Generation Y doesn't want: formal living rooms, soaker bathtubs, dependence on a car.

http://realestate.yahoo.com/promo/no-mcmansions-for-millennials.html

Yeah, but wants and needs tend to change somewhat as you age. I didn't want my parents home either when I was younger, but would be very happy with it now that I have kids myself.

Good to hear since I opted for a really big shower and no tub in my present home! The last 3 houses I built or remodeled had very large tubs that sat empty and unused. It is funny....my son renovated a house in historic Jacksonville. It has almost no yard and he told me it's more than he wants to take care of. He said, "I can really see the appeal of your house with no yard to maintain", which is not what I would expect from someone his age.

Generation Y doesn't want: formal living rooms, soaker bathtubs, dependence on a car.

http://realestate.yahoo.com/promo/no-mcmansions-for-millennials.html

Im 20 and have always wanted a soaker bathtub!!

Im 20 and have always wanted a soaker bathtub!!

With bubbles!!!

I never understood the need for formal living rooms. My parents blew nearly $2K in decorating ours and I can count on 1 finger how many times I sat in it over a 10 year period. Of course we had one of those homes where furniture in the formal room was meant to be seen, not touched. So I guess the purpose of formal rooms is to look pretty and have guests marvel at it while they shuffle to the den because they can't sit in it.

As far as soaker tubs, they are kinda gross. You are sitting there soaking in your own filthiness. All you need is to add some salt and diced up potatoes and carrots to the water and you've got your very own "man stew".

Meh, I guess its a generational thing...

The soaker bathtub actually sounds really now. Might be just the addition my social life could use to become full circle.

Formal living rooms are a waste, but when you think about it, so is the den as well. Your most active room in your house is going to be your kitchen, and the room you'll spend the most time in is your office (aside from the obvious about your bedroom).

I never understood the need for formal living rooms. My parents blew nearly $2K in decorating ours and I can count on 1 finger how many times I sat in it over a 10 year period. Of course we had one of those homes where furniture in the formal room was meant to be seen, not touched. So I guess the purpose of formal rooms is to look pretty and have guests marvel at it while they shuffle to the den because they can't sit in it.
In the 70's you had a "Formal Living Room", as my architecture teacher told me that room is for the teacher, preacher and anyone else that you don't want to see the rest of the house when visiting. The "Den" is where the family truly lives and has the shoes, drinks and newspapers laying about....of course this was still when most homes only had one television and it was in the den.

Most of the houses now have the same room, it's just now converted to an "Office" or "Library". One thing that I never liked was the Formal Dining Room far removed from the kitchen.

As far as soaker tubs, they are kinda gross. You are sitting there soaking in your own filthiness. All you need is to add some salt and diced up potatoes and carrots to the water and you've got your very own "man stew".

Meh, I guess its a generational thing...

How do you feel about hot tubs? You don't take a bath to get clean; that is what the shower is for. Baths are meant to soak and relax in or loosen up sore muscles. Throw is a few bath beads and you can condition dry skin. I love my garden tub but I wish it had the water jets. As for the formal living and dining - you have to invite people into your home if you are going to use them.

The soaker bathtub actually sounds really now. Might be just the addition my social life could use to become full circle.

Formal living rooms are a waste, but when you think about it, so is the den as well. Your most active room in your house is going to be your kitchen, and the room you'll spend the most time in is your office (aside from the obvious about your bedroom).

I don't think the den is a waste. Mom's house has a living room and a den room that was already added when she bought it. The den room is used for living room, cuz its big. As for the old living room, which is the front part of the house, mom uses it for some antique furniture and whatever she like in there.

You don't have kids do you Spartan.

It's obvious where Spartan spends most of his time. I spent most of my time in the den which is a combined dining, TV, play, office area. It's the gathering place of the house. Living rooms are meant to be lived in. And offices are not meant to be habitats.

How do you feel about hot tubs? You don't take a bath to get clean; that is what the shower is for. Baths are meant to soak and relax in or loosen up sore muscles. Throw is a few bath beads and you can condition dry skin. I love my garden tub but I wish it had the water jets. As for the formal living and dining - you have to invite people into your home if you are going to use them.

