The common
theme is: more space. We want a dedicated space for tasks such as ironing and
recycling, larger rooms, higher ceilings and some “private” space for each
household member. Britons build the smallest new homes in Europe and that is
not because of pressure of land, but because builders make more money that way.
Homes used to be bigger , but in 1961, a
committee made the “Parker Morris standards”, they required 71 sq. m. for four
people and a storage space of 2.3 cubic metres. Builders interpreted them as
maximum. This explains why so many Britons live with insufficient space today.
In cities
space is scarce, that’s understandable, but when you enter Almere or Lelystad,
your amazed by the large numbers of houses the builders put on one hectare. And
then the small gardens these houses have!
Many people rent storage for their
possessions and most people say they need more space for their
furniture. It amazes me; why would you not build bigger houses with bigger
gardens in this reclaimed polder. Look at all the space there is, why not use
it for bigger homes? After all; you
spend most of your life in and around your home.
Small houses are probably a result of the construction policy in The Netherlands. Houses can only be build inside municipalities. Thereby, space is limited. In several other European countries houses can be build everywhere. Besides, Real Estate Developers want to make as much money as possible.
BeantwoordenVerwijderenMaybe the smaller houses are build for beginners, but what I think is that if you want to live in a bigger house, you just simply buy a bigger house! if that's not possible, then that is for a reason!
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