Mr Lee Posted June 28, 2010 Posted June 28, 2010 Condos and some homes we have looked at are getting smaller all the time. When we looked to buy I wanted at least 80 square meters to have enough room to live and also for the costs to not be too high to keep cool and maintain, so I wonder what others might think is an appropriate size to live in for 2 or more people? I now see condos that are 18 to 22 square meters and two of them makes up a two bedroom unit. :541: How can that be? I do not think I could live in anything less than at least 30 square meters and that feels cramped to me, so unless all a person does is sleep in the unit, how small is too small and I am not talking sexual here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Art2ro Posted June 28, 2010 Posted June 28, 2010 (edited) Yeah, I know what you mean by small! Due to location, location, location, it seems like the Philippine home financiers and developers are just trying to cramp smaller units on smaller lots to gain a higher profit margin, because they can and more money in their pockets! It's all about greed in the Philippines! So, if you have the big bucks, you can buy what ever size of dwelling you desire, but if not and your finances is limited, you're stuck with the smaller units! I wouldn't buy anything smaller than 60 square meters just for a floor plan consisting a living area not including a 2 car garage or single car carport weather it's a condo, townhouse or a single level or 2 story home!We paid P2.5 million for our home in 2001 and now, there aren't any homes here in our subdivision for under P5 million! How do like them apples? :541:or Edited June 28, 2010 by MrBBtheFilAm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldutot Posted June 29, 2010 Posted June 29, 2010 (edited) My house in metro Manila is 120 square meters and a million pesos works for me. Edited June 29, 2010 by oldutot Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ancienrocka Posted June 30, 2010 Posted June 30, 2010 I live with my wife and 2 other family members in a 50sq.m. 2 storey Town House and find it plenty big enough.I came from huge 5 bedroom house in Australia with 4 separate living/dining rooms which occupied by the same number of people. We spent most of the time in one room and the rest were almost always unused.I love the fact that a smaller house makes you live as a family not individuals.Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jake Posted June 30, 2010 Posted June 30, 2010 I live with my wife and 2 other family members in a 50sq.m. 2 storey Town House and find it plenty big enough.I came from huge 5 bedroom house in Australia with 4 separate living/dining rooms which occupied by the same number of people. We spent most of the time in one room and the rest were almost always unused.I love the fact that a smaller house makes you live as a family not individuals.Paul Hello Ancientocka,You're obviously a very happy camper. Your profound statement "I love the fact that a smaller house makes you live as a family not indviduals" is a culture common in the Philippines. You certainly have adapted quite well, coming from an oversizedhome in Australia.Well done sir -- Jake Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ancienrocka Posted June 30, 2010 Posted June 30, 2010 I live with my wife and 2 other family members in a 50sq.m. 2 storey Town House and find it plenty big enough.I came from huge 5 bedroom house in Australia with 4 separate living/dining rooms which occupied by the same number of people. We spent most of the time in one room and the rest were almost always unused.I love the fact that a smaller house makes you live as a family not individuals.Paul Hello Ancientocka,You're obviously a very happy camper. Your profound statement "I love the fact that a smaller house makes you live as a family not indviduals" is a culture common in the Philippines. You certainly have adapted quite well, coming from an oversizedhome in Australia.Well done sir -- Jake Thanks Jake,You are right, I am very happy with my new lifestyle - well nearly new - I've been here 3 years now.We live also live in the community with no gated guardhouse, a sari-sari store 3m from our front gate and many Filipino friends who just drop in.Having a wonderful wife helps a great deal also!!!Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Genius Posted July 4, 2010 Posted July 4, 2010 80 metres for a one bedroom apartment is what I consider civilised.100 metres for a two bedroom.22 metres is a a little bit mean spirited hotel room, but as somewhere to live, I consider it quite outrageous. I m talking apartments here, if you have a tiny house with outsize space, porch, garden etc, that changes things considerably. I actually need pacing space, space for stuff. I mean people in hong kong live in metal cages stacked into apartments to make better use of the space, doesnt mean it is viable for me. Hope the cebu market keeps on building tiny apartments until they have totally saturated the market, and really cant sell them to the localsor expats anymore, then I might buy a few and knock them together.Stange, when plenty of the off plan apartments in Cebu are significantly more expensive per square foot than in the financial district of the capital.Do not think it will persist in the long term, the reason makati is cheaper is because of the massive oversupply in the luxury sector, same will happen to Cebu. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sampaguita Posted July 5, 2010 Posted July 5, 2010 This topic worried me at first. I grew up with a lot of people living in a very small house so our 80 plus square meter condo is more than we really need for two people and IMO 40 square meters would be enough for us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Genius Posted July 5, 2010 Posted July 5, 2010 This topic worried me at first. I grew up with a lot of people living in a very small house so our 80 plus square meter condo is more than we really need for two people and IMO 40 square meters would be enough for us. Maybe I m a little warped with my sense of space, having grown up in a large commercial building and since been used to large places. I guess one advantage is not having to pay a fortune in cleaning air con bills, each to their own and to their means. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Lee Posted July 5, 2010 Author Posted July 5, 2010 This topic worried me at first. I grew up with a lot of people living in a very small house so our 80 plus square meter condo is more than we really need for two people and IMO 40 square meters would be enough for us. Maybe I m a little warped with my sense of space, having grown up in a large commercial building and since been used to large places. I guess one advantage is not having to pay a fortune in cleaning air con bills, each to their own and to their means. Absolutely, different needs for different people. I like our whole home to be cool 24/7, so during the hot months having a smaller place helps keeps our electric bills down while living in the Philippines. I know of many expats who only keep their bedrooms cool and some who do not use aircon at all, but that would just not be for me, so if it makes them happy then so be it, and keeping cool makes me happy but does freeze my poor wife at times. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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