Short answer. There is no single standard. As rough ranges, a single bedroom in a flat is about 7 to 9 m² (75 to 97 sq ft), a double about 11 to 15 m² (118 to 161 sq ft), a separate living room about 15 to 25 m², a kitchen about 6 to 12 m², a bathroom about 3.5 to 6 m², and a hall about 0.9 to 1.2 m (3 to 4 ft) wide. Newer flats often have ceilings of about 2.4 to 2.7 m. A room's width and your furniture's footprint tell you more than its square metres.
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Typical room sizes
| Room | Typical range in a flat | One typical shape |
|---|---|---|
| Single bedroom | About 7 to 9 m² (75 to 97 sq ft) | 2.4 × 3.2 m (7 ft 10 in × 10 ft 6 in) |
| Double bedroom | About 11 to 15 m² (118 to 161 sq ft) | 3.2 × 3.8 m (10 ft 6 in × 12 ft 6 in) |
| Living room, separate | About 15 to 25 m² (161 to 269 sq ft) | 3.8 × 5 m (12 ft 6 in × 16 ft 5 in) |
| Living, dining and kitchen, open plan | About 25 to 35 m² (269 to 377 sq ft) | 5 × 6 m (16 ft 5 in × 19 ft 8 in) |
| Kitchen, separate | About 6 to 12 m² (65 to 129 sq ft) | 2.4 × 3.5 m (7 ft 10 in × 11 ft 6 in) |
| Bathroom with a bath | About 3.5 to 6 m² (38 to 65 sq ft) | 1.7 × 2.2 m (5 ft 7 in × 7 ft 3 in) |
| Shower room | About 2.5 to 4 m² (27 to 43 sq ft) | 1.4 × 2 m (4 ft 7 in × 6 ft 7 in) |
| Hall | About 0.9 to 1.2 m (3 to 4 ft) wide |
These are typical figures, not rules. Your plan, or a tape measure, is the only number that counts.
Why there is no one standard
Countries set their own minimums, and some set none. England's space standard for new homes asks for a single bedroom of at least 7.5 m² and 2.15 m wide, a double of at least 11.5 m² (the main one at least 2.75 m wide) and a ceiling of at least 2.3 m over three quarters of the floor. The model building codes many US states use set about 70 sq ft (6.5 m²) and 7 ft (2.13 m) in any direction for most rooms. A minimum is not a typical size: many older flats are well above it.
Bedrooms: what fits
| Bed | Mattress size |
|---|---|
| UK double | 135 × 190 cm (4 ft 6 in × 6 ft 3 in) |
| UK king | 150 × 200 cm (5 ft × 6 ft 6 in) |
| European double | 140 or 160 × 200 cm (55 or 63 × 79 in) |
| US queen | 60 × 80 in (152 × 203 cm) |
About 60 cm (24 in) beside a bed is a common guideline, and a wardrobe needs 70 to 90 cm (28 to 36 in) in front to open its doors. A UK double with 60 cm on both sides needs a room about 2.55 m (8 ft 4 in) wide; with one side against the wall, about 1.95 m (6 ft 5 in).
Living room, kitchen, bathroom and hall
- Living room. Width matters more than area: a sofa is 85 to 100 cm (33 to 39 in) deep and a TV is watched from 2 m (6 ft 7 in) or more, so below about 3.2 m wide both get tight.
- Kitchen. A galley with units on both sides wants about 2.2 to 2.4 m (7 ft 3 in to 7 ft 10 in) wall to wall.
- Bathroom. A bath is about 170 cm (5 ft 7 in) long, so the room needs one wall that long, or it becomes a shower room.
- Hall. About 90 cm (3 ft) is a comfortable minimum; 1.2 m (4 ft) leaves room for a coat cupboard.
Ceiling heights and floor area
Newer flats often have ceilings of 2.4 to 2.7 m (7 ft 10 in to 8 ft 10 in), pre-war blocks and converted houses 2.7 to 3.5 m, and halls and bathrooms are often lower under ducts. Plans rarely show heights, so measure.
Floor area is counted in different ways: some figures include walls, cupboards, the hall or a balcony, and rooms under a sloping roof are counted in full, in part or not at all depending on the country. So 50 m² in one listing may not be 50 m² in another. One square metre is about 10.76 sq ft.
Common mistakes
- Trusting "max" sizes, taken at the widest point into a bay, as the space you can furnish.
- Judging a room by its area, not its width. A long, narrow 12 m² room takes less furniture than a square one.
- Forgetting what takes space: door swings, radiators, low sills, pipe boxes, and the way in through the narrowest door.
- Assuming the ceiling height. Plans rarely show it.
Check it in 3D
In Flatwalk you upload the floor plan as a photo, a screenshot or a PDF, draw it yourself, or scan a room by tapping its corners through the camera. On a plan with no sizes, tap a wall you know and type its real length. Then place real furniture from real shops at its true size, walk through at eye level, and measure any gap with the tape measure, in metres or in feet and inches. The 3D flat is only as true as the sizes you give it, and Flatwalk does not tell you what the rules in your country require.
What Flatwalk does that older planners skip
Lights
Add ceiling lights, lamps and LED strips and see each room lit, not only measured.
Your flat in its city
Give the address and the street and buildings around you appear in 3D where the map has them.
Sun for your address
Real sunlight through the windows, by date and hour, and how long each room gets direct sun.
One piece, in your own room
Through the live camera or in a photo of the room, stand a sofa on your own floor at its true size before you buy.
Detail
Dozens of door and window types, and kitchens, wardrobes and bathrooms built piece by piece.
Made for a thumb
Tap a wall the plan got wrong and type its real length.
Swipe for more. Every picture is the app itself.
One flat, free
Most people plan one home. For that, Flatwalk costs nothing: no trial clock and no card. Reading your floor plan picture is an AI tool with one free try, and drawing, scanning, exact wall sizes, furniture, lights, sun and walking are all part of planning one flat for nothing. A membership is for people who want more flats or more AI.
Questions people ask
What is the minimum size for a double bedroom? It depends on the country. England's space standard for new homes asks for at least 11.5 m², with the main double at least 2.75 m wide. Many places set no minimum at all.
What is a standard ceiling height in a flat? Newer flats often have about 2.4 to 2.7 m (7 ft 10 in to 8 ft 10 in); older buildings are often higher. Measure, because plans rarely show it.
Will a double bed fit in a small bedroom? Add the bed's width to the space you want beside it. A 135 cm double with 60 cm on one side needs a room about 1.95 m wide; with 60 cm on both sides, about 2.55 m.
Why does my flat feel smaller than its floor area? The figure may include walls, the hall, cupboards or a balcony, and long, narrow rooms hold less furniture than square ones.
Flatwalk turns your floor plan into a flat you can walk through at eye level, with real furniture at its true size, so you can see what fits before you buy, free for one flat. It is launching on Google Play; join the waiting list at flatwalk.app.
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