How to make the most out of every inch of home
And there's more: recent figures* showed that house prices have tripled in 10 years in a quarter of the 62 cities across the UK that were included in the survey, you'll get less for your money.
London house prices top the table at £330 per sq ft, with Oxford house prices second at £252, and St Albans house prices third at £250. And whilst the average house in the UK has an area of 1,108 sq ft, in London that would cost more than £370,000 - not an easy amount to raise for the majority of people living alone. So, short of moving to Armagh (the cheapest city at £93 per sq ft), the answer is maximise the effectiveness of the space you have.
Style to scale
The key to adding value and style? Richard Connor, a partner at Piercy Connor architects recommends that you squeeze the service elements, that is the kitchen and bathroom into the smallest space possible, leaving the bulk of your square footage dedicated to living.
Sir Terence Conran says in his book How to Live in Small Spaces:
Size need not inhibit personal expression: you can make a small place just as much your own as you can a larger one. At their best, small spaces can be both inclusive and flexible, which is perfectly in tune with the relaxed and informal way we want to live now and will no doubt continue to want to live in the future.
Small space, big drama
Look to create extra opportunities wherever you can. Build into alcoves and the space above doorways; as well as the triangle of space under the stairs. Now you can install drawers in the actual stair treads.
If blessed with a really high ceiling, create a mezzanine.
Build a raised platform for sleeping or dining and use the space underneath for storage.
Generally keep colours light and light-attracting to maximise area, but don't shy away from adding drama with a large-scale paper feature on the wall.
A wall of mirrors will create an illusion of openness. Big up your windows as they draw the eye yo the world outside. A tiny bedroom with floor-to-ceiling windows will automatically feel larger as your focus is pulled beyond its four walls.
Stealth Storage
Being able to stash belongings in an orderly organised way will not only expand the space, but will also enhance its ease of use. The constraints of the small space will be minimised if it works in a ruthlessly efficient way. Build in plenty of sneaky storage for clothing, accessories, paperwork, laundry, books and other everyday detritus, otherwise creeping mess will start eating into valuable square footage.
Even though built-in storage may seem an extravagant use of space and money, in the long term it will be a more effective way to live.
Dual-Purpose Furniture
As with everything else in a tiny space, even the furniture has to work for its keep. From top-of-the-range beds which house TVs in their footboards and sofas incorporating speakers to Linge Roset's coffee table that converts into a dining table - even a basic sofa bed, getting something that performs two tasks is ultimately going to save on space while ultimately going to save on space while paying dividends in style.
Seamless Bathrooms
Bathroom manufacturer Ideal Standard reckons the average bathroom is the size of a king-size bed and has launched the SMALL+ range. Alternatively, forgo a bath in favour of a shower room, or a wet room that will make more luxurious use of space.
Neat Kitchens
The micro-pad is unlikely to be a place for throwing lavish dinner parties, so it makes sense to keep the kitchen as small as you can, possibly integrated into the main living space. Again, enough storage to keep everything without crowding the space is key. Think about shelves on the wall instead of units which close-in a space.
*Halifax
This article is courtesy of InsideOut magazine.
