Size of average homes falling as housing crisis hits families
A TYPICAL family home is now two square metres smaller than it was ten years ago, as the UK’s chronic housing supply shortage moves households into smaller premises.
An average home for a family now has 96.8 square metres of floor space, in comparison to 98.8 square metres just one decade ago, while the number of families with children living in flats has increased by a fifth.
According to new statistics released by financial services firm LV, the proportion of families with children living in rented homes has also risen, up from 15 per cent in 2008 to 19 per cent today.
The company’s research also suggests that there are now more multi-generational households in the UK, with a 14 per cent increase in adult children returning to their parents, and a 40 per cent increase in overcrowding since 2008, when the financial crisis began.
LV also voiced concerns that some families expanding their homes may not be aware of the legality of their extensions.
According to research conducted last year by the Royal Institute of British Architects, the UK has the smallest new homes in Europe.