Keeping up with celebrity real estate moves can often leave average homeowners confused. Kim Kardashian's recent purchase is no exception: a large home right next door to her current estate. Some see the reality star's excess as abusing sustainability in the housing market.
According to TMZ, Kardashian closed on the neighboring property for $7 million. The 4,945-square-foot home features four bedrooms, five bathrooms, and a spa. This is an expansion of her already palatial Hidden Hills compound that is undergoing renovations.
Investing in property is standard for the ultra-wealthy. Yet the size of the property has people concerned about resource use.
In the United States, 40% of energy use comes from homes and buildings, according to the Department of Energy.
Mega-mansions usually have a carbon footprint higher than the average home. Maintaining, heating, and cooling thousands of square feet requires massive amounts of energy, increasing utility costs and carbon pollution.
The water required to landscape these large homes can also strain local resources. Drought-prone Southern California would suffer from overuse of water.
Many homeowners are learning that more space doesn't always lead to more happiness.
The popularity of accessory dwelling units — or ADUs — and tiny homes favors efficiency. Downsizing or choosing modest square footage offers enticing benefits.
Smaller homes can reduce energy bills, cut maintenance stress, and lower environmental impact.
The r/KUWTK subreddit questioned the need for Kardashian's massive footprint.
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"At what point is someone happy?" one user asked.
Another guessed what the expansion could be: "Is she building a town so she never has to leave?"
"I don't know how they feel safe in such humongous homes … a bigger house is just more spaces that need securing and more ways security could fail," another Redditor wrote.
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