my husband decided as a doctor, he just HAD to live in a 5,000sqft house on 3acres of land.
We’ve been there for 5 years. it took us all 5 years to get it the way we want it as far as decorating painting,etc.
it’s the prettiest house i’ve ever lived in…and I hate it.
I’m not a house person.I’m not a yard person.
Given the choice I’d be in a gorgeous condo somewhere near to my office.
Neither.
Small house with medium sized yard. I have short attention spans for yard work and house cleaning.
Defining terms: Small house is 600-1199 square feet, not counting unfinished basement or attic. Medium yard: 1/3-1/2 acre.
Small house with a big yard. We like to do backyard gardening.
Small house, big yard. I, too, like to garden. What we actually have- small house, small yard. I have two small beds in my side yard because that’s where the sun is.
There are many old, tiny houses (no garages, attached or separate) lining the major street in the town where I used to live, with postage stamp size lawns. They were built years ago for factory workers, who walked to work. Now, being there is no more factory, they are rented out, cheap, to all manner of transient riffraff. One mile away, there are a few stunning old mansions with beautiful grounds, (not lawns, but grounds!), set back from the quiet streets in the woodsy hills overlooking the defunct factory. Guess who those houses were built for?
Small house, big garage. 
Assuming that “sufficient interior space for you and your family and belongings” includes expansion room for my constantly growing library and plenty of storage space, I could live with a smaller house with a big yard. As others have pointed out, a big yard means that if necessary you can add on to the house or even put up a separate building. And I’d like to have room for a garden, especially with food prices the way they are.
I’d take the small house with the big yard. I tried to buy a 970 sqft house on 10 acres earlier this year. I like being able to go outside and relax but its hard to to with people around. If I had to still be in a suburban setting I’d take the big house and lock myself away from the world. I guess my answer would be whatever would allow me to see the least number of people.
I concur. The little yard I have now gets mean griping and bitching every time I go out to work in it.
Interesting. Right now, poll numbers are 2:1 exactly for “small house, big yard” but comments indicate exactly the opposite.
Actually, our half-wild yard IS an actual nature preserve. I have a sign and everything. (through the National Wildlife Federation, $50 donation). You are supposed to be pesticide free and provide a haven for birds and wildlife (it’s not like they come and check up on you). So far we and the critters have co-existed with no big problems.
We currently cram 2 people into 800 sq feet on just under 3 acres.
I am fast eroding physically from crutches to wheelchair. Even with modifying the house it will be impossible to really use the house properly in a chair. There is no way to transfer onto the toilet, though the shower is accessible. The kitchen is borderline usable. Screw it.
Actually I said big house tiny yard, personally I would prefer a huge condo though we will probably end up with a very custom house on large property [we have been looking at 10 acre lots in Kerman CA recently] and the master bedroom will be 20x30, the walk in closet a shared 10x20 and the bathroom will be at least 10x15. Unlike most couples, the majority of our clothing is actually my husbands … but we need the closet space for chair access, and the washer/dryer will be in the closet. The plans we have been batting around call for 2 guest bedrooms of 20x20 sharing a 10x15 bathroom, but part of that 20x20 includes closet space so they really are not that out of proportion.
I know it sounds strange to have large bedrooms, because most people don’t really spend that much time in there, normally just sleeping. Unfortunately as my health gets crappier, I am spending more and more time stuck in bed because the house really isn’t all that chair accessible. I have gotten into the habit of wanting more of my possessions accessible in my bedroom. I am trying to figure out how to make my desktop accessible while I am in a chaise longue type sofa/chair [I hate standard recliners but the [chaise longue](http://mademoiselle-rose.typepad.com/.a/6a00e54f0ccd958834010536e6c779970b-750wi) I tried over at IKEA is seriously comfortable. I am thinking some sort of swing arm mount for the monitor, and a hospital table for the keyboard and trackball.
Buy a house out of town that’s decent-sized, with a big yard.
We live on 15 acres. Our house is in the middle of the lot, and is fairly small (small log house with 2 bedrooms and 2 baths).
I *love *the privacy. You can’t see our house from the road. And I can’t see any neighbors when I walk around the house. I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Yep, that’s how it is here. I can walk outside naked, pee outside, shoot guns, crank heavy metal music, etc. I love the freedom. 
I expected more people to say big house, small yard considering that it seems so many new housing developments look something like this.
Of course, “big yard” is relative. I think a big yard is an acre, where city folk think “big yard” means your whole plot is a quarter acre.
Big house.
There will be more books.
Personal preference (and personal house): small house for my socioeconomic group, large yard for the same.
Current (rental in a foreign country house): palatial house that’s way the hell too big and has only a small yard, but at least it’s a yard because most Chinese are forced to live in big buildings with many other families – kind of like how people that have to live in places downtown Chicago are forced to live. Apartments, that’s it. I’m happy to have a yard at all because most people have to live in apartments.
