It is no secret that many Australians have long had a love for substantially sized homes, set on considerable blocks of land, with room for all the family. However, with affordability concerns and a change in preference for inner city living, as well as the physical size of many new developments decreasing, a number of people are being faced with the possibility of living in dwellings of a smaller size.
However, those home buyers and investors who may encounter this prospect need not necessarily fear. According to Melbourne architect Stuart Harrison, who recently appeared in an article on The Age website, 'Big ideas for very small spaces' (November 5, 2011), "it's not how big a home is that's important; it's what you can do with it."
The article, which was written by Kate Robertson and appeared in the Design & Living blog in the Domain property section, featured an interview with Harrison regarding the release of his new coffee-table book of intelligent housing designs in tight areas entitled Forty-Six Square Metres of Land Doesn't Normally Become a House.
In the article, Harrison talks about the benefits of considering living in smaller housing – "More compact housing that's located near stuff you might need, both your workplace and places of recreation, will help you get to places with less energy and then the housing itself, if it's smaller, will take less energy to build and, of course, need less energy to heat, cool and maintain."
I encourage you to read the blog article, which contains further detail about the types of properties featured in Stuart Harrison's new book, as well as his views on the importance of design and use of space when it comes to housing.
For more information about properties of all sizes that are available in your area, please stop by a Century 21 real estate office to speak with a property professional.