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Australian houses are getting larger. For a more sustainable future, our houses can’t be the space for everything (theconversation.com)

submitted 4 days ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

17 comments fedilink hide all child comments

For a more sustainable future, we need to embrace living in smaller spaces. This means not letting our houses be our primary space for every activity in our lives

Smaller, well insulated, medium density housing. Alas nothing like the current dystopian sprawl of Australian cities.

top 17 comments

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[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I wouldn't mind a shoebox. Can't afford anything.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 day ago

I suppose its an upgrade from old tyres..

[–] [email protected] 9 points 4 days ago (1 children)

I don’t understand the 2 bed 2 bath appartments, with a tiny nonfunctional kitchen and barely space for a sofa. Drop 1 bathroom and instead use space for a better kitchen and lounge, and you suddenly have a far more livable space.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 days ago

For sharing normally, i.e. students. When i had a 2 bed 1 bath apartment the dropped space just disappeared from the floor space. Drop that on 10 apartments and the developer now sells 11 apartments on that floor.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 4 days ago (1 children)

I don't understand where these "big houses" are. They're certainly not in WA, where all the new houses I've seen are teeny tiny 2x1's or 2x2's with all the homeliness of a tattered paper bag.

Are apartments being considered in these stats? They should be - but then the line would be "homes getting smaller".

[–] JeremyHuntQW12 3 points 3 days ago

The stats only include freestanding houses, not flats, semis or terraces.

In fact home sizes are getting smaller, not larger.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 days ago

If by medium density is a house on a 300sqm block with gutters that touch next door with a 3x3m patch of grass in the back yard, which seems to be the norm for new housing estates it will only cause more issues in infrastructure.

Of course the house will become the logical spot for all things as there is no yard or garage. Cost of living keeps people at home.

This makes little sense in many ways other than. Greed of councils and developers.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 days ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

It's a shame that major cities seem content with supplanting medium density housing with high density housing skipping it entirely.

EDIT: So apparently the NSW government has actually released a new policy specifically to help foster the creation of terrace and mid-rise developments near major transport hubs which is amazing.

Will be good to see development of new mid-rise developments particularly near stations which are surrounded by single family homes.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 4 days ago (1 children)

they're always massive houses with rooms the size of my toilet. Never understood that shit.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 days ago (1 children)

I feel like the use of space in our house is poorly done. There are three living spaces that it's hard to find something to do with, tiny bedrooms that could have just taken up one living space, a small kitchen, and nowhere to put anything. I feel like my parents' house is a much better use of space than where I am

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 days ago

Definitely, it's like they're trying to cram "must have" rooms and decorative shite in and you end up with less usable space than a postwar three bedroom.

Two loungerooms! A dining room! Al fresco! Yeah great except now we've had to convert the fucking garage for some room and park on the street.

[–] indomara 2 points 4 days ago

For people to be able to embrace living in smaller spaces, they need access to third spaces. These are becoming increasingly rare.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago)

NSW Housing Pattern Book

This is interesting, i hope the other States introduce something similar.

I'm in a bit of renovators delight, we've been thinking about adding a master+ensuite, but the increase in the houses footprint is weighing on my mind a bit. Maybe we need to go back to the drawing board.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Big houses are fine so long as many people live in them. We need to encourage communal living arrangements. Maybe make renting out a room in your ppor tax free?

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 days ago (1 children)

That's just small apartments and medium density with extra steps. People would rather have the same amount of space but with privacy than to need to live with strangers.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 days ago (1 children)

House mates don't stay strangers for long. Lots of people value the social side of communal living. It may not be for everyone, but many people do enjoy it. You have your own space in a share house, but communal spaces are shared.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 days ago

I'd say the disconnect here is the design of houses in Australia don't lend themselves to communal living situations.