Australian Home Sizes: How Big Are They?

how big is a house square australia

Australia is known for having the largest house sizes in the world. In 2019-20, the average size of a newly built home in Australia was 235.8 square metres (25.3813 squares), though this number differs across states. Interestingly, Australians had been building smaller houses before the pandemic. Houses in Australia are measured in 'squares', a pre-metric term for 100 imperial square feet. This is different from square metres, which are used for blocks or lots.

Characteristics Values
Average Australian home size 186.3 sqm
Average Australian home size in 2019/20 235.8 sqm
Average Australian apartment size 136.8 sqm
Average block size for new homes in Australian capital cities in 2019-20 467 sqm
Average floor area of a home built in Melbourne 250.3 sqm
Average floor area of a house in Victoria 244.8 sqm
Average floor area of a house in ACT 242.3 sqm
Average floor area of a house in Western Australia 235.3 sqm
Average floor area of a house in Queensland 230.8 sqm
Average floor area of a house in the Northern Territory 181.8 sqm
Average floor area of a house in Tasmania 186.8 sqm
Average floor area of a house in NSW 220.3 sqm
One square in imperial square feet 100 sq ft
One square in square meters 9.29 sqm

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Average house size in Australia: 186.3 sqm

The average size of an Australian home is 186.3 square metres, the smallest it has been since 1996. Rising property prices have led to people buying smaller spaces. However, despite this, Australians are still building large free-standing houses. In fact, the average house built today is almost 30% bigger than 31 to 32 years ago.

The average Australian home has three bedrooms and is built on a block size of 414 square metres. The ideal amount of space per person is considered to be between 55 and 65 square metres. Therefore, a three-person home should ideally be around 168-195 square metres, and a four-person home should be around 223-260 square metres. The average Australian home size fits within the parameters of a three-person home.

In Australia, the term ""squares"" is commonly used to refer to house sizes. One square equals 100 square feet, and the formula for calculating square feet is to multiply the width by the length of a space. Square metres, on the other hand, are used to measure blocks or lots, and refer to the length multiplied by the width of a space in metres.

The size of the average Australian apartment is 136.8 square metres, according to data from 2019/2020. This is a significant increase from the previous year and is more than double the average home size in many countries. However, the size of apartments being built has been slowly shrinking, with the average size now at 128.8 square metres.

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Average apartment size: 136.8m2

Australia is known for having some of the largest houses in the world. According to data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the average size of a newly built home in 2019-20 was 235.8 square metres (25.3813 squares). This figure represents a 2.9% increase from the previous year.

During the same period, the average size of Australian apartments also grew, reaching 136.8 square metres (14.725 squares) in 2020. This figure represents an 11-year high, with the previous year's average being 138.3 square metres.

It is worth noting that the average floor area of new residential dwellings in Australia has varied significantly by state and territory. For example, in 2021-22, the Australian Capital Territory had the largest average floor area at 258.9 square metres, while Tasmania had the smallest at 182.4 square metres.

In terms of apartment sizes, Victoria took the lead in 2021, with an average size of 156.8 square metres. However, this does not necessarily equate to the largest overall homes in the state, as Western Australia took first place in this category, with an average home size of 214.8 square metres.

While the average size of Australian homes has generally been on a downward trend, the COVID-19 pandemic may have influenced the recent increase in apartment sizes, as people sought extra space during lockdowns and other restrictions.

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Victorian homes are the largest

Australia has some of the largest house sizes in the world. The average size of a newly built Australian home in 2019-20 was 235.8 square metres (25.3813 squares). However, this varies across the country. The average floor area of a house in Victoria is 244.8 sqm, making it the state with the largest houses in Australia.

