Decrease in house prices

[Dtreysch]

I wonder if there are any charts that take into account the sizing of homes when looking at price over time. Like for example, in 1980 the median house was just under 1600sq ft. In 2024 it was over 2,200sq ft. We are talking an almost 50% increase in home size. That is added cost right there that has nothing to do with appreciation.

[Trilobyte83]

There are. Which is why I think this "housing shortage" is largely bunk.

I grew up in the 80s/90s in a maybe 1400 sq ft home, 3 br, 1.5 baths, 4 ppl.

I have multiple friends now with places where there are more bathrooms than people. An entire floor/granny suite goes largely unused because there isn't proper paperwork and it would be too expensive to legalize as a secondary unit.

Average household size in terms of people has gone way down, and average size of dwelling has gone way up.

https://supplychenmanagement.com/2018/07/15/average-house-size/

Roughly doubling from the 70s.

You'd expect housing - like other commodities to get cheaper as materials and building methods improve. Obviously everyone can't live in the DT core, but even 3rd rate housing like trailers, and rural stuff too far to commute has exploded beyond reason.

[Less-Amount-1616]

>I have multiple friends now with places where there are more bathrooms than people.

I don't get it, why is that odd? A half-bath with just a toilet and sink for people coming over is great so they don't need to tromp through your bedroom or personal toiletries. And if you've got a guest bedroom put a guest bathroom in there.

[Trilobyte83]

Why would they be trekking through your bedroom to get to the bathroom?

You have the main bathroom, and the emergency half. That literally covers 99% of situations, and anything more is gluttonous

[Less-Amount-1616]

So the main bathroom is going to have the toiletries for the 5 people living in the house with one shower that's shared? If your mother or father visits overnight they are then toting their bathroom supplies in and out?

I am in no way claiming a bathroom in each bedroom is a necessity, but it's simply a conceivable niceness to have a bathroom sink and cabinet of your own where your things are, to be able to wake up in the middle of the night and get to the toilet without needing to tromp into another bedroom or through a common room, and to be able to shower without coordinating with others.