Recently, there has been a growing popularity of apartment layouts with exclusive areas around 70㎡ among real estate demanders. This is because they fit the changing residential trends and are more competitive in price compared to medium and large-sized units. As the average household size gradually decreases, apartment layouts are moving away from traditional exclusive area standards, increasingly favoring cost-effective 70㎡ layouts suitable for 2-3 person households.
In the past, an exclusive area of 59㎡ was considered suitable for 2-3 person households, 84㎡ for 3-4 person households, and 114㎡ for households of 4-5 or more. Construction companies focused more on service layouts and expanding storage spaces rather than changing the basic floor plans accordingly.
However, the traditional layouts in the housing market are now changing. The semi-medium-sized layouts, mainly around 70㎡, offer more space than small units while being less expensive than medium-sized ones. According to the Ministry of the Interior and Safety data from March 2024, there are approximately 9.95 million 2-3 person households in Korea, accounting for about 40% of all households. The 70㎡ exclusive area is highly price-competitive and provides adequate space, making it very popular among 2-3 person household demanders.
This year, the popularity of cost-effective layouts around 70㎡ was also prominent in the pre-sale market. According to Real Estate R114 data, in January this year, the 74㎡ exclusive unit of ‘Doosan We’ve The Zenith Gyeyang’ in Gyeyang-gu, Incheon, recorded a competition rate of 43 to 1, which was more than 10 times higher than the average competition rate of 3.9 to 1 for small and medium types of 49㎡ and 59㎡. In the same month, the 72㎡ exclusive type of ‘Geomdan Jungheung S-Class Edu Park’ in Seo-gu, Incheon, recorded a competition rate of 39.5 to 1, showing a significant difference compared to the medium and large types of 84-147㎡, which had a competition rate of 10.4 to 1.
In this situation, the popularity of small and medium types, which are expected to be the main beneficiaries of the recent subscription system reform and are preferred by newlyweds, is expected to increase further. Representative changes in the subscription system include the establishment of special and priority supply for newborns, relaxation of special supply criteria for multi-child families, combined spouse subscription account periods for the point system, allowance of individual applications by spouses, and exclusion of spouse’s home ownership and special supply winning history.
An industry insider said, “Semi-medium-sized apartments around 70㎡ are popular among demanders because their prices are more reasonable than medium and large units while offering ample space,” adding, “As semi-medium layouts gain popularity, construction companies are actively supplying cost-effective areas around 70㎡ tailored to consumer preferences.”
As the number of 2-3 person households in Korea increases and the preference for cost-effective layouts rises due to subscription system reforms, POSCO E&C opened the model house for ‘The Sharp Tangjeong Infinity City 2nd Phase’ on the 26th of last month, which plans to supply highly cost-effective exclusive areas of 70㎡, attracting significant attention from demanders. Despite being 70㎡, all types are designed as 4-bay slab-type layouts, and pantries are provided free of charge.
The Sharp Tangjeong Infinity City 2nd Phase will be a branded residential complex by POSCO E&C with high product completeness. The complex’s building-to-land ratio is 12.86%, creating wide distances between buildings and various landscaping spaces to enhance comfort. The internal design maximizes lighting and ventilation with a south-facing 4-bay slab-type cross-ventilation structure. Additionally, ample parking space of 1.32 cars per household (1,603 cars for the apartment complex) will minimize parking issues for residents.
It is conveniently located near Tangjeong Station on Subway Line 1, and the nearby Cheonan-Asan Station offers high-speed rail services such as KTX and SRT, enabling fast travel nationwide. Furthermore, it is adjacent to Isunsin-daero and the Dangjin-Cheongju Expressway (Asan-Cheonan section opened in September 2023), enhancing road traffic convenience. With Asan City included in the GTX-C extension plan announced in January this year, future value is also expected.
The Sharp Tangjeong Infinity City 2nd Phase will be built on Block 3 of the Asan Tangjeong District urban development zone in Asan-si, Chungcheongnam-do, consisting of 9 buildings with 2 basement floors to a maximum of 35 floors above ground, exclusive areas ranging from 70 to 84㎡, totaling 1,214 households. It is adjacent to the ‘The Sharp Tangjeong Infinity City’ (Block 4), which attracted 33,000 applicants in January and sold out quickly, and this upcoming sale is also expected to attract significant interest from many demanders.
First priority subscription applications will be accepted on May 8, and second priority on May 9. Winners will be announced on the 16th, and official contracts will be conducted over three days from the 27th to the 29th.
The model house is located in Jangjaeri, Baebang-eup, Asan-si, Chungcheongnam-do.
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