We live in a very small apartment in New York City, as do most people around here. I’m not complaining, as there is space for everyone to work, relax, and have some “alone time” in their respective rooms. We are very good and packing things away, and not letting space go unused. Our apartment is full, but in no way feels cluttered. Part of the reason for that is that we do have a storage space. But half of that unit is full of books.
About once or twice a week, we start talking about buying a place Upstate. Not sure if we will ever really do it, or afford it, but in these conversations we dream of owning a weekend/vacation place. Maybe we rent it out for extra money, maybe we keep it all to ourselves. What we do know is that we can’t leave NYC for the foreseeable future, so we can’t buy a home too far away.
Lately, I’ve had this crazy idea, which is that we buy some land, and have a small house built on the property – like a small two bedroom/one bath. Something very modest, quaint, and a basement would be cool, but it would be a house that is as far and away from a McMansion. (My brother’s house is so big; our apartment could fit in his livingroom. Not kidding on that.) I would be fine with a two-story, but all said and done under 1,000 square feet. Hell, it could be less that 800. The point here would be that with a decent piece of land, we could also add small out dwellings; like a studio for me, and an office for the wife. A guest house even. Maybe something for the kid. Who knows; I’m spending money I don’t have?
I guess what I am describing here is wanting to build a complex; a compound. But one that doesn’t involve a cult. In one sense, I want to keep living in a small dwelling. But in another sense, I want to have several small dwellings so we can all go and disperse to them from time to time.
