UK and London house prices: Where to buy a new build house for the most space? Surprisingly, London
A new build home may come with all the mod cons, shiny new floors, and fewer problems than a quaint Victorian pad – but buyers are likely to be sacrificing space.
Architects have criticised the "rabbit-hutch" homes being built across the country, after new research found most are too small to live in for the average family.
Buyers outside the capital are missing out on four square metres of space in the average three bedroom home, compared with recommendations – that's the equivalent space for a family bathroom – according to the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA).
However, surprisingly, London is home to the roomiest new builds in the country.
Buyers in the capital are getting 108.5 sq m of space on average, 17 sq m more than the national average of 91 sq m.
It's buyers in Yorkshire who are left with the least amount of space, with the average three bedroom property offering just 84 sq m.
A new recommended minimum standard of 93 sq m was introduced in October, but Riba has warned it will take time for this to come into effect.
Just three areas in the UK currently conform to this: London, the South East and the East of England.
However, the research also reveals London's new home buyers are losing space. In 2011 the average pad was 119 sq m, meaning the city has lost more than 10 sq m in the last four years, while across the UK new homes have gained three square metres.
RIBA is calling on the government to write the minimum space standard into building regulations. It currently only means local authorities can impose it, but the group argues the process is complex and onerous. It also doesn't apply to new build homes.