{"id":946,"date":"2020-03-10T12:49:15","date_gmt":"2020-03-10T19:49:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.monsterhouseplans.com\/blog\/?p=946"},"modified":"2022-12-16T03:27:59","modified_gmt":"2022-12-16T11:27:59","slug":"how-to-make-the-most-of-a-homes-average-square-footage","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.monsterhouseplans.com\/blog\/how-to-make-the-most-of-a-homes-average-square-footage\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Make the Most of a Home\u2019s Average Square Footage"},"content":{"rendered":"

A typical American home\u2019s \u201caverage\u201d square footage isn\u2019t all that average.<\/p>\n

Across the country, homeowners have traded up in both home size and expectations. Size does matter in this case, and that\u2019s because it\u2019s all relative.<\/p>\n

The average square footage of a 1,000 square foot home is not the same thing to a family of four as it is to a single individual. However, if you end up buying a house that\u2019s too big for your family, you\u2019ll also have a higher mortgage and a significantly larger out-of-pocket cost when it comes to home furnishings.<\/p>\n

How much square footage is right for you is entirely a personal choice. However, with the right design choices and a smart, customized floor plan, even a 1,000 square feet can feel like a mansion.<\/p>\n

What is the Average Square Footage of a Home in the U.S.?<\/h2>\n

Today, the average square footage area of a home in the U.S. is up almost 1,000 sq. ft.<\/a>, compared to just 67 years ago. Living space per person has nearly doubled since 1973. Most new home builds come in at a generous 2,300 to 2,700.<\/p>\n

This begs the question of whether our families are actually bigger (they\u2019re not<\/a>), or our needs have actually increased (they haven\u2019t).<\/p>\n

Indeed, living is a lot more expensive now, but the categories<\/a> are the same: food, running, cleaning water for drinking, transportation, health insurance, child care, and housing.<\/p>\n

As it turns out, we just have a lot more stuff. So we may just need extra space for all that extra stuff. Rises in movements like minimalism or the Konmari Method show that we could all do with a good purge \u2014 or four.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s also another interesting aspect of the picture here: Our homes are much more energy-efficient than they once were. We can actually afford to come with bigger, better, and more spacious bathrooms, closets, garages, well-equipped home appliances. What in the 1970s was a feature of creature comfort \u2014 central air conditioning \u2014 93% of new homes<\/a> now include this as a baseline.<\/p>\n

The improvements in factors like increased number of \u201cluxury\u201d features seen as standard, or the increase in average square footage comes with a cost \u2014 quite literally.<\/p>\n

Besides contributing to unnecessary urban sprawl, the bid to continuously trade up in square footage leads to larger and often unmanageable debt loads. The cost of new home construction is also skyrocketing, telling us at these costs are trickling down.<\/p>\n

How Much Square Footage is Right for Your Family?<\/h2>\n

Many families plan on downsizing by purchasing or building a tiny home floor plan. However, the key is not necessarily to scale down \u2014 it\u2019s to scale right.<\/p>\n

When considering how much square footage is right for your family \u2014 or yourself \u2014 you should be asking a few guiding questions. Make your decisions about square footage based on factors like:<\/p>\n