While searching for an apartment, you’ll often see landlords include square footage in the details of their available units. Naturally, this begs the question: how much square footage do I need per person? After all, space is an important factor for many. The truth is, though, square-footage is just one way of thinking about an apartment and whether that apartment is right for you. In comparison to other factors – such as your lifestyle – square-footage, in of itself, is far less important to consider.
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How Much Square Footage Do I Need, Per Person?
When it comes to the amount of square footage that is ideal, everyone’s different. Some people are comfortable in apartments that are only 300 square feet, while there are plenty of people who are uncomfortable in apartments that are less than 800 square feet.
When it comes to the amount of square footage that is ideal, it is dependent on the individual. Studies have, in the past, shown that 100 to 400 square feet of space is ideal for most people – if they’re living alone – but there are plenty of people who would be very uncomfortable in a space of that size.
If you are living with a family, then the question of how much square footage is needed becomes a little more challenging. There are many families who live in small apartments where space is at a premium, and many of these families are happy and feel good about the space that they have. But, along with that, there are many families who live in small apartments that are unhappy and uncomfortable with the fact that they have limited space.
More often then not, the reason for this discomfort has less to do with the amount of space, and far more to do with the way that space is laid out and organized, as well as whether or not that space accommodates your lifestyle.
- Everyone has different needs when it comes to the square footage that is ideal for them in an apartment
- Some people feel very comfortable in small apartments, while others feel trapped in larger apartments
- More often than not, the square-footage matters less than the layout and organization of the apartment, as well as how that apartment is able to accommodate your lifestyle
What Do You Need To Consider, When Thinking About The Size Of An Apartment?
While square-footage, in of itself, is one of the most important traits in an apartment, it’s certainly not the only thing you need to consider. You must also consider the layout of the apartment, the spaces within the apartment, who you’ll be sharing the apartment with, your lifestyle, as well as the lifestyle of those you’ll be living in the apartment with.
When considering the size of an apartment, you must consider how the different rooms and spaces in that apartment are laid out. There are plenty of large apartments that are packed to the brim with tiny and cramped spaces that, as a result, make the entire apartment feel very small. But, there are also plenty of small apartments that make use of large, open spaces, which aids in creating an apartment that feels bigger than it actually is. Ideally, though, you’ll find an apartment that offers its fair share of large and small spaces.
While considering the layout of an apartment, think about your lifestyle and what your lifestyle consists of. If you are someone that enjoys cooking, for example, then a small and cramped kitchen might not be ideal for you. But, if you don’t particularly enjoy cooking, then a small kitchen won’t be much of a problem for you. And the same thing applies to the other rooms and areas because the layout of your apartment should aid in your lifestyle, rather than making that lifestyle more challenging.
Just as you must consider your own lifestyle, you also need to consider the lifestyle of those that you’ll be living with. If you are living with children, then you’ll probably want to make sure that there are open spaces for those kids to play, as well as a personal space for each child, so that they don’t feel trapped.
Those are just a few examples of what you must think about and consider. In the end, when thinking about the amount of square footage that’s necessary, it’s more important to consider the layout of the apartment and how that apartment aids – or harms – your lifestyle, rather than just the exact amount of square feet.
- There are large apartments that feel small, due to their layout, and small apartments that feel very big, due to their layout
- The layout is more important than the number of square-feet an apartment consists of because the layout of an apartment will determine how big it feels and your lifestyle
- When looking at apartments consider your lifestyle, and the lifestyle of those you’ll be living with, to determine how the apartment suits that lifestyle
- Lifestyle is affected by the spaces in the apartment, the size of those spaces, as well as features such as furniture and windows
How Can You Best Optimize The Square Footage In Your New Apartment?
To best optimize the square footage in your new apartment, it’s important to be aware of the possessions that you own, and how you are going to be organizing and storing them. Along with this, it’s important for you to consider what is truly essential for you, and what isn’t so that you are aware of which items you should keep, and which items you should give away. For more tips take a look at our “How to Make Your Apartment Feel Bigger” article.
Apartments have a finite amount of space, and as such, it’s important to optimize that space, so that it serves you and you and your lifestyle. To best optimize the square footage in your apartment, you must be aware of the possessions that you own – things like clothing, books, tools, devices, and furniture – and how those possessions are organized.
