Do you really need a house that big?

The average square foot of a new house have increased each decade. 

Is bigger always better?  If the thoughts of having a McMansion appealed to you despite the effort it would take to keep it clean, including cleaning 2 stories of a wall of windows, maybe you should reconsider...  Somehow a new house seems to show the dirt more than an older house.  Old houses have charm that it rare in a new house.  If that isn't enough to make you reconsider buying that castle...maybe the energy costs are something to consider.

The price of oil and gas is high and likely to get more expensive.  A heat pump, which uses electricity from your utility who likely burns coal to generate it, is the most affordable type of heating right now. Fossil fuels are most expensive.

I have a client who can afford anything but he is trying to be more eco friendly and not get a new McMansion.  Plus he would rather buy an existing house than build on raw land.   I wonder if this is a new trend?!   Maybe having a McMansion will have a stigma with some people that driving a Hummer does...

It won't be so impressive the way things are heading to have a 6,000 sq foot new house with 2 kitchens and 5 baths...Do you really need that?