Why Less Real Estate Is So Much More
We’ve all seen the McMansions popping up all over the country. But believe it or not, more Americans are discovering the benefits of downsizing, according to MSN Real Estate.
Considering that the average American home swelled in size from 983 square feet in 1950 to 2,349 square feet in 2004 — a 240 percent increase — you might find that believable. On top of this ballooning in square footage, the American household shrank, between 1970 and 2003, from 3.14 people to 2.57, on average. So more square footage equals happiness, right?
Wrong. In recent years, a less-is-more revolution has taken hold. Sarah Susanka, author of the best-selling “The Not So Big House,” and Michelle Kodis, author of “Blueprint Small,” and legions of followers are starting to agree that smaller can be beautiful. And better.
“There are always going to be people who want the big house, even if they don’t need or even use all the space, and the reason is that a part of our culture associates bigness with success. A big car, a big house,” said Kodis. “But there is a whole other group, which is quite significant, who want just enough space, who don’t want to be showy, who don’t need 10,000 square feet to show that they’ve made it in America.”
Susanka could not agree more.
“It’s at least a quarter of the population of the United States who look at what’s happening in suburbia and say, ‘Oh my God, I don’t want that.’ They have historically purchased existing houses in the inner ring of the suburbs. The reason they’ve done that is that the houses have character and the neighborhoods historically are strong,” she said.
These people are often educated, progressive types of varying income levels who think about more than just their own needs. There are also tons of baby boomers looking for less space.
The trend toward smaller, more finely outfitted domiciles is particularly obvious in urban areas right now, according to real estate research firms. Cities, historically, are home to the older people without children, as well as young professionals without children — both groups that want to enjoy the vibrancy of a city, not bigger properties.
Susanka’s concept is profound in its simplicity. In “The Not So Big House,” her 1998 book, she writes that a house is more than square footage, a home where each room is used every day. A house with a floor plan inspired by our informal lifestyle and not filled with unused dining rooms and too many tiny bathrooms. Basically, a home that is actually a home, not just a “massive storage container.”
That book clearly struck a chord.
More than one million copies of “The Not So Big House” and its follow-ups have sold since 1998, including the latest, “Outside the Not so Big House: Creating the Landscape of Home.” After all, how much room does a couple or a family really need, in the end?
As long as you use space actively and efficiently, there will be plenty of room, say small-home advocates. The goal of smaller-space living is not to cram your things into a smaller space to make a point, but rather to be comfortable, to not waste space. How many families use their dining rooms or living rooms more than once in a while? Why pay for a home with rooms you don’t use, then pay more to furnish them?
HOW SMALL IS “SMALL” ?
The definition varies depending on your needs, but Susanka’s general rule of thumb is that after evaluating how you use a home, day in and day out, you can generally expect to comfortably reduce the size of their next home by about 33 percent. Then you can use the money saved on square footage by focusing on the details and built-ins. These efforts will make a smaller home particularly charming and livable.
One urban example of thoughtfully rendered smaller spaces is rising in downtown Seattle, as the real estate developers of the 94-unit Lumen condo complex are making airiness — through the use of light and creative floor plans — a priority.
“From the front door to the outside (glass) wall, there’s a 40-foot run of cabinetry built into the units,” said co-developer Alan Winningham.
Movable glass partitions allow each condominium to be divided into different configurations, while each condominium will have floor-to-ceiling glass walls that open onto a balcony that will feel like real living space. The homes range from 500-2,100 square feet, but will all feel larger than they really are.
BREAKING IT DOWN (TO SIZE)
To illustrate Americans’ obsession with size, here is a look at the average size, by square feet, of new single-family homes built in developed countries:
- United States — 2,349
- Canada — 1,800
- New Zealand — 1,900
- Australia — 2,200
- U.K. — 815
- Ireland — 930
- Japan — 1,000
It looks like we could take a cue from the Europeans and Japanese on this one. But why? Why should you really “think small,” besides just because you feel like you should exhibit modesty on principle?
- Conservation. A smaller house uses fewer natural resources, both during initial construction and in the furnishings within it, as well as the amount of energy needed to heat and cool it.
- Comfort. Big, cavernous spaces just aren’t as intimate and comfortable as a room that’s scaled down to a person’s size.
- Efficiency. Smaller spaces are cheaper to heat, and take less time to clean.
- Attention to Detail. People often can’t afford to do much customizing to big houses, as there’s simply too much house. In a small house you can focus your time — and cash — on little, charming touches.
- The end of all global conflict. Okay, maybe that’s taking it a tad far. But smaller space keeps you more connected with your family, researchers say.
That’s great and all, but is downsizing going to cost more than you think? While it’s true that depending on where you are, and what remodeling you wish to do, you can downsize and spend just as much or more. Still, the money you save on square footage can be allocated elsewhere and save you a bundle. It really is all about the size, and with Florida real estate increasingly pricey, buyers should think long and hard about doing more with less!