Most apartments come with things like closets and wardrobes. Using that storage space is absolutely vital, as it ensures that all of your important items are located in one specific area and that, more importantly, those items aren’t taking up more space than they need. If you take the time to organize your possessions and to use the included storage areas, you’ll have access to a lot more space. Plus, you can also integrate storage areas into the furniture, making things look a little nicer, and feel a little more seamless.
Organization also applies to furniture – beds, couches, chairs, tables – which often takes up a significant amount of room. By simply rearranging certain pieces of furniture – moving a table from one space to another, for example – you’re able to make your apartment feel far more open and walkable then it did before. It’s important to think about each piece of furniture and how it affects the overall layout of the apartment so that you can then figure out the best way to rearrange it.
To aid in organization, it’s also important to consider the possessions that are no longer being used and are, instead, simply taking up space. For example, we may own ten shirts, but only wear four of them. This being the case, it’s important to be aware of those possessions and to give away the possessions that aren’t being used, because that will free up space in your apartment. “How much square footage do I need per person” also depends highly on how you utilize the space.
- To best optimize the square footage in your apartment, it’s important to be aware of the possessions that you own
- Take the time to organize those possessions and to place them in the storage areas that your apartment includes – closets, drawers, wardrobes
- Organizing the furniture allows you to set up the apartment so that there is more space for you to walk around, which makes the apartment feel bigger
- Giving away possessions that are no longer being used allows you to free up a lot of space, and to lessen the number of extraneous possessions that you own
FAQs
The average house size for a family of four to live comfortably is around 2400 square feet. It is widely believed that each person in a home requires 200-400 square feet of living space.
Is 500 square feet enough for 2 people? ›
500 Square Feet:
500 square feet of space gives a single person more space to comfortably live. With 500 square feet of space, you can comfortably have a king-size bed in your room, an attached bathroom, a separate kitchen, and a cozy living room.
Is 1000 square feet enough for 2 people? ›
1,000 sq feet of space is enough for any small family or single person to live comfortably in a 2 to 3-bedroom home or condo. Although smaller than the average home, many people are now seeing just how beneficial it is to live in a 1000 sq foot area due to its ease of maintenance, affordability, and flexibility.
Is a 700 sq ft apartment small for two people? ›
“Small” (the largest category, space-wise) is anything between 800 and 1,000 square feet. The smallest division is “Teeny-Tiny,” for anything 400 square feet and under.
Is 1000 square feet enough for 3 people? ›
1,000 sq feet of space is enough for any small family or single person to live comfortably in a 2 to 3-bedroom home or condo. Although smaller than the average home, many people are now seeing just how beneficial it is to live in a 1000 sq foot area due to its ease of maintenance, affordability, and flexibility.
How many people can sit in 1,000 sq feet? ›
Occupancy Rate is maximum numbers of persons per area unit. If the minimum area per person is 100 sq ft - the occupation rate is 1/100 = 0.01 person per sq. ft - or 10 persons per 1000 sq. ft.
Is 800 square feet small for two people? ›
800 square feet is about average for a 2-bedroom apartment, but if you are in a major downtown urban city like New York, Philadelphia or D.C., then 800 square feet is a nice size.
Is 600 sqft enough for one person? ›
For a single person or a couple, it is decent enough. Even if there is one child, it can be sufficient.
Is 400 sq ft enough for one person? ›
Studies have, in the past, shown that 100 to 400 square feet of space is ideal for most people – if they're living alone – but there are plenty of people who would be very uncomfortable in a space of that size.
How many square feet should a couple have in an apartment? ›
But when it comes to making room for love, couples need a shocking amount of distance—1,800 square feet, to be exact.
SPACE REQUIREMENT ESTIMATES BY CROWD SIZE
| CROWD SIZE, BY PERSON | ESTIMATED SPACE NEEDS, SQUARE FEET |
|---|
| 150 | 900-5,250 |
| 175 | 1,050-6,125 |
| 200 | 1,200-7,000 |
| 500 | 3,000-13,000 |
5 more rowsNov 20, 2019
Average House Size for 2- and 4-Person Families
For instance, a 4-person family living in a 2,700-square-foot home will have about 675 square feet per person. For a 2-person family, that number would double to about 1,350 square feet per person.
