A question residential customers often ask us: How big should we plan the rooms of our home?

Before we dive into the room size discussion, let’s put numbers to house sizes. Using figures from a 2013 survey carried out by National Association of Home Builders, here are the “labels”:

•  small home: below 2000 square feet,
• medium home: 2000 to 3000 square feet,
• large home: above 3000 square feet.

Average Total Space

In 2013, the average home was about 2300 square feet, with 3.38 bathrooms and 2.56 bathrooms. Even though this may seem like a big space, bonus rooms (including theatre rooms, study rooms, etc.) account for an average of 500 square
feet.

The hallway also took up a large percentage of the space. Newer homes have since become smaller, and specialty rooms are no longer common, thus freeing up a lot of space to be used more efficiently.

Living Room

The living room lives up to its buzz and is often the largest room in many homes at an average of 500 square feet. Interestingly, the size of a living room doesn't significantly change with the size of a house. In small homes, the average living room is 470 square feet, in medium homes the living room is about 480 square feet. This means that the living room doesn't necessarily increase as the home's size increases. Small homeowners probably trade off space elsewhere to afford the great family and social opportunities accorded by a full-sized living room.

Bedrooms

The master bedroom becomes bigger as the size of a home increases. The average master bedroom was 300 square feet, with small homes having master bedrooms of about 230 square feet while large homes averaged a generous 410 square feet. The master bathroom also increased significantly, averaging about 160 square feet, and increasing substantially in larger homes. Guest bedrooms perhaps show the most significant correlation with home sizes. The average space dedicated to guest bedrooms was 470 square feet, with small homes devoting about 250 square feet and large homes averaging a gigantic 730 square feet for the guest bedroom.

Laundry Room

The laundry room has an average of 100 square feet, but this varies with the size of a home. Small homes dedicate about 65 square feet for the laundry room, while large homes dedicate twice as much space at 140 square feet.

Closets

The average home has about 140 square feet of closet space, with small homes managing about 100 square feet. Large homes expand up to 200 square feet of closet space, while medium homes have about 130 square feet. The above figures show the average room sizes in modern homes, but they need not dictate the design of your new home. One of the best parts about building your home is tailoring it to suit your taste and preferences. Do you want a small home with lots of bedroom space? Or do you want a larger home with a bigger living room? It's all up to you. We ensure you get the perfect residential design just right for you and your family.