The average size of a new home built in the U.S. in the 1970’s was 1,660 square feet. In 2015, the average size of a new home being built in the U.S. was a whopping 2,687 square feet. So in spite of household size declining, home size has increased by more than 1,000 square feet.

In Asheville, like in many cities, housing and building costs are going up and up. Because of this, we’ve found that maybe the perfect home for some of our clients is a smaller one! Homes in the 800-1,500 square foot range can be the perfect landing spot for many families, and for more reasons than just affordability. Thomas and I recently built a modern 1,200-square-foot home for our own family, and here are a few reasons why we love our smaller footprint:

  • It makes us feel connected as a family.
  • It’s easy to clean and maintain.
  • Saving money on size allowed us to select some high-end finishes with more detail. One of our favorites is giant windows that let us feel connected to the outdoors. They were a little pricier than standard windows, but so worth it.
  • Having a smart but small space keeps us from collecting stuff. When we moved from our old house, we got rid of so many things that we liked but didn’t need — loads and loads of STUFF. We feel lighter and better living in a home where we have just what we need and not a lot more.
  • It makes us better stewards of our earth. In building our home, we used mostly sustainable materials and less of them! We were able to build a solar passive home with a great HERS rating.

Small homes pack huge possibilities whether you’re building from scratch or retrofitting. However, in order for a small space to work, a good design is vital. When a poor design choice causes a loss of useable space, you feel it more in a smaller home. Finding an architect who knows the best ways to capitalize on available space will make your smaller home feel high-quality and high-end.

If you are considering purchasing and/or remodeling a smaller home, Rueger Riley can help. We are passionate about design and are able to help our clients make smart tweaks to floor plans, choose color palettes that compliment design and space, and incorporate fluid connections between their homes and outdoor spaces. We love the challenge of reinventing a space or crafting a home from start-to-finish, but most of all we love to see our clients smile in homes tailor-made for them … no matter what the size!