Victorian homes are some of the largest in Australia. Named after Queen Victoria, the Victorian style in Australia can be divided into three periods: Early, Mid, and Late. The period in its entirety stretches from 1837 to 1901. Early styles featured symmetrical layouts and facades, a centrally located front door, and a hipped roof of corrugated iron, leading to a veranda on the facade. During the mid-Victorian period, decoration began to gain popularity. The bullnose veranda roof was introduced, sidelights were added to the sides of the front door, and terraced houses began to spring up, containing parapets and detailed dividing walls between properties. It was during the mid-Victorian period (approximately 1860-1875) that the better-known characteristics of Victorian architecture began to appear, including a front yard enclosed by a picket or cast-iron fence, cast-iron lacework or timber brackets adorning the eaves, patterned brickwork, and double-hung windows.

The grandest Victorian homes were built during a time of prosperity, when tradesmanship was considered an art form. These homes were often built on substantial landholdings of sweeping, park-like grounds. A notable example is a five-level restored Victorian mansion in Rochester, built in circa 1870. Another magnificent two-storey Victorian residence, built in 1888, is one of the oldest and grandest homes in Melbourne.

Victorian homes are characterised by intricate design, attention to detail, and immaculate craftsmanship. They are commonly found in popular, CBD fringe suburbs in Sydney and Melbourne, and across Australia. The superior design, material selection, and building methods of these homes have ensured that they are still standing nearly two centuries later.

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Calculating square feet: multiply width by length

In Australia, the most common unit for measuring house sizes is the square, or "sq", with one square equalling 100 square feet. To calculate the square feet of a space, you simply multiply the width by the length of the space. For example, if a room is 10 feet wide and 10 feet long, it is 100 square feet, or one square.

If you are calculating the square feet of an entire house, you can add up the square feet of each room to get the total square footage of living space in the house. To do this, multiply the length and width of each room to get the square footage of each room, then add these numbers together.

If you are calculating the square footage of an oddly shaped house, you can split it into square or rectangular sections and treat them as separate areas. Calculate the square footage of each section and then add them together for the total.

If you are calculating the square footage of a wall, multiply the height by the length. For a more accurate calculation, measure and subtract areas that are not covered, such as windows, doors and closets.

Square footage can be useful for determining the amount of materials needed for projects such as flooring, carpeting, or tiling.

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'Square' is an Imperial measurement used for rooms/buildings

In Australia, "squares" are a common unit of measurement for room and building sizes. One square is equal to 100 square feet, with the formula for calculating square footage being the multiplication of the width and length of a space. For instance, a room that is 10 feet by 10 feet would be 100 square feet or one square. While square metres are used for blocks or lots, squares are used for room and building sizes in Australia.

The square is not an Imperial unit of measurement. The Imperial system, also known as British Imperial or Exchequer Standards, was defined in the British Weights and Measures Act of 1824 and was in official use across the British Empire from 1826. However, by the late 20th century, most nations had adopted the metric system as their primary system of measurement.

Today, all official measurements are made in the metric system. While the imperial system is rarely used in daily life, it is still utilised alongside the metric system in specific industries like construction, real estate, recipes, house renovation, and gardening. In the construction and real estate industries, it is more common to use square feet for home sizes and acres for land measurements.

In Australia, the average floor size of a home is 186.3 square metres, with Victorian homes being the largest in the country, averaging 244.8 square metres. Newly built homes in 2019/2020 had an average size of 235.8 square metres, with apartments averaging 136.8 square metres.

Frequently asked questions

The average floor size of an Australian home is 186.3 square metres, the smallest it has been since 1996.

Squares, sq or builders squares are the most common measure of house size in Australia. One square equals 100 square feet. To calculate square feet, multiply the width by the length of a space.

The average number of squares in an Australian house is 18.63 squares, calculated by dividing the average floor size of 186.3 square metres by 100.

Victoria has the largest average floor area of a house in Australia at 244.8 sqm, followed by the ACT at 242.3 sqm, Western Australia at 235.3 sqm, and Queensland at 230.8 sqm.

The smallest average floor areas are in the Northern Territory (181.8 sqm), Tasmania (186.8 sqm), and NSW (220.3 sqm).

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