Member Article

Why we shouldn’t blame estate agents for inadequate living space

UK properties are the smallest in Europe with 55% of modern homes failing to provide sufficient floor space for the number of people living in them according to Latest research.

Despite Britain being the fourth richest nation globally - and expected to be the best performing major economy in the developed world this year - the floor space of modern homes ranks bottom of a league table.

Whilst homes in Denmark have an average floor space of 137 square metres, our modern homes have only 76 sq m confirming my fears that we seem more concerned with building “rabbit hutch” properties instead of residences providing comfortable accommodation. Floor space in the average British property is only 85 square metres compared with 88 sq m in Ireland and 98 sq m in the Netherlands.

The results of this survey are nothing new. A report issued by the Royal Institute of British Architects in 2011 revealed that even then British homes were the smallest in Western Europe and clearly not much has changed.

But who has come under fire for this? Not the Government and developers, but estate agents who should, according to researchers at Cambridge University, be “forced” to include the floor space of all properties they are listing.

I am not sure how this resolves the main issue which is addressing the problem of inadequate living space while at the same time understanding the cost issues faced by developers and prospective property buyers.

Residential land development prices continue to rise which mean developers have to pass these costs on to buyers. Purchasing a home is an expensive business and many families struggle to get a foothold onto the property ladder as result.

I welcomed plans announced in the Queen’s Speech last month to get Britain building again as there is a definite need for more houses - but we need to make sure these new homes are both affordable and provide adequate space.

While we can make estate agents the scape goats, I suspect the average person does not have a clue about floor space and what it really means. Most people looking to buy or rent a house initially think about how many bedrooms it has - and not how many square metres the entire property should be.

So instead of blame, let’s collaborate with all key parties – government, property developers, councils and housing associations - looking at how to resolve this problem cost-effectively.

What steps are needed to improve living space in the UK? What is more important - knowing the floor space or the number of bedrooms when looking at property details? We’d love to hear from you - leave a comment on Twitter @VIDAdevelopment

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This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by VIDA Architecture .