What Is the Average House Size in Australia

average house size in Australia

The cost of housing in Australia has been increasing dramatically in recent years, and many families find it they can no longer afford to buy or rent a home that meets their needs. However, with experts predicting a fall in housing prices in Australia, many people want to take advantage of that and get a nice, average-sized house. 

So, what is the average house size in Australia? Keep on reading as we’ll give you more information on this, as well as what factors influence this and how other countries in the world compare to Australia in this respect.

Average house size in Australia 

Let’s take a look at what the average size of a house in Australia is, and what can influence this.

The average size of houses in Australia

According to ABS, the average size of a house in Australia completed in 2021 is 242 square metres, up from 239 in 2020.

Data from CommSec, on the other hand, shows that the average size of free-standing houses completed in Australia in 2020/21 was 229.3m², meaning such houses were approximately 6.5m² smaller than those completed in 2019/20. This shows a slight down in the average size of houses in Australia, which has been on the rise in the past few years.

The structure of average-sized homes in Australia

A normal house in Australia built for an average family requires at least three bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a garage. An average family also wants a home that is at least 200 square metres in size. These are the minimum requirements for most families, but there are always exceptions. Some families need more space, while others can get by with less.

Factors that influence the average size of homes in Australia

  • Price range/budget 

This can vary depending largely on whether you want to buy or build a house. Real estate industry statistics for Australia indicate that housing prices went down during the initial phase of the Covid pandemic.

On average, building a house is cheaper than buying one. In Australia, the prices of average new houses built range from $268,800 upwards for 3-bedroom houses and $481,268 upwards for 4-bedroom ones. In comparison, buying an average house in some parts of Australia can cost you up to $1 million. These are locations and states where the cheapest properties in Australia are located, with affordable prices determined by numerous factors.

  • The climate

If you live in areas where the climate is somewhat extreme (cold winters, hot summers, floods), more building material is needed to properly insulate houses, which means more money is needed for building or buying a house. Also, some climate conditions require smaller houses (in winter, it’s warmer if you live in smaller houses because they get warm more quickly), and some larger (bigger houses retain less heat and have cooler temperatures).

  • Location

Another essential factor that families consider when choosing a home is its location. This includes the part of the country the house is in, as well as the city and neighbourhood where it is located. If you’re choosing a new family home, you’ll probably want to live in a neighbourhood with good schools, which can cost more.

To learn what is the best and safest place to live in Australia, read this guide.

Average house size in Australia by state

Let’s see what’s the average size of a house in Australia by state:

TerritoryAverage floor area in 2020/21
ACT259.3m²
Victoria238.8m²
Queensland231.5m²
Tasmania176.5m²
South Australia156.8m²
Northern Territory141.5m²
Western Australia214.8m²
New South Wales126.0m²

In Tasmania, free-standing houses made up 91% of new constructions in 2020/21, followed by Western Australia (81 per cent); Northern Territory (78 per cent); South Australia (73 per cent); Queensland (68 per cent), Victoria (58 per cent), NSW (45 per cent) and the ACT (25%).

Average house size compared with other countries

Over the last few years, Australia has been among the leading countries in the world when it comes to the average size of a house. Let’s see how other countries in the world compare:

  • The average size of a home in Australia is 195.8m².
  • The typical new house in New Zealand was 155.3m².
  • The latest data shows the average size of new a home completed in the US in 2020/21 was 192 m².
  • The average size of a new home in Canada is 141.2m²
  • The average size of a 3-bedroom house in the UK can go from 90m² to 120m², while the average size of a 4-bedroom house can go up to 200m².

Finishing thoughts

In a nutshell, the average house size in Australia is somewhere between 195m² to almost 230m² for free-standing ones. However, due to different factors such as price, location, and climate, this can vary. If you’re looking to buy or build a house in Australia, we hope you found our article useful and you’ll get a sense of how big your house should be.

FAQs:

1. What is the average size of a 4-bedroom house in Australia?

The average size of a 4-bedroom house in Australia is typically around 230 square metres. Australia actually has the second-largest average home size in the world in this respect, right after the United States, where such houses have around 249 square metres.

2. What is the average house size in Australia?

The average house size in Australia can depend on the location and number of rooms. For example, an average 3-bedroom house is somewhere around 175 square metres, while 4-bedroom houses have somewhere around 230 square meters.

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