Summary
Sqft only gives you a theoretical perspective of house size.
Efficient layouts can make the house feel larger, while poor layouts can make the house feel smaller.
Developers have come up with more efficient layouts in new-launch projects.
Article
Across the houses I have viewed, I realised that the sqft should not be the focus. When you compare the sqft of houses, you only get a theoretical sense of the house size. However, sqft is not an accurate representation of the housing size from an in-person perspective. Layout matters more.
Layout affects the size of units. Some 800 sqft houses have such poor layouts that you won’t believe it is 800 sqft. By viewing in-person, you can easily distinguish between effective layouts and poor layouts.
Today, the bomb shelter is not considered in the gross floor area of your unit. Without the bomb shelter inside the unit, you have more space. If your developer tells you that there is a storeroom, you can hack the storeroom away.
In several recent new-launch projects, developers have been more effective in utilising space. In the past, two-bedroom units were easily over 800 sqft and 1-bedroom units could reach over 700 sqft. Today, we have two-bedroom units as small as 500 sqft. In squeezing more rooms together, developers have come up with more efficient layouts. This includes having a more squarish layout and having more space for storage.
In addition, new launches are required to have bigger toilets due to BCA guidelines mandating sufficient space for wheelchairs. Most common rooms today even allow for a queen-sized bed. With these government regulations, the developers won’t build units with overly small rooms.
Finally, in the last few years, some areas are not allowed to build small units ranging from 300 - 400 sqft. This led to the failure of some en blocs.