The size of the Australian home has overtaken the U.S. to become the biggest in the world. The average size of the new Australian home is now 215 square meters, up 10% over the past decade. In contrast as the U.S. comes to grips with the worst recession since the Great Depression, the size of U.S. homes have been downsized to 202 square meters, down 5% from a peak of 212 square meters.
Our neighbour, New Zealand comes in at 196 square meters, while the biggest homes in Europe go to Denmark at 137 square meters. In Britain, homes are only 76 square meters.
ยป Home truths: Australia trumps US when it comes to McMansions – The Sydney Morning Herald, November 30th 2009.
It is interesting to note from the article that the Author asserts that the larger size of Aussie homes explains the higher cost because they are of “better quality”, presumably of particular relevance with the UK new build hose stock, at 76 sq. metres. On this basis, the implication is that Australian housing must be 215 / 76 = 2.83 times “better”. However the reality is that “quality” is not size-related, and the main driver for smaller European homes is that of thermal efficiency – I own a post-War (1942) construction home in the Southern UK (Hampshire), and the build quality is light years ahead of the “newer” Australian home my Wife and I currently rent. For example, in the UK it is now standard for all new homes to have 300mm roof and 150mm cavity wall insulation, full double glazing, and numerous other energy efficiency designs. The costs of keeping the property comfortably warm in the (long!) UK winters are actually less than the costs of heating our current home – which was built (jerry-built more like!) at the start of the current speculative boom (1990). Hardly my concept of “quality” construction (numerous design flaws, poor brickwork finishing, atrocious wiring and plumbing), and a timber frame structure that “wobbles” in modest winds (my UK home withstood the “Great Storm” without ANY damage (not even roofing tiles!)). This place would disappear if exposed to a comparable wind loading.
As a final note, there have been more than a few scandals regarding cheaply – constructed “Frame Built” Housing in the UK (Barrat Homes being a major “offender”) – quality homes “over there” are still constructed using a twin-wall system, and the end product is particularly durable. Considerably more than can be said for our “local” construction system!