How many square feet is 50 guests? ›
The same number of guests can require different amounts of total room space based on the type of setup. For example, a reception-style setup for 50 guests requires 1,750 square feet of event space, while the same group requires just 450 square feet in a standard theater setup.
How many square feet do you need for 3 adults? ›
On average, the ideal square footage is about 600 – 700 square feet per person. That means a family of three will want a house that's at least 1,800 square feet.
How big is 700 square feet apartment? ›
How big is a 700-square-foot apartment? Seven hundred square feet covers one-fourth of a standard tennis court. If it were a single room, it would measure about 26 by 27 feet.
Is 1200 sqft too small? ›
At 1,200 square feet, it is considerably smaller than the average family home in North America, which measures 2,800 square feet in the U.S. and 2,000 in Canada. When my husband and I were shopping for a home, we weren't looking for size.
What does an 800 sq ft apartment look like? ›
To visualize it better, 800 square feet is about the size of five parking spaces or a little smaller than three school buses combined. Typically, in an 800-square-foot apartment, you'll find either a one- or two-bedroom apartment. The bedrooms are small but they're definitely livable.
Is 650 square feet enough for two people? ›
To get the conversation started, I would say that 600-850 square feet is sufficient for one person and 1000-1500 square feet would be fine for a couple.
Is 600 square feet small for 2 people? ›
A 600 square-foot house or apartment in the United States measures around the size of a three-car garage. And two people or small families of up to three can live comfortably in this space.
Is 500 sq ft big for an apartment? ›
If you're not interested in a studio but are looking for a one-bedroom, 500 square feet is definitely small. The standard square footage for one-beds is between 550 and 1,000 square feet. This extra square footage accounts for the fact that the bedroom is a separate space from the living room.
How big is a 400-square-foot apartment? Four-hundred square feet is about the size of a two-car garage. It's not a huge apartment, but it'll get the job done. After all, two cars take up a lot of space and you won't actually have two cars parked in your house — the furniture you have will be much smaller!
Is a 500 sq ft apartment small? ›
500 Square Feet
Five hundred square feet is already pretty small for an American home, although it might seem about par for the course for our European neighbors. In Lauren's home, 500 square feet means a separate kitchen and small dining room, spacious living room/bedroom, and a pretty generous closet.
Is 600 square feet small for an apartment? ›
Finding the Right Size Apartment
A studio apartment might be anywhere from 350 to 600 square feet, a 1-bedroom is usually between 550 and 1,000 square feet, a 2-bedroom is about 1,000 square feet and up, and a 3-bedroom will be approximately 1,200 square feet and up.
How many square feet do you need for 100 people? ›
Six square feet per person is a good rule of thumb for a standing crowd. If you are planning a co*cktail hour for 100 people who will all be standing, you will multiply 100 by 6 to determine you need a venue with 600 square feet of available and workable space for the event.
How many square feet is comfortable for 2 people? ›
On an average, it's estimated that a 1000 square feet per person is enough to make them very comfortable. Other housing trends like high ceilings, many windows, kitchen space, dining space, and other features are also on the rise.
How many square feet do I need for 250 people? ›
A venue that is at least 3,000 square feet can accommodate around 250 wedding guests, while a 3,700 square foot venue can accommodate about 300 guests.
How much space do you need for 60 people? ›
Use 12 sq ft per person for 60 in round tables with 8 per table or any other round table.
How many square feet do you need to seat 50 people? ›
For example, a reception-style setup for 50 guests requires 1,750 square feet of event space, while the same group requires just 450 square feet in a standard theater setup.
Is 500 sq ft small for an apartment? ›
500 Square Feet
Five hundred square feet is already pretty small for an American home, although it might seem about par for the course for our European neighbors. In Lauren's home, 500 square feet means a separate kitchen and small dining room, spacious living room/bedroom, and a pretty generous closet.
Is a 900 square foot apartment big? ›
A 2-bedroom is generally considered large when it is 900+ square feet. A typical 2-bedroom apartment has a distinct living area (or combination living and dining area), one or two bathrooms, a kitchen, and two bedrooms. If the space is larger, you may have additional features like: a distinct dining area.
How big is a 700-square-foot apartment? Seven hundred square feet covers one-fourth of a standard tennis court. If it were a single room, it would measure about 26 by 27 feet.
