Despite close connections, the ‘special relationship’ between America and Britain doesn’t seem to translate to home design. While inside, the living rooms and bedrooms of western homes might have the same gadgets and stark white interiors, there are some stark differences outside. And, size is, without doubt, the biggest.
With a sprawling land mass, American homes are some of the biggest in the world at an average of 2467 square feet. Squeezed onto the island nation, UK homes at last count were a measly 956 square feet. So, as UK homeowners gaze enviously over the pond at homes over twice the size of theirs, real estate portal Homes.com wondered what it is exactly British people thought the average American home looked like.
They asked Brits to describe the features of a stereotypical American home, as well as homes from some of its most famous regions including Texas, Florida, New York and Silicon Valley. Armed with their responses they created 3D renderings of each house. Take a look at what they came up with below:
The typical American home
It seems that perceptions of the typical American home haven’t changed a great deal over the past 50 years if these images are anything to go by. White picket fences, perfectly cut lawns, and American flags are the order of the day and a 4 x4 SUV on the driveway. No-one can argue American’s aren’t a patriotic nation, with a Pew research survey revealing that, as the British public suggested, 62% of Americans fly the flag.
The typical Texas home
While Texas is one of the largest states in the US, leading the way in tech innovation and providing thousands of jobs, Brit’s perceptions don’t seem to be informed by much else than the set of a cowboy movie. A wooden shack on a ranch with cows, animals and guns were what they described as the typical home of the Lone Star state.
The typical New York home
Unsurprisingly, stereotypes of the New York home are heavily influenced by the media. Brits’ views of the typical New York home were heavily influenced by TV shows like friends and Sex and City and assumed most residents lived in small, trendy apartments. While the “exposed brickwork” may not be stereotypical, size is an issue for New Yorkers, who have the smallest houses in the country (1124 ft2).
The typical Florida home
Florida is actually a major destination for UK holiday makers so you’d assume there’d be a more in-depth knowledge of what the average house looks like, well, you’d be wrong. A beach setting was one of the most popular responses, which, in a state with 663 miles of beaches might not be a silly assumption but other than that, suggestions of “old people’s homes” “swamps” and “crocodiles” didn’t give much insight into the Florida housing market…
The typical Silicon Valley home
The hub of the world’s technology industry has not escaped the gaze of the UK. With all of that tech money flowing into the area, Brit’s envision huge, tech-equipped, extravagantly expensive mansions in gated communities. With an average house price almost 10 times the national average (1.25 million), again perceptions in the UK are pretty spot on.
For the full results visit Homes.com.