Johannesburg - An international trend towards smaller and greener housing has emerged, the Chas Everitt International
property group said on Tuesday.
"All the statistics show that buyer preferences are
tending towards smaller homes at the moment - and not just because that's all
that's available or all they can afford," managing director Chas Everitt
said.
Everitt said that the United States National Association of
Homebuilders conducted a study which reflected this trend.
The study also found that, by 2012, homes are likely to
contain more ecologically friendly technology and would combine living areas to
accommodate smaller modern families.
Everitt said that a similar trend was emerging in South
Africa, despite the fact that this market did "not exactly follow the US
market".
He said that solar geysers, water-saving measures and
energy-efficient appliances are becoming increasingly popular in South Africa.