More flexible homes, but most Dutch want more space: PBL

The number of small homes in the Netherlands of 50 square meters or less is increasing. Flexible homes, which are used as a temporary solution to the housing shortage, form a growing part of this increase, reported the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency (PBL) based on research. These homes are often only 20 square meters or smaller.

“However, most Dutch people prefer not to live so small,” warned the PBL. These tiny homes currently comprise 5.9 percent of the total number of homes. In 2012, it was 4.5 percent.

“The current rise of very small homes does not correspond with the housing preference of a large part of the Dutch population. Only a limited number of home seekers are explicitly looking for a small home and the housing satisfaction among people who live in such a compact home is relatively low,” the report states.

Many people move to a larger home within a few years. The average home in the Netherlands is 120 square meters. According to the PBL, the Netherlands has approximately 482,000 small homes, whose residents often have little to spend. Over 80 percent of the residents of flexible homes are younger than 30 years old.

Flexible homes are often designed to be moveable, or they are homes built in temporarily transformed real estate. They are quicker to build and place than permanent homes. Flexible homes are intended for people who urgently need housing, like students, refugees, people with financial problems, and people who are going through a divorce.