Did you know? The way we live in our homes has changed dramatically over the past 10 years. Open-plan living was once seen as a trend, but now it’s become a must for many including myself.
15 years ago, John and I moved home. Back then, open-plan lifestyles were quite new and I remember my parents being taken aback that our living area was one big open room (this includes the kitchen). My sister couldn’t understand that I didn’t have a true hallway and that the only ground-floor internal doors were to the wc, utility room and study! How times have changed.
Open-plan living has now become more common in both renovations and new build housing. Think of the benefits. Fewer walls create additional light and space and more sociable living. It’s a concept which is common across Europe, it’s only now that we Brits are really taking this on board.
How we use space in our homes is becoming more imaginative, with newer trends such as ‘broken-plan’ living where dividers, low walls and even plants are used to help to find a compromise between open-plan and traditional layouts. I call it zoning!
The recent 2021 census data has hinted at the massive impact this change has had on our homes. The number of households with 4 or fewer rooms* has doubled from just over 7.6 million to over 15.3 million. Meanwhile, the number of households with 5 or more rooms* has decreased by 40% from over 15.7 million to just under 9.5 million. It seems that people are knocking down those walls!
Google Analytics also shows that search interest in the keyword ‘open plan’ grew 188% between 2011 and 2021. Information like this is really useful as knowing what people are looking for is always key to selling success.
What’s your living style? Do you prefer to have separate living rooms or do you like open-plan living? I’d love to know!
My name is Michelle Gallagher. If you’d like to chat about this article or indeed anything property, please get in touch. At JDG we are here to help.
Thanks for reading
Michelle
