Survey
Finds that Homebuyers' Priorities are Affordability
and Flexibility
 A
recent Realty Times article summarizes the findings
of two recent homebuyer surveys.
Better Homes and Gardens magazine and
the National Association of Home Builders recently conducted
separate surveys that gathered surprisingly similar
results. Overall, American homebuyers want houses to
be affordable and flexible, such as houses that buyers
can grow into over the years. “People are hungry
for ideas that fit their budget and they want their
home to work through all the changes their families
go through,” explains Karol DeWulf Nickell, editor-in-chief
of Better Homes and Gardens.
The three other items that fill out
the top five features that are crucial to homeowners
are indoor and outdoor livability, innovation and the
kitchen as the hub of the house. Flexibility, however,
is really the most important feature, according to the
Better Homes and Gardens survey, specifically:
• Sixty-eight percent of survey
respondents say they want a house that incorporates
the ability to “work from home.”
• Homes aren’t catering to the needs of
budding and growing families, as families are staying
in homes for three to five years, moving up as the family
grows.
• Approximately 69 percent of respondents stated
that they completed a major remodeling project over
the past five years and 42 percent plan to do so within
the next five years, which reflects the fact that Americans
are constantly changing their homes to fit developing
needs.
The National Association of Home Builders
survey, on the other hand, found that 63 percent of
homeowners would opt for more higher-quality amenities
over more space. This means that the average size of
new homes may be shrinking from the peak average of
2,330 square feet in 2003.
The survey also found that basements
are popular in the parts of the country where they are
built, but that non-basement parts of the country are
increasingly after three-car garages. Gopal Ahluwalia,
a National Association of Home Builders research economist,
said that he expects to see more demand for low-maintenance,
natural materials, energy efficiency, security and synthetic
stucco, as well as open space, quality materials and
special purpose rooms on the inside of the home. Ahluwalia
especially emphasized that open space in the entry level
of houses is “really key.”
The top five amenities Ahluwalia listed
as most desired by homebuyers are walk-in pantries,
island work areas, special use storage, built-in microwaves
and drinking water filtration systems. Other observations
from the National Association of Home Builders survey
include:
• Thirty-seven percent of respondents
would like their kitchens to be visually open to the
family room with a half wall, and 34 percent want them
completely open.
• Hot bathroom wants include linen closets, exhaust
fans, separate showers, water temperature controls and
whirlpool tubs.
• Younger homebuyers want the washer and dryer
near the bedroom, while older homebuyers prefer the
laundry area to be located near the kitchen.
• When asked to choose between more space in the
master bedroom or more space in the master bathroom,
69 percent of survey respondents chose more bedroom
space.
• Survey respondents who participated in focus
groups complained consistently that lights were not
being installed in bedrooms by builders.
• Although Ahluwalia predicts that living rooms
will vanish from the American home within the next five
years, 63 percent of respondents stated they would not
be willing to buy a home without one.
One final trend to keep an eye out for
is the outdoor living area. The Better Homes and Gardens
survey found that a home’s indoor and outdoor
livability will play a bigger role than ever before.
“Outside areas are becoming extensions of the
American home’s indoor living spaces, with patios,
barbecue centers, decks and other areas essentially
serving as ‘additional rooms.’”
The results of these two surveys
give plenty of food for thought for homebuyers, home
owners and builders!
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