The great Canadian housing gap – 55 per cent of Canadians say they’re not living in their ideal home

New study by Century 21 Canada and Ipsos finds Canadians want more space – on average about 2,100 square feet, 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, March 26, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- An Ipsos study conducted for Century 21 Canada has found 55 per cent of Canadians are not living in their ideal home. Most (63 per cent) want more space, and well over half (59 per cent) say their ideal home is a single detached house.

On average, Canadians would like 2,098 square feet, three bedrooms, and 2.5 bathrooms. Along with size and condition, neighborhood and a bigger yard ranked highly as factors in an ideal home. While 13 per cent of Canadians live in a home under 500 square feet only 4 per cent say that is the ideal size for them.

However, not surprisingly more than half of respondents said affordability is a barrier to getting into their ideal home. That said, 19 per cent said they are at least somewhat likely to buy a new home in the next year – and 55 per cent of those would be first-time buyers. On average, those likely to purchase a home in the next year have a budget of $677,000 which, according to Statistics Canada, is just shy of the average house price of $698,881.

“The Canadian dream of owning a moderate stand-alone house with a few bedrooms for family and a yard is as relevant today as it ever has been,” says Todd Shyiak, Executive Vice President of CENTURY 21 Canada. “Of course, the results are broadly diverse and available housing must reflect that. However, the majority of Canadians today want a house with about three bedrooms and a yard. This perhaps speaks to why many moderately-priced communities just outside metro centres are experiencing a real estate boom.”

Also, those who own their own homes are significantly more likely to report their living situation is ideal or close to ideal than renters.

"What struck me in the results is the satisfaction gap between owners and renters,” says Sean Simpson, Senior Vice President of Ipsos Public Affairs. “Eighty per cent of homeowners say they love their home and it's perfect for them, compared to just 50 per cent of renters. That 30-point gap helps explain why homeownership remains the goal for most Canadians – it's not just about building equity, it's about finding a place that truly feels like home."

Study highlights:

Current living situation:

• 45 per cent report their current living situation is ideal or very close to ideal. 55 per cent report their living situation is less than ideal. Owners are more likely to view their situation as ideal than renters.
• 54 per cent own their home, while 37 per cent rent. 5 per cent live rent-free with family, 2 per cent pay rent to family, and 1 per cent live in some other situation.
• 13 per cent of Canadians live in a home of less than 500 square feet, but only 4 per cent report that is the ideal size for them. By contrast, only 8 per cent of Canadians report living in a home of more than 3,000 square feet, but 19 per cent would find that the ideal size.
• 51 per cent currently live in a single detached house, while 59 per cent say that is their ideal living situation – a gap of 8 percentage points. By contrast, 16 per cent of Canadians live in a low-rise condo or apartment but only 12 per cent say that is their ideal living situation.

What Canadians want in their ideal home:

• When asked whether their current space is the ideal size, 63 per cent say they would like more space, Younger Canadians (18 – 34) are most likely to want more space (76 per cent), though almost half (45 per cent) of those aged 55+ would like more space and just 19 per cent less space.
• On average, people want a home that is 2,098 square feet – about 600 square feet larger than the average size of a home (1,470 square feet) identified in the report.
• When asked about bedrooms, 41 per cent said three bedrooms would be ideal for them. 25 per cent said two bedrooms is ideal, and 24 per cent want four bedrooms.
• Similarly, when asked about the ideal number of bathrooms the average was 2.5 – a home with one or five bathrooms both ranked low.
• Other than price, the top factors when choosing an ideal home to purchase include condition of the home (40 per cent), location/neighborhood (38 per cent), space for family/pets (32 per cent), and a yard (29 per cent).
• When presented with a list of factors and asked to select which would make their living situation more ideal respondents chose:

1) more space 
2) bigger yard or garden
3) less upkeep and maintenance
4) owning instead of renting 
5) the ability to walk to restaurants and shops. 

Barriers to living in your ideal home:

• The top barrier to living in the ideal home is price, at 59 per cent, followed by the cost and difficulty of moving (34 per cent), and saving for a downpayment (14 per cent).
• 19 per cent said they are likely to buy a home in the next year. Of those, 55 per cent said they would be first-time homebuyers.
• Among likely buyers the average budget is $676,731. 25 per cent said their budget is under $300,000, just 16 per cent more than $1 million.
  

Find the complete study here.

Ipsos conducted the survey for Century 21 Canada online between February 6 and 10, via the Ipsos I-Say Panel. A representative sample of 2,300 Canadians ages 18+ was interviewed. The data and regional representation was weighted according to Statistics Canada census data to ensure it accurately reflects the population of Canada. The results are considered accurate to within +/- 2.5 percentage points.

For more information please contact:
Shawn Hall
Century 21 Canada
Phone: (604) 619-7913
Email: shawn@apogeepr.ca

About CENTURY 21 Canada®
CENTURY 21 Canada Limited Partnership (century21.ca) is a real estate master franchisor with complete rights to the CENTURY 21® brand in Canada.

The CENTURY 21 System is one of the world’s largest and most recognized residential real estate franchise sales organization with approximately 11,000 independently owned and operated franchised real estate offices worldwide and over 125,000 sales professionals. CENTURY 21 provides comprehensive technology, marketing, training, management, and administrative support for its members in 79 countries and territories worldwide.

Photos accompanying this announcement are available at:
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