As new home construction picks up speed in the wake of the recent recession, modern home builders are getting creative about their craftsmanship and focusing on what their customers are looking for. These days, it’s not about lavish amenities; rather, new modern home buyers are looking for efficient homes with room to grow.
The latest new homeowner trends focus on quality and value and include the following sound strategies:
In-House Single-Design Model
Traditionally, new home construction included the services of separate engineering and construction firms. To save time and money and pass the consumer's savings, modern home builders have firms that do the engineering and contractor coordination, all in-house. This trend helps speed up the construction process by up to six months, allowing firms to focus on additional projects.
Energy Efficient and Eco-Friendly New Modern Homes
As new homeowners accept the reality that energy costs aren’t going to decrease, they seek long-term energy-efficient solutions. Examples include installing occupancy sensors, systems that recover energy, high-efficiency heating, cooling systems, and solar energy solutions. Health-conscious clients seek advanced filtration systems and materials with low VOCs, while the eco-friendly look for the use of sustainable or recycled materials like bamboo, cork, and re-purposed building materials (e.g., crushed concrete in place of gravel). Those who are particularly energy-savvy seek smart passive house designs with a tight building envelope, smart roofs, and energy-efficient windows.
Appealing to the Genders
Modern home builders find that among new home shoppers, women generally have the last say. The latest trend is to construct dwellings that make homemaking simpler with larger kitchens, more storage spaces, and bigger washing areas to appeal to the female consumer.
Men tend to gravitate toward homes with bigger garages with a shop area and space in the house to entertain friends. Men also prefer bathrooms that have a water closet and bathtub that are separate from the shower.
Room to Grow
Today’s new homeowners aren’t looking for houses to sell for a profit soon. Instead, they’re looking for homes that their family can grow in for several decades. New construction trends allow homeowners to convert spaces as the needs of their families change easily. These spaces are innovative and allow for the simple integration of new technologies and building additions.
Connectivity
The “house of tomorrow” that people dreamed about in the 1960s is here today. Modern homeowners want to interact with their houses with a simple touch of a button, even when they're away. The latest trends include installing standby generators that a homeowner can turn on or off from a computer or mobile device. They also seek smart programmable thermostats that they can adjust remotely using a mobile device.
Smart appliances are in demand. In addition to being energy-efficient, the latest dishwashers, clothes washers, and dryers tap into areas with smart grids, evaluate the local utility company’s time-of-use rates, and operate when electricity rates are the lowest. In the kitchen, Wi-Fi-enabled refrigerators let homeowners display their favorite pictures and seek and share recipes from a built-in touch-screen monitor.
Another hot trend that consumers seek is power outlets with USB ports that make it simple to plug in a lamp and charge a phone simultaneously without the need to purchase a power strip.
Modern home builders must meet new homeowners where they are in regards to the down market and economic uncertainties. As Americans get back on their feet, the latest value-added building trends are the forces that are driving the new home construction market.
