"Bob Eager" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 16 Jun 2010 00:55:00 -0700, sm_jamieson wrote:

I seem to remember Brits live in some of the smallest houses in the
"developed" world. The typical front room in a 1930 semi would be the
size of a US walk-in closet!

Yep we do and pay more for them as well:
http://tinyurl.com/4h8fpc

On 17 June, 23:25, "Doctor Drivel" wrote:
"Bob Eager" wrote in message

...

On Wed, 16 Jun 2010 00:55:00 -0700, sm_jamieson wrote:

I seem to remember Brits live in some of the smallest houses in the
"developed" world. The typical front room in a 1930 semi would be the
size of a US walk-in closet!

Yep we do and pay more for them as well:http://tinyurl.com/4h8fpc

Interesting article. Stretch out and you hit a wall or ceiling !
Whenever I see large and expensive new build properties I am amazed
how often they are built with 8 foot ceilings. Which of course seem
even lower with large rooms. Its like living in a multistorey car park
with the ceiling closing in on you. The builders don't seem to think
that a higher ceiling would attract people who want a quality house.
Its one reason older Victorian or Edwardian houses are so popular.
Simon.

sm_jamieson wrote:

Interesting article. Stretch out and you hit a wall or ceiling !
Whenever I see large and expensive new build properties I am amazed
how often they are built with 8 foot ceilings. Which of course seem
even lower with large rooms. Its like living in a multistorey car park
with the ceiling closing in on you. The builders don't seem to think
that a higher ceiling would attract people who want a quality house.
Its one reason older Victorian or Edwardian houses are so popular.
Simon.

Well that and the fact that all the bad Victorian and Edwardian houses
have fallen down, and only the solid ones are left...

Andy

On Fri, 18 Jun 2010 03:06:09 -0700 (PDT) Sm_jamieson wrote :
Interesting article. Stretch out and you hit a wall or ceiling !
Whenever I see large and expensive new build properties I am amazed
how often they are built with 8 foot ceilings. Which of course seem
even lower with large rooms. Its like living in a multistorey car
park with the ceiling closing in on you. The builders don't seem to
think that a higher ceiling would attract people who want a quality
house.

The minimum ceiling height regulation (except over staircases) was
abolished in the UK 20 or so years ago. Someone investigated it and
found it was there to stop you get asphyxiated by gas lamp fumes! I
suspect that the NHBC retain the 2.3m minimum, but the sad thing is
that too often a minimum becomes a maximum.

Here in Melbourne houses are generally one-off builds, usually from a
catalogue of standard designs, and one of the options is to have a
2.7m high ceiling instead of the regulation 2.4m.

--
Tony Bryer, Greentram: 'Software to build on' Melbourne, Australia
www.superbeam.co.uk www.eurobeam.co.uk www.greentram.com

On Jun 18, 8:06*am, sm_jamieson wrote:
On 17 June, 23:25, "Doctor Drivel" wrote:

"Bob Eager" wrote in message

...

On Wed, 16 Jun 2010 00:55:00 -0700, sm_jamieson wrote:

I seem to remember Brits live in some of the smallest houses in the
"developed" world. The typical front room in a 1930 semi would be the
size of a US walk-in closet!

Yep we do and pay more for them as well:http://tinyurl.com/4h8fpc

Interesting article. Stretch out and you hit a wall or ceiling !
Whenever I see large and expensive new build properties I am amazed
how often they are built with 8 foot ceilings. Which of course seem
even lower with large rooms. Its like living in a multi-storey car park
with the ceiling closing in on you. The builders don't seem to think
that a higher ceiling would attract people who want a quality house.
Its one reason older Victorian or Edwardian houses are so popular.
Simon.

Nine foot and even ten/twelve are being used in some of our more
expensive homes now in this part of eastern Canada.
By more expensive one means around $500K to $600K, at present,
(Canadian; which equals say, some $500K US and say under 400K UK
pounds?) on say a quarter to one acre depending on whether municipal
services or well and septic. Three/four bed with 2.5 bath etc. often
with a single or double attached garage and/or a separate shed/garage
typically 15 by 20 feet. All well insulated.

Personally don't like high ceilings because energy wasteful, even with
a fan/s to circulate warmth. Having also seen some factory built
housing with ceilings less than eight for use 'up North'.

We started married life over 50 years ago in a single bed house
trailer and after several years measured our total monthly costs
including site rental/uitilities/heat/light cooking etc. etc. as $40
Can. (then worth about five UK pounds). The trailer had lower ceiling
and was therefore very economical, although built to light weight USA
standards, to heat etc.

Am of average height and find 'regular' ceilings work fine. Also our
full height, 48 by 37 foot, almost completely in ground basement is
fully usable and mainly used for workshop and utilities.

After all a house/home is a machine for living in! Along with all ones
books, tools, memoirs etc. and accoutrements for daily living such as
garden tools, snow thrower, place to store winter wheels and tyres,
push bike etc. For the practical diy homeownerone one is not trying to
emulate Buckingham Palace!

On 18/06/2010 11:06, sm_jamieson wrote:

Interesting article. Stretch out and you hit a wall or ceiling !
Whenever I see large and expensive new build properties I am amazed
how often they are built with 8 foot ceilings. Which of course seem
even lower with large rooms. Its like living in a multistorey car park
with the ceiling closing in on you. The builders don't seem to think
that a higher ceiling would attract people who want a quality house.
Its one reason older Victorian or Edwardian houses are so popular.

I noticed that in a house we rented in the mid 90s (1994-1995). Very
nice house and garden, definitely "large and expensive", and newly
built. And the living room was just too big for the ceiling height,
making it claustrophobic.