I think hot tubs are okay, but a hot tub is usually treated, chlorinated, and filtered. I'm sure you can see that I'm a bit of a germaphobe, but I will say that if I was had arthritis, a little older, or had a physically demanding job or workout a soaking tub may be worth it. It would have to have jets though! I think the article makes a point that most young to middle aged people (Gen X and Y) aren't hunched over with sore muscles...yet.


In the 70's you had a "Formal Living Room", as my architecture teacher told me that room is for the teacher, preacher and anyone else that you don't want to see the rest of the house when visiting.

That would make sense. I would think for most modern homes and households a "seating nook" off a formal dining room or even a foyer would get the same result while freeing up some square footage.

Baths are meant to soak and relax in or loosen up sore muscles. Throw is a few bath beads and you can condition dry skin. I love my garden tub but I wish it had the water jets.
That reminds me, I think I'll get in my Jacuzzi tub before I go to bed.

By the way, do any guys have urinals in at least one of your bedrooms? I do. I had my builder put one in the master bathroom. The builder said it was the first time he ever put a urinal in a home.

The are somewhat of a rarity but they do happen from time to time.

That reminds me, I think I'll get in my Jacuzzi tub before I go to bed.

By the way, do any guys have urinals in at least one of your bedrooms? I do. I had my builder put one in the master bathroom. The builder said it was the first time he ever put a urinal in a home.

Why would you do that? The toilet is adequate enough.

That reminds me, I think I'll get in my Jacuzzi tub before I go to bed.

By the way, do any guys have urinals in at least one of your bedrooms? I do. I had my builder put one in the master bathroom. The builder said it was the first time he ever put a urinal in a home.

I was in Home Depot the other day and saw a urinal being sold and thought to myself that I wouldnt mind having one in my master bath.

That reminds me, I think I'll get in my Jacuzzi tub before I go to bed.

By the way, do any guys have urinals in at least one of your bedrooms? I do. I had my builder put one in the master bathroom. The builder said it was the first time he ever put a urinal in a home.
+1 respect for that. I once considered adding on to my house for additional office space (a.k.a. man-cave) that included a small bathroom with a urinal and sink.

Speaking of jacuzzi tub, I've lived in my current home for over 15 years now and only in the last two or three years have I started using the jacuzzi tub in our master bath. Maybe I'm just getting old, but a good soak in that thing does wonders for me. I don't know why I waited so long to really put it to use. And like was stated in prior posts, it's not for getting clean, just for soaking in. I've never really wanted a hot tub, but it's appeal is growing on me.

I really like this thread, it's fun.
Imagine this scenario.
Man and wife and 9 children between the ages of 18 and 3.

I have a wonderful architect who is planning our home around our family situation.

Soaker tub? You bet.
Urinal? Wife won't allow it.
I've always wanted an outdoor shower, though.

I like an outdoor hot tub, though. We're thinking about putting one on our top floor terrace. There's something about sitting outside in 105 degree water that's different from sitting in a warm bath indoors. Especially if it's snowing or sleeting....that is nice.

I've always wanted one of those endless pools for indoors. That would be cool.

http://www.endlesspools.com/

I really like this thread, it's fun.
Imagine this scenario.
Man and wife and 9 children between the ages of 18 and 3.

I have a wonderful architect who is planning our home around our family situation.

Soaker tub? You bet.
Urinal? Wife won't allow it.
I've always wanted an outdoor shower, though.

Dear god! You have your hands full!

Why would you do that? The toilet is adequate enough.

Personal preference. Don't have to have the constant debate about leaving the toilet seat up/down...LOL

From a resale standpoint, may turn off those of the female persuasion. It is definitely a gender specific choice.

Could be a water usage issue too, imagine a urinal uses less water per flush than a toilet

Why to some people install bidets?

[QUOTE=MadMonk;392850Speaking of jacuzzi tub, I've lived in my current home for over 15 years now and only in the last two or three years have I started using the jacuzzi tub in our master bath. Maybe I'm just getting old, but a good soak in that thing does wonders for me. I don't know why I waited so long to really put it to use. And like was stated in prior posts, it's not for getting clean, just for soaking in. I've never really wanted a hot tub, but it's appeal is growing on me.[/QUOTE]

I've never had a jacuzzi tub in my home but have tried them in hotels or resorts I've stayed in. After a while I thought what is the big deal about this? It's just boring and really does nothing for me. Maybe if I had someone to joing me in the tub it would be more interesting. LOL
It's not something that I would consider worth the money to put in my home.

