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LAS VEGAS -- Americans want smaller houses and they are willing to strip some of yesterday\'s most popular rooms -- such as home theaters -- from them in order to accommodate changing lifestyles, consumer experts told audiences at the International Builders Show here this week.
More from MarketWatch.com:
• A Quick Peek at the Retirement Houses of Tomorrow
• People Want Greener Homes -- if the Price is Right
• Loan Modification? Good Luck With That
This is a traumatic time in this country and the future isn\'t something we\'re 100% sure about now either. What\'s left? The answer for most home buyers is authenticity, said Heather McCune, director of marketing for Bassenian Lagoni Architects in Park Ridge, Ill.
Buyers today want cost-effective architecture, plans that focus on spaces and not rooms and homes that are designed \'green\' from the outset, she said. The key for home builders is finding the balance between what buyers want and the price point.
For many buyers, their next house will be smaller than their current one, said Carol Lavender, president of the Lavender Design Group in San Antonio, Texas. Large kitchens that are open to the main family living area, old-fashioned bathrooms with clawfoot tubs and small spaces such as wine grottos are design features that will resonate today, she said.
1. Large Kitchens, With an Island
If you\'re going to spend design dollars, spend them where people want them -- spend them in the kitchen, McCune said. Granite countertops are a must for move-up buyers and buyers of custom homes, but for others they are on the bubble, Cardis said.
2. Energy-Efficient Appliances, High-Efficiency Insulation and High Window Efficiency
Among the green features touted in homes, these are the ones buyers value most, he said. While large windows had been a major draw, energy concerns are giving customers pause on those, he said. The use of recycled or synthetic materials is only borderline desirable.
3. Home Office/Study
People would much rather have this space rather than, say, a formal dining room. People are feeling like they can dine out again and so the dining room has become tradable, Cardis said. And the home theater may also be headed for the scrap heap, a casualty of the shift from boom to correction, Cardis said.
4. Main-Floor Master Suite
This is a must feature for empty-nesters and certain other buyers, and appears to be getting more popular in general, he said. That could help explain why demand for upstairs laundries is declining after several years of popularity gains.
5. Outdoor Living Room
The popularity of outdoor spaces continues to grow, even in Canada, Cardis said. And the idea of an outdoor room is even more popular than an outdoor cooking area, meaning people are willing to spend more time outside.
6. Ceiling Fans
7. Master Suite Soaker Tubs
Whirlpools are still desirable for many home buyers, Cardis said, but they clearly went down a notch, in the latest survey. Oversize showers with seating areas are also moving up in popularity.
8. Stone and Brick Exteriors
Stucco and vinyl don\'t make the cut.
9. Community Landscaping, With Walking Paths and Playgrounds
Forget about golf courses, swimming pools and clubhouses. Buyers in large planned developments prefer hiking among lush greenery.
10. Two-Car Garages
A given at all levels; three-car garages, in which the third bay is more often then not used for additional storage and not automobiles, is desirable in the move-up and custom categories, Cardis said.
LAS VEGAS -- Americans want smaller houses and they are willing to strip some of yesterday\'s most popular rooms -- such as home theaters -- from them in order to accommodate changing lifestyles, consumer experts told audiences at the International Builders Show here this week.
More from MarketWatch.com:
• A Quick Peek at the Retirement Houses of Tomorrow
• People Want Greener Homes -- if the Price is Right
• Loan Modification? Good Luck With That
This is a traumatic time in this country and the future isn\'t something we\'re 100% sure about now either. What\'s left? The answer for most home buyers is authenticity, said Heather McCune, director of marketing for Bassenian Lagoni Architects in Park Ridge, Ill.
Buyers today want cost-effective architecture, plans that focus on spaces and not rooms and homes that are designed \'green\' from the outset, she said. The key for home builders is finding the balance between what buyers want and the price point.
For many buyers, their next house will be smaller than their current one, said Carol Lavender, president of the Lavender Design Group in San Antonio, Texas. Large kitchens that are open to the main family living area, old-fashioned bathrooms with clawfoot tubs and small spaces such as wine grottos are design features that will resonate today, she said.
1. Large Kitchens, With an Island
If you\'re going to spend design dollars, spend them where people want them -- spend them in the kitchen, McCune said. Granite countertops are a must for move-up buyers and buyers of custom homes, but for others they are on the bubble, Cardis said.
2. Energy-Efficient Appliances, High-Efficiency Insulation and High Window Efficiency
Among the green features touted in homes, these are the ones buyers value most, he said. While large windows had been a major draw, energy concerns are giving customers pause on those, he said. The use of recycled or synthetic materials is only borderline desirable.
3. Home Office/Study
People would much rather have this space rather than, say, a formal dining room. People are feeling like they can dine out again and so the dining room has become tradable, Cardis said. And the home theater may also be headed for the scrap heap, a casualty of the shift from boom to correction, Cardis said.
4. Main-Floor Master Suite
This is a must feature for empty-nesters and certain other buyers, and appears to be getting more popular in general, he said. That could help explain why demand for upstairs laundries is declining after several years of popularity gains.
5. Outdoor Living Room
The popularity of outdoor spaces continues to grow, even in Canada, Cardis said. And the idea of an outdoor room is even more popular than an outdoor cooking area, meaning people are willing to spend more time outside.
6. Ceiling Fans
7. Master Suite Soaker Tubs
Whirlpools are still desirable for many home buyers, Cardis said, but they clearly went down a notch, in the latest survey. Oversize showers with seating areas are also moving up in popularity.
8. Stone and Brick Exteriors
Stucco and vinyl don\'t make the cut.
9. Community Landscaping, With Walking Paths and Playgrounds
Forget about golf courses, swimming pools and clubhouses. Buyers in large planned developments prefer hiking among lush greenery.
10. Two-Car Garages
A given at all levels; three-car garages, in which the third bay is more often then not used for additional storage and not automobiles, is desirable in the move-up and custom categories, Cardis said.
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