With budgets tighter than ever these days, more and more people are purchasing smaller homes. But that doesn’t mean they expect less out of their living space. 

"The ‘bigger is better’ mentality is falling away," said Jake Fry, owner of Smallworks, a Vancouver-based laneway homebuilder. "Especially in an area where the land value is increasing, people are looking to see how they can use their space more effectively." 

Even with less space at their disposal, builders must find ways to make their homes stand out from the crowd and be useful to homeowners for longer periods of time.

“What homeowners can’t have in space, they hope to make up for in quality,” said Peter Simpson, president and CEO of the Greater Vancouver Home Builders’ Association (GVHBA). "We’re seeing more hard-surface countertops, hardwood floors, crown molding, and higher baseboards.” 

People are also spending more time on paint choices because there are so many options available in color, texture, and environmentally friendly choices. People are upping the budget for furnishings and quality appliances.  

The industry is seeing a trend toward higher ceilings and rooms that are open to the rest of the house. People no longer feel the need for formal living or dining areas, according to Neil Chrystal, president of Polygon Homes, a leading B.C. builder.  

They’re much more comfortable, for example, having their kitchen open up to a single dining room that opens up to a less formal family room instead of a traditional living room. This openness, together with the more common use of laminate or wood flooring, helps create the feeling of a larger space—bigger windows can also help create this feeling.  

"By opening up more to the outside, the space looks even bigger," said Simpson. “And because windows have become more energy efficient and airtight, larger windows are being used more often.” 

Another trend is multipurpose rooms. 

According to John Friswell, president and owner of CCI Renovations in North Vancouver and second vice president of the Canadian Home Builders’ Association, one room now can serve many purposes. For example, a "flex-space," as he calls it, can act as both a home office and a kids play area.

Long gone are the days when basements were used only for storage. 

"In the old days, a basement was known as a cellar, and no one went there unless there was a furnace problem," said Simpson. "But now they’re nicely finished and serving as a family room or an extra bedroom."

Trends in basement flooring include sustainable options, like bamboo, heated flooring, and vinyl tiles. Learn more in our Basement Flooring Buying Guide.

When designing a space, big or small, it’s essential to keep the lines of communication open with today’s highly informed customers because they have more informed opinions than ever.  

"People have much more access and research capabilities with the Internet and are researching what they want," said Simpson. 

And what they want are spacious smaller spaces, built on affordable design ideas.