Since our house-hunt with Trulia began, we have realized that, given our budget, we basically have two choices to make when it comes to bringing our jungalow dreams into a jungalow reality:
1.) Live in a spacious home (like around 1800 sq. ft.) about 20-30 minutes commute to our preferred area of L.A., like in, say, Alta dena.
OR
2.) Live in the general neighborhood we really want to live in (in or around Silverlake/Echo Park) in a small place (like right around 1000 square feet).
It’s not an easy choice. Our current rental is about 1100 Sq. ft. It’s cozy and full. It’s big enough for the three of us (or four of us if you include our cat or 8 of us if you include the stray cats who wonder in through the kitty door and think they own the place.) But at the same time, we have no dining room and Ida’s bedroom used to be my closet. But the location is SO good. We’re a 5 minute drive from Downtown, Silverlake and any number of freeways. We are a hop-skip and a jump from museums and cafe’s, amazing restaurants, lots of friends, the nursery schools we’ve applied to for Ida for the Fall, and we are also 20 minutes to my parents’ house who live on the West Side and 20 minutes from my in-laws who live in Pasadena.
With this in mind, we decided to keep an open mind and see what’s out there. We really, really like Alta Dena. There are funky vegetarian restaurants and good schools and it’s pretty close to places like York Blvd. in Highland Park so that the gallery/shopping/hipster juice bar vibe we’ve grown accustom to would be about a 15 minute ride away. But it is far from the nursery-schools that we’ve applied to for Ida and about an hour away from my parents’ place on the West Side which I don’t love. But none-the-less we’ve seen some great houses there.
Our favorite house in the Alta Dena area is seriously huge by our standards. It’s a three bedroom two bathroom. It’s on a 9000 Sq. ft. lot and is 1800 Sq. ft. It’s kinda far out from Echo Park (about a 25 minute drive without traffic) and the area is very residential. The inside of the home needs updating…but has SO much potential:
There’s lots of great natural light. I don’t even mind these tile floors. They actually remind me a lot of my apartment in Italy.
And I picture this brick mantel painted white. Let’s also ditch the wood paneling, and unearth for the hardwood floors that are probably hiding under the carpet flooring. And then let’s smooth out that ceiling. Sounds like a lot but I can picture this being pretty amazing with a bit of DIY elbow grease.
The kitchen has a ton of storage. And excuse me while I drool over a window behind a sink and a dishwasher. Yes, friends, a dishwasher. What a revelation.
And while I’m not into the wood panelling I do love that the kitchen is open to the living/dining room area. And this room is HUGE!
And…the crown jewel. A SUN ROOM!! You know how full of plants I’d fill this room?!?! And there’s a guest house in back that could be a new #JungalowHQ. And a big yard. Check the listing to see more pics.
And then there is the house in Frog Town…This house is right next to the L.A. river, which we love. The government is pouring a lot of money into revitalizing the L.A. river and there are cute little cafes popping up along it, and sweet bike paths and coffee spots within walking distance. It’s a great location, a bike ride away from Echo Park and Atwater Village, two of our favorite enclaves. The asking price is $40,000 under the Alta Dena house. And talk about curb appeal. How cute is this little Spanish Style bungalow?? It has JUNGALOW written all over it…but…it’s small.
It’s a three bedroom two bathroom like the Alta Dena house, but they all look more or less like this. Like I’m not 100% sure our king-sized bed will fit in here–but all the rooms are really bright and airy. We also peeked under the carpets, and YES! There’s wood on them thar floors!
The kitchen leaves a lot to be desired. It’s very narrow–I’m not a huge fan of galley kitchens. There’s not a ton of storage and the counter knocks into that window which I find super irritating. But then, look at all that natural light?!? And at least there’s a dishwasher!
