It’s easy to think that bigger homes have always been the goal — the double garage, open-plan living, multiple bathrooms, and space for everything. But this obsession with size is a modern idea, and it hasn’t been around as long as you might
Small Spaces Were Once the Standard
For most of human history, homes have been modest. People lived close, often across generations, in functional and simple homes. Whether it was a cottage, a terrace house, or a mudbrick hut, the idea was shelter, warmth, and community, not square metres.
Before the modern era, building materials were expensive, heating was a luxury, and there was no pressure to keep up with anyone’s version of the “dream home.” Life was shared, practical and resource-conscious by necessity.
Then Came the Industrial Age
The Industrial Revolution brought people into cities, and with it came mass housing — still compact, but more uniform. Workers’ cottages, terraces, and boarding houses sprang up. Even those with a little more wealth lived in homes that today would be considered small.
This period shaped the cities we know, but space was still at a premium, and home life was often multi-functional.
The Post-War Boom Changed Everything
After World War II, things took a dramatic turn. Governments promoted home ownership as a key to rebuilding economies. Mass production of building materials, car ownership, and suburban planning led to the rise of the standalone home on a block of land.
The 1950s and ‘60s cemented the idea that success looked like a house with a front yard, a back shed, and a white picket fence. The “nuclear family” ideal was built into suburban design — and with it, homes slowly started to grow.
By the 1980s, Size Meant Status
Through the ‘80s, ‘90s and early 2000s, rising incomes and easier access to credit meant homes kept expanding. Builders marketed bigger homes as better value. Whole suburbs were designed around space, storage, and separation — multiple living areas, ensuites for every bedroom, home theatres and giant garages became the norm.
In Australia, we went even further. For a time, we topped the charts globally for the largest average new home sizes — over 230m². That’s more than double what many families had just a few decades earlier.
But Now, The Pendulum is Swinging Back
In recent years, more and more people are asking: do we really need all this space? The tiny house movement, off-grid living, co-housing and minimalist living have re-emerged in response to rising housing costs, environmental concerns and a yearning for more freedom.
People are starting to value time, experiences and flexibility over maintenance and mortgages. There’s a growing understanding that a smaller space can mean a bigger life — with more intention, more connection and less clutter.
So, When Did Bigger Homes Become the Norm?
The truth is bigger homes only become the norm in the last 70 years or so. And many of us are now quietly (or loudly) rejecting that idea in favour of something more sustainable, more human, and more aligned with what actually matters.
Maybe bigger wasn’t better after all. What are your thoughts?