When planning your dream home, it can be easy to fall into a more is more mindset, especially when it comes to bedrooms. After all, who knows when a spare room or two might come in handy?
As Australian homes continue to grow, with more and more families opting for larger living spaces and extra bedrooms, it's worth taking a step back and asking: Do you really need that extra room?
Join us as we explore the rising trend of four-bedroom builds and compare them to a more traditional three-bedroom design. We'll investigate the real costs, benefits and concerns, helping you head into your home-building journey with confidence that you're building a house that's the right fit for you, now and into the future.
Around 44% of Australian homes have three bedrooms, which is a noticeable decline from 50% 2 decades ago. So, what's driving this shift towards larger homes? Is it the perception that 4-bedroom homes offer better resale value, or is there a real market demand for more space?
At the same time, the number of single-person households continues to rise, highlighting a potential contradiction between how Australians live and the size of homes we're building.
A recent article by The Conversation found that many people were buying homes with extra bedrooms because they require a hobby room or a separate home office. This is what's known as 'space creep', where we believe we require more than we actually do.
According to the Australian Institute of Family Studies, the average Australian family has 1.7 children. Therefore, for most families, a 3-bedroom home is the most sustainable option. A 3-bedroom home has smaller construction costs, it's faster to build, easier to maintain, costs less to run, and when it comes time to downsize, it will appeal to a broader range of buyers.
For families with more than the average number of children, having enough space is always an important concern when building a home. Unlike past eras when it was normal for several children to share a single bedroom, having our individual spaces is an important consideration for modern families. In this case, having an extra room makes sense.
Having an extra bedroom also makes it easier to keep extended family, who may live far away, closer. Having a dedicated room of their own will make your guests more comfortable, and for that reason, it's a non-negotiable for some families.
Another reason many people require homes with a fourth bedroom is due to the rise in the number of people working from home. A dedicated home office can help separate work and family life and potentially benefit home value.
While it's true that 4-bedroom homes sometimes sell for more, they are also more expensive to build, maintain, heat and cool. They also take longer to clean and require more furniture. These increased costs may not be necessary for every homeowner, especially first-time buyers or those who live in smaller 1-2 person households, like empty nesters.
If an extra bedroom comes at the expense of other rooms, like a walk-in pantry, a dining area, storage space or outdoor living space, home builders need to carefully weigh how it will affect resale and what best suits their current situation.
Real estate market conditions sometimes dictate higher prices for 4-bedroom homes, but not always, especially in some outer suburbs. Several factors influence the value of a home, including location, kitchen, entertaining and living area size, the number of bathrooms, and market demand.
Instead of building homes with more bedrooms, open floor plans with more living space may be a better option for many people, especially as land becomes scarcer and costs continue to escalate. A home with a great layout, good flow and natural light is more comfortable to live in and therefore, will always be more appealing to others should you decide to sell your home in the future.
Many homeowners assume that bigger is always better, but as we've mentioned, homes with extra bedrooms are more expensive to build and to run, and they aren't always worth more, especially if you have to sacrifice other features to accommodate the extra bedroom. Before you choose to add a fourth bedroom to your design, ask yourself:
A new house is likely the biggest investment you will ever make, so it's important to get it right. Ultimately, the choice on house size comes down to your individual circumstances, future plans and what stage of life you are at.
At A Class Building and Construction, we have a great deal of experience bringing unique custom home designs to life, and we will exceed your expectations with a home that's the right fit for your family and lifestyle. To sit down with us for a building consultation and work through your wants and needs, visit our website or call us on 0414 183 503.
Whether you require a 3 or 4 bedroom house depends on your circumstances and requirements. However, it's important to remember that 3-bedroom homes are generally more affordable and less expensive to run.
Three-bedroom homes continue to be the most popular choice for Australians, but if you're a single or small household, you may be more comfortable in a 1 or 2-bedroom home. It just depends on the size of your household and what stage of life you are at.
While a 4-bedroom home can be more valuable, it's the size of the main living spaces that affects the value of your home the most. If you need to sacrifice space in these areas to create an extra room, 3 bedrooms are likely more desirable.
This depends largely on where in the country you live. In the Wollongong region, the median price for 3-bed homes is $1,100,000, while 4-bed homes are around $1,300,000. However, 4-bed homes spend 79 days on the market compared to 33 days for 3-bed homes.
