[megaman8]

I don't mind living in a small house (maybe not that small). But, the problem with most houses I see today, is that they're designed incredibly Ugly. I'm talking about the classic 2 car garage in front with an enormous concrete slab in-front (3 or 4 cars wide!!), and a little L shape next to it on a lot that's too small to accomodate such a layout and as a result, the neighbors house is 2 feet on each side.

Why can't they simply build a smaller footprint at the bottom, say half the size. make it two stories that way the neighbors house is further away and place the garage in the back somewhere and put a nice stone paved driveway (not too wide) leading to the back where the garage is.

The key to making these houses look nice whether it's small or large, is the ratio of height to width and length, as wells the features: such as a small tower, the slope of the roof, etc.

[bluGill]

They can build what you propose, but there is a downside: cost. A 2 story house costs more to build. Towers cost a lot of money for what you get, and are hard to insulate well. The driveway your propose actually takes up more of the lot than the one you hate (it is cheaper, but there are downsides to stone that makes most people willing to pay a lot more for something hard).

You can get the nice house you propose if you are willing to pay. However most people who build decide that pretty isn't worth paying that much extra for when a cheaper house gives them the space they want/need. When they realize that a square box with the garage out front is cheap to build but too ugly they ask was can be done and the builder offers a few features that don't cost that much extra to break things up. Which is why you see a lot of bay windows and dormers, but fewer two stories.

[megaman8]

personally, I'd rather have something that's smaller and better looking than large and ugly.

[pessimizer]

Choosing a house based on external appearance makes about as much sense to me as choosing a surgeon based on how handsome they are. Especially when that appearance ranking has nothing to do with cleanliness, or neatness, but, I don't know how to interpret this, culture or era of origin? Aesthetic, but not based on color or comfort or neatness or cleanness?

I'll never get conspicuous consumption.

[pchristensen]

This book (and others in the author's series) is a beautiful exploration of that concept: https://www.amazon.com/Not-So-Big-House-Blueprint/dp/1561583...

[bluGill]

That is you, and is your right. Some people are more concerned about space and don't care about looks, other care about looks over space. There are thousands of other considerations, and for the most part this is a continuum with many in between choices and trade offs that each makes.