logo
How home sizes are changing in the UK: Are they getting bigger or smaller?

How home sizes are changing in the UK: Are they getting bigger or smaller?

Independent2 days ago
The average floor area of a flat or a detached home in England has shrunk over the past decade.
But bungalows, terraced homes and semi-detached properties have typically grown in size between 2013 and 2023, according to according to analysis by Nationwide Building Society.
The data was compiled by the building society from the English Housing Survey.
Andrew Harvey, Nationwide's senior economist, said: 'Typical property sizes have increased slightly over the last decade. Since 2013, the average floor area has increased from 95.3 square metres to 96.2 square metres.
He added: 'The largest increase has been in terraced houses, where the average floor area is 3.6 per cent bigger than in 2013. But the average size of flat, the smallest property type, is now 1.7 per cent smaller than 10 years ago at 60.3 square metres.
'Reflecting the composition of the stock, the owner occupier sector has the highest average floor area at 112 square metres. The average floor area in the private and social rented sectors is smaller at 76 square metres and 65 square metres respectively, due to greater concentration of flats.'
Mr Harvey said the total housing stock in England has increased by 2.1 million homes to 25.4 million in 2023.
He added: 'Of the total, 16.3 million dwellings are owner occupied, while 4.9 million are privately rented, with the remaining 4.2 million in the social rented sector (local authority or housing association properties).'
Here are average floor areas for property types in England in square metres in 2013 followed by 2023 and the percentage change, according to Nationwide Building Society:
Flats, 61.4, 60.3, minus 1.7 per cent
Bungalow, 77.0, 77.5, 0.6 per cent
Terraced, 88.7, 91.9, 3.6 per cent
Semi-detached, 96.9, 99.1, 2.2 per cent
Detached, 152.9, 151.9, minus 0.6 per cent
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Arsenal closing in on Eberechi Eze transfer as midfielder left out of Palace Conference League squad
Arsenal closing in on Eberechi Eze transfer as midfielder left out of Palace Conference League squad

The Independent

time14 minutes ago

  • The Independent

Arsenal closing in on Eberechi Eze transfer as midfielder left out of Palace Conference League squad

Eberechi Eze 's £60million transfer from Crystal Palace to Arsenal could be confirmed as early as this weekend. Eze is set to become Arsenal 's seventh signing of the summer after they moved to hijack Tottenham's bid for the England international. It is believed the finishing touches on a deal to sign the 27-year-old, which catapults Arsenal's spending to beyond £250m, are all but completed. Eze's stunning move to the Emirates accelerated this week following a knee injury sustained by Kai Havertz. The Germany international came on as a second-half substitute in Arsenal's 1-0 win at Manchester United, and completed the game, but he did not participate in the club's open training session at the Emirates on Wednesday. It is unclear how long Havertz, who is still being assessed, will face on the sidelines. But the hastiness to swoop for Eze is evidence Arsenal did not want to take any chances as Mikel Arteta – backed by sporting director Andrea Berta – bids to lead the north Londoners to their first Premier League title in 22 years. Eze is now poised to follow striker Viktor Gyokeres (£55m), defender Cristhian Mosquera (£13m), midfielder Martin Zubimendi (£60m), goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga (£5m), midfielder Christian Norgaard (£10m) and forward Noni Madueke (£48.5m) in making the switch to the Emirates. Arteta will face the media at the club's training ground on Friday to preview his side's second match of the campaign, at home to Leeds on Saturday evening. Eze was left out of Palace's Conference League qualifier against Norwegian outfit Fredrikstad at Selhurst Park, which is the Eagles' first ever European tie.

I moved from a ‘rough' council estate to a mansion but my neighbour was vile to me for being too common
I moved from a ‘rough' council estate to a mansion but my neighbour was vile to me for being too common

The Sun

time15 minutes ago

  • The Sun

I moved from a ‘rough' council estate to a mansion but my neighbour was vile to me for being too common

