To make up for the lack of space in local flats, my own workaround is to make sure there is lots of natural light available. Even if you are going to darken the main room for watching movies, just having space outside is a big psychological boost. YMMV, but I would be looking for a place which looks out over a park, onto a green hill (thinking of friends in Ocean Shores with that one), or over one of the residents' podiums typical of late 1980s middle class developments.