I originally wrote this in 2008: Small is really big now. (Terrible play of words but I had to.)
Somehow as families got smaller, homes got bigger. In the 50’s the average size home was about 1300 sf . Now it is over 2000 sf. Thanks to credit we could buy more stuff and we needed bigger homes to put the stuff in. (Tip of the hat to George Carlin.) Now, as is typical, when there are changes in the economy, people are looking to spend less.
I hear more and more that people don’t really need or want (or afford) large homes. I had always been against two bedroom homes until I saw a great one with a perfect floorplan. They have often been ignored by buyers unless they were looking the cheapest thing.
I think there will be a coming gap in home sizes. Just as there are always people ready to buy expensive things, there will be people who can only afford the minimum. That middle ground often breaks down. People may decide they don’t need a bonus room or the fourth bedroom. And especially with the expected large expansion of baby boomers, small will be in.
I have heard many people talk about how happy they were not to care for a large house. And many don’t think of the cost or time in the maintenance and care of large homes. Small living will free up time and money. Also with the push to be “Green,” smaller fits in their model as well.
