How important is a living room to today’s buyer?  What percentage of people want or need a dining room versus just a large eat-in kitchen?  There are a few homes today that are nice, but they don’t really have anything beyond an eat-in kitchen plus a large “great room”.  The VALUE of a home is more related to the features and square footage, but I’ve definitely seen many buyers who need to have at least two rooms on the main floor besides the kitchen. It just appeals to more of an audience.  There are even some cultures that prefer having two living areas… one for the men to hang out, and another for the women. I’ve seen that quite often.

So from a resale perspective, it’s a good idea to have multiple rooms, and it’s more about the design than it is about the size.  Do homes with one main floor room still have an audience?  Absolutely yes.  In fact, the Pick of the Day ™ is the one on Nairn.  Solid upgrades, backing onto greenspace with a double garage, 2300+ square feet and four bedrooms for $569k.  I would think their target audience can live with the one room with all of those other treats.  But all things being equal, I’d rather see a buyer get something with two or more rooms in they can, and if it fits their lifestyle.