One of my favorite pastimes is watching home shows on cable TV. I watch shows about decorating, landscape design, how to get your home ready to sell, and following couples as they look at homes to buy. It’s the last category of shows that really burns me up.
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It’s fascinating to see what people’s must-haves are when buying a home. The most mind-boggling is the amount of space desired. Many people look at homes that are between 2,000 and 3,000 square feet. A couple with two kids had the following list of must-haves:
4 bedrooms French doors
A deck
A big yard
A finished basement
A bay window
A corner bathtub
A couple of empty-nesters with a dog wanted to downsize. Their list of must-haves included 4 bedrooms, a pool, and an extra room to use as a movie room. One house had a 5-car garage. The husband said, “I can have a lot of toys!”
My Needs Are Modest
Maybe it’s just me. I grew up poor, in apartments my whole life. Now I’m living it up with no roommate, in a studio apartment with a loft bed and a kitchenette. It’s approximately 375 square feet. My must-haves, if I were buying a place? A bed on the floor, an oven and a regular-sized refrigerator.
We don’t really need to be taking up that much space in this world, and people have way too much stuff. Try living in a studio for a year, and you’ll find that you can live quite comfortably with a lot less. Really.
I cringe when I hear the complaints of the prospective buyers. One wife was looking at the kitchen cabinets, which were made of mahogany. She said, “I prefer cherry, but I guess these would be okay.” “I don’t like carpet in the bathroom…” You know what? Buy the house and rip out the carpet! “The bedroom is a little small…” Seriously, people, how big does a bedroom need to be? You put a bed and a dresser in there. What, you want to run laps in there? Use the extra money you’ll save with a smaller bedroom and get yourself a gym membership!
This is just my perspective, of course. I’m a city person. I live by myself. I’m not interested in gardening. I don’t have children, or a dog. I can’t afford to rent a one-bedroom in the upscale neighborhood where I work.
All I’m saying is that maybe we should look at our carbon footprint and perhaps make it a little bit smaller in terms of living space. Make do with less. Get rid of the things your kids have outgrown, outdated books, papers and appliances. Recycle. If you have extra space in your home, take someone in. Downsize.
And if you find an affordable one- bedroom with a kitchen in my neighborhood, let me know. My cat Shelby and I don’t take up much room.
Ms. Campbell may be contacted at campbellalexandra@hotmail.com
