Depends on which definition you look up. Many refer to it as both the steps and the flat platform. Here’s one as an example from the Cambridge Dictionary: “a raised flat area in front of the door of a house, with steps leading up to it” which mirrors my own personal use.
There’s not a wrong answer if it’s YOUR answer to how you address it. Your answer might just need a little detail to your porch, nook or whatever when talking to others! 
We have a screened-in back porch and an eat-in kitchen, not a nook. Unless it’s High Holidays or we have lots of
company, we don’t use the dining room (which is part of the L-shaped living room).
As far as how we use our house, this place screams for a ground level-MBR and bath for aging in place. We have a 60s four-level split that requires stairs to any bathroom. At this point, that means neither of our dads can come to visit. Neighborhood resale prices will not support a $125k addition to the house, though.
I wouldn’t mind a well-planned, 1800 sq ft single level house (or at least one that has all the essentials on the ground floor), but I don’t see that happening.
We use only about 1/3 of our current home. I’ve been planning for years to build a smaller one-story house but dh has made it clear that he doesn’t want to move for at least a decade unless we have grandchildren. Even then, the grandchildren would be near enough for weekend visits so he may prefer to remain here and stay in a hotel there.
Large houses in our area have never recovered from the crash, while prices for smaller houses have fully recovered with new construction going for more than in 2006. If we remained in this area, the full proceeds from the sale (we don’t have a mortgage, so just net of RE commission and closing costs) would be required for a much smaller house on a tiny lot with no privacy or view.
I comb MLS listings regularly and rarely find a house that provides the accessibility we now have with 36" doors, an elevator and no steps to the back yard. When I look at other states, I’m reminded of how very low property taxes are here, too.
Even though it makes no sense financially, if dh is adamant about staying here then I may end up remodeling our kitchen to make it easier to use. I need to find a CKD who also has aging in place training in order to get a functional design.
I wonder if personal steps per day relate to home space use. I am sure that since retirement and more steps (10,000 ave) I use 85% of our space. Before retirement and after empty nest steps (1500 ave) used 70%.
My definition of a porch is similar to @doschicos.
My house is over 4000 sq ft and it is now just two of us and the dog. Over half the house doesn’t get used unless we have overnight guests. We have separate heating, Ac and water heater for each half of the house. It seems at times an indulgence to have so much space go unused but I don’t think we will ever move. One day we will have grandkids and I want the space for them.
We have an open concept that includes a family room, kitchen with an area for a table that seats 6. We also can seat 5 at our kitchen island. We did away with the formal dining room but have an informal dining area as part of the family room. We use that area daily. Our living room doesn’t get used much but we do have a study that H uses most evenings. Our master has a seating area so we use our master as a relaxation spot as well as a place to sleep.
We have a long covered veranda running along one side of the house. We also have a deck outside of our master bedroom and outside one of our kids bedrooms. Both of these are wood, covered and on the second floor. The master deck has a spa so H uses it most days.
I always find it interesting when watching all the homebuying shows how everyone talks about having coffee outside or eating outside. We have a lot of outdoor space but we do most of our dining inside. If we have guests in summer we will eat outside or sometimes my H and I will eat our lunch by the pool but for the most part we eat inside at the kitchen table. I don’t know if that’s because the entire side of our house that fronts our outdoor space is windows and huge sliders. When we are eating inside or sitting inside it still feels like we get the openness and views of the outside.
Great thread. For me personally, function and space flow always prevail over size and the number of rooms. And while the esthetics is also very important, I am a big fan of functional interior design.
Our house is a classic colonial, but it really functions as a small boutique hotel with one shared common area (where everyone can socialize and make noise any time they want without disturbing the others) plus several private living spaces (where anyone can depart to work, take a break or nap any time they want without being disturbed).
The private living spaces are mostly on separate floors (we have 4 levels including a finished walkout basement and a finished attic), have no shared walls, good sound insulation and multiple functions (most of these spaces have a bed, a closet, a private or semi-private bathroom, a desk, and a sitting area with a TV). These include our second-floor master suite with a private bath, and his and hers windowed walk-in closets; another 2nd floor bedroom (also used as a library) with stairs leading to a finished attic above (creating a large open duplex), and a family/rec room with an adjacent small bedroom and a private bath located in the basement. We also have another separate guest bedroom on the second floor, and another bathroom that serves that bathroom and the duplex.
The shared area is on the main floor and incudes a foyer, a dining room, a kitchen, a living room and a sunroom (also used as an office and a TV room). The dining room is semi-connected with both a foyer and a kitchen, making both rooms look more spacious and dressier. We have no kitchen table and can only seat a few people at an island, so we use a dining room quite often. The living room and a sunroom are adjacent to each other and are relatively private, so we can always close the door and use it as another guest space when we have an overflow (we’ve done it quite often).
We also have a separate finished work/storage area in the basement, including a mudroom, a laundry room, a second refrigerator, a pantry, a boiler room and some exercise equipment. This area is connected to a very small one car garage.
