Smaller, versatile  space is trumping huge square footage among home buyers, according to the findings of at least one major home builder.

Designers at Beazer Homes are eliminating long hallways to open up plans. They also are scaling back master bedrooms.

“We found some masters were getting deeper, so the distance from the end of the bed to the dresser across from it was often more than five feet–a no man’s land. Instead, we’re tightening it up and putting that [square footage] somewhere else,” says Kent Goff, Beazer’s vice president of planning and design.

Preferred floor plans include a flexible space that can be attached to master to be used as either another bedroom or an office.

“[People] are looking for spaces that can be used in a couple of ways, depending on how they live their lives,” Goff says. “It’s all about usable, functional space, not just bigger rooms anymore.”

Source: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution