A survey commissioned by Century 21 Canada and conducted by Ipsos in February of this year among 2,300 Canadians aged 18 and over recorded a gap between how people live and how they would like to live. 55% of respondents said their current housing is far from ideal.
Space is a key factor. Nearly two thirds of those surveyed (63%) would prefer a larger living area than they have now: the average “ideal” size came to about 2,098 sq ft—roughly 600 sq ft more than most Canadians actually occupy.
“The Canadian dream of a detached home… is no less relevant today than it was before”
— Todd Shyiak, Executive Vice President, Century 21 Canada
Layout preferences are steady: three bedrooms and two and a half bathrooms remain the perennial favorite. About 59% of respondents named a detached single-family home as the ideal type of housing, while 51% currently live in such homes.
Meanwhile, bigger does not always mean better. Eight percent of Canadians live in homes larger than 3,000 sq ft, yet only 19% consider that size ideal. At the other end of the scale, 13% live in less than 500 sq ft, while only 4% call that option ideal.
Beyond square footage, buyers care about quality of life in a broader sense: the condition of the home (40%), the neighborhood (38%), space for family or pets (32%), and having a yard (29%)—all of these made the list of top priorities.
The satisfaction gap between owners and renters is perhaps more telling than anything else: 80% of homeowners say they love their home, compared with only 50% of renters. Apparently, it’s not just about square footage—behind that number is also financial security.
Wanting different housing and being able to buy it are fundamentally different things. Nearly six in ten (59%) cited price as the main obstacle. In second place are the costs and hassles of moving (34%), and in third, saving for a down payment (14%).
Still, some Canadians are preparing for a purchase: 19% said they will likely buy a home within the next year. More than half of them (55%) will be first-time buyers. The average budget is about $677,000—slightly below the national average price of $698,881. This means a significant share of potential buyers doesn’t fit market reality even before they begin their search.
The context also matters: the survey was commissioned by a real estate company that has a direct interest in market activity. The data themselves are reliable, but the wording (“the Canadian dream is more relevant than ever”) serves a very specific narrative. In addition, the desire to have a more spacious home is an almost universal human trait, only weakly dependent on market conditions. And finally, the question of whether the pull toward a detached home is a genuine first choice or an internalized norm after decades of suburban development remains open.
