Recently turned down a job in a giant suburb populated by McMansions (3000-4000 sq ft homes w/ too many rooms and mismatched windows). Always wondered what it would be like to live in one though. Easy living? Too much upkeep? Lots of storage? Frequent repairs? thanks
What’s a McMansion? Like the playground at McDonald’s?
Almost McMansion guy wrote:
Recently turned down a job in a giant suburb populated by McMansions (3000-4000 sq ft homes w/ too many rooms and mismatched windows). Always wondered what it would be like to live in one though. Easy living? Too much upkeep? Lots of storage? Frequent repairs? thanks
Yup. And for some stupid reason, also finished off the basement to bring total to almost 6000 sq ft. Huge regret.
Not cozy ... kids off in different corners of the house. Huge master was again not cozy or comforting like a smaller room can be.
Tons of upkeep and quality of construction was average at best. Big mortgage was a stressor.
Cool, thanks. 6000 sq ft is crazy big! Seems like a ton of work/money to keep it clean. Did you sell it? I feel better about not moving as McMansions are all this town has unless you want a run-down shack or want to build a custom home
To the other poster, McMansions could refer variety of different houses, but I always thought of a 3000 sq ft+ two story house w mismatched windows, giant garages, giant master bedroom and funny looking roof as a McMansion
McMasonsion= derogatory term for house you can't afford. got it.
Film Rep wrote:
What’s a McMansion? Like the playground at McDonald’s?
Sort of. Lot's of wasted interior air space that you must heat but really can't use unless you're into hanging stuff from the ceiling like an air and space museum. Also, generally flimsy stick construction with styrofoam and synthetic stucco exterior cladding.
U mad bro?
what I'd call a 'McMansion' is within most upper middle class families' price range, at least in the Midwest, starting around 400-450K. the problem is they're usually cheaply built, energy inefficient and end up needing lots of repairs, or so I've heard. If you have 3-4 kids though I could see the appeal potentially.
Now a legit 'mansion' - that I can't afford.
Try this.
McMansions of the '80s and '90s were poorly constructed. Even my family's '50s rancher, at 1160 square feet, was better built. Hardwood floors, 2x6 instead of 2x2 studs, etc.
Some of the truly expensive custom homes are gorgeous but a lot of McMansions in these new suburbs (where there are no trees; they just cleared it all out or built on a plan), esp. in Central Ohio, have hollow doors and poor build quality.
Even the roads leading to them are made of thinner asphalt and less of a road base than normal roads.
I always think of a McMansion as a zero lot home in a far flung new development area where its sqft above all else. Now a days you are served by the same generic shopping center of best buy/Ross/Pet Smart/bed bath and beyond and it takes you an hour to get to work.
I think the name comes from the fact that they're all the same. You have like 500 of the same house with subtle differences in some tree-less development surrounded by shopping centers. No soul. 50 Billion served without a care in the world to quality.
It's not so much that they are the same. In the northeast for example there are rows and rows of brownstones, triple deckers, and brick row houses that aren't considered a mcmansions. All of the things mentioned about material used is correct. Also, these houses do not follow architectural rules of balance. Multiple masses competing with each other, windows that don't make sense, balconies that can't be accessed. The list goes on.
Almost McMansion Dude wrote:
Cool, thanks. 6000 sq ft is crazy big! Seems like a ton of work/money to keep it clean. Did you sell it? I feel better about not moving as McMansions are all this town has unless you want a run-down shack or want to build a custom home
To the other poster, McMansions could refer variety of different houses, but I always thought of a 3000 sq ft+ two story house w mismatched windows, giant garages, giant master bedroom and funny looking roof as a McMansion
Yeah, sold it and happy to live in something smaller. Funny thing is, percentage-wise, cheaper houses appreciated much better than that one did.
Cleaning brings up another point ... your costs increase way beyond just the initial cost. Heating/cooling, insurance, taxes, maintenance, furnishings all go up. We had never hired a maid prior to this house, but eventually did because we didn’t want to spend hours a week doing it.