A WOMAN who previously lived on a rough council estate and moved to a 'posh area' has said her 'vile' neighbour was rude to her for being too common. Terri-Ann Nunns, 41, from Doncaster, who previously starred on Channel 5's Rich House, Poor House as a self-made millionaire, said she was 'happier' on the council estate. 3 3 After creating a successful diet plan and having a budget of £1,200 a week with her husband Michael, and their three kids, Terri-Ann moved into her 'dream' mansion. However, things were not all rosy as the person living next to her made her life a living hell. The six-bedroom mansion had come with a cinema room and a swanky bar, but the dream ended when she was forced to sell the property and move out. In a TikTok video on her @terriann_nunns account, she said: 'We bought this house, and then I had offices built in the back garden, it was just amazing. 'But then I had a new neighbor and he were a doctor and he weren't very nice. 'I think personally he could not stand the fact, like, I'm just me. I'm not posh, I'm just me. 'I'll never change, I've always been from a council estate, always been rough and ready, professional, but can be rough and ready as well. And he just couldn't stand us.' Terri-Ann claims tensions rose when he started moaning about her staff parking on the street. She added: 'I had a massive drive for everybody to park on, every staff member, but because they're coming at different times, one of them would get blocked in. 'So they just thought, 'we'll park on street.' So one of my staff argued with him. 'He nudged her, it was vile. 'Honestly, I just think he just couldn't stand the fact that we weren't posh. We were just, like, normal.' Terri-Ann said she suspects her neighbour ended up phoning the council to say she was running a commercial business out of her home. She continued: 'I don't know, he just hated us. 'And then when the council got involved, basically the reason I had to move out the house because they said I couldn't run my business from there. 'So I'd spent £40,000 on this office being built in the back garden, and the council turned around and said you're using your property as a commercial property which we weren't. 'We had the big house and the thing at the back garden. Anyway, I said I'm not staying here. 'I'm not staying here and not being able to run my business. It's just not worth it, what we've invested. 'So we sold the house, made money from it, sold the house and bought the one that's on Rich House, Poor House.' SNOBBY COMMENTS Terri-Ann insists she's proud of her success, but claims often people who have had a privileged upbringing 'look down' on those who haven't had that. Many people were quick to praise the entrepreneur on her success in the comments. One said: 'Girl I feel you, I miss the estate so bad! Way to snooty round here.' Another added: 'Love to see my own kind of people getting along in life good on you. sounds like the neighbour was very bitter and jealous of you.' BUSINESS SUCCESS Terri-Ann made her fortune through her Terri-Ann New You Plan, and regularly shares her top tricks for her own drastic body transformation. She went from being a single mother living in a council house to raking in a whopping £1.8million a year. On her Rich House, Poor House episode, her family swapped their six-bedroom home with struggling Anne and Mick Ross, who lived off £200 a week. During the episode, Terri-Ann admitted she may have been happier in her life before her success, saying: 'We're probably less happy now. 'I have to work loads of hours, and neglect Michael (her husband) a little bit, and obviously it's clear I neglect my kids because they told me all this week.' Terri-Ann's top tips in business TERRI-Ann says: "Find something you're passionate about – not just something you think is going to make loads of money. If you're passionate about it, it'll be an easier and inevitably a more lucrative process. "Don't be greedy – appeal to everybody, not just a small market, because you've got more chance of making money. I'd rather sell a load cheap than sell six at £100. "I undercut everybody, but I sell a lot. People are cutting costs now – the likes of Aldi and Lidl are cheap and they're challenging the other supermarkets; people want a bargain. "Take a leap – if it's something you're passionate about, you'll make it a success, so just go for it! Think about the 'what ifs', not the 'what if I don't do it'."

Are you due a tax refund? HMRC letters start hitting doormats but beware of scams
Are you due a tax refund? HMRC letters start hitting doormats but beware of scams

The Sun

time15 minutes ago

  • The Sun

Are you due a tax refund? HMRC letters start hitting doormats but beware of scams

