Re: Commuting time: as others have noted, there may be a big difference between driving vs. public transit. I take a bus and train to work, and when I moved from a 40 minute each way trip to a 1 hr 10 minute each way trip I noticed very little difference because I spend the time reading the newspaper and playing games, or sometimes napping. On really crowded days sometimes I will even take the train the wrong way one stop to the end of the line and get back on so I can have a seat. Though, I also work from home 2 days/wk, which helps a lot too.
Re: Guest rooms. In my neighborhood in the Boston suburbs, the price difference between otherwise comparable 3 and 4 bedroom houses is essentially 0 or very close to it. But let’s say it was $20k. At current 30 yr mortgage rates that would be about $100/month, or 6-10 nights/yr in a hotel. So, do you have guests more often than that? My friends are scattered across the country, so for me I hit that number easily. And as others mentioned, at least some of that expenditure you would get back when you eventually sell the house. Also, there is value to having the extra closet space, or maybe the guest room doubles as an office (mine does), or you need an unused room to display the hideously ugly tchotchke grandma gave you.
Re: Commuting time: as others have noted, there may be a big difference between driving vs. public transit. I take a bus and train to work, and when I moved from a 40 minute each way trip to a 1 hr 10 minute each way trip I noticed very little difference because I spend the time reading the newspaper and playing games, or sometimes napping. On really crowded days sometimes I will even take the train the wrong way one stop to the end of the line and get back on so I can have a seat. Though, I also work from home 2 days/wk, which helps a lot too.
Re: Guest rooms. In my neighborhood in the Boston suburbs, the price difference between otherwise comparable 3 and 4 bedroom houses is essentially 0 or very close to it. But let’s say it was $20k. At current 30 yr mortgage rates that would be about $100/month, or 6-10 nights/yr in a hotel. So, do you have guests more often than that? My friends are scattered across the country, so for me I hit that number easily. And as others mentioned, at least some of that expenditure you would get back when you eventually sell the house. Also, there is value to having the extra closet space, or maybe the guest room doubles as an office (mine does), or you need an unused room to display the hideously ugly tchotchke grandma gave you.