Personal preference. Don't have to have the constant debate about leaving the toilet seat up/down...LOL

From a resale standpoint, may turn off those of the female persuasion. It is definitely a gender specific choice.

Could be a water usage issue too, imagine a urinal uses less water per flush than a toilet

Why to some people install bidets?

Can always sit to pee. I do that all the time at home. Greatest advantage is keeping the area clean. Nothing wrong with that.

Can always sit to pee. I do that all the time at home. Greatest advantage is keeping the area clean. Nothing wrong with that.

Too much information, Thunder.

Here's another paradigm shift: Put the washer & dryer in the master closet, where they belong. Do you know why they're usually near the garage? Do you know WHY they still build "living rooms?" Do you know why everyone has to have GRANITE countertops?

(The mind is a terrible thing to waste.)

Yeah, and why don't we put toilets in the kitchen?

I've never been a fan of the formal dining room. Ours was used twice a year. What a waste of space. Like the formal living room, it is meant to be seen and not used. Floor plans for very small homes usually don't include formal dining rooms. But, modest-size and larger floor plans always have them. What is this insistence on having a formal dining room? I want a home designed by a thinking person - or, at least a person who thinks like me.

put the washer & dryer in the master closet, where they belong.

that'd be a major turnoff for me due to the noise... i couldn't imagine throwing in a load of laundry just before bed. it also doesn't make sense to me from a traffic perspective. if we're talking about a house that serves an entire family, i wouldn't want everybody's laundry converging on my closet. i'd prefer it all to converge on a central utility room. now, i have seen houses that have a back door on the master closet that hooks into the utility room... that design i like.

-M

I've never been a fan of the formal dining room. Ours was used twice a year. What a waste of space. Like the formal living room, it is meant to be seen and not used. Floor plans for very small homes usually don't include formal dining rooms. But, modest-size and larger floor plans always have them. What is this insistence on having a formal dining room? I want a home designed by a thinking person - or, at least a person who thinks like me.

What about when the Van Aldens come for dinner?

Probably a good thing the Millennials don't want much because it is hard for me to imagine them being able to afford much.

Here's another paradigm shift: Put the washer & dryer in the master closet, where they belong. Do you know why they're usually near the garage? Do you know WHY they still build "living rooms?" Do you know why everyone has to have GRANITE countertops?

(The mind is a terrible thing to waste.)

Have not all former 'living rooms'--regardless of size--been decreed as "Great Rooms" and utility rooms "Mud Rooms" ever since HGTV started calling the shots and showing overpriced dwellings to GLBT couples on TV? The most laughable burlesque of reality to come out of the desperation of 20,000-channel cable TV...hope they follow up with how financially destitute the buyers of all those mindless real estate rip-offs have become...

that'd be a major turnoff for me due to the noise... i couldn't imagine throwing in a load of laundry just before bed. it also doesn't make sense to me from a traffic perspective. if we're talking about a house that serves an entire family, i wouldn't want everybody's laundry converging on my closet. i'd prefer it all to converge on a central utility room. now, i have seen houses that have a back door on the master closet that hooks into the utility room... that design i like.

-M

Where's the rule that says you can't put ANOTHER washer & dryer where the other occupant's dirty & clean clothes happen? If they can flush their toilet, they can wash their own clothes! Acoustical isolation can be achieved without distance... We have the technology.

Im 20 and have always wanted a soaker bathtub!!

I'm near 30 and the last two houses we've had came with a whirlpool/jacuzzi(current house)and neither were used by me or my wife more than once. I can remember when we got the first house we went on and on how great it was to finally have one, how much we would use it, how great it would be....

They are relaxing but its seems like its more of an ordeal to get this filled and running, then take a bath, then rinse off afterwards. For us it seems more relaxingto get into bed and turn on the electric blanket. Even when we have kids we have already talked about how it might be easier to use the hallway bathroom/shower to give them baths instead of filling up the huge tub.

Probably a good thing the Millennials don't want much because it is hard for me to imagine them being able to afford much.