HMRC tax refund letters are landing on doormats across the UK – but Brits are being urged to watch out for fraudsters cashing in on the rush. Across Britain, thousands could be in line for a refund if they have overpaid income tax. 2 But crooks are pouncing on the moment, sending convincing-looking emails, texts and even fake letters designed to trick people into handing over personal details. Officials have warned that genuine HMRC letters will explain clearly if money is owed, and refunds are normally paid directly into a bank account or sent as a cheque. More than eight million workers have previously received hundreds of pounds in overpaid tax back. A Freedom of Information (FOI) request by The Sun found that HMRC refunded a staggering £8.3billion in overpaid tax during 2022/23 — with the average worker pocketing £943. People are being urged to ignore any message that asks them to click a link, provide card details or transfer money. The warning comes as Chancellor Rachel Reeves faces fresh criticism that her new tax plans could make life even harder for struggling households. Some of Britain's biggest retailers – including Tesco, Sainsbury's, John Lewis, Boots and Morrisons – have written to the Treasury saying they cannot absorb any more costs. They say higher business rates, wage rises and new packaging rules have already added £7 billion in extra bills. The companies, part of the British Retail Consortium, fear food price inflation could rocket to six per cent later this year. They say families will be hit with soaring bills just as winter energy costs bite. In their letter, the firms told the Chancellor: 'As retailers, we have done everything we can to shield our customers from the worst inflationary pressures but as they persist, it is becoming more and more challenging for us to absorb the cost pressures we face.' They warned that promises made by Sir Keir Starmer's Labour government to deliver 'good jobs and higher living standards' were under threat if further tax hikes go ahead. Helen Dickinson, chief executive of the British Retail Consortium, said: 'Retailers have gone to extraordinary lengths to shield customers from rising costs, but government policy is making that harder by the day. "The chancellor must ensure a significant reduction to retail's rates burden and that no shop pays more at the upcoming autumn budget.' The letter has been signed by supermarket giants, high street chains and online sellers, with more expected to add their names in the coming days. They argue that piling extra taxes on the country's biggest shops will ultimately be passed on to shoppers. Meanwhile inflation has already jumped to 3.8 per cent – the highest in a year and a half. The rise was driven partly by food bills, which went up nearly five per cent. Experts warn this could make another cut in interest rates unlikely next month, bad news for homeowners with mortgages. What Does My Tax Code Mean? A Simple Guide to Your HMRC Letter The Treasury insisted it remains 'pro-business', pointing out that 380,000 jobs have been created since the start of the parliament. A spokesman said: 'Since the election, we have struck three major trade deals with the EU, US and India, business rates are being reformed and corporation tax is capped at 25 per cent.' Wrong tax code trap Anyone paid via PAYE is given a code by HMRC, passed on through their employer, and you'll see it on your payslip. This code dictates how much tax is taken from your wages – so if it's wrong, you could be losing money. Workers are often put on the wrong code if they change jobs or have more than one income. At the end of each tax year in April, HMRC sends out what are known as P800 letters, telling people if they've overpaid or underpaid. But you don't need to wait – you can check your code at any time online through your personal tax account, and if it looks wrong, contact HMRC directly. Even those who spot problems quickly can face delays. The taxman is often overwhelmed with demand and repayments can take weeks. Around 2.32million repayments were also made to people who filed self-assessment tax returns over the same period, totalling £5.2billion. HMRC will not reveal the total number of taxpayers who had overpaid for 2023/24 until May 2025. A word of warning: avoid companies that offer to 'find' your refund for a fee. They don't have a shortcut to HMRC – it's the same process you can do yourself, for free. How do I file a tax return? TO file a self assessment tax retun, you'll need to register with HMRC first, which will then issue you with a Unique Taxpayer Reference (UTR). You must register for self assessment by October 5 if you have to file a tax return and you have not sent one before. You can do so by visiting If you've previously registered and already have a UTR, you don't need to go through this step again. Once you've got your UTR, you can sign in via the "Self Assessment tax return" section of HMRC's website by visiting You can then file your self assessment tax return online. The deadline for sending a return online is January 31 every year. If you need a paper copy of the main Self Assessment tax return, call HMRC on 03000 200 3610 and request an SA100 form. The deadline for sending a return using a paper form is October 31 every year. You need to pay the tax you owe by midnight on January 31 each year. HMRC accepts your payment on the date you make it, not the date it reaches its account. File late and HMRC will issue you with a fine. Why I am in the wrong tax code? There are several reasons why you might be on the wrong tax code, including if you've started a new job and HMRC has not received your income details in time. You might also be on the wrong code if you've started working for an employer after being self-employed, or you're working more than one job at a time. If you are on the wrong code, the tax office will often put you on an emergency tax code until you contact them about changing it. Bear in mind, in some cases you might have been put on the wrong tax code and be underpaying and owe HMRC money. In any case, you'll want to correct it when you can so you're paying the right amount going forward. Sarah Coles, personal finance analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown, said: "It's a relatively straightforward process and this money is rightfully yours, so don't hang about – make a claim as soon as you can." How do I check my tax code? YOU can check your tax code on your personal tax account online, on any payslips or on the HMRC app. To log in, visit If you have one, you can also check it on a "Tax Code Notice" letter from HMRC. Bear in mind that you might need your Government Gateway ID and password to hand to log in. But if you don't have this you can use your National Insurance number or postcode and two of the following: A valid UK passport A UK photocard driving licence issued by the DVLA (or DVA in Northern Ireland) A payslip from the last three months or a P60 from your employer for the last tax year Details of a tax credit claim if you have made one Details from a self assessment tax return (in the last two years) if you made one Information held on your credit record if you have one (such as loans, credit cards or mortgages) Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing money-sm@ 2

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store