Is your house big enough to swing a cat? » Housing » 24dash.com

Following on from the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE) report published this week, which highlights the shortage of space in new homes, space savvy consumers are now able to go online and find out how their own homes measures up.
 
The www.swingacat.info website is specifically designed to share what the property professionals know about how much space you need in your home to feel comfortable rather than cramped. 
 
It contains a range of information, facts and figures and helpful links and the user friendly functionality ensures potential home buyers can access the information they need to make an informed decision about their future home.
 
The website was created by Design for Homes, the HATC (who specialise in affordable and social housing policy, practice and delivery) and Touch Creative with the financial support of Gentoo.

The HATC had been involved in researching the current size of dwellings for Greater London Authority and therefore utilised this background knowledge in creating the website.
 
David Birkbeck, Chief Executive at Design for Homes and site creator said:  “Consumers have the tools to judge everything they buy today on a scientific footing, such as the price per kilo, the miles per gallon, the APR, the number of stars for a hotel or restaurant and the energy rating of their white goods.  But what about the most expensive thing we buy, a house? 
 
“It’s not even obvious how much space you’re getting for your money so you can’t do a straight forward pound per square meter valuation.   We want to make the quality of space, not the number of rooms, a key consideration in every choice about where people live.  It’s the only thing that will make the difference between serenity or stress.”
 
Gentoo Group Ltd’s vision is to offer good quality housing to all tenures, social rent, shared ownership and market sale. Gentoo competes with the private developers for home buyers’ money and believes a homes’ appeal lies in the quality of its plan - which means not skimping on internal dimensions.
 
Gentoo homes are typically larger than those both in the private sector and those supported with government grant. It is one definition of sustainable housing felt throughout the group, spelled out here by its Chief Executive Peter Walls:
 
“Quality and use of space is a key consideration in the purchase of your home, it’s not just down to how many bedrooms you have but how much space you have and how it is utilised.  To us, size matters, the dimensions of your property can define and affect how you live your life.
 
 “Our cars are getting bigger, our kids are growing taller but our homes are getting smaller. We shouldn’t be responding to the higher cost of building or land by making everything smaller. Gentoo Group Ltd is committed to drawing a line in the sand on this issue and I hope this website will help the public better understand how a property measures up – literally – to their needs.”
 
Visit www.swingacat.info to test your home's suitability today.