The most popular new home amenities in 2016

New build houses on a cul-de-saccredit

Being an architect in the housing industry can present quite a few challenges, the biggest of which is probably being able to predict what home buyers are going to be looking for in the upcoming year. It’s difficult to design a new home unless you know what consumers want, but once you have a handle on the market, your job is as good as done. It’s then only a matter of working the wants of home buyers into blueprints for homes being developed by the builder. Here are a few of the home amenities house buyers are looking for in new homes this year.

Arial view of a suburban neighbourhoodcredit

Amenities by neighbourhood

One of the things which developers look at when constructing a new development is the area surrounding the new sub development. Over-improvements aren’t limited to home repairs and home remodelling jobs so it’s important that they don’t get carried away with amenities that won’t add value to the home. There are, however, some élite developments such as the Texas neighbourhood of Belterra in Dripping Springs. These are trendy homes in an upper middle class neighbourhood with amenities suitable for this lifestyle.

Blue detached house with double integral garagecredit

Popular amenities currently trending

Developers looking to draw up plans for homes in a new development would be wise to see what amenities are currently trending first. According to realtors around the country, some amenities are popular no matter in which region of the country the home buyers were polled. The top amenities in 2016 include:

  • Great rooms – These are like a family room, living room and kitchen all rolled into one
  • Central island in the kitchen – This is where much prep work is done and to take this up one level, a central island with butcher’s block tops is in even higher demand
  • High ceilings on ground floors
  • Windows rated as Low-E (Energy Star)
  • Integral 2-car garage
  • Granite or marble counter tops in the kitchen
  • Smart gadgets – programmable climate control, lighting etc
  • Large front porch
  • Walk in wardrobes
  • Linen cupboards in all bathrooms – especially in the master bathroom

Knowing that these are high on the list of amenities, builders can now request their architects to design as many of these into their blueprints as possible. Oddly, bonus rooms, pools and spas are no longer trending