While the size of the average American household has decreased to 2.58 people, ironically, today's new homes are actually growing in size.
I guess this should be no surprise considering that the typical size of the average single-family American home has grown drastically over the past few decades. To better put this into perspective, while the average size of a single-family home in 1950 totaled 983 square feet, the average single-family home size today is currently 2,687 square feet.
This additional square footage is necessary in order to accommodate today's increased desire for more bedrooms and bathrooms in homes. Even considering the shrinking average family size, today's homeowners (especially in the custom home market) want at least 4 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms. This is supported by an average of 47 percent of new homes having at least 4 bedrooms and 38 percent of new homes having at least 3 bathrooms.
Interestingly, we've especially seen the demand for extra bathrooms in the home increase since we've come out of the Great Recession. This is an indication that today's homeowners are feeling more confident about their finances and the economy going forward.
One reason why today's Americans are demanding larger homes could be to accommodate the increase in adults between the ages of 18 and 34 that are still living with their parents. According to Pew Research, this is the first time in history that adults in this age bracket are more likely to be living with their parents versus another living arrangement.
One segment of buyers where this demand for larger homes is particularly noticeable is for those in the luxury, custom market.
One of the biggest advantages of going the custom home building route is that you don't necessarily need to have a large and spacious home (but you certainly can, too). When you choose to build a custom home, the emphasis is on quality and getting a design that allows you to best utilize the square footage in your home.
Having successfully completed more than 500 projects in Central Florida, we would be more than happy to talk to you about the custom home building process and how we are able to make your dream home a reality. Please contact us today to learn more about how we can help you.