Big Box Houses

I was talking with a friend of mine the other day about neighborhoods.  He and I both live on the near west side of Madison.  It is not the first house either of us has owned, but it will probably be the last house for both of us.

During our conversation, he made an interesting comment.  He said, "I think the big sprawling houses in new subdivisions are a thing of the past."  I got to thinking about his statement later in the day.

Are we moving back to the days of  being happy with smaller homes in walkable neighborhoods? I wonder.  On more than one occasion, I have told you stories about how quickly homes in Sunset Village, Westmorland and the Dudgeon-Monroe neighborhoods have been selling the past few months.  Could it be that buyers are looking to scale back?  Are people looking to simplify their lives?

Perhaps.  Here's a case in point.   I have a client who recently bought a house with me near Wesmorland Park.  A year and a half ago, they lived near Hilldale.  In between, they lived in a new house in one of the newer outlying subdivisions.  These clients found that although they enjoyed the house in the new subdivision, they didn't enjoy the inconvenience of the location.  They were constantly in the car.  Running to work.  Running to school.  Running to various kid activities.  Running, running, running.   You get the picture.  These clients had moved their living location, but didn't change their activities.  The husband told me, "When we lived in the "big house" in the new subdivision, I would pack the car with everything I could possibly need for the day, golf clubs, swim gear, baseball gear, anything I might need."  He wasn't interested in running back and forth, nor did he have the time!

For these folks, the big box house in the new subdivision wasn't for them.  In the past 2 or 3 years, I have seen this happen with other clients and friends.  I'm working with two clients now who are in a similar situation.  They have larger homes on the outskirts on Madison and are looking to move closer to the center of town.

Of course, not everyone wants to be closer to amenities.  My friends who recently moved to Westmorland beleive had they not first lived close, the larger home in the subdivision wouldn't have been an issue.  They wouldn't have known any different.

So, my friends' statement about moving back to a simplier, gentler time may or may not be true.  One thing I know for certain, I won't be moving to a big box house anytime soon. My running, running, running will be kept to a minimum, so I can spend more time walking to the library, biking to the park and enjoying the simple things in life.