McMansion

Definition: McMansion

August 27, 2007

A derogatory slang term for very large suburban homes, particularly "cookie cutter" structures that lack originality or resemble the surrounding houses. As the name suggests, the homes typically derided as "McMansions" tend to be mansion-like in size but fairly run-of-the-mill and mass-produced in their design.

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tiabia 5 years 37 weeks

Rowanvamp0, that depends on where the house is located. I live in DC, and up this way, these McMansions can run upwards of $800,000...they don't really serve much of a purpose but to be the new Mercedes-Benz of the pseudo-nouveau riche...purely for show and tell!!!

Rowanvamp0 5 years 37 weeks

Thanks to Hboogie for your link I've never seen a McMansion and now that I have I see that they can serve a purpose..Large familys with a small budget. Unless what I've read is wrong the price range for these larger type homes seems to be afforable.

magita 5 years 37 weeks

I live in Houston and the suburbs are filled with them. In the city, people do exactly what jgasia said, which is tear down perfectly good homes in neighborhoods and build these monstrous boxes that have backyards the size of a closet because the lots are too small. I hate it, I wish people would just invest a little time and money into redoing a house in a neighborhood than destroying it. Nothing is uglier than a cute neighborhood with a bunch of houses in a similar style with one huge ugly McMansion in the middle of the block sticking out like a sore thumb. Yuck!

sofi 5 years 37 weeks

hehe- thanks for that hboogie. So funny it has it's own entry. The point about them being so enormous is right on. Unless you have 6 kids, why??? We actually looked at a new Mcmansion recently that is completely overpriced in a neighborhood where EVERY other home must only be about the third of the size and the price. I hated the location but once I got inside it was just too big and obnoxious- I would just get a headache trying to decorate the space.

hboogie 5 years 37 weeks

Not that I don't know what McMansions look like (I'm from New Jersey, after all), but maybe you could get a more illustrative photograph for readers who have never seen one? The Wikipedia entry on the subject is a pretty good source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McMansion

FB1977 5 years 37 weeks

Ugh, we have 'em here in the Chicagoland area too.

vinnie 5 years 37 weeks

they are a blight on suburban areas! we are expanding the suburbs so far to fit these huge developments in that we are destroying our natural ecosystems. Why can't we do with a little bit less? does a family of 4 really need a 3000 square foot home? how do they pay for to heat and light these monstrosities? its the WalMart-ing of America and it makes me sick.

Lorelei Spirit 5 years 37 weeks

We are starting to get a lot of these here in Austin. Destroying the beautiful views of the lakes and hills...

delia 5 years 37 weeks

The thing that kills me about McMansions (apart from their generally unappealing exterior) is the amount of wasted square footage! In 1950, the average American home was under 1000 sq ft; now that number has bloated up to almost 2500 sq ft, and many are much, much larger. No wonder the energy consumption of this country is through the roof!

Ericka 5 years 37 weeks

I think a home is always what you make it!

The City Girl 5 years 37 weeks

Ha, Lolalu, you made one of my points I was going to mention about McMansions. . .they are so massive, yet usually house only 3 or 4 people, so I always wonder, "Do these familie hate each other?" It seems like it's really counteractive to having a close family. As someone who lives in a 100 year old house, I can't imagine living in someplace so soulless and characterless! It just seems so excessive and depressing to me.

lolalu 5 years 37 weeks

i go to college in DC ( go figure lol) and i live in a McMansion in southern california. yeah, the are pretty run of the mill, but i have to admit, it feels really nice to escape to your own huge bedroom w/ a bathroon and a lock, and get away from the psycho-witch stepmom. so Mcmansions are cool in my book!

sweettreat 5 years 37 weeks

we get alot of these in the Northern NJ area.

MrsJigglesworth 5 years 37 weeks

ohhh, I always thought it was a term for tearing down older, cute, smaller homes and putting up random new big homes (in w/ the smaller historic homes)

sofi 5 years 37 weeks

yay DC! I totally agreewith you guys. We need more room than we have currently in our semi-detached home, but I love the detail and uniqueness of it. Everything in the suburbs is a new McMansion with either no yard or no driveway or garage- how does that make sense!

popgoestheworld 5 years 37 weeks

My boyfriend hates these. He thinks if we move into one we'll lose our personalities and turn into robots. Tiabia - I agree w/ you re: DC. Even though all the houses on our street are more or less built the same way (not much you can do with rowhouses), all the different colors and gardens make it so unique!

tiabia 5 years 37 weeks

And hate them I do!!! There are hundreds of McMansion style neighborhoods in the suburbs of DC...and as nice as they may seem, they are nothing like the old individual homes that make the city so beautiful!!!!

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