When it comes to housing in Britain, we are already up against it. Considering the size of the island we live on, our population is huge: nearly 66 million and growing. What’s more, we’re facing a housing crisis and we already manage to operate on a daily basis in some of the smallest spaces in Europe. That said, prices still get bigger while houses get smaller. Acknowledging this, Simply Storage are going to explore this topic in a more depth, and hopefully provide you with some illuminating solutions to the problem!
How did we get here?
One obvious reason for the state of Britain’s housing situation is as follows: The idea of smaller homes seems, on the face of it, like a fairly clear-cut solution to a lack of affordable property. Smaller homes, smaller prices – or so the theory goes. This however, doesn’t seem to reveal the whole story. The government’s nationally described space standard for new building seems to be largely to blame, as it left developers with their hands tied, despite customer demand.
Where do we go from here?
There’s no sign of this housing crisis stopping. In fact, the trajectory is getting so alarming that many developers are now starting to invent innovative ways of combating the problem, none of which sound like they cater to the “more space” plea that seems to fall on our deaf market. One developer’s solution: the “micro home”, essentially a small, one-bedroom flat in which the bedroom can be divided into two by virtue of a sliding wall. What will this solve? It allows half of the room (or the other room, depending on how optimistic you are) to be rented out to another city dweller, either to help fund the mortgage, or simply get by from month-to-month.
Does this marry up with modern living?
Yes and no. For families, especially families of four and over, this constant reduction in size can only be bad news. With little to no private space for individuals, there are physical and emotional implications including asthma, depression and anxiety that could all follow from being forced to live in smaller homes.
That said, with our lives being digitalised more and more each year, perhaps the space we actually require is dwindling, too. Think about it: banking, photos, newspapers, music – it’s all stored in the cloud. If you really strip back your life, to the bare-bones, you may be surprised about what you do and don’t need.
Are there other solutions?
However, some houses are getting so small that essential items like vacuum cleaners are now having to be stored elsewhere, in a relative’s house 20 minutes away, for example. This can’t be useful, or even an option at all, for some people. Consequently, homeowners need to be extra diligent about how and where things are stored.
Our solution: self-storage!
If you have to take the hit and downsize, it might be an idea to put some of your more treasured items, especially the ones that are not needed on a day-to-day basis, into storage. This way, you can pare back all your belongings at home to the absolute essentials, leaving your family feeling just that little bit less cramped as we move into a strange, but nonetheless inevitable future.
Is the housing crisis affecting you and your family? Here at Simply Storage, we want to alleviate some of that stress. We offer self storage space with no minimum contract periods at low price points; your bank balance needn’t shrink with your home! If you would like some more information on the services we offer, simply get in contact – we would love to help.