The New York Times reported today that a trend has emerged in the housing industry. “The size of the average household has shrunk to 2.58 people, but 47 percent of new homes have four or more bedrooms, and 38 percent of them have three bathrooms or more.” Demand for additional bathrooms has increased as well.
This trend is mostly being seen in new construction where the average square footage has increased to 2687 square feet according to the Census Bureau’s annual survey of American housing. The census also says that 31 percent of newly constructed homes are 3,000 square feet or more.
Extra space can be a wonderful thing if you have children living with you or coming back to live after college. It can also be nice to have a home office in it’s own space instead of taking over a common area of your home. You may need extra space for an aging parent to stay with you or just want the luxury of having an in home fitness area or maybe a home theater. How about a man cave or a she shed as a separate space in the backyard? There are many ways we can all dream up to make our space our own.
This trend has been documented in new homes, but you could also add to your existing home to keep up with the desire for more space. Can you picture adding on a mother-in-law suite? Maybe you work from home and really need a dedicated office where you can close the door to take a conference call instead of taking over the kitchen island. Picture taking some of your large backyard to create a custom space to rest and relax or put it to work as a short term rental.
Whatever you desire up, there is a house that can make it a reality. Happy dreaming!