And if we can get it for less money, we could use the additional loan amount to make our desired updates. We could knock down a wall or two…we could open up the space a bit and make some of the small rooms in the front of the house one big open space. Plus the place is zoned R2, which, as far as I understand, means that two residential properties are allowed on the lot, so we could legally build, say, a guest house in back and rent it out or use it as a studio.
I love the character of this house and even though it’s on the smaller side, the fact that it has so many windows makes it feel really open, and with the slightly cheaper price, and the R2 zoning I see a ton of potential here. Also, the location is central and desireable enough that we feel confident the value of the home will grow steadily.
So now we’ve got some decisions to make. What do you think? Would you go for the Spanish Bungalow by the river or the Alta Dena home that’s far out but humungous? In general, what sounds more appealing, big and far or small and close?
*I’m documenting our entire journey of becoming first-time home owners in partnership with the online real-estate site, Trulia. Catch up on all the posts here.
Good luck house hunting. That decision is so difficult. My husband, catleys, and me all moved this past January. Hope you find a home worthy of your delightful family.
Please follow your heart–the house by the river by far has the charm you love. My husband and I bought a small and ugly house (my realtor’s opinion) nine years ago, and it was on a river. I cannot tell you how much fun we had fixing it up, okay, he did the grunt work, and I just pointed. But the little house is so charming, and living small (we have only one closet for the two of us) is a life lesson in itself. Plus you have the advantage of living in California where the weather allows so much more outdoor living. UP here in New Hampshire, our seasons dictate our lives. Listen to your gut and not your head! Good fortune to you and your family. I just bought your book and I love, love, love it! It best describes my husband’s and my feelings about decorating. You rock, girl!
This is great to hear Gail! Thanks!!
Thank you so much Jennifer! Hope your move went smoothly!
Small and close! I bought a small house in my favorite neighborhood walking distance to everything amazing and am in love with my lifestyle. I felt trapped when I had lots of room but was stuck to a car ride to get anywhere. Now my stomping ground is HUGE and my house small and everything in it is carefully chosen and amazing because of the limited space. I got creative and put a bathroom in a weird barely useable space and a whole wall built in bookshelf for all my books, pottery and amazing trinkets.
I say go for Alta Dena. We’ve got the Huntington Library, Descanso Gardens, the Arroyo, a new co-op that opened in Alta Dena, the farmer’s market. The list goes on, but everything you want is a stones throw away. Kids thrive in natural environments.
Good luck!
Big and far. Trust me, eventually you will want that space. As a momma to 5 moving into a 3500 square feet home from a 1000, you are eventually going to want to have more room. (Even with only one kiddo!) Your daughter is only going to get bigger and invite all her friends over. Small is charming and fun, but sometimes you need a little room to breathe!
You can change anything about a house/property except its location. Live where you love! You can put so much equity into that Spanish bungalow with a little TLC, make a big profit in a few years and then do the same thing with your next home. Plus, that place has Jungalow written all over it!
It does right?! The greenery and the orange trim…I’m kinda in love :)
For some reason, knowing what your needs really are is one of the hardest parts about house-hunting, I think. My husband and I recently moved from a 1200 sq ft house into an 1800 sq ft house with a detached office (it’s just and 3 chihuahuas, no kids yet), and even though having the space is great, it’s also an invitation to hoard and sprawl (not that I really need an expressed invite to hoard, that comes naturally). I think the idea of living smaller in a place where you have a neighborhood or community as your home is really appealing, but I honestly don’t think I could pick between these–they’re both too charming! Good luck! No bad choice here.
Location, location, location! You have the option of building for more room eventually–I would definitely go for the cute jungalow with the possibility for growth but in the hood you love ❤️
This is soooo tough! I live only a five minute drive from a little village-y downtown area, but I really, really miss being within walking distance of shops and restaurants and a bike path. I do commute for 2 hrs a day though, so maybe if I didn’t do that, driving once I’m home wouldn’t seem so bad.
Small spaces can be annoying sometimes, but if you have plans to make it feel roomier/more open and can eventually expand – I think I would go small and close. Good luck!!!!
