Real Estate Tips

Many home buyers toward are edging toward a tendency many real estate industry scholars are surprised with; smaller and more affordable housing. It is reported that nearly 60% of the builders in the United States are building smaller scale homes, by the American Institute of Architects, and the higher demand for such construction is reinforced by the reduction in other costs of housing.

As everyone’s IRAs hit the skids in early 2008, so did the demand for larger houses causing a lot of the chaos still being ironed out in the real estate market. With the lack of money came a desire for a smaller scale home that worked and the square footage average dropped by over 300 square feet.

Many of the newer residences are even being built from salvage parts further reducing their costs. Many of the smaller scale houses that are being built are utilizing wood from old barns that are being torn down, or even older homes that are no longer able to be occupied.

The comparatively low price of 40-90 thousand dollars for a smaller scale home illustrates their true value, especially when viewed in the light of homeowners still receiving luxuries like modern homes.

The small residences one California builder makes can be put on a foundation or on wheels. The retail costs for his plans are around one thousand dollars and they are erected for the mid thirties. He says that building a small home is similar to having a suit tailored to fit. As with any custom home, each small home showcases the exact desires of the homeowner it is designer for. Given the limited amount of space, many of the small residences have built-in space saving features and can store as much as larger residences.

Major corporations like Lowe’s, the home improvement retailer, vends it’s own “Katrina Cottages” designed to counter F.E.M.A.’s toxic trailers.

Given the tendency of people with extra room to accumulate more stuff, the smaller home size helps many people deal with the materialist nature we all tend to have. Most homeowners are deciding to buy the more humble residences over the preferred “McMansions” of the latent past few years.

Do not be fooled into thinking that these smaller scale residences are lacking in luxuries or the modern creature comforts of larger homes. Appliances and features likes double door refrigerators and claw foot tubs are all the rage in the mini-houses being built. The green houses angle is one that cannot be overlooked in terms of a smaller home size either.

Not only do smaller residences have a lower mortgage payment but they also have reduced energy expenses. The smaller scale homes tend to have an 8 foot ceiling height which is more energy compliant than a vaulted or cathedral ceiling. With fewer square feet in the floorplan, smaller houses require less energy to either heat or cool them off so you can save on your energy costs in a big way with them.

Finally, have a smaller home erected will not only keep your bills down, but it can also increase the recreational value of your home. With a smaller portion of your building lot taken up by the building, you can use more of it to grow tomatoes, raise goats or other pets, or any other recreational pursuit you may choose. You can even put that horseshoe pit in that you have been dreaming of!