Australians Live in World's Biggest Houses

[ecodharmamark]

It's official, ABS data now reveals that we are the greediest in the world when it comes to average floorspace:

We are bigger than the US for the first time. Our newly built homes are 7 per cent bigger than those in the US, double the size of those in Europe, and triple the size of those in the UK...

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009 ... ion=justin

[magnoliabloomberg]

Aaaarrgghh! Just more space to clean and more place for clutter to collect. Public housing have always built according to a basic formula x sqaure feet per person give or take a bit and adjustments for wheel chair access etc.. Not sure exactly what the ratio is off hand. It does seem a bit excessive doesn't it? Most of the newer homes have the tiniest blocks too and you may as well be in a unit because of the proximity to neighbours. Can't really do a lot with a backyard the size of a handkerchief.

[ecodharmamark]

Aaaarrgghh! Just more space to clean and more place for clutter to collect. Public housing have always built according to a basic formula x sqaure feet per person give or take a bit and adjustments for wheel chair access etc.. Not sure exactly what the ratio is off hand. It does seem a bit excessive doesn't it? Most of the newer homes have the tiniest blocks too and you may as well be in a unit because of the proximity to neighbours. Can't really do a lot with a backyard the size of a handkerchief.

G'day magnoliabloomberg

What a lovely name .

Did you check the comments attached to the article? A quick straw poll of the 100-odd posted before it closed suggested about 85% are in favour of smaller houses, while 15% are in favour of bigger. Rather impressive statistics, however...

The reason why we have ballooned out in the phat-house stakes is because 90% of all new homes in Australia are constructed/marketed by 'volume' builders. It all starts when often productive farming land (the very same land we should be retaining in order to feed the urban hoards in a post-fossil fuel world) on the peri-urban belts that surround our sprawling megalopolises, otherwise known as 'greenfield' sites, are greedily carved up by so-called 'developers' with nothing other than a profit in their sights. Once completed, these 'dormitory' suburbs are the epitome of crass - wall-to-wall McMansions, no consideration given to solar orientation, no eaves, houses bristling with industrial-size air-conditioning units, and each filled with enough electronic components to put a spaceship on Mars! Very little thought is given to community infrastructure, such as rapid transit lines, walkable neighbourhoods, community gardens, etc. When asking developers (and believe me, I have asked a few) why they build such anti-ecological monsters, invariably they shrug their shoulders and say, "Mark, that's what the punters want". Of course, I always argue that the average home-buyer has not a clue what they want, other than what is rammed down their throats via mass-marketing media outlets.

For a brilliant insight into the dire situation of our sprawling suburbs, SBS (Jenny Brockie) did a great job of presenting the issue (see: http://news.sbs.com.au/insight/episode/ ... transcript). For a solution-orientated outcome, note the comments of Professor Peter Newman, as he calls for thousands of eco-villages to be incorporated into our current urban fabric in order to act as demonstration sites for a sustainable future.

Cheerio, Marko.

[Michaelangelica]

I really find that hard to believe having seen many US homes. Perhaps if you took big cities like New York out of the calculations you would end up with a different statistic.

It would also be interesting to look at average suburban block size.

A fairer comparison might be Australia compared to say, California.

Maybe a lot of people have lost their homes in the recent Great Bankers Swindle?

[eco4560]

Mandala town, mandala town, mandala town.....
One day...

[aroideana]

My little 8 x 10 m place is plenty big for me . Could easily live comfortably in much smaller .
What is the smallest allowed size enforced by regulations ?

[Michaelangelica]

My little 8 x 10 m place is plenty big for me . Could easily live comfortably in much smaller .
What is the smallest allowed size enforced by regulations ?

Many Chinese families share a small-garden-shed sized home
I guess some live in city- doorways or in the 'Long Grass".

[ecodharmamark]

My little 8 x 10 m place is plenty big for me . Could easily live comfortably in much smaller .
What is the smallest allowed size enforced by regulations ?

G'day aroideana

If you can satisfy your local building authority by meeting all the criteria for a 'habitable dwelling', you can live in a shoe-box.

I once lived in my swag for 9-months straight - most carefree time of my life.

And what about the 'little old lady who lived in a shoe'?

Cheerio, Marko.

[ecodharmamark]

Mandala town, mandala town, mandala town.....
One day...

Thanks for the reminder, eco.

Mandala town, mandala town, mandala town...

Marko.

[pebble]

Don't worry too much. Come the powerdown you'll have all this excellent housing for whole communities to live in :mrgreen: