Why do people build huge houses next to each other?

[Nikia]

The other day, my husband and I went for a drive in the area where there has been some development. We saw these subdivsions with big houses that were definitly over 3,000 square foot, maybe even 4,000. These looked ugly, not only because they were all similiarly designed, but because they were on normal sized lots. They looked like they were on top of each other. There wasn't a lake or any green space in the subdivision, just houses.
This is in an area where you don't have to go very far to find relatively inexpensive land. I realize that they think that sprawl might find them anyway, but they could always buy an acre or two of land besides their house.
I suppose that they want community, but how much of a community do you have when there aren't even sidewalks.
I know that if people are going to build such houses that living on top of each other is the most land efficient, environmental way to do it. I am just try to reason why the individual families spent so much money to live like that.

[tridim]

1. I don't know why this thought just occurred to me

but wouldn't it be fun to build a tiny wooden shack on one of those expensive lots just to cheese off the rich neighbors? :D

BIG HOUSE | BIG HOUSE | BIG HOUSE |   shack   | BIG HOUSE | BIG HOUSE | BIG HOUSE

[MissB]

5. Yes.

:rofl:

The one question that all of my neighbors asked when I moved in was...... "Are you going to tear it down?"

[Historic NY]

2. Don't laugh we have a development like that......

where I live. The houses are so close you can shake hands with your neighbor while standing on your deck. When they were first building I went there to see and the first thing that came to mind was fire. Your going to need a whole lot of fireman to cover the exposures or for every serious house fire you stand the chance of losing more thna one house. That kind of living isn't for me. My house might be close to my neighbors but I have lots of space in my rear yard, woods too. I live in an older section built in the 50's but it is not development style, every house on my street is different and built from 1700's to 1980's.

[hobbit709]

3. If I owned a house that size

I'd want my neighbors to be more than spitting distance away.

[Mutley]

4. My sister lives in a neighborhood like this.

The houses are normal sized but the lots are just tiny. They have almost no yard at all in the front or back. They houses are only 10 or 20 feet apart if that.

[leftofthedial]

6. easier to demolish

after the global pandemic and the destruction of the middle class

[Ariana Celeste]

7. There's a development like that

a few blocks away from us. Right across the street from an apartment complex. If I had the money to afford a big house, I sure wouldn't want to look out my window just to look in somebody else's.

But, whatever floats their boat, I guess.

[Enraged_Ape]

8. I don't get it. The only reason I bought a house was to get away

from all the freaks who might set up shop in the unit next door. (My apologies to anyone who might be offended by that, but if you're operating a whorehouse in the apartment next door, you're a freak; and yes, that actually happened to me).