Small and close. Cash in on the equity when you find you need more space. The windows alone! But also proximity to family is soooo important when you have younglings.
Location matters, especially in LA! Think of the potential you have of building over the small house…literally OVER. If you get permits, you could potentially build UP instead of back. Space is wonderful and you’re going to need it but I would hate to sit in heavy traffic every day. Especially because you know you’re going to drive TO Silverlake/Echo Park everyday to just hang out and do the things you love to do.
My suggestion would be to pick the location you love. You can always expand later. Since you mentioned your daughters nursery/preschool is in the location you love…that is essential!. I have a preschooler myself..and since his school is just minutes away, it’s the best decision I made since I moved to my location. You can always move to a bigger place later. Good luck!
I have to agree with Patty I would pick the location you love and close to family.
Go for the area you love! If you’re able to build extra space on the Jungalows lot, do that! Believe me, you’ll want to stay in the location you love.
Hi Justine! I am a big follower and never usually post but thought I would on this one because I am architect and always reviewing zoning for my projects. So, R2 zoning doesn’t necessarily mean that you can build a two family house. Zoning controls use and building sizes. You will have to look at the regulations for that specific zone which will tell you how far back from the property lines your structure will have to be, how much of the lot you can build on and how much living area you can have based on the lot size. All this information is available on the city’s website. (Warning: Zoning language isn’t always clear and even professionals like me have a hard time deciphering.)
Based on a quick review of the R2 zone regulations, it looks like your best bet of increasing space is to build up. Let me know if you would like any additional information. I would love to help! Good luck with the house decision!
So sweet of you to chime in! It’s great to hear your professional opinion and the thought of building UP is really pretty neat!
My husband and I chose location over sf and I’m happy about it. I live within short distance from my friends, Copenhagen etc. We have 860 sf on ground floor plus a basement. And two teenagers. My son has the smallest room ever but it’s okay. My husband and I sleep in the basement in what could be ‘the lounge room’ with all my husbands old vinyl (former dj). It’s not a tradional bedroom. I love hanging out in that room and having a small family party.
Think out of the box when it comes to sf. The traditional way of thinking ‘dining room’, living room’ ‘studio’ etc can be challenged. There was an interesting Danish design programme on tv recently (I’m danish) which challenged the way we think about our home. The designer said: why use a room as a bedroom when the only thing we do in that room is sleep. It’s basically a waste of square feet. He moved from a big house back to a small apartment with his family because he did not want to spend all his money on living.
Good luck with your house hunting! And btw: I recieved your book the other day, love it!
http://designbykalle.dk/hjem/
Thanks so much! I really loved Denmark when I visited! I stayed in a small apartment for 6 weeks with 5 people, and you’re right…we had a great time and just defined the rooms differently than one might ‘expect.’ Thank you for the kind words about the book! I’m happy it arrived safely overseas and that you’re enjoying it.
I vote for location, too! That means, move to New Orleans! Haha. There’s not much happening in Alta Dena. Frog town is great and you’ll be close to yummy restaurants, coffee shops and all your homies!
Live where you love!
I think small homes build character; you all have to learn to live well together, to share and to be patient. All great qualities.
Small and close. Definitely. You with your amazing creativity will transform that small place into an awesomely beautiful and well-functioning home, there’s no doubt of it. I think we have this weird ‘thing’ about space in our culture– I like the growing trends of reducing, reusing, recycling, keeping life simpler and making do with less. (Space included!) Best of luck to you!
Thanks Annie. I think you’re right–bigger isn’t always better.
Wow! Both homes are amazing in their own special ways, making a decision really hard. I would suggest writing down what your lifestyle is (or what you want it to be) and from there you can (hopefully) determine what are some “must haves” in your home. Remember you can always remodel but you can never change the location.
My husband and I had a similar decision and we went with a smaller house and walkable location. We are a one car family and the ability to walk to a market, restaurants, parks and walkways has been perfect fit for our active lifestyle.
