What's wrong with McMansions?

It is an interesting thing in light of the fact that head count per household in Australia has been shrinking.

Could it perhaps be unneccessary? Just like the increasing number of huge cars like the hummer on the road... why drag so much steel around? Think black balloons...

The problem is that many people borrow more than they can afford to buy a house that's bigger than what they need. Aspire all you want, but if you default on your mortgage then you can only blame your own greed!

I actually think its more to do with sustainability! Melbourne's biggest issue is the urban sprawl...living in large homes on blocks in neighbourhoods which are highly dependent on good road infrastructure for all the cars that we drive to get from A to B rather than high density living with a greater reliance on public transport. When you compare high density living to the urban sprawl (a la Werribee, Cranbourne, Point Cook, Dandenong etc) the cost to sustainability equation just doesn't make sense!

It's a tough call, having grown up in a large family, needing a large house to give us all room, I couldnt go back to a small home. And I cant stand being told what I can or cant build on a block I legally own by the government. Environmental issues are a clear issue and hopefully energy rating guidelines are helping new homes but surely the government must be held accountable for encouraging sprawl without upgrading infrastructure.

And BrianardW- I dont subscribe to the theory that people are over extending themselves for bigger houses, one bedroom unit in Port Melbourne is more expensive than a home in Mill Park. People are extending themselves across all housing types.

I'd like to know how many of these McMansions are being built with the environment in mind...
Sustainability vs. Luxury is an issue for me and it's fine if people want a large home to live in, but what is their impact of the world around them? Can McMansions be green?

JVS - arguable to whether government is encouraging urban sprawl with Melbourne 2030 initiatives: http://www.dse.vic.gov.au/melbourne2030online/content/introduction/02_summary.html

I am a huge supporter of Melbourne 2030, and Melbourne@5 million..

It's one thing for the government to say they dont support urban sprawl - its a fact that it has happened. You only have to look at the growth in areas like Pakenham, Craigieburn, new estates in South Morang. Once a developer gets access to the next big thing you have sprawl.

I dont have anything against sprawl - as long as people have access within 60 minutes to the Melbourne CBD or other major industrial areas where jobs are located.

The time it is taking to get our desalination plants online also makes me worry the Government may not get 2030 right either.

JVS - It may well be that the government has enabled corridors such as Pakenham and Craigieburn to have grown, but there are many greenwedge sites that developers are sitting on, waiting for the government to rezone the UGB to enable development of the land for residential use. Its not happening fast enough, arguably not encouraging sprawl under Melb 2030 initiatives. I am surprised that so many people are not against the urban sprawl as there is nothing sustainable about low density living. We do not have the road nor rail infrastructure to facilitate.

I agree lala81!