The home of the future: living in 40 m² of kitchen-living room-office in Spain
Are 40 m² micro-apartments the future of housing or the normalization of poverty? Data, opinions and analysis of a debate dividing Spain.
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
Micro-homes: the luxury of living in 40 m² that is no longer a luxury
In Palencia, a gross salary of €70,000 generates more savings capacity than €90,000 in Madrid. The gap is not marginal: it amounts to around €3,000 a month for a family with a home and a school. But the article that has sparked the debate is not about salaries, it is about square metres. The "home of the future" promoted by El Confidencial is a 40 m² studio where the living room, kitchen, dining area and workspace merge into a single space. A proposal that, according to its defenders, responds to shrinking household sizes and rising land prices. However, the data analysis reveals a more complex reality: while some see it as an efficient solution, others call it the "normalization of poverty" and point out that, two generations ago, a family of five lived in 70 m² with three bedrooms and a balcony. The uncomfortable question is whether we are witnessing a natural evolution of the market or a regression in living conditions.
Size does matter: from grandma and grandpa's 70 m² to the grandchildren's 40 m²
The cramped flats of the 1960s and 70s offered around 70 m² for families of four or five, with three bedrooms, one bathroom and a balcony. Today, according to the data from the analysis, the same purchasing power no longer buys that much space. Those who defend the micro-apartment argue that families are smaller — childless couples or single people — and that 40 m² is enough for one person. In fact, one account claims four people live in 36 m² and says they live well, although others call it "third-world". The key is price: a 40 m² flat cannot cost the same as a 60 m² one, but the reality is that the price difference is not proportional. In central areas of big cities, the price per square metre has risen so much that size has become a luxury.
On the other hand, the trend of eliminating hallways and merging rooms allows space to be optimized. The kitchen shrinks to an induction hob and a microwave; laundry is outsourced to laundromats; sharing bathrooms per floor is even proposed. This model, reminiscent of Japanese housing, is sold as modern and efficient, but it hides a reality: the loss of privacy and a lower quality of life for those who cannot afford more.
The efficiency mirage: fewer square metres, more taxes?
A recurring argument is that reducing floor space benefits the State. Where four 120 m² flats (three bedrooms each) used to stand, three 40 m² flats are now built. The result: more homes per floor, which multiplies payments of taxes such as ITP (property transfer tax), VAT, IBI (local property tax) and utilities. However, this logic clashes with real demand: young people cannot afford the large flats of the past, and the market responds with smaller product. The question nobody answers is whether this supply is a solution or a trap. Minister Trujillo, who promoted 35 m² flats with the phrase "dignity is not measured in square metres", had an office of more than 60 m² to work in. The institutional hypocrisy is hard to ignore.
The debate leaves two clear positions: the one that sees the micro-apartment as a logical adaptation to the new times — singles, childless couples, remote work — and the one that considers it a degradation of living conditions imposed by rising land prices and speculation. While some calculate that 40 m² is more than enough if well designed, others point out that 36 m² for four people is typical of developing countries. The future of housing in Spain depends on resolving this contradiction: either build upwards in the cities — land is cheap, building rights are expensive — or accept that living in 40 m² is the new standard for the middle class. The decision is not technical, it is political.
Related debates in the forum
In Palencia, a gross salary of €70,000 generates more savings capacity than €90,000 in Madrid. The gap is not marginal: it amounts to around €3,000 a month for a family with a home and a school. But the article that has sparked the debate is not about salaries, it is about square metres. The "home of the future" promoted by El Confidencial is a 40 m² studio where the living room, kitchen, dining area and workspace merge into a single space. A proposal that, according to its defenders, responds to shrinking household sizes and rising land prices. However, the data analysis reveals a more complex reality: while some see it as an efficient solution, others call it the "normalization of poverty" and point out that, two generations ago, a family of five lived in 70 m² with three bedrooms and a balcony. The uncomfortable question is whether we are witnessing a natural evolution of the market or a regression in living conditions.
Size does matter: from grandma and grandpa's 70 m² to the grandchildren's 40 m²
The cramped flats of the 1960s and 70s offered around 70 m² for families of four or five, with three bedrooms, one bathroom and a balcony. Today, according to the data from the analysis, the same purchasing power no longer buys that much space. Those who defend the micro-apartment argue that families are smaller — childless couples or single people — and that 40 m² is enough for one person. In fact, one account claims four people live in 36 m² and says they live well, although others call it "third-world". The key is price: a 40 m² flat cannot cost the same as a 60 m² one, but the reality is that the price difference is not proportional. In central areas of big cities, the price per square metre has risen so much that size has become a luxury.
On the other hand, the trend of eliminating hallways and merging rooms allows space to be optimized. The kitchen shrinks to an induction hob and a microwave; laundry is outsourced to laundromats; sharing bathrooms per floor is even proposed. This model, reminiscent of Japanese housing, is sold as modern and efficient, but it hides a reality: the loss of privacy and a lower quality of life for those who cannot afford more.
The efficiency mirage: fewer square metres, more taxes?
A recurring argument is that reducing floor space benefits the State. Where four 120 m² flats (three bedrooms each) used to stand, three 40 m² flats are now built. The result: more homes per floor, which multiplies payments of taxes such as ITP (property transfer tax), VAT, IBI (local property tax) and utilities. However, this logic clashes with real demand: young people cannot afford the large flats of the past, and the market responds with smaller product. The question nobody answers is whether this supply is a solution or a trap. Minister Trujillo, who promoted 35 m² flats with the phrase "dignity is not measured in square metres", had an office of more than 60 m² to work in. The institutional hypocrisy is hard to ignore.
The debate leaves two clear positions: the one that sees the micro-apartment as a logical adaptation to the new times — singles, childless couples, remote work — and the one that considers it a degradation of living conditions imposed by rising land prices and speculation. While some calculate that 40 m² is more than enough if well designed, others point out that 36 m² for four people is typical of developing countries. The future of housing in Spain depends on resolving this contradiction: either build upwards in the cities — land is cheap, building rights are expensive — or accept that living in 40 m² is the new standard for the middle class. The decision is not technical, it is political.
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Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (41 replies).
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