alt Hacker News> living spaces are growing too
Median home sizes have gone from 1400 sqft in the 70s to 2400 sqft in recent years.
https://www.bankrate.com/real-estate/average-home-size/
Part of it is the economics of construction. Part of it is growing threshold for “bare minimum”. In unit laundry was optional in the 70s and I’ve heard people wanting a “laundry room”. Pandemic has pushed the need for an office. Larger kitchens and more storage space is also a big difference in newer units vs older ones.
In the '70s, in-unit laundry in a rental apartment was almost unheard of except at perhaps very top end. An on-premises shared laundry room was normal but having to go to a laundromat was not uncommon either.
I did not have laundry facilites of my own until I bought a house.