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According to the American Institute of Architects, the average US home is shrinking in size, mainly due to the residential marketing crisis, rising utility costs and inflation.

Realtors Tampa, Florida agrees with the American Institute of Architects findings in their most recent study; however they would like to add that the homes are shrinking also due in part to the aging population.  Wider hallways and fewer steps are the main request architects receive to make houses more accessible to the aging residents.

Many architects and designers have seen their business drop off somewhat, although there is still a healthy amount of renovations and remodeling going on in all parts of the United States.  People find that they cannot move into their dream home because of budgetary restrictions and the poor economy, so they are turning to remaking the house they have into the house they want.

For more interior space flexibility, residents are requesting partial wall dividers and buyers are asking for more informal space with open layouts and flexible floor plan.  And this is not only from the older generation of home buyers across all ages and economic backgrounds.

One of the most popular requests remodelers and architects have seen is the preference toward blending outdoor/indoor spaces.  With the high cost of utility bills, many Tampa, Florida homes for sale offer sunrooms or sun porches where people can sit and enjoy the evening, perhaps with an outdoor fireplace, without firing up their heater which costs far more to run these days than ever before.

Even the South Tampa rentals are getting a facelift with remodeled kitchens, decks, patios and porches and low maintenance landscaping in order to become more energy efficient for their existing tenants and entice new tenants to sign up and move in.

The move toward smaller homes is a short-term, temporary response to the economic situation the country is experiencing. The latest architectural survey suggests a trend where house sizes stabilize or increase in size is on the horizon which is good news for homebuilders.