I see a lot of new townhouses, with three or four bedrooms, and the master with ensuite on the ground floor. Do "downsizers" really live in these massive places? To me, 3/4 bedrooms means someone has a family...
I think having the capacity to host family and friends would be important for a lot of downsizers. Ive got family who 'downsized' to a 3 bed place that was more expensive than the 4 bed house they sold. What they were really downsizing was maintenance, especially the garden. They wanted something in a better location (more central) that they could 'lock up and go'. But they also wanted something big enough for all their stuff and for interstate grandkids to stay.
My SIL downsized to a mansion go figure, no children, just smaller block. All to their own. Downsizing can mean townhouses, but generally if this is the case you would want master bedroom/ensuite downstairs or single storey.
Hmm, I guess if you look at it as "my last ppor = treat/luxury" it makes sense. No backyard. Bedroom downstairs. Walk to PT. Space to entertain - I guess extra bedrooms means they'll sometimes have people over? In that case, 3br makes sense... 4br seems like it should still be mostly families? I guess it depends largely on the suburb, too.
Provided that there are two living areas & two ensuites, these make alot of sense. A developer that I worked with in the late 1990's built 3 of these on a block. No yard, dlug, 3 bed (2 upstairs). They sold very quickly.
Yep... pretty much what I'm dreaming of 3x2x2 seems to be the magic combo, appealing to everyone. 4br marketed to "downsizers" is what really confuses me - visited one of these recently at an open house, and folks there were clearly looking to get a big place for their families. I suppose they could also appeal to "downsizers" like @MTR's SIL. Although maybe the agent just put that in because some of these 4br properties have basically 0 useable (by kiddies) yard? And maybe ground-floor master suite appeals to parents who want some space from their kiddies?
also when retiring , one bedroom to sleep in ( or two if someone snores ... ) then each person needs a study / activity room where they do stuff outside the living room . We've downsized ( 2/3rds previous size ) but still going to have 4 bedrooms after reno as it's what people expect in a house in our area . Three bedroom house makes it much less sellable and worth less to a family . SWMBO wasn't convinced re four bedrooms , but a straw poll of friends convinced her. Cliff
The 4 bedders may appeal to those with teenagers who no longer need garden to play in. I agree, it's a certain market who want 4 bedrooms and 0 garden. I'm building a duplex, each only has 180sqm of land. One side is 3 x 2 x 2 with an extra living area upstairs. The other side turns that extra upstairs living area into a 4th bedroom. The difference is that there is quite a 'large' amount of garden - approx 40-50sqm of grassed area and a school oval across the road for more play area.
Do you currently live in a 6 bedroom house? But that's actually something I hadn't thought of; in a house, you'd have a shed for your hobbies. In a townhouse, you'd need an extra bedroom for that hobby.
I'd wouldn't call 180 sqm "only" for a 3 bedder with that kind of open space. They sound nice. I'm a little jealous now
My parents downsized from a 5 bedroom house on 680m2 to a 3 bedroom on 5 acres. Apparently it is the size of the house not the land.
My parents reguarly have their kids and grandkids around for the weekend. They have a massive house but when everyone is there, it's hard to find a spare bed (someone inveariably ends up in the caravan - usually me). We're designing our new house with 4 bedrooms, we don't have kids. The master/ensuite on the ground floor in anticipation of living there until we're 80. The other bedrooms will be a large guest bedroom and a study each. Lots of space for two people, but I expect we'll fill it quite easily.
Times have changed and the way we utilize spaces within homes. Traditional 4th bedrooms often end up becoming studies, surplus dining rooms get converted into living spaces/open plan bigger eat-in kitchens and old laundries become walk-in pantries or even en-suites (in some setups). I'd say having that extra "bedroom" becomes a necessity if you do any type of work or office-setup from home, which most people do these days. My parents are both retired but still use a full study for their interests and artwork/storage etc. What we're seeing less of are media rooms and large laundries in new housing in favour of bigger living spaces and more generous storage solutions.
In down sizer now . It has three bedrooms but the living area occupies about 2/3rds of the house . Three living rooms . One will become a bedroom . Cliff
Most 4 bed places these days the 4th bed is as much a study as a bedroom (average family has no need for it...). I've still got upsizing to go through a couple of times before worrying about downsizing but I would absolutely want a spare bedroom or two for family (depending how close to family you end up and whether it's stay over or come and go) and a study of my own so 3-4br makes sense to me.
No intention of downsizing. Over Christmas we had 8 extra people staying here, even with 4 bedrooms we had an air bed in the family room. Marg