Good luck!!!!!
Definitely close and small! And this is coming from a London girl , where small is really small ;) but the perks of urban life are too good to give up for a slightly bigger home. Life is short and I would hate to spend it stuck in traffic all for a few extra square meters. Plus I think small spaces push you to be more creative with them, as well as being an incentive to get rid of unnecessary clutter!!!
Good points! I’m excited to start purging and getting rid of some stuff!
I would definitely go with the smaller house in the desired location. Especially because it has the same # of rooms. Ultimately, having the same number of doors to close is the most important thing. And the things you could do with it especially if you update the front room and kitchen space. Amazing curb appeal and ultimately, location is everything, you can change the house but not the location.
Two years ago, my fiancé and I were faced with a similar decision. We opted for the smaller house in our ideal location, with a shorter commute. The decision forced us to downsize as the home we were moving from was around 1900 sq ft and the house we chose was 1300 sq ft. Even with the loss of space we had grown accustom to, we’re so happy we chose location over a larger house in a not-so-ideal location.
One thing I love about small space living is less stuff (not necessarily less decor or practical items—but less useless stuff)! It forces me to be mindful of purchases and only buy things that are truly useful or I truly love. It also inspires my creativity as I try to make the spaces as efficient (and pretty) as possible.
Good luck with your decision!!
My boyfriend and I recently bought a small, slightly fixer home in Pasadena and five months later, we’re still really happy that we made the choice to go small in an area we love. There’s definitely a consistent theme among the comments. Find your creative happiness in an area that gives it life :)
Do you trust your gut feelings? If so, be still with yourself and follow what you may already know. I wonder if maybe you haven’t found the right place yet. There’s a big difference between the two places. Maybe you’ll find a more obvious choice later.
I would be worried about the air pollution if you are close to the freeway
In frog town
That smaller house is so beautiful, and location is SO important :-)
small and near. I took this decision 6 years ago and I do not regret any minute. I live in a 120 sqm house with husband and 3 kids and we have plenty of space. we have a nice yard and rebuild the house a bit to get one more room. it is awesome to not spend my life cleaning and I am very proud to not collect unloved things for years. Everything that is not need anymore goes away. we live in a wonderful neighborhood, kids walk to school and husband drives his bike to the office. It’s a wonderful way of life.
good lucky deciding!!!!
Hello, I don’t comment often, but I’ve been wanting to tell you how much I love your book! And, as someone who has moved many times and has lived in several variations of both scenarios ( far and big or near and small), I thought I would share that I have noticed that I have always been much happier as well as much more creative and productive when I opted for near and small. Good luck!
Thank you ELOÏSE! I love your name!! I’m so happy that you like the book! Thanks for chiming in :)
Go with what truly makes your heart sing. (If you were living in Europe, having a small space would be the likely-only option, and you wouldn’t give it a second thought.) Location comes first in my mind; the space will evolve and grow with you over time. And, I can’t see you actually regretting going for Small & Near…
I vote for the smaller home closer to everything you love. The proximity will allow you daily ease with driving and life. Farther out plus traffic, you’re spending more of your life in the car. In wish all the time we lived nearer our kids’ school so that they could walk. Yes more square footage is nice, but with your updates and the location, you’ll up the value a lot. So, eventually if you feel like you need more space, you can cash in for the bigger place.
I always vote for space (as long as it’s in an area you’re comfortable with). Altadena is so great (we are next door in Sierra Madre), and by LA standards, it’s so close to Atwater, etc–easy enough to hop over to, in my opinion–we go there all the time! There’s so much good stuff in Pasadena, too, that you’d have close access to. We love this area!!! (Clearly, I’m biased–hahahah!).
I think you’ll know which one to choose with a little time. It’s a hard choice to make though! Best of luck!
