In 2023 the average number of bathrooms in a newly built home was two, down from 2.6 per home in 2022, according to research from the Housing Industry Association (HIA).
Renovators are also shrinking bathroom renovations, with a majority of bathroom makeovers now working with the same space, or a smaller space.
“The size of a typical bathroom has fallen as home renovators and builders scale back their renovation ambitions,” says HIA chief economist Tim Reardon, quoted in Smart Property Investment.
“Shrinkflation is evident across the economy as households bear the cost of higher mortgage repayments, and home renovations are no exception.”
There are several factors contributing to shrinkflation, not just cost of living crunches.
During the pandemic, kitchen and bathroom sizes tended to increase as buyers and renovators spent more time at home and wanted more space.
This trend has reversed, but building costs have remained high, so a trend towards smaller scale bathroom and kitchen projects is emerging.
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