:congrats:

I like an outdoor hot tub, though. We're thinking about putting one on our top floor terrace. There's something about sitting outside in 105 degree water that's different from sitting in a warm bath indoors. Especially if it's snowing or sleeting....that is nice.
I had one like that when I lived in Kansas City and everyone told me how much I would like it when it was snowing. In my imagination I was going to be out there with wine glass in hand watching snow flakes gently falling about me and melting into the heated water.

But in the reality of the few times I actually tried it there was a gale force wind blowing; the snow was mixed with sleet; it was about 20 below zero; and, the short few steps from the house to the tub was one very cold trip.

Probably a good thing the Millennials don't want much because it is hard for me to imagine them being able to afford much.

I think its like most things, when you are first out of college you gravitate towards trendier smaller places in the city, as you get older you tend to want to move out further and have more space around you.

One positive of the recession is that i dont see as many tv shows that have kids who just graduated from college demanding that their first house must 3000sf, 4 car garage, granite counters, subzero appliances, all for a bargin basement amount of 600k because they can stay in it for a few years and then flip it to get an even larger house - when their salary is only 50k a year.

You're right about the walk to the tub during a snowstorm! My last one was in a small, fenced side yard so perhaps it blocked the wind. I do fondly remember snowflakes melting on my face while I was blissfully warm. But I paid for it during the walk back to the house.

The thing about the article is it gives the perception that the tastes of Gen-Yers won't change - when we know it will. It isn't a generational thing - it is an age thing. When we bought our first home in 1996 we used the formal dining room 2 times in 6 years (and only one time to actually eat). We are now in our second home and use the formal dining room more often. In our first home we made the formal areas too formal. We had Queen Anne cherry furniture with white linens (I was actually afraid to use it). This time we went with leather sofas and more rugged 'old world' styled furniture. Still very nice heavy furniture but you don't have to get dressed up to use it.

We have kind of taken over the role of family meeting place for all holidays. As the parents and aunts and uncles have gotten older and moved to smaller homes we are the only ones with a big enough home to host the whole family.

Well seeing as the first Millenials are just getting out of college, and most are still in schooling of some sort, whether it be primary, secondary, or post-secondary, it's only natural that most will be trending towards smaller places that are more efficient than some ugly, oversized McMansion. We are the most educated generation and most-college bound generation ever, so when this recession clears up I don't see money being an issue as long as kids can find jobs in their respective careers, which seems to be the hardest part as Millenials have had the highest unemployment rate from ages 18-24 in 3 decades.

I have a formal dining room and formal living room in my mother's house. Those two rooms were NEVER used. Just for aesthetical purposes really. Agreed, complete waste of space.

Here's another paradigm shift: Put the washer & dryer in the master closet, where they belong. Do you know why they're usually near the garage? Do you know WHY they still build "living rooms?" Do you know why everyone has to have GRANITE countertops?

(The mind is a terrible thing to waste.)

Granite countertops are nice because they look good and are very durable. Quartz and Marble look great too but scratch/stain easily, which can be a problem in a kitchen. That being said I like the look of a solid color Quartz better, and I wish I would've put them in instead of Granite.

I'll add I'm 26 and this article pretty much nails it for what (most) people my age are looking for. Most of my friends still live in apartments but the few that have houses, especially the married ones, live in small houses in older neighborhoods. You can get decent 2-3 bd/1-2 ba houses within a mile or two of downtown OKC for less than 150K, which is pretty attractive.

I really like this thread, it's fun.
Imagine this scenario.
Man and wife and 9 children between the ages of 18 and 3.

I have a wonderful architect who is planning our home around our family situation.

Soaker tub? You bet.
Urinal? Wife won't allow it.
I've always wanted an outdoor shower, though.

Whoa...how do you find time (or the energy) to post? :LolLolLol

Well seeing as the first Millenials are just getting out of college, and most are still in schooling of some sort, whether it be primary, secondary, or post-secondary, it's only natural that most will be trending towards smaller places that are more efficient than some ugly, oversized McMansion. We are the most educated generation and most-college bound generation ever, so when this recession clears up I don't see money being an issue as long as kids can find jobs in their respective careers, which seems to be the hardest part as Millenials have had the highest unemployment rate from ages 18-24 in 3 decades.

