Will bigger houses become cheaper

[Wantarest]

I've been wondering whether the high cost of energy and maintenance will mean people will want more moderate spaces rather than large houses.

One of my friend has said she regrets their renovation which massively increased the footprint of their house (from a 3 bedroom to a 6 bedroom plus a basement) but they do not use a lot of the space. One of their two children has already left home.

I believe back in the days (many decades ago), people did not want houses with many windows or large footprints because of the costs (tax for windows and keeping the spaces warm).

Just curious how lifestyle might change and adapt in the years to come because of the move to Net Zero, higher utility bills, and people having fewer kids. How will that affect the type of houses/space that we value the most.

That said, planning laws changed not too long ago to make it possible to build massive 6m box extensions both at the top and bottom and that has really change the look of many period properties, with some become bottom heavy and in some case top heavy.

I agree with you. That's positive thinking right there. Looking for solutions rather than burying your head in the sand. I'd consider that.

Ultimately, if you want nurses, care-staff, police, waste operators, teachers, etc living in your local environment then you need to help make that happen. I'm more than happy to pay my extra charges to support that because I can imagine needing to be looked after in my later years.

I live in a typical 1960’s detached style house, lots of windows and semi open plan. When we bought it in 2013 at an amazing price, this was the reason for buying, we loved it, bearing in mind utilities costs weren’t an issue.

We now have floor to ceiling curtains up on the semi divided open plan area, considering doors but love the openness in the summer, plus we have 3 dogs that are so used to pottering around the space.

The house has cavity wall insulation and the loft insulation has been upgraded, but it’s still a bloody cold house, our neighbours have the same opinion of theirs. The newer builds are so much warmer but we enjoy the outdoor space, which is much more generous than the new builds.

I’ve tried to advise a friend who wants an open plan house as she likes ours, to be careful. She currently lives in a beautiful detached with separate rooms, and it is so cosy, it’s lovely.

There’s only the two of us living here now. Strangely the two previous owners were widows, it’s far too big for one person, and they weren’t widowed whilst in the property. They chose to live here on their own, one of the previous owners extended and the other stuck a conservatory onto the extension, the full length of living space into the conservatory is 40 feet.

The houses used to sell straight away when they came up for sale, our neighbours have had theirs up for sale since September now and hardly any viewings, it’s a sign of the times we live in. I’ve noticed the smaller COSY homes are selling around us.

We live in a detached 1980s timber framed house. We have an open plan kitchen diner area but we purposely kept a door to the hallway and the snug. It's south facing so the open space is a warm room.

I have to say though our energy bills aren't huge really (in the current climate). Majority of our close is older couples living alone in 4/5 bedroom houses so no sign of people selling up

@Snippit interesting experience. The cold snaps this winter might have made vast open spaces feel cold. I imagine a closed room with a wood burning stoves would be divine (alas wood burning stoves are a health hazard).

I’d love a multi fuel stove but my stubborn husband won’t budge on it. You’re right about the pollution factor with the wood burners. I’m asthmatic, my neighbour has a log burner and when I’m outside it gets on my chest, they produce a lot of particles . Last year Professor Chris Whitty produced a report that wood burnering stoves emitted 450 times more pollution than gas central heating. This was for eco designs, the older ones produce 3,700 times more 😲. No wonder my asthmas triggered 🥴

Like a few PPs I wouldn’t consider downsizing until there are more energy efficient homes to buy…

I have looked at our personal finances and I would want the benefit of cheaper bills and a smaller space to maintain in old age, which would come at a cheaper purchase price and less council tax. Sadly these small houses/ bungalows with smaller garden to maintain than I do currently - don’t seem to exist right now!

I don't think energy costs will have a significant impact upon property sales. There will always be a range of buyers with a range of home needs. With more people working at home, you could argue that more people will need an extra room as an office.