This article appears in Summer Home & Garden magazine 2020.
Home builders are doing more with less — space that is. The average new home in 2019 was the smallest since 2011 and only 20 square feet larger than in 2007.
To determine the most popular features in single-family homes, the National Association of Home Builders surveyed nearly 4,000 home buyers who had either recently purchased a home or were planning to do so within the next three years.
“Home builders will build what their customers want, what there’s a market for,” said Rose Quint, assistant vice president of survey research for the National Association of Home Builders.
While there’s no data available about how COVID-19 will affect which features consumers gravitate to, the survey found that open-concept kitchen-family rooms, easily accessible laundry rooms and three bedrooms were all preferences for first-time and repeat home buyers.
Buyers are looking for storage in the garage, walk-in pantries and laundry rooms.
“They want to be able to keep all their stuff behind a door they can close,” Quint said.
Energy Star appliances, low-E windows, ceiling fans and other energy-efficient and smart products like programmable thermostats are top preferences, Quint said. To keep energy bills down and improve the health of the home, buyers are also interested in more insulation than is required by code, Quint said.
Other most-wanted features for new and repeat buyers include hardwood flooring on the main level, double sinks in the kitchen and a patio.
Granite or natural stone finishes are the top choice for kitchen countertops, followed by quartz or engineered stone. Laminate is the least desirable. For appliances, stainless steel is more well liked than black finishes.
Buyers are avoiding homes that feature elevators; cork flooring on the main level; pet washing stations; specialty rooms like media rooms, sunrooms or wine cellars; and plant roofs.
