Comparing Houses across the Atlantic.

Some Suburban homes in USA.

It is commonly said "Everything is bigger in America", referring to the United States of America. While the timer frame construction common in North America, is cheaper and quicker to build than concrete block and brick construction common in Ireland and the UK, I not really sure whether the timer frame houses are bigger on average.

Comparing the overhead Google maps photos of the 9house I know well...

•  3 houses owed by myself,my brother and my father-in-law in USA.
• 3 houses owed by my parents in the past in Cork City and Crosshaven outside the city. 
• 3 houses, that I did house-sharing in Dublin. 

3 USA Homes

Suburban homes in Cork, Ireland

All 3 houses are timer frame. One has a full finished basement with one floor above that with a garage/office on separate building with 3bedrooms and one bathroom.
The other two have 2 floors on top of a concrete slab both floors with a garage built into the main structure, since neither these house have a basement the garage becomes important for storage, both have 4bedrooms All 3 houses are in Suburbs in Philadelphia in area where that very car dependent, since they have no public transport access and nearest major services are not accessible by foot. (I mean via footpath/sidewalks)

3 Cork Homes

Some homes in Dublin, Ireland

All 3 houses are concrete block construction. The one is the middle is only house on a single or with a garage, it was also concerned large with 4bedrooms. The area had is walled off the car in the picture, was part of our garden, it was big enough for game of soccer. In Celtic tiger madness someone got the bright of trying to build a house on the garden, this overhead shot was taken before construction began.
The one on the left was also concerned large (4bedroom) it was split-level with a separate garage and a lovely garden. The house of the right is Victorian semi-detected with 2 floors and 3bedrooms. None of the houses have an basement or a sizable attic but was never a problem. It seemed there was not a much need for tonnes of possessions as there people in the USA. The garden had a wide variety of fruit and flowers - such as strawberries, an cooking apple tree, black currants, gooseberries and a peach tree.

3 Dublin homes
All 3 houses are concrete block construction. The house of the left is the largest but it was also the furthest from Dublin City Center, the first time out there farmland near the house. A few years there was Dundrum Town Center, the M50 and a large number of apartment nearby. It had 3 bedrooms and a garage. The middle house was a small townhouse with 3bedrooms. The place on the right was only tiny corner with 3bedrooms in a row of apartment that were originally stables. Yes, for horses. Since this place was 10minutes walk from St Stephen's Green in a nice area with Tennis Courts and Pubs within a minute walk, it was considered okay to converted stables into single floor apartments that were "not big enough to swing a cat in".

Conclusion: From this selection I think Cork has the right combination.