One good thing from the experience is that I don’t wish for a big house anymore.
Would also add ... people are different, so I’m not making a judgement call. Some people love tons of space or it’s the best option for them given their particular alternatives.
I was just giving my experience having owned a large, non-custom built house.
Laughsatthepoors wrote:
McMasonsion= derogatory term for house you can't afford. got it.
A McMansion is the answer to the question "what's the biggest house you can build without hiring an architect?".
Kate Wagner has an amazing blog about McMansions and has also written some really good pieces about architecture and residential real estate on curbed.com. And she has recently become a cyclist and a big fan of pro cycling.
I looked at a bunch of McMansions before I bought a 1,000 sq ft bungalow built in 1912. The biggest problem is that they clear cut a forest and then pack the houses in so close together that you can reach out your window and shake your next door neighbor's hand. There are no front porches. On weekends, everyone opens up their garage door and hangs out in their garage. Streets end up being full of everyone's cars because they fill their garage with junk. So, kids really have no room to play. There are some developments that have really nice amenities (big pools with waterslides, trail system, tennis courts, golf, etc.) and schools are pretty good, but too big. But in the end, they are just too soul sucking.
Construction quality in McMansions varies wildly. In some states, builders are licensed and the trades are unionized and pretty strict about construction quality and won't cut corners. In other states, builders create an LLC to build a few dozen houses as cheaply as possible, drain all the money out and set up a new LLC for the next development. Everything is built to last ten years and a day (the market standard builder's warranty on new construction). Then everything falls apart.
Precious Roy was quicker.
I just wanted to mention this blog too.
There is everything wrong with McMansions and the hell of suburbia.
James Howard Kunstler wrote and spoke a lot about this.
Everyone who wanted a McMansion got one in the mid-2000's, but strangely all they did was complain about stay-at-home orders during the pandemic. I mean, that's why you have a gigantic finished basement and a 40+-inch TV and internet in every room- so you can be entertained...at home. It was hilarious.
Zak wrote:
Everyone who wanted a McMansion got one in the mid-2000's, but strangely all they did was complain about stay-at-home orders during the pandemic. I mean, that's why you have a gigantic finished basement and a 40+-inch TV and internet in every room- so you can be entertained...at home. It was hilarious.
hahaha
Precious Roy wrote:
Kate Wagner has an amazing blog about McMansions and has also written some really good pieces about architecture and residential real estate on curbed.com. And she has recently become a cyclist and a big fan of pro cycling.
I looked at a bunch of McMansions before I bought a 1,000 sq ft bungalow built in 1912. The biggest problem is that they clear cut a forest and then pack the houses in so close together that you can reach out your window and shake your next door neighbor's hand. There are no front porches. On weekends, everyone opens up their garage door and hangs out in their garage. Streets end up being full of everyone's cars because they fill their garage with junk. So, kids really have no room to play. There are some developments that have really nice amenities (big pools with waterslides, trail system, tennis courts, golf, etc.) and schools are pretty good, but too big. But in the end, they are just too soul sucking.
Construction quality in McMansions varies wildly. In some states, builders are licensed and the trades are unionized and pretty strict about construction quality and won't cut corners. In other states, builders create an LLC to build a few dozen houses as cheaply as possible, drain all the money out and set up a new LLC for the next development. Everything is built to last ten years and a day (the market standard builder's warranty on new construction). Then everything falls apart.
https://mcmansionhell.com/
I don't know. I read that post on the Iredell County house and found it to be really mean. I don't like that kind of mean-spirited bullying. I realize the house is super dated and has some issues architecturally, but it's probably some elderly couple's home. I feel bad for them. It's one thing to point out the architectural flaws, but she's just making fun of people's tastes. I think that is just mean spirited.
This thread rules. Sometimes running past these houses I think that the people must be well off but on the other hand due to all of the reasons mentioned here I feel bad for them. America has such a warped idea of what a nice home is