The size of the average American home has nearly tripled in size over the past 50 years, but are people actually using all of the space they have? The other night Natalie and I were watching a documentary on Netflix called Minimalism and they mentioned a study where a center at UCLA tracked several families and how they moved through their home during the day. They found that only 40% of a home’s living space was used regularly — the family room and kitchen getting the most traffic.

Natalie and I have never had a large house. We started out in a very cozy one bedroom, one bathroom log cabin in the hills of Redwood City, and then shortly after bringing Jack home, we moved into a two bedroom, one bath. It’s around 1,300 square feet and I’d have to say that we do use every inch of it. For the most part, the layout works really well for us, and while we’re planning on making some improvements (including a new foundation and roof) and adding on to accommodate a growing family, we want to make sure we continue to utilize and appreciate our entire house.

I’ve seen a lot of really interesting properties that recently sold around town that I thought made the best with the space they had. What do you think — would you prefer to have more or less space in your home?

1031 Almanor Ave. Menlo Park
3 bedroom, 1 bath — 1204 sq. ft.
Sold $1,815,000

This home makes use of every square foot with a guest house/home office in the backyard and a finished bonus room and attic.  More >

931 Harrison Ave. Redwood City
3 bedroom, 2 bath — 1,550 sq. ft.
Sold $1,499,000

This ranch home offers enough space for the whole family and has an addition off the garage that could be used as an in-law, which the previous owners rented out on Airbnb averaging $150/day in income. More >

1031 Vera Ave. Redwood City
3 bedroom , 2 bath — 1,330 sq. ft.
Sold $1,341,000

Even though it’s under 1,500 sq. ft. the chef’s kitchen, spacious bedrooms, and indoor/outdoor space make this home feel larger. More >

327 Chesham Ave. San Carlos
2 bedroom, 2 bath — 823 sq. ft.
Sold $1,395,000

This cottage maximizes all 823 square feet with custom built-ins, lofted beds, and indoor/outdoor space. More >

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Cliff Whearley has been a resident of Redwood City for 23 years and was named Realtor of the Year 2016 at Dwell Realtors, Inc. If you’re buying or selling a home or have any real estate questions, he would love to work with you!