One of my best friends once told me that her family motto is, “Modest Home, Rich Experiences.” I hope her advice is as useful to you as it is to me. :-)
OR you could come and live up on Mt. Washington (best elementary in LA, 5 min to Highland Park) in this awesome abode: http://www.trulia.com/property/1092964277-3550-Roseview-Ave-Los-Angeles-CA-90065
Look at that yard and deck!
xo
I lean toward small and near for many of the reasons above. Plus, the area near the LA river is going to go up up up in value over the next few years. If you’re comfortable thinking of this as a starter home rather than a forever home, you will almost certainly be able to recoup your investment when you want to and move to somewhere larger.
Then again, are you sure that one of these is the house for you? There are always trade-offs, but maybe you can find something that’s a little closer than Altadena and a little bigger than Frogtown. Just as an example, some friends of mine just renovated this after buying it for a song: http://www.trulia.com/property/3175287684-2014-5th-Ave-Los-Angeles-CA-90018. Neighborhood is not hip, but has its charms and is conveniently located. Maybe the trade-offs aren’t so stark?
Living near relatives that can jump in at the drop of a hat is just too good to be true. Smaller means living with more of what you love and NOT living with things to fill space (even as a blogger). Go with your gut, but not knowing you, I’d pick LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION.
Check out some places in Cypress Park or Glassell Park. Just across the river from Frog Town, and you’ll get more space for your money!
Big and far… space is the new luxury! And by far, it does not seem too far for me. I live in small town which is 1 hour drive from Montreal and for me this is far. 30 min seems okay to me. But you’ll just pick whatever your heart wants. :) Good luck!
I’m going with the majority here. Small and close. Your wonderful neighborhood is an extension of your home. I chose to live near everything I do, places I love, wonderful friends, dining, and shopping. Living in a walkable neighborhood is a wonderful way to live, especially with children. I live in San Diego; we have our share of traffic issues, and I am so glad that is not part of my daily life. When you need more space, add on, sell and move up, or keep the house as a rental and buy another … PS: Also have and LOVE your book. Best to you!! Susan
location!!! think about your lifestyle first.
you don’t want to live in a big empty house all by yourself and be stuck in traffic all day.
I love the curb appeal on house #2. It is so charming.
Hi, Justina! As somebody who recently wrestled with similar dilemma..
I love the second house, but then I’m very partial to these Spanish style homes. They just make my heart sing.
The first place is nice too, and I like how you can see mountains in the background of the Altadena house..
I’d always choose the location and the bones of the house-things that are the hardest to change. Kitchen does seem very challenging though..it’s great that you’re checking your options of remodeling/increasing square footage. Major remodel is tough, but it might be all worth it in the end. The area seems desirable and great for your family..and this house is extremely lovable.
I choose location and charm when we bought our new house last year, also with a plan to build out. Long story short, the remodel is yet to start, it’s all annoying as hell, and sometimes I question my choice. Because, you know, there’s five of us. So these 1700 sq f that would be humongous for us many-many years ago, are a bit of a stretch right now. But there is something about this place that makes me calm, even amidst this havoc. You know y o u r place when you see it, right?..
Whatever you decide, I wish you great luck, and I believe you’ll make any of these or maybe other houses you’ll see and fall in love with, into a wonderful, amazing, beautiful home.
PS I must say I also got your book and read it, like, three or four times already. I love it. It’s my new favorite book. So, excited to have it, and excited to tell you how great and inspirational and lovely the book is.
