NEWhomes
Living in shoeboxes
S
ome new houses are so small that RIBA has accused developers of building and selling ‘shoeboxes’ for families to live in. Business leader Sir John Banham, a former
director-general of the CBI and former chair of the Tarmac group, is to lead major new inquiry into British
homes as the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) launches its HomeWise campaign. The average new three bedroom home currently being built by
the UK’s top house builders is around eight per cent smaller than the basic recommended minimum size, leaving thousands of people across the country short-changed. This squeeze on size is depriving thousands of families the space needed for children to do homework, adults to work from home, guests to stay and for members of the household to relax together. The findings feature in Case for Space, new research by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA). The RIBA’s Case for Space report, based on 80 sites across England, reveals that: The floor area of the average new three bedroom home is only
92 per cent of the recommended minimum size, therefore missing the space equivalent to a single bedroom which could comfortably accommodate a single bed, bedside table, wardrobe, desk and chair. With a floor area of 88m², the average house is 8m² short of the recommended size (the benchmark for comparison is the London Plan space standards for a two-storey, three-bedroom home big enough for five people). The most common new three bedroom home is smaller still
at 74m². At only 77 per cent of the recommended size it is missing 22m² and therefore the space equivalent to two double bedrooms and all their contents. The average single storey one bedroom home is 46m², which is 93 per cent (4m² short) of the recommended minimum size – missing out on space equivalent to a single bed, a bedside table and a dressing table with a stool.
EstatE agEnts sharE thE ‘blamE’ with DEVElOPErs: CUstOmErs arE COnFUsED The RIBA Case for Space report exposes the lack of transparency existing around the size of UK homes – details are simply not recorded or publicly available. Homebuyers repeatedly fail to get detailed information about properties for sale or rent, and are rarely given the overall floor area; consumers can therefore be left confused about the actual amount of space they are purchasing.
48 OCTOBER 2011 PROPERTYdrum
Buying a new home? Will there be room for teddy?
Is that classic Monty Python sketch actually coming true?
The figures exposing the lack of choice and information available to home buyers, were released at the launch of a new national housing campaign and inquiry led by the RIBA. The Future Homes Commission, a national inquiry chaired by
business leader Sir John Banham will engage with people in their front rooms, town centres and online, to build a comprehensive picture about what people want and need from their homes.
thE hOmEwisE CamPaign
We must ensure that we have
The RIBA’s HomeWise campaign calls for: consumers to be home-wise and demand better information from estate agents and house builders so they can choose the most ideal layout, size and design of their new home. housebuilders, providers and estate agents to include the floor area of properties in their marketing material and indicative floor plans with furniture as well as the number of bedrooms. energy performance certificates – including floor area – to be provided up-front rather than only after contracts have been signed, which is too frequently the case. the government to work with the house building industry to produce an industry- wide voluntary agreement to ensure house builders publish data about the size and quality of new homes.
more of the right
kind of affordable homes across Britain.
sir jOhn banham Chair, FUtUrE hOmEs COmmissiOn The HomeWise website was also launched,
http://www.behomewise.co.uk features a series of online resources to help people to ask the right questions when choosing a home. The resources include The Nest Test – an
easy-to-use online calculator that helps home seekers to find out what the floor area of their home should be according to the recommended standards.
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