Whilst it is true that property prices in the UK have fallen over the past eighteen months the cost of purchasing a home in the UK is still high, which makes things difficult for first time buyers.

Many first time buyers – the ones lucky enough to be able to get a mortgage in the current climate – decide to look at new build properties, as in some cases building firms who are desperate to sell their homes in the current climate offer a range of incentives such as covering legal fees and other costs.

However, considering that for the average new build two bedroom house buyers would still be looking at paying an average £145,000 based on area, the cost can still be very high.

Worse still a recent report has shown that the new build properties in the UK have amongst the smallest rooms in the whole of Europe, suggesting that not only are buyers having to shell out a fortune for these new properties but that they are paying all this money for what has been described as nothing more than a ‘rabbit hutch’.

Recent research into new build properties in the UK have shown that these properties are getting smaller and smaller in the UK, and the ones built over the past few years have rooms that are amongst the smallest in the whole of Europe. This often means that those moving into the properties do not have the room to relax properly, entertain, socialise, and in some cases for their kids to play safely.

Whilst the average household size in the UK has been falling over the decades the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment has said that this has no bearing on the tiny size of rooms in today’s new build properties, and that many properties simply were not suitable for everyday living.

Kitchens are often too small to move around in properly never mind have a table in them to dine at, living areas having little room for anything other than the basics, and some bedrooms are not even big enough to actually get a bed into.

A survey was carried out amongst homeowners who had purchased new build properties between 2003 and 2006. Out of the 2249 people that were polled around 44 percent said that there was not enough space for children to play safely whilst cooking was going on in the kitchen.

Close to 50 percent of those polled said that the properties were not large enough to fit their furniture into. Over one third said that the kitchens were not large enough to house kitchen appliances.

However, it is not just the cramped conditions that some officials are worried about. Some have said that these conditions could result in an adverse impact on health, well being, and family interaction. For instance, it is often recommended that families interact by all sitting down and dining together at the table rather than eating on laps whilst watching television, but in newer properties there is not enough room to do this.

Also, some children that cannot have their friends inside the house due to limited space will often end up going outside with them without any supervision.

A recent report stated: ‘The findings raise the question of whether many new homes are fit for purpose, and whether they are built to the standards required to meet the needs of the people living in them. To build housing that is tolerated only during a property-based economic boom is to build housing that does not stand the test of time.’

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