When I first saw the basement walls and footers poured, I thought everything looked so small.
Once the framing began, the house looked like I thought it would.

What you are experiencing is very, very common. Things look much smaller when they're out in the open, with no walls.

It will look much bigger once it's framed and rocked.

Hi,

It is all a matter of comparison. When the foundation is being put in, you stand back and compare that with the surrounding land. It looks small.

Also I found when the frame was up, it still looked a bit small. It is not untill you have the the toilets in that you realize that the size is right because you have something to compare it with.

Try this trick. Get an old chair and put it in the middle of the foundation area. Now you have that point of reference for size, you can then see how large your house really is.

Best, Mike.

Kate,
That is an optical illusion and most people building a house experience it.
and not just that...
In my particulat case, last time we built, when the basement walls were finished, I thought that the level of the house was going to be too high and I panicked!!! the basement looked so high in comparison with the level of the land and I called the basement guy - The poor guy came almost inmediately (he lives far away) and he assured me that the house was going to look like the one next door - and he was right. Once they finished the grade, the house looked ok. I just do not like too steep driveways and too many steps to get to the porch.

Good luck.

I posted a freakout post when my foundation was poured. I measured and remeasured and just knew that it was going to be entirely too small. Boy was I wrong!!

Everyone assured me that this was normal and they were 100% right.

When comparing your footprint to the great outdoors you just can't get a true sense of the size.

You've been posting on this site long enough to have seen ALL of the threads on this very issue. It will come into focus for you at some point...framing or sheetrock. We did measure all of our foundation walls, but we are slightly OCD.

LOL, maybe we should ask if there's anyone who *didn't* measure the basement walls!

I still do... AND check for square. A total waste of time because they are always okay... but it makes me feel better.

THANKS all! the builder was here at 6:00 this morning but just left for a while. i climbed down into the "hole" with my trusty tape measure and STILL can't see it... but dixiedoodle is right: i've been here long enough to know this happens to everyone. i think a lot of my worry might stem from not being able to see the garage; as it will be on a slab so it's not physically there yet. i'm going to make it my mission to get over this today so i can obsess about something else. the house is certainly large enough on paper and i'm dropping a ton of weight since this started so i'm sure i'll fit inside just fine ;^D

Ah-hah! Another home builder who is shrinking due to the process! In our case it was battles with the city's BRB that caused the worst stress. I went from 138 to 108 -- too little for my MD to OK hip surgery. I have thankfully gotten back to 115 but it's taken years.

Now, would I have needed the new hip if I hadn't spent the better part of a year lugging around a bag full of catalogues and tile and granite samples?

No fair! I gained weight during out build! >:( Could have been those giant Icee's and Hershey Bars w/Almonds I picked up every afternoon on the way home. Had to cool off somehow! ;)

I thought the same thing and our house is not small. Dontcha just luv optical illusions?! Just wait until cleaning day - they appear even LARGER!

Lordy, I'd give anything if this stress would cause me to lose weight. Instead, I seem to be eating everything in sight! If we don't get the house finished soon, I may wind up eating it! LOL!

I did the same thing, and then when it was all framed and we came around the trees and saw it with the roof up, I said "oh my gosh, it's huge!" lol

i'm down six pounds this month. i like it! i had to go out and buy four pairs of new jeans. my a$$ looks a LOT better.
i don't really feel stressed. the main cause for the weight loss is not taking time to eat. i'm running around all day trying to pull things together. i'm determined to keep up this pace when we're done.

you can never be too thin, you know!

We are building and in the framing stage now. When the foundation was poured, I thought the house was too small and started freaking out. I should have known better since this was our second time building and I had the same panic on our first one. After the house was framed, things looked bigger but not as I had imagined it. I am sure when the walls go up, the house will look even bigger.

One thing that really made me worry was the size of the kitchen. The architect plans say that it is 17'2" wide by 19" long. It is a U shaped kitchen with 2 islands. I have been told is a good size but when I saw it at the foundation stage, I wanted to enlarge it. My builder and architect were able to reassure me and now it feels bigger and hopefully feel even bigger after sheetrock.

I think the chair trick is a good one to try. Will see how it changes my perception.

Thanks again to everyone posting

btw: if anyone is interested, the four new pairs of jeans i had to buy because of the weight loss DON'T FIT. now THEY'RE too big! that's it. no more clothes for me until we're moved in.

OK, now you're just bragging;~))

Amy
still trying to lose the last 8 pounds gained while building a house. Move in date: 11/17/07. Yes, 07.

I posted something similar a while back ...haha. Now that my house is up and roofed, bricked...etc. It was almost emabarrasing how HUGE it looked. :)