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Real Living Needs Shape Dream Home Buyers Want
Based on constant feedback from her readers and from reviewing thousands of new and remodeled homes each year, Gayle Butler, editor-in-chief of Better Homes and Gardens, says that consumers these days are putting their dollars in dream homes that accommodate the needs of real living.
“Today’s dream is a home that fits their personal reality,” Butler told an audience at the International Builders’ Show in Orlando, Fla. earlier this month. “There is a heightened interest in the design of homes to meet needs in a real way,” she added.
Butler described six attributes that are driving home buyers and owners today and creating trends with implications for housing in the future:
- Authentic neighborhoods. Consumers are looking for a sense of being part of the community and are considering “not just where the house is” but amenities such as green space, pocket parks, water, a community center, usable front porches and walking trails. According to GfK Roper Consulting, seven out of 10 consumers are looking for a strong connection to their neighborhood. They also want detailing on all four sides of their house.
- Modern floor plans. In a survey of old homes versus new, 85% of those polled said that older homes had more character, but 75% observed that new homes have more livable floor plans. Butler said that the floor plans now in vogue are flexible and functional, “but not as open as in the past” and “are thoughtfully arranged with a balance of openness and privacy.” Among features that are being used to achieve this are partial wall divisions; cabinetry that directs kitchen traffic; interest in columns that screen off rooms such as the kitchen; a formal dining room (“we rarely see space doing double duty”); an “upscale, most distinctive” treatment of living rooms; and informal living space that accommodates various household activities. With 66% of families watching television, a media wall with a big-screen set is an appropriate addition to an entertainment room.
- Kitchen-connected design. Kitchens in most demand are “a little more separate and screened-off,” Butler said. New ideas in the kitchen include: an over-sized island, with two levels, that can serve as a hangout for adults and children; open displays and large windows in lieu of some upper cabinets; more pantry space; a banquette that can provide an alternative to the kitchen table and provide more seating in the same amount of space; window seats; and a mud room off of the kitchen, including a station for sorting mail.
- Organization and storage systems that improve everyday life. Rooms and space should also be set aside for a variety of special activities, she added. Highly sought-after home offices can be accommodated by a pocket of space “no bigger than a closet” off of an existing room. Homework stations and basement media centers are big draws, and with Americans spending $38 billion annually on their pets, areas for tending to pets and store their supplies are popular. With women now accounting for roughly half of all business trips, master baths are being influenced by the spa-like amenities found in top hotels.
- Extending home space into the outdoors. Outdoor space is no longer being perceived as an add-on or auxiliary part of the house, said Butler, “but as part of the living space of the home.” The trend is represented by more screened porches, outdoor fireplaces and pits, more covered decks and patios and outdoor kitchens.
- Incorporating elements of green. Green is no longer seen as something “on the fringe,” she said, as Americans express willingness to reach into their pocketbooks for the health of their families and future generations. She cited research by a Home Enthusiast panel that 83% of consumers rate residential energy efficiency as highly important, followed in importance by a healthy home (60%) and environmental sustainability (57%). “Some consumers are already opting to include significant green features in their homes,” said Butler, changing over to more efficient light bulbs, for instance, and “educating themselves to green options.” In Better Homes and Gardens’ upcoming home improvement challenge, there will be a green component for the first time in the contest’s 83 years, she said.
For a corresponding story in this issue of NBN on NAHB research on the “Home of the Future,” click here.
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