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>average housing size has more than doubled while average number of occupants has dropped I've read this many times, bigger houses have contributed a great dea
by xxSparkleSxx 9y ago
>average housing size has more than doubled while average number of occupants has dropped
I've read this many times, bigger houses have contributed a great deal to rising housing costs. But do we have any data on the cost of materials and labor now vs. then as well as the cost of land and regulations now vs. then?
I've always had an inkling that materials/labor costs haven't actually risen that much even as houses grew larger.
- Mz 9y agoIn addition to being larger, houses today are more lavish. In the 1950s, houses were around 1200 square feet, they had a kitchen and a bathroom but did not necessarily have a washer and dryer or air conditioner. They certainly did not have a microwave and probably did not have a dishwasher. They tended to have less insulation, less electrical wiring, etc. Yes, there is data on such things. There are a number of reasons that housing has gone up in cost, but size inflation is absolutely a contributing factor.
- closeparen 9y agoThe appliances you're describing are a few hundred to a few thousand dollars each. Maybe we could expect the full package to contribute $30k, or even $50k, of increased costs. This could explain a jump from $200k to $250k. Not from $50k to $200k.
- Mz 9y agoAverage housing size has also more than doubled, plus there is inflation. Average new housing is above 2400 sq ft, nearly 2500, iirc.