How Much Space Do YOU Need to Live?

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At some point in the last two weeks I was reading a story on CNN.com which focused on how much space people need to live. Specifically, this story zeroed in on information sent in from what CNN.com calls “iReporters” (people like you and I who act as citizen reporters) and how much space they need to live. From the article:

Kate Meinhardt felt like a clown jammed into a Volkswagen bug when she lived in a 21-square-foot room aboard a circus train.

Bungee cords crisscrossed her walls once a week to prevent an avalanche of items from raining down. A microwave, mini refrigerator, her laptop and baskets of personal items lined the dorm-like room.

Showering, going to the bathroom and even doing laundry became racing contests on the train, Meinhardt said. The 13 people on board shared one shower, two toilets and one washer and dryer.

Wow. Could you imagine living in a 21-square foot room? That’s about 4 feet by 5 feet - something like a prison cell if you ask me.

The trend towards smaller homes continues. I read an article a few months ago that talked about how people are increasingly downsizing their living spaces to save on utility bills, upkeep, and maintenance costs. Some of these people were moving into 80-square foot homes - entire homes that are only 80 square feet! It sounds crazy, but these people are doing it and doing it successfully.

I’m not looking for an 80 square foot home. I’m looking for your average home size with at least two bedrooms and at least two baths. I’d prefer a home with a yard and a finished basement, but those are what I consider to be somewhat luxury items. Of course I could just move to the Poconos and get a gigantic home for a ridiculously low price, but there are no jobs up in the Poconos…

Is there a day coming when we all live in 80 square foot homes? Doubtful, though there is definitely a day coming when we live in more energy efficient homes which are designed to take advantage of the sun’s heat and the shade provided by trees.

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This entry was posted on Monday, December 1st, 2008 at 12:05 pm and is filed under Sustainable Living. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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