The trend is towards smaller home designs which are in every way less expensive.
People have discovered that smaller units tend to promote social interaction and a community spirit better than big homes, says Clarke.
Those who in future years review SA housing trends will look back on the current period as a time when house sizes were cut to levels that had previously been thought non-viable, says Tony Clarke, MD of Rawson Properties – and the good news, he adds, is that this has been achieved without too much disruption of family life.
Clarke says fifty years ago a standard middle class home had 1 ½ bathrooms, three bedrooms, two reception rooms, a garage and 85 to 140sqm of floor space. When the economy picked up and the housing market found itself in boom times, typical house sizes rose to 140 to 150sqm. Now, however, the typical newly built home will probably have less than 90sqm and CBD apartments in Johannesburg and Durban can be as small as 30sqm.
The trend to go smaller is driven by the lack of cash among buyers, says Clarke.
“When we talk lower costs people are inclined to think purely of the purchase price – but, of course, a smaller unit also brings about lower rates and taxes, lower maintenance, lower lighting and heating costs, less water usage, lower maintenance and garden costs and lower insurance.”
He says that together all these savings can make homes accessible to sectors of the population who formerly were unable to buy – or who held back from buying because it involves too big a commitment over too long a period.
People have discovered that smaller units tend to promote social interaction and a community spirit better than big homes, he adds.
Clarke says this is especially obvious in high density sectional title schemes – but it can also be seen in freehold areas like Harfield Village and Chelsea Village and sections of Diep River and Table View, which have a good community spirit.
“We can congratulate South African architects on their increasingly effective use of space, often achieved mainly by open-plan layouts which actually enhance lifestyles while cutting back on square metreages,” says Clarke.
So what do our readers think? Do smaller homes create more community spirit?
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