To think U.K. houses and flats are not fit for purpose?

[Notcontent]

So - I know that there is a housing shortage - but I think too much forces is on getting houses and flats built no matter how small/inadequate, which can cause huge problems for the people living there.

The U.K. has some of the smallest houses in Europe. I am not saying people need huge houses - far from it actually. But homes should have:

• adequate heat and sound insulation
• rooms that are big enough for storage, etc
• somewhere for people to dry their clothes
• etc

I am not an architect but I am interested in this as I have lived in a few different countries, in different houses and flats, and have experienced first hand how small things in house design can make a huge difference to people’s quality of life.

@seekinglondonlife

A relative of mine is a contractor and said most people prefer a 5 bed townhouse with 1 reception, with one decent size master with ensuite and the remaining 4 box rooms to a 3 bed semi! It's all about supply and demand. The social housing in my area now is mostly new build 'apartments', with tiny rooms. I visited a client in a 4 bed apartment (7dc) and the living room was so small and thin it could only fit a 3 seater sofa along one wall. There's no way the family could have sat there at the same time.

No i think thats what developers want, not the public. The demand for them is because they are cheaper thats all.

Townhouses are bloody awful for anyone with young kids. And i dont think everyone wants ensuite at all if that means you get significantly less space elsewhere. Im betting that if there were more women designing houses we'd see the loss of a bathroom and a utility washroom upstairs instead as more common cos sadly that reflects thought processes and who does housework.

We loved our 3 bed modern townhouse with young children. Really liked the en suite, no issues being on a different floor to the kids, very happy to have a small low maintenance garden. Not everyone hates new builds!

I also find it is older properties that have tiny pointless box rooms and new builds that have double rooms

I wonder who they asked seekinglondonlife I certainly don't want 5 bedrooms and a tiny sitting room, but then people like me are never asked, for fear of not getting the answers they want to hear. I bet we Mumsnetters could design a fabulous house if we had the opportunity.

We live in a 1880s terrace and that even has built in cupboards in each bedroom (3 decent size bedrooms, no pointless box room that they can claim is a room!) for storage
You can barely fit a wardrobe and double bed in some new build bedrooms

@LakeShoreD

I’m not sure my Victorian terrace ticks any of those boxes, it’s not just a new build issue. I’ve lived in other countries too and I’ve never had clothes drying space unless you count the tumble dryer. When I lived in the US every place we had banned line drying laundry. Lovely big closets though!

I'm an American. Most cities and towns here do not ban line drying laundry. It's not common because tumble dryers are pretty universal.

Based on what I read about the subject on MN, I think houses here tend to be substantially larger. Land is more plentiful and population density is lower in most places here.

I saw this thread and have to chip in.

Recently we have had two houses built on a piece of land behind our back garden. (Neighbors sold a large part of their garden to a developer).

They are both 6 bedrooms, 3 with en-suites plus a family bathroom. Two of the bedrooms are in the loft (so no storage space), and one of these bedrooms has an en-suite. They are on sale for £1million each and they are both sold.

The rooms in the loft bug, including the en-suite, have no windows. No velux and no dormer. Nada. They have sun tubes to let in light, but there is no means of ventilation in either room. Although I guess the bathroom must have an extractor.

The gardens are tiny and although they have a large kitchen/diner/family room, there is no utility room.

I really do not believe developers consider how people live vs what people want. It’s all about fast £££.

I would love an old spacious house and new builds really do not do it for me. Although each to their own obvs.

I don't recognise this narrative at all in my area - people buying overpriced new builds instead of so-called cheaper period properties.

Maybe it's because I live near Bath, full of middle-class families used to paying over half a million for damp Georgians? (I rented one!) But in my nearby town you can have a newish detached for £300k or a 3 bed Victorian end terrace with long garden for £400k plus. The cheap houses are the old 2 bed 2 up 2 downs, with a bolted on kitchen and a bathroom behind that. No upstairs toilet.

And it's not just starter type homes, it's very expensive homes that people pay £700k plus for down here in the south east. Often built over three levels because they are so narrow with parking for one car, tight roads with no parking at all. The gardens are embarrassing what is the point if it's so tiny?

For six months we rented a 3 bed new build. The kitchen didn't have anywhere for a fridge, except and under counter one. Who can live with that in a 3 bed with kids?

Washing machine had to go in the miniature 'garage'. Fun times walking out to it in the rain.

@seekinglondonlife

A relative of mine is a contractor and said most people prefer a 5 bed townhouse with 1 reception, with one decent size master with ensuite and the remaining 4 box rooms to a 3 bed semi! It's all about supply and demand. The social housing in my area now is mostly new build 'apartments', with tiny rooms. I visited a client in a 4 bed apartment (7dc) and the living room was so small and thin it could only fit a 3 seater sofa along one wall. There's no way the family could have sat there at the same time.

I'm not sure they 'prefer it', but if they need 5 bedrooms it's likely the only affordable option. Demand is there, because a decent size 5 bed home isn't affordable to most people. Neither is a decent size 3 bed in some parts!