the colors darken and the stone became uneven and flat, to create an uneven brick look. Where will they go from here?

What about colors? We’ve gone through white-wash phases, creme colored phases, brown phases, and now we seem to be into the trend of darker is better. Some people say it is richer and more elegant. When will that change? I wonder if we’ll ever do it like they do in southern Mexico and other warm regions where there are pink homes, blue homes, etc.

We’ve used brick, stucco, stone, wood, glass, and anything else you can imagine. Columns, beams, arches – they’ve all been in style at some point. It still intrigues me to wonder which one will prove to be the most timeless.

Sometimes I think that all you have to do is look at some of the estates in Europe that still serve as design inspirations, and say that those are the definitions of classic. But I’m still not sure. That’s still new design, relatively speaking. Maybe the Romans had classic down. Our nations founders seem to have thought so. Did they believe that the design would be timeless, and that’s why they chose it for our nation’s most important structures?

I don’t know about all this, but it’s fun for me to think about it and form my conclusions. I have my opinions about what some home builders are doing right now, style-wise, and I’m not too happy about most of it. They will do what brings in the cash, but I think some builders are now building the eyesores of my children’s generation.

If only we could all hire our own personal architect. Now there’s a question – if we all had an architect, and they would do whatever we told them, would home designs turn out the same or different than what the builders are doing now? Do builders shape our opinions about what is classy or stylish?

I could go on…

*My service doesn’t stop here! In addition to maintaining The Salt Lake City Utah Real Estate Blog, I also help people buy and sell homes in Utah. When you need help with either of these, contact me!

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I recommend “The Not So Big House”

I wrote a post a while back about my thoughts on the American McMansion. I received a few responses from people who felt the same way about them, but one response in particular intrigued me. David Helm told me about a book called “The Not So Big House“, and that it might interest me since I was writing an anti-McMansion blog post.Well I think the word about this book should be spread. The book is written by Sarah Susanka, an architect. That alone should tell you that economic considerations are not the focal point of this book. Rather, The Not So Big House is about quality over quantity. Anybody who has paid attention knows that quantity, in the form of McMansion housing, has all but taken over home building in America. Unused, impractical space in a home is ridiculously common in builder’s floor plans these days, but that is where Susanka’s book comes in.

The gist of the book is not that you should live in a small house. It’s that you should utilize space wisely, create more livable space, and do so on a scale more fit for your family as opposed to a small village. You do not have to sacrifice style or comfort either. What you will find are spaces that you might call ‘cozy’, or ‘warm’, rather that ‘vastly spacious’, or ‘magnificently scaled’. If you prefer the latter terms, this book probably is not for you.

You do not have to have deep pockets to follow Susanka’s advice. Some of the book covers people who obviously spent a lot of money, but that’s not the rule. Anyone can apply these principles in building their own home. If you’ve already built, read it still and I’m sure you’ll get some good ideas on how to modify your space.

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My Thoughts on Changes in Housing and the McMansion*

Two Sundays ago, my family decided to drive around some of the new residential areas in the city to see the new houses that were being constructed. In one particular area, where the homes were nice but nothing unusual, we drove down the street, turned left into a cul-de-sac and beheld a mansion that made the rest of the neighborhood homes look like huts. We were intrigued so we went inside since it wasn’t completed yet, and our faces must have been a sight because it was even more ostentatious inside than out. Then we learned that the owners are an older couple who will be retiring soon, and that’s what made me reflect.

In many parts of my city, homes like this one notwithstanding, I am getting the feeling that people are preferring smaller to much bigger homes. There have been some statistics recently that seem to back this up, but this post is just what I am noticing for myself. The first thing that comes to mind is obvious – maybe they can’t afford the bigger homes. True in some cases, but it seems to me that many affluent professionals are constructing or buying smaller, greener, and more cost-efficient houses these days.

I like this trend for a few reasons: fewer McMansions would be built which would hopefully restore some originality to homes over time, neighborhood skylines would be dominated by nature and not pointy roofs, and lot sizes might increase. (Maybe that last one will never happen, but I can wish.) Could it be our current global warming craze that is prompting people to become smaller, more efficient and environmentally friendly? Could it be a resistance to big builders who build the same big thing over and over?

I don’t really know, but these are my thoughts.

*My service doesn’t stop here! In addition to maintaining The Salt Lake City Utah Real Estate Blog, I also help people buy and sell homes in Utah. When you need help with either of these, contact me!

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