Global Market Surferby INTAGE Inc

[China: World Residence Tour] How do Chinese households use their balcony?

• Release date: Nov 26, 2020
• Update date: Sep 05, 2025
• 12812 Views

• Usage and altitude
• Furniture and home furnishings
• China
• Culture/Habit

In the second article of this series ([China] Why bathroom and toilet are relatively small in Chinese households?), we introduced the fact that the housing building area per person in urban China is small. In order to solve the problem of how to make full use of the limited space, Chinese people are thinking of various ways, such as not separating the space for bathrooms and toilets, or deciding not to install bathtubs. In fact, the use of balconies is another point to focus on. What kind of techniques do Chinese people use to maximize the space of balconies? Let's take a look.

Is the balcony not open to private areas?

The Chinese make good use of their balconies. Unlike in Japan, most balconies in China are enclosed balconies and they are also part of the room, surrounded by windows. In Japanese condominiums/apartments, the balcony is a common element, an outside open space with no windows. Not considered as a dwelling floor area, it is strictly prohibited to renovate or rebuild the balcony without permission. Japanese people use their balconies for drying clothes and storing the outdoor unit of the air conditioner. Also, there are rules such as not leaving anything on the balcony that cannot be easily moved, or not leaving luggage that can block the escape ladder. The Japanese people generally accept these rules. On the other hand, the situation is totally different in China. In China, the balcony is not a common element, but a private space that is also considered as a dwelling floor area. Therefore, it is totally up to the owner to decide how to use it. In addition, most balconies are not open spaces like in Japan, but rather indoor spaces.

Typical balcony of an apartment building in Japan (left) and China (right)
（Source：Consumer database (Consumer Life Panorama)） 

In fact, if you look at Chinese households with "My Home" registered on INTAGE's Consumer Life Panorama shows 5 out of 9 households have balconies whose type is enclosed balconies. (November 2020)

So why do Chinese people insist on having enclosed balconies? In fact, there is a difference in the laws and regulations governing balconies between China and Japan.

In Japan, balconies (part of the house that is effectively open to the outside air) must be at least 1.1 meters high and the height of the balcony must be at least half the height of the ceiling. In addition, there is a rule that balconies with a width of up to 2m should not be included in the floor area.

On the other hand, in China, the "Code for Calculating the Building Area of the Construction Process" (hereinafter referred to as "the Code"), which describes how to include balconies, was reviewed once in 2014, and according to the old "Code" before 2014, whether the balcony is outside or inside, in most cases (when there is a balcony outside the main building), it is stated that 1/2 of the actual area should be added to the building area.

Therefore, for dwellings built before 2014, if the balcony is enclosed, the floor area can be a bit larger than the area stated on paper. At the same time, from a home buyer's point of view, it looks like the half of the balcony area is a bargain as if it were given for free. Since the per capita housing building area in China's urban areas is not that large, turning balconies into indoor space is beneficial to consumers because it increases the amount of available space. As for enclosed balconies, "the Code" in 2014 had revised the area from 1/2 area to full area, there are still many dwellings with enclosed balconies because of the large number of condominiums built according to the old "Code" before 2014.

It's not open and can be modified?

In Japan, newly built condominiums are usually delivered with completed interiors and the buyer can move in right away. However, in China, condominiums are generally sold before completion and delivered without interiors, which means the buyer cannot live in there immediately. In other words, the buyer can freely modify the interior or structure as they like. In China, many households modify the balcony to connect it to other spaces, and mostly they follow the two patterns below.

If the balcony is in a bedroom, most families remove the door or wall between the balcony and the bedroom and use it in the same space as the bedroom. Some families also build a full-length wardrobe on one side of the balcony to provide additional storage for clothes. If the balcony is in the living/dining room, integrating these two spaces will expand the space for relaxation. Also, there are cases where the balcony can be used for multiple functions, such as placing plants or a washing machine.

Balcony with integrated bedroom and washing machine
（Source：Consumer database (Consumer Life Panorama)） 

Some of you may be wondering, "In Japan, the outdoor units of air conditioners are placed on balconies, but where are they placed in China?" Certainly, in Japan, the balcony is the outdoor space, so the outdoor unit of the air conditioner is basically placed there, but in China, where the space is indoor, it would be difficult to do so. As a matter of fact, regardless of whether the balcony is outside or inside, the outdoor unit is usually attached to the outside wall instead of being placed somewhere else. This may seem a bit risky, but it may also be a way to save space.

Outdoor unit attached to an exterior wall （Source：Consumer database (Consumer Life Panorama)） 

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  Author profile

  Mr. Yang Yan

  A Chinese researcher living in Japan, sharing the life styles of consumers overseas, mainly in China. At his parents' house, the washing machine is installed on the balcony, and he finds it easier to wash and dry clothes in the same space.

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  Editor profile

  Mr. Yusuke Tatsuda

  He is in charge of creating the Global Market Surfer website. He got visited his friend's house who had a vegetable garden on the balcony, and under the situation of COVID-19 his longing for a private vegetable garden has been grow.