As home sizes continue to shrink, one age-old and seemingly necessary feature is disappearing: hallways. A July report from John Burns Research and Consulting examines how the architecture of new houses is shifting.
The report found buyers can expect homes to get smaller, with more compact layouts, meaning architects must figure out how to do more with less. According to the study, 25% of floor plans designed in 2023 were downsized to cut costs.
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Home prices have hit record highs and the median price per square foot jumped 3.4% in the last year. According to the Census Bureau, the median size for a new single-family home in 2023 was 2,286 square feet — down from 2,328 square feet in 2022. In fact, census data shows homes have been shrinking since 2014, when they hit a peak median of 2,526 square feet.
As homes continue to shrink in size, experts say one of the first casualties could be hallways. According to the report, architects are “Tetris-ing the functional rooms together, avoiding wasted square footage on non-functional areas like hallways.”
Other space-saving tactics include getting rid formal dining rooms, adding storage in unused spaces like under the stairs, building three-story homes with the living space on the second floor and tandem garages.
Flex spaces have also become increasingly popular. According to the report, they were included in more than half of all projects designed last year.
Researchers say in the near future, buyers should expect homes to have more usable “nooks and crannies” as architects and builders find new ways to optimize square footage.
[KARAH RUCKER]
AS HOME SIZES CONTINUE TO SHRINK – ONE AGE OLD AND SEEMINGLY NECESSARY FEATURE IS DISAPPEARING: HALLWAYS.
A NEW REPORT RELEASED THIS MONTH LOOKS AT HOW THE ARCHITECTURE OF NEW HOUSES IS SHIFTING.
IT FOUND BUYERS CAN EXPECT HOMES TO GET SMALLER AND SMALLER – WITH MORE COMPACT LAYOUTS… MEANING ARCHITECTS HAVE TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO DO MORE WITH LESS.
ACCORDING TO JOHN BURNS RESEARCH AND CONSULTING – WHICH DID THE STUDY – A QUARTER OF FLOOR PLANS DESIGNED LAST YEAR WERE DOWNSIZED TO CUT COSTS.
HOME PRICES HAVE HIT RECORD HIGHS – AND THE MEDIAN PRICE PER SQUARE FOOT JUMPED MORE THAN THREE PERCENT IN THE LAST YEAR…
AND ACCORDING TO THE CENSUS BUREAU – THE MEDIAN SIZE FOR A NEW SINGLE-FAMILY HOME IN 20-23 WAS 22-HUNDRED 86 SQUARE FEET…
DOWN FROM 23-HUNDRED 28 SQUARE FEET IN 20-22.
IN FACT, CENSUS DATA SHOWS HOMES HAVE BEEN SHRINKING SINCE 20-14 – WHEN THEY HIT A PEAK MEDIAN OF 25-HUNDRED 26 SQUARE FEET.
AS HOMES CONTINUE TO SHRINK IN SIZE… EXPERTS SAY ONE OF THE FIRST CASUALTIES COULD BE HALLWAYS.
ACCORDING TO THE REPORT, ARCHITECTS ARE QUOTE “TETRIS-ING THE FUNCTIONAL ROOMS TOGETHER, AVOIDING WASTED SQUARE FOOTAGE ON NON-FUNCTIONAL AREAS LIKE HALLWAYS.”
RESEARCHERS SAY OTHER TACTICS BEING USED MORE OFTEN TO SAVE ON SPACE INCLUDE GETTING RID FORMAL DINING ROOMS…
ADDING STORAGE IN UNUSED SPACES – LIKE UNDER THE STAIRS…
BUILDING THREE-STORY HOMES WITH THE LIVING SPACE ON THE SECOND FLOOR…
AND TANDEM GARAGES.
FLEX SPACES HAVE ALSO BECOME INCREASINGLY POPULAR – ACCORDING TO THE REPORT, THEY WERE INCLUDED MORE THAN HALF OF ALL PROJECTS DESIGNED LAST YEAR.
RESEARCHERS SAY IN THE NEAR FUTURE – BUYERS SHOULD EXPECT HOMES TO HAVE MORE USABLE “NOOKS AND CRANNIES” AS ARCHITECTS AND BUILDERS FIND NEW WAYS TO OPTIMIZE SQUARE FOOTAGE.
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