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.