Thank you so much for chimining in–about the house and about the book as well. It’s great for me to hear from people who are dealing with some of the same issues as me–I’m nervous about a remodel but I do think it would be fun, too. xx ~j
Hi, Justina! I have lived in Atwater Village for the past 10 years and I adore my neighborhood!! A walk to the river to visit the horses, meditate, or run up and down the embankments with the firefighters doing their morning exercises, or bike along the trails or over the bridge to Griffith Park…I would choose neighborhood over size again and again, especially if it’s a hood with so much to love! My mama and I went on an urban hike to the farmer’s market up the street, then over the hill to Trader Joe’s, then into Los Feliz to the healthfood store for juices, lunch and people-watching, then back down Los Feliz blvd. toward home as we picked loquats off the trees and ate them while we walked; it was beyond lovely. Our homes extend beyond the walls we live within. Good luck on your happy expedition! (And see you on Pinterest.;))
We are going through the exact same thing right now – right down to the same neighborhood debate! My husband, daughter and I live in a teeny bungalow in Echo Park and are looking for our next place (we actually met briefly last summer while I was pregnant when I totally fan girl accosted you in the parking lot of Sage :). We’re hoping to stay in the area – but things have gotten so crazy around here that we’re worried about selling our current place and then having nowhere to go. And my husband keeps finding all these awesome places in none other than Altadena…which neither of us have ever actually been to, but it keeps taunting us with its listings! Deasy Penney had a beauty in Altadena they just listed, but not nearly as big as the one you’re looking at here.
Not sure if this anecdote is helpful advice since I’m still grappling with the same debate myself, but we bought our place in EP just over 2 years ago. Love the general location and our little 900 sq ft place is cute as a button. The upside of having the tiny space is that we streamline everything and we get out of the house a lot more – Elysian has become our backyard. The downside is I run around cleaning 24/7 and still it’s impossible to find a place to put away everything with so little space. As much of a pain it is to sell our place after such a short time here, this area will likely always go up in value, even if the market takes its occasional dips. So you could live in the area you like and if you find yourself outgrowing a smaller home in this neck of the woods, chances are likely that you won’t lose out if/when the time comes to sell it and move somewhere bigger.
All that said, we have the same conversation with ourselves basically nightly- stick around here in a smaller place, but close to our all friends and shops, restaurants…or move a bit further out and find a place we wouldn’t find ourselves outgrowing as quickly. Are you looking in Eagle Rock at all? The schools are supposed to be great, and not quite as affordable as Altadena but not as nutso as SL/EP, and it’ll likely go way up in value over time. Anyway, hope that didn’t confuse matters even more for you- just wanted to say, I feel ya, big time! Good luck on the search!
I am from California, but I have lived in the Netherlands for five years now and your “small” option is pretty standard for a family home here. We (2) live happily in half that area! It takes some adjusting in how much stuff you have and the size and design of that stuff, but it is a great way to live! When you are closer to where you want to be, you don’t need the super-sized fridge, because you can stop by shops a few times per week, instead of bulk shopping on weekends. Also, if you are in a great location, you spend so much of your time in your community, instead of cloistered in your home. Especially if you have outdoor space and year-round good weather! I would highly suggest looking at some small living space inspiration to see how it’s done and if you think it would work. Loving where you live – your home, community, how you get around, what you have access to – pays dividends every single day.
Good luck, I hope you’re happy wherever you end up! Love your blog!
Coming from an Altadenan (that’s Altadena BTW, not Alta Dena), I would go for the Frog Town bungalow. I love Altadena, but traffic is a nightmare and you’ve got that awesome new greenway next to the LA River. However, one super thing about Altadena, is that you’re above the smog level and you’ve got the San Gabriel’s right in your back yard, if you’re at all interested in the outdoors. At the same time, Echo Park and Silverlake have all of those terrific secret stair hikes! Sorry, I’m not helping…there’s better restaurants over by you. Altadena sucks in the restaurant category.
Omg ive been traveling so much recently i missed this post:(. Of course at this point i already k ow you went with the cute little spanish bungalow, which totally had my vote! We had space…tons of it and traded it all in for a much smaller house in a location that makes my heart sing. We def need one more bedroom and bathroom, but we will eventually build and get therem For now im enjoying the happiness of being in a neighborhood we adore. Congratulations my sweet friend. Also…i just got your book today for my birthday. Its seriously the best present EVER. Im incredibly happy for you love. Youre amazing.