BRITISH living rooms are nearly a third smaller than they were in the 1970s, a new study has found. Homes built in the U.K. after 2010 have an average sitting room size of 17.1 sqm compared to 24.9 sqm around 40 years ago. Houses also have less bedrooms today than they did in the past, with an average of just under three. The reasons behind living space falling in size include an increase in young professionals living alone or in small groups, birth rates decreasing and the rise of the “micro home.” The research, commissioned by LABC Warranty, reveals that homes are the same size as they were in the 1940s and have gradually dropped in size. And despite a trend for kitchens with an “island” in the middle, food preparation spaces peaked in the 1960s and are now 13 percent smaller than they were then. A spokesman for the company, which provides warranties for new homes, told The Guardian, “Overall, Britain built the biggest houses in the 1970s. But from the 1980s onwards Britain’s houses started to regress.” The results of the study are based on 10,000 floorplans of homes built from the 1930s to the present day listed on sites like Rightmove and Zoopla. They are likely to cause controversy as homeowners continue to complain they aren’t getting enough floor space for their money and there are too many “shoe box” homes. (SD-Agencies) |