S/O Staying in Starter Home--How Big / Small was your starte

Our first house was 1,800 sq ft. We're in our 3rd house and have only gone up 300 sq ft to 2,100. It's just the 2 of us, plus our pup, so we don't need more space and I don't want more to clean. The ONLY thing I would add, if I could, would be an upstairs bonus room (All of our houses have been 1 story, and I like it that way.). Other than that, I'm perfectly happy with what we have now.

We moved due to DH's job and future jobs. We moved again due to his current job and 100 mile+ commute.

Our starter home was 1470 square feet, 62,000 and we stayed in it 15 years. I loved our home. It was 3 bedroom, 2 full baths, 2 car garage and just perfect for 3-4 people. I found myself a single mom after being there 6 years and was able to continue to stay in our home. 

The only challenge with the home was the neighborhood. No real HOA, too many homes became rent homes, other homes that weren't kept up. We stayed in for 2 years once I remarried but then sold it and moved on. 

Our starter home was 2100. We planned to be there for 5-7 years then move up but housing went up so fast that we couldn't afford to move up. Our house went up too but the tax base in the new houses meant we couldn't afford the taxes. We stayed in that house for 18 years and sold last summer. We moved to a cheaper area snd have more house for less than what we made on our old house - higher taxes but reasonable.

The only house we've purchased is 1800 sf 3 bd + office, 2 1/2 bath. We didn't buy until we were in our mid 30s, though. We had moved to a community right after getting married where we thought we'd only stay 1-2 years and the market was super depressed. We didn't want to be saddled with something we couldn't sell. Then, by the time we decided to stay longer term, the market had exploded and was super overvalued. So, we didn't buy then either. We ended up living in that community for the first 10 years of our marriage and rented the whole time. We finally bought our house when we moved where we are now.

So, ours might not be a traditional "starter home," but it's the first home we've owned, so for us, it is.

DH and I bought our first house a year after we were married. It was a 1500 sq. foot house with 3 bedrooms and 2 baths for $83,000. We loved that house, except the kitchen had a weird layout that I hated from day one.

5 years later, we sold it and lived with dh's parents for 6 months while we built our "dream house" which was almost 2300 s.f.

We lived there for almost 9 years, then had the opportunity to buy my grandmother's house after her passing for a screaming good deal. We now live in a 2100 sq.ft house that is 2 doors down from my parents and the house I grew up in!

We plan to stay here for another 8-10 years until our kids are in college.

Lana

Our "starter" home was a 2-bed, 1 bath. We stayed 30+ years. We did add another bath and bedroom. Never thought we would stay that long when we bought, but you make plans and then "life" happens!

1100 square feet with 3 bedrooms and a one car garage and almost no yard.    It was fine for a family of 3, not so much for a family of 6.  If we could have added on maybe it would have worked but it was a townhouse and unless we added on a 3rd floor there was nowhere to expand. 

 Our house now is 1900 square feet with plenty of room to breathe for all 6 of us.   

Our starter home was 1191 square feet, 3 bedrooms, 1 bath. When we bought the house, it was just dh and I. It was a fixer upper, and the washer and dryer was in a detached garage. We did so much work to get the house looking nice, but we just outgrew it. When we sold it 10 years later, we had 2 kids and my mom living with us. We were cramped for space, and needed another bathroom.

Like you stated in the OP, it is easier to stay in a larger home.  I've only ever purchased one home 22 years ago and it is 2100 sq ft.  I actually think it will be too big for us when my kids are out of college.  I actually think it might be good if I can sell it to one of them so they can afford a house like this when the time comes that we can't do the stairs anymore.

First house (we were in it for 18 years) was close to 2900sf. Homes Since then have been markedly smaller, and I couldn't be happier about it!

Wow, I can't even remember exactly. Maybe...1000 sq feet? Certainly wasn't more than that. We moved before we had kids for other reasons, but we would have never stayed in it after we had more than 1 kid. 

Now that we are empty nesters, we are looking to downsize from our current home. I don't want more than 1800 sq feet (and it has to be one level). I don't want the cleaning and any "free" space, my dh will take up with his "collections" so I don't want "free" space. One of my girls is very concerned that we will have a guest bedroom for her to stay in when she visits. I reminded her that hotels exist for a reason. I further reminded her that after the age of 12, she never slept in her own bed anyway -- she likes the couch better. LOL

Our "starter" home is our current home - 1300 sq feet and we've been here for 20 years, and have 2 teenage sons. I like small spaces, and I certainly like the freedom of being 43 years old with no house payment thanks to our happy small space :-) :-)

Our first house was 1400 sf.  It wouldn't have been bad if it was a rambler but it was a tri level home and I swear half the house was hallways or stair cases.  I am scared half to death of moving back in a starter. I have 3 kids and I am married to a hoarder my new word for pack rat.
jen