According to a recent report on building trends, hallways are being phased out of some new construction floor plans in order to bring costs down by cutting down on square footage, while maximizing the livable space!
That begs the question: If eliminating hallways can bring home prices down dramatically, what other elements of a typical house could homebuyers possibly live without?
Here’s a lighthearted look at 6 other things builders might want to consider getting rid of, in order for homebuyers to get more bang for less bucks:
1) Stairs
Stairs take up precious feet of space, and are basically just hallways that go up and down. They could easily be replaced with a rope people could shimmy up, and a pole to slide down like they have in firehouses.Or they could just provide nothing and let people parkour their way up to the second floor, and jump down ten feet or so. The occasional emergency room co-pay will probably still be less than whatever stairs add to the cost of a house.
2) Closets
Between the clean laundry that never gets folded and put away, and the clothes that were worn once and draped over the treadmill or chair because they weren’t dirty enough to go into the laundry yet, many people barely use their closet anyway.Not having closets will give bedrooms a few more square feet, save a few bucks in lumber, and give people a legit excuse for having laundry all over their room!
3) Kitchens
Big, beautiful kitchens can really sell a house, but they can also add to the price tag. Even though buyers love designer kitchens, many people don’t even cook dinner and sit down to eat it on a regular basis!Rather than sinking tons of money into high end appliances, cabinets, and countertops, why not squish it all into a tiny kitchenette set-up? With all the money saved by not paying for a gourmet kitchen, a homeowner could probably just order Uber Eats or DoorDash every night of the week… for like a month or two.
4) Insulation
Why did an insulation company start using a cartoon character as their mascot if it was such a necessary product? Were they just trying to appeal to young, impressionable kids who would someday become homeowners?Insulation not only adds to the cost of construction, but also takes up space between the interior and exterior walls. Perhaps that space could be better used for storing things a homeowner rarely needs instead.
5) Interior Walls
Obviously you need exterior walls (and a roof!) in order for a house to serve its purpose. But every interior wall is stealing between 4 to 6 inches of space in width. Doesn’t sound like all that much, but when you add up all the walls in a house, you’re talking some serious square footage being added to a home. On top of that, builders would save tons of money on painting and trim work.6) Half baths
