Actually a lot of older people quite like living in apartments - no gardening, someone else cleans the gutters, windows, looks after the exterior. But there's very limited options that are good for people like that.downsizing is a touchy subject - a few politicians have mentioned it in recent years and immediately been torn to pieces for "trying to force old people out of their homes". The main issue is there are very few suitable properties for older people to move into, they don't want small apartments where their neighbours are all short-term renters. There's also issues around financing, and I suppose general inertia. But there's undeniably a lot of older couples rattling around in large family homes that cost a fortune to maintain. I get the impression in other countries (the UK for example) it's more common to downsize in later life.
The bedroom tax is not a tax, its a reduction in the amount of housing benefit paid to social tenants in the UK who have more rooms than people in their homes. It was actually a rehash of a Brown-era labour policy called "Local Housing Allowance", the idea was that the housing benefit amount paid would be on the basis of family size not the size of the property. It never applied to owner occupiers.Why?
about 95% of families don't have 150m2I think a family need at least 150 sqm.
The overwhelming majority of urban scheme homes are nowhere near 120m2 never mind 95m2. Look at typical 4 bed home sizes in outer Dublin suburbs on myhome or daft. The 150m2 self build MacMansion is very much a rural one off thing.Are you sure?
Practically all newly built one-off houses over the last 20 years are at least 150 sqm, more like 200 sqm.
Okay, in estates, there are plenty of 3-bed semis which are sub 150 sqm, yes.
But 95% seems too high.
In Europe, Ireland's current average total usable housing floor space according to a CSO estimate based on energy ratings is at 112m².
The average floor size more accurately using the data on the housing stock back to the period 1700-1899 result in the following: All dwellings: 112m²; detached houses 158m²; semi-detached 108m²; mid-Terrace 90m² and flats/ apartments 76m².
That's not my point, I was challenging the claim that families "need" 150m2. As another poster has pointed out, the average home is 112m2. Not 150m2+. And a very large number of people do not live in rural one off homes.Are you sure?
Practically all newly built one-off houses over the last 20 years are at least 150 sqm, more like 200 sqm.
Okay, in estates, there are plenty of 3-bed semis which are sub 150 sqm, yes.
But 95% seems too high.