Americans are (finally?) realizing the benefits of smaller living spaces. Baby boomers retiring, young people delaying marriage and families until later in life, and the economic woes may have forever changed the scope of residential property design.
U.S. Census Bureau studies show that the average size of a new house decreased last year for the first time in decades. In 2008, the average size of new construction was 2,277 square feet, but 2009 statistics show that the average size last year was 2,215. That's still twice as large as homes built in the 1960s, but it was the first drop in home size since the early 1980s.
"Home buyers have been changing," says Fran Litton, a planner with Evans Group, an architectural firm in Orlando, Florida. "They still want the luxury and toys, but they're putting them into a smaller space."
Smaller homes require owners to rethink what they really need and how to maximize storage and counter space. Likewise, the scale of furniture is changing. The days of oversized, overstuffed furniture in every room are gone--replaced by multifunctional pieces that combine comfort with hidden storage.
Matthew McNicholas, an architect with MGLM in Chicago, says that "a room is nicer when the details in it are nice." He adds that "the trend in bigger homes is to use less expensive materials because you need some much of it." But in a smaller home, it's more practical to upgrade to higher quality molding, flooring, and furniture to capitalize on elegance rather than filling space.
And, remember that smaller living space usually means lower mortgage payments, property taxes and utility bills.
Source: Maggie Sieger, REALTOR Magazine