It all sounds like a huge house, but it’s really quite average for our neighborhood and even by this thread’s standard. The living area (not counting the attic and the basement) is 2,600 sf with 3 bedrooms (including the master) and 2.5 bath. No family room and a relatively small kitchen without a table. The attic and the basement were already finished when we bought the house many years ago, but we rearranged and renovated both (mostly the basement, only minor changes in the attic). When the kids were small, we used the attic as a playroom – no toys were allowed to spill over to the second floor, and anything that did was (temporary) confiscated - the main area 2 levels below was always perfectly clean. Grandparents live very close by and visit often, so they use the basement as their private quarters without disturbing anyone. The kids also visit often, and bring friends and significant others. And we often have many guests. Actually, we’ll be hosting 8 people this weekend, and everyone will be private and comfortable.
All that said, I think it’s time to downsize. I am ready for a large apartment or a townhouse with great storage space, a private laundry and a balcony. About 1600 sf would work for me with good space planning.
I adore dining outside! If we are home on the weekend in the summer and it’s good weather I COVET my morning breakfast time out there! Wish I could start everyday that way!
@abasket what is it about eating or drinking outside that feels so good to you? Fresh air, sunshine?
I’m an outside person overall. Windows open, be outside, walk outside daily at lunch at work, etc.
It’s “luxury”. I work M-F and don’t even take time for breakfast at home (I bring my breakfast to work) - the M-F schedule is VERY scheduled and planned - make bed, shower, get food ready to take to work, take dog for a walk, leave - all by 7am. I like the sights and sounds of being outside, seeing someone walk or run past, a little bit of leisure time, the fresh air, and I almost always make great weekend breakfast food so there’s that!!!
Our house is 4300 sq ft, way larger than we need, except when it is full of guests, as it was this past summer. Our next house will be half the size, that I know! We do use our formal dining room a lot, even when it’s just the two of us. We rarely use the formal living room, or the library, except to run in and grab a book to take elsewhere.
My ideal house would have a light-filled master bedroom and bath, a bunch of tiny little guest bedrooms (like nun’s cells), several bathrooms for guests to share, a sunny family room, a sunny kitchen, and an attic office and workout room.
My DD bought a home that looks 100 years old from the outside, but is only 30 years old. When you walk in, the room that is probably the formal living room has glass etched French doors to access it and we call that room the parlor
I lived in a 4000+ sq ft home before downsize it to 1300. There were 4 of us before and now it is just me. It is a 2 bedroom and 2 bath apartment in NYC. I use one bedroom as my study where I could work remotely sometimes. I have a fairly large open space that fits a baby grand piano, sofa, and a large dining table. I use every room, including the kitchen. I really had to de-clutter to fit everything in the apartment.
Our living room was originally a front and back parlor, with a fireplace between. Prior owners opened it up, removed the fireplace (also to fit in a baby grand.). At 30’ long, with two doorways, we could make the back end a bed space, partition it off. Of course, the daughters are scandalized by this idea.
My issue with moving away and getting a 2 bedroom is that I think I’d like one BR for each D to visit, with SOs and future children. I’m probably dreaming.
“At 30’ long, with two doorways, we could make the back end a bed space, partition it off.”
Or turn it into a bowling alley. That’s huge.
The functional problem, dos, is it’s 13.5 wide. So often, long house rooms like that are 16 or more, fitting a sofa and side tables with space to spare. This is a detail that only bothers me, though.
83 - decks next to the house are required to be attached to the house by code (and with proper flashing). :) But a "deck" can also mean a structure above ground level that is situated somewhere else in the backyard. So in a nutshell, not all decks are attached to houses. But all porches are. :) At least here in PNW.
Speaking of using the space, today I used the laundry room, the powder room, the kitchen, the side deck (to grill ribs), and the back deck (to eat the ribs). Now we will go upstairs to use the master suite (where we began our day).
Took the day off so after doing a few items on my to-do list for the day I’m sitting on my deck attached to my house overlooking my patio (on the ground), next to the sliding glass doors of my sunporch (surrounded with glass) enjoying my breakfast and coffee with my dog at my feet and the morning sounds around me!
We have 1900 sq feet on two floors. No basement (which is great, because I have always hated basements!). First floor has a large covered front and back porch, with ceiling fans on the back. We don’t use them all that much due to mosquitoes- but there is a second story screened in back porch above with ceiling fans, and we use that one more. It has swinging chairs and a metal dining table and 4 chairs. We can dine al fresco without bugs! First floor is really just one room - kitchen area, utility area, living area, dining nook, with a small guest room and full bathroom, separated from the rest of the space by double doors. The bathroom is not technically ADA, but has a pocket door and room for a wheel chair to turn around in. I am thinking about switching out the tub for a shower that would be more useful if we had a broken ankle or were in a wheelchair.
Upstairs we have the upstairs screened porch, two teeny-tiny bedrooms, a full bath, then a moderate-sized master bedroom with full bath. 3 full baths for a not-very-big house. We use the tiny bedrooms as mediation studio and music studio. Don’t use the downstairs guest bedroom/ bath unless a guest is here.
It is perfect for when guests or family visit, so won’t downsized anytime soon.