# How Much Homespace Do People Actually Use?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-homespace-do-people-actually-use/641303>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [November 17, 2012, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-homespace-do-people-actually-use/641303 "2012-11-17T13:11:19Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![Tastes\_of\_Chocolate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tastes_of_chocolate/32/3232_2.png) [@Tastes\_of\_Chocolate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tastes_of_Chocolate)\
**Post date:** [November 20, 2012, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-homespace-do-people-actually-use/641303/41 "2012-11-20T00:00:58Z")

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We have a little over 4,000 sq ft, mainly for 2 of us; 5 bathrooms, 5 bedrooms.The house is bigger than we really wanted, but we are converting part of it into an apartment for my parents.

So, a usage break down:  
Everyday use, 2 people - We use probably 1600sq feet, plus another 500 in storage/utility room.  
While my parents are with us - ~12wks out of the year right now, but growing. Another 1000 used all the time.  
10 times a year - We have 10+ people over, use most of the rest of the space, including up to 8 overnight guests.

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**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\
**Post date:** [November 20, 2012, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-homespace-do-people-actually-use/641303/42 "2012-11-20T00:49:57Z")

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> [@Martian Bigfoot](#):
>
> I don’t live in Asia, but I’ve been living in apartments of 100-200 square feet for most of my life. It can be bit of a squeeze, but you get used to it. Of course, I live alone. Put two people in that space, and I assume they’d eat each other within a week.

Where have you been living? That’s tiny even by Manhattan appartment standards.

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**Author:** ![kbear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4491bb/32.png) [@kbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kbear)\
**Post date:** [November 20, 2012, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-homespace-do-people-actually-use/641303/43 "2012-11-20T20:01:33Z")

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We (myself, hubby, 2 teenagers, one dog, one cat) live in about 2600 square feet and actually use it all. The children each have their own room. There is a guest room that doubles as a music room when the guitar teacher comes over. The living room/tv room and office are in the raised basement but I prefer to sit in the dining room on the main floor leading to the kitchen which leads to the patio. I prefer to be connected to the outside world.

We could get by without the guest room I suppose as everyone in my family is either too old or too broke to visit us in England but it’s nice to have. The layout is not really suitable for entertaining on any scale so we’re limited to small dinner parties where we spend most of the time sitting around the table…don’t really mind that. I’d kill for a south facing back yard tho!

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