Reported 7 months ago
Due to the high housing prices and trend of small homes, balcony sizes in new houses are also shrinking in Taiwan. Statistics from real estate agencies indicate that Kaohsiung has the highest balcony occupancy rate at 99.1%, followed by Tainan at 98.6% and Taoyuan at 97.7%. Surprisingly, Taipei has the lowest balcony occupancy rate at 86.3%, with New Taipei City having the smallest balcony size at 1.8 ping, making it the city with the smallest balconies among the seven major cities in Taiwan. The trend of shrinking balcony sizes is evident in the seven major cities, especially in northern regions like Taipei and New Taipei City, as well as Hsinchu and Taichung. The average balcony size in Taiwan is around 3 pings, with the smallest balconies observed in New Taipei City. This reduction in balcony sizes is attributed to the rising popularity of small homes, which require more elevator and stairwell space in multi-unit buildings, thus sacrificing balcony area. The South of Taiwan generally features larger balconies compared to the North, with Kaohsiung having the largest average balcony size at 3.6 pings. Factors influencing balcony sizes in new developments include housing preferences, with residents in the North less likely to prioritize larger balconies and instead see balcony space mainly for laundry and air conditioning units. In contrast, people in the South, where housing prices are more affordable, tend to favor properties with balconies. The analysis also suggests that redevelopment areas in central and southern Taiwan allocate larger land spaces and have lower land costs, contributing to larger balcony sizes in new developments. The city of Kaohsiung, in particular, encourages developers to create large balconies with green spaces to receive incentives, which has become a factor in increasing balcony sizes in new projects in the South.
Source: YAHOO