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Growing trend of smaller homes in the UK

Wednesday, 11 April 2007 12:00 AM

The UK has seen a strong rise in the proportion of smaller homes being built over the last 15 years, new research reveals.

The Office of National Statistics (ONS) today reveals new build properties have been getting smaller as demand for housing increases, and there is more pressure use previously developed land and take account of environmental concerns.

In the last five years, the ONS research shows new homes with two bedrooms have become the most common type of new build, rising from 25 per cent of new residential developments in 2001/02 to 42 per cent in 2005/06.

Five years ago homes with four or more bedrooms were the most common type of new build.

The ONS also reveals "significantly higher" numbers of young adults are living with their parents than they did in 1991. Among 20 to 24-year-olds, 58 per cent of men and 39 per cent of women have not flown the nest.

"At the same time, first-time buyers in the UK faced average house prices 204 per cent higher than in 1995, compared with a 92 per cent rise in average incomes," the ONS noted.

Household numbers have also been rising much faster than the population has been growing, the ONS finds.

"In spring 2006 there were 24.2 million households in Great Britain, an increase of 30 per cent since 1971. Over the same period, the population of Great Britain increased by only eight per cent," the ONS explained.

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