What’s the Ideal House Size for One Person? (Explained)

Imagine finding your dream home only to realize it’s too big for just you. It can be rather tricky trying to determine how much space one person actually needs.

Luckily, you can look into a few factors to help decide how much space you need.

Here’s the Ideal House Size for One Person:

The ideal house size for one person is about 600 square feet. But, this depends on an individual’s needs, lifestyle and schedule. A person’s budget is a significant deciding factor regarding the ideal house size. Some people prefer small living while for others, this is the only financial option.

How Many Rooms Does One Person Normally Need?

The number of rooms a single person needs depends on an individual’s personal needs and lifestyle.

Some people live in studio apartments, so they really only have one room aside from the bathroom.

I enjoyed living in a one-bedroom apartment on my own, where I had a separate living room, bedroom, and kitchen.

Consider the following factors to determine how many rooms you might need.

Your Lifestyle

The first thing to think about is your lifestyle and schedule. A lot of people have started working from home over the past few years, and working remotely can be great.

However, if you have a small studio, you may feel a lot of cabin fever. You might want to get a place with a few rooms so that you can change up your scenery between when you are and aren’t working.

Even if you work outside of the home, consider how much you want to separate things. Some people say you should only use your bedroom for sleeping, so you should have another room for eating and relaxing while awake.

Your Budget

Next, of course, you’ll want to consider how much money you can put toward housing every month. A smaller home with fewer rooms will almost always be the more affordable option.

If you’re not set on a specific house or apartment, pay attention to your finances. The last thing you want to do is live above your means, especially if you can avoid doing so.

Look for apartments or houses within your price range. But don’t forget to also save money for things like utilities and if you’ll own the place repairs or upgrades.

Your Stuff

Another thing to keep in mind is how many personal belongings you have and how much space you’ll need to fit everything. If you recently inherited a lot of belongings, you might want a larger home with an extra room for storage.

Sure, you can put things in a storage unit, but the cost may be just as much as the price increase of a bigger apartment. But maybe you don’t have a bunch of family heirlooms though you still need space.

If you like to work out, you might want to keep a treadmill in your home. Or maybe you like music so want to reserve space for a piano or drumkit. You’ll need space for those larger items, so you may want an extra room.

Your Visitors

I’d also suggest you think about how often you have visitors from out of town. If people frequently come stay with you overnight, it makes sense to look for a place with an extra bedroom.

That way, you won’t have to give up some of your normal living space. Your guests also won’t have to pay for a hotel or worry about booking a room if your local hotels fill up quickly.

Similarly, think about how many people tend to visit you. If you just have a single friend or a sibling, they may have no problem sleeping on the couch, but if it’s your parents, you might want a dedicated guest bedroom.

Fortunately, we have loads of articles on small living. You can start your small living investigations with this article, 7 Arguments for Tiny Living Space.

What’s the Average House Size for Single Americans?

I couldn’t find any specific details on the average house size specifically for single people in the US. However, the average house size overall peaked at 2,467 square feet in 2015.

When it comes to how much space a single American needs, the average works out to 400 to 600 square feet. Some individuals live alone in larger homes, such as big apartments.

Others might live in even smaller places, such as studio apartments or even tiny houses.

The average house size can also vary by location. For example, most single people living in New York can’t afford the same amount of space as single people in smaller cities or rural areas.

How Big Are Studio Apartments in Bigger Cities?

Studio apartments in bigger cities may be anywhere from 300 to 600 square feet. In New York City, though, a studio apartment can be as small as 150 square feet.

Meanwhile, in Chicago, the third largest US city, the average studio is 551 square feet. Of course, the exact size of a studio depends on more factors than the city.

You also have to consider the building and its age. Another important factor is local building codes since those set minimums for the size of homes in the area.

What’s the Minimum Home Size for One Person?

The minimum home size for one person can depend on the person in question. Some people don’t have a ton of belongings, so they can live somewhere extra small, like a tiny house.

At the most extreme, tiny houses can be as small as 60 square feet. On the other hand, some individuals might prefer more space and would like a home that’s 600 square feet or larger.

The last apartment I lived alone in was about 750 square feet. I’ll admit it was a bit more space than I needed, but it was nice to have the extra space to spread out.

You might also be interested in our article, When Are Apartments Considered “Big”?

What Functions Can You Combine in One Room?

If you’re looking at getting a smaller home, you may wonder if you’ll have space to do everything you need to do. Luckily, you don’t need to dedicate separate rooms to every task or activity.

Depending on the functions, you can use the same room for many different things.

Here are some popular combinations for apartments and small houses.

Kitchen and Workspace

One easy way to make the most of your kitchen is to also use it for work or any task you need to complete on a laptop.

The portability of laptops means that you can simply pack your device away and use the counters and appliances when making food.

If you work from home, this can be a good option if you don’t have space for a home office. Plus, it will keep your kitchen from going unused much of the time.

Living and Working

In my last place, I had a pretty big living room. So I set up my couch and TV in one part of the room and my desk in the other so that I could have a place for work.

The couch and desk were far enough apart that it almost felt like I was in a different room. I also wasn’t facing the TV when I was at my desk, so I wasn’t tempted to watch a show or movie while working.

That living room also had plenty of space for when I wanted to do some basic workouts at home. I could easily walk around and stretch out on the ground depending on the exercises I was doing.

Sleeping and Working

Another option for where to place a desk is in your bedroom. You can keep your bed in one corner and the desk in the opposite corner so that you aren’t tempted to roll into bed when work makes you tired.

Of course, this isn’t ideal if you want to keep your bedroom just for sleeping. But if you have a smaller living room or if you live in a studio, it may be your only choice.

Living and Guest Quarters

If you don’t have guests that often but want the option to, you can have your visitors stay in the living room. While shopping for furniture, you could get a couch that turns into a guest bed.

Alternatively, you could get a couch that’s comfortable enough for a guest to sleep on. I wouldn’t recommend this if you have people stay over with you all of the time, but it works for the occasional trip.

My sister or my dad would stay with me at my old place, and they would sleep in the living room. That way, they didn’t have to get a hotel room.

Space for a Hobby

Depending on your hobbies, you might need a decent amount of space for them. Maybe you play a musical instrument, so you need a place for your instruments

.In my old apartment, I used some of my extra living room space for those items. That made it easy to grab everything I needed when I went to practice.

Hobbies with items that need a lot of room include:

• Exercising (treadmills, weights, etc.)
• Sewing or crafting (crafting table, sewing machine, etc.)
• Visual arts (easel, art supplies, etc.)
• Dancing (floor space)

You can combine your hobby room with the living room or bedroom. Consider how much space you have and how you’re using the other rooms in your home to decide where to keep your hobby-related gear.

You and Pets

You might not live with any other people, but that doesn’t mean you can’t live with other animals. Consider what pets you have or want to get and what space they’ll need.

Some animals may live in a big cage or tank, and you’ll need a spot for that as well as food and other supplies. If you have a cat, you’ll need room for a litter box.

Cats and dogs will also need a set spot for their food and water bowls. Make sure you keep your pet’s belongings out of the way of your stuff, even if you have to share a room.