According to a recent survey by the Australian Bureau of Statistics and CommSec, the average Australian home has double the number of bedrooms and is 30.00% larger than just twenty years ago with WA and Victoria building the biggest homes in the country (just over 242m2).
Only the US was building larger homes (245m2) while in New Zealand the average is a modest 178m2.
The survey also revealed that apartment sizes during 2004 – 2009 period averaged 140m2 yet currently averages 130m2.
Interestingly, the 2016 census found that 72 percent of all homes in Australia are “free standing” while apartments and town houses represent 26 percent.
Another interesting fact is that according to the UDIA (Urban Development Institute of Australia), the size of the average block of land fell by 7.7% last year and is now averaging 395m2.
So what does all this mean? It means that if you want a big home in WA on a small piece of land, it has to be a two storey home. The major benefits of a two storey home are –
A smaller “footprint” on the land gives you more usable land area for outdoor living.
Two storey designs provide for greater separation in living/sleeping areas.
Depending on the location of the land, you can take advantage of the views.
Don’t be put off by thinking that a big two storey is beyond your budget, with the growing demand for two storey homes, prices are very comparable to single storey and a “custom” two storey home can be built from just $350,000.
Big homes in WA – we are still living the great Australian dream.