I have a formal dining room and formal living room in my mother's house. Those two rooms were NEVER used. Just for aesthetical purposes really. Agreed, complete waste of space.
However, the "ugly, oversized McMansion" becomes much more attractive once you've lived in tiny, cramped little shoeboxes for long enough. Extra room to spread out in is a luxury. As for these formal living/dining rooms, who says they have to be used as such? I don't have either, but I have friends that use them as play rooms for the kids, one has a pool table in it, one uses it for a mini-gym. Just because someone calls a space a formal-this-or-that doesn't mean it can't be used as something else.

I want to see what the these 20-somethings live in when they are 40.

I used to have opinions about where the washer and dryer might go -- all dictated of course by my dedication to use and function. But my wife pretty quickly informed me that there was much more to a home than function and use. Children are an entirely different matter.

I did get to choose the windows and the heating and air conditioning. I built raised walkways in the attic and put in a nice attic lift. I got to work with insulation and the sprinkler system, too.

I used to have opinions about where the washer and dryer might go -- all dictated of course by my dedication to use and function. But my wife pretty quickly informed me that there was much more to a home than function and use. Children are an entirely different matter.

I did get to choose the windows and the heating and air conditioning. I built raised walkways in the attic and put in a nice attic lift. I got to work with insulation and the sprinkler system, too.

With recent memories of dragging down and back up tubs and boxes of Christmas decorations, an attic lift seems like it would be a great thing to have.

A few years back, I did an informal survey of people on another site where the average age was in the low 30's.

I asked people to report the approximate size of the house they grew up in with the total number of people, then asked for the same information for their current living situation. I was prompted to do this because houses on average are much bigger than when I was a kid, and families are definitely smaller.

What I found is that the average person -- in just one generation -- now has about 3.5 times the amount of square footage. Amazing if you think about it.


Personally, I grew up in what was one of the nicer areas of NW OKC and our family home was under 1,700 square feet. And we had five kids! At the time, nobody had much bigger houses than that.

Now, I live in a house about the same size but alone. I would certainly have a bigger place if not for moving to California. And my house is plenty full.

Just goes to show how the lifestyles have changed rather quickly.

I think its like most things, when you are first out of college you gravitate towards trendier smaller places in the city, as you get older you tend to want to move out further and have more space around you.

It's funny because the exact opposite is happening to me. I bought a 3000+ sq ft house before I had kids, obviously planning on having some. Now that I have kids it seems ridiculously big. The reality is that we always end up being together in the same room, so a large part of the house goes unused most of the time. It's totally unnecessary. Stuff to do together and being together ended up being much more important than trying to put more space between each other and the community we live in.

Now, we're seriously considering going much smaller and upgrading the amenities we do want, while staying in the inner city to be close to the things we like to do together. The best part is that we'd be able to save money, reduce waste (both time and money), AND have a home that better fits our desired lifestyle. I know it's not common here, but I can't imagine having more space around me or moving further out. I think I'd go crazy. ; )

There will always be d'bags that want a McMansion in the Burbs.
There will always be d'bags that hate everything about McMansions.

Only one thing is for certain. Both parties are d'bags.

As part of the GenX crowd I am finding myself grow more into age of appreciating what I had as a child and the space in a home. I grew up in Bartlesville in a decent home, 5 kids, 4 beds, living and den. What would have been a formal was our living room, the gather space was the dining which was open to the kitchen. The den was used for overflow or another tv room if you wanted something different, granted we ended up having a tv in all the bedrooms, dining, living and den.

Once I moved here for college I had the dorm life, various apartments, condos and now friends are starting the home purchasing process. I am currently in a 3 bed condo with 2 roommates at 1600 sf - a friend live by herself in a 1900sf 4 bed home with formal 'great room' and den. There are perks to all points and comes to preference at the time.

I work for a real estate co and see MANY homes in person. The current trend in new homes is having the open floorplan and space for gathering. A formal dining and 'great' room are open as one huge room which is usually open to the kitchen with a breakfast bar and an informal dining area. Formal living spaces are a thing of the past as most end up being a room to look at.

As for urinals, I have seen one home that was very custom - there was a urinal in the master bath as well as one in each of the bedrooms connected to the 'boys' bedrooms, these also had walk in showers as the 'girls' bedroom has a soaker tub.

One thing that is incredibly wasteful in large houses (apart from the other well-covered territory) is utility costs -- especially in a place like Oklahoma.

The expense can be staggering, especially in the summers. Most people I know in OKC rarely open their windows, as the AC or furnace are always on. So, you are forever heating and cooling thousands of square feet for a small amount of people that aren't home that much anyway.

At least with most home-related costs they are somewhat of an investment. But utility bills represent money just thrown away.

One thing I'm surprised nobody has touched on is energy costs (EDIT: I believe the previous poster just did LOL). It costs a lot to heat and cool 3000 square feet and its only going to get higher in the future. My aunt is a realtor in hot, sticky, humid Houston. Before the crash in 2008, she was having a wave of buyers cash out their equity in California and move to Texas. Of couse, these people were blown away by how much house they could get and would buy the biggest one possible. When she would follow up with them a few months later, they would be hot and bothered because its costing them $400+ in monthly electricity bills. Um, hello? That gigantic house with vaulted ceilings and huge gables isn't going to cool itself, especially in what is basically a subtropical climate. Obviously everyone's preference is going to be different but I can think of better things to do with my money than boosts OG&E's stock.

You have to look at total cost of ownership when it comes to a home, not just what you pay for it.

Utility bills are a huge part of that... Everyone gasps at California home prices but I pay almost nothing in utility bills: about $40 a month for electricity and about the same for gas (I have a gas dryer and water heater). There have been entire summers where I haven't even turned on my AC.

You also have to factor in appreciation, maintenance, etc. Even though home prices have dropped a lot out here, my house is still worth quite a bit more than when I bought it about 10 years ago.

Once you factor in appreciation and utilities, my house has cost me less than something comparable in Oklahoma, even though purchase prices are about 3-4 times what you would pay in OKC.

Why would you do that? The toilet is adequate enough.To have a cleaner toilet from less pee splash back and because I'm too lazy and rigid in my ways to put my pants down and urinate every time like a woman. Besides, a urnial is quite the guy kind of thing.

Fun thread to read. I'm always curious about the upbringing of other people.

We never had any "formal" anything at our house. One of grandparents had one and we used it only at Thanksgiving and Christmas meals...

Growing up with two brothers, highly into sports and always at least one dog in the house and basketball goal(s) in the back, we were always just trying to have fun and enjoy life. I NEVER understood the purpose of formal dining rooms or tables, etc. and that goes for "formal" pillows...I've never lived in a house that had any of them, just a couple blankets laying around each couch to flop on and watch some TV and relax...the parents house has had a ping pong table in the livingroom (fully setup) for the past 13 years. :)

The article was great to read as it described what I'm looking for but I realize that it's an "age" and circumstances thing on house sizes...to each their own.

I guess we will see how many complaints of "too small" we get from the new downtown housing.

There has been a move away from formal living rooms since the 70's.

Strangely, I have a small one in my current home and while I initially disliked the floorplan, I have to say it's rather nice to have a separate space to entertain and to merely reside from time to time. I sure like / use it more than I ever would have thought, as it's nice to have a room where the furniture isn't arranged as if you are worshipping the TV (which is almost always the case in a family room).

Still, if I was designing something I would not include any sort of formal space. For years, I lived in a very small house in Malibu but it was so beautifully planned (it was new) that in many ways it worked better than my current place that has about triple the square footage.

One thing that is incredibly wasteful in large houses (apart from the other well-covered territory) is utility costs -- especially in a place like Oklahoma.

The expense can be staggering, especially in the summers. Most people I know in OKC rarely open their windows, as the AC or furnace are always on. So, you are forever heating and cooling thousands of square feet for a small amount of people that aren't home that much anyway.

At least with most home-related costs they are somewhat of an investment. But utility bills represent money just thrown away.

One of the things I like about my in-law's 1960's-era home is that they have a huge attic-vented house fan in the hallway that draws in a cool breeze throughout the house when you open the windows. It's surprising what a difference it can make on a day you'd normally have the AC going.

Pete, you do not have to call it that name. You can use the space for anything. How about an aquarium? It is perfect to showcase any aquariums; saltwater, freshwater, and brackish. Or even Goldfish. Whichever you prefer.