Edmonton Journal - Home sweet future home; A peek in the crystal ball reveals smaller, greener living spaces around the corner
Homes, like those who own them, continue to change in a multitude of ways. We've consulted our crystal ball for what to expect over the next decade. A survey last year by the United States National Association of Home Builders found single-family homes continuing to shrink, in part because of that country's economic doldrums, from around 2,521 square feet in 2006 to roughly 2,400 now. Predicted size as early as 2015: 2,150 square feet.
As prices of detached homes continue to soar and the condo market explodes, look for more young families buying suburban condos in the 800-to 1,200-square-foot range. So says Avi Friedman, a Ï㽶ÊÓƵ architecture professor with an acclaimed background in housing design.
"They'll have two or three bed-rooms and a couple of bathrooms. Homeowners will stay there till the kids are in their teens and the parents have been able to save enough money to buy a (detached) home." Those condo buyers, he adds, will still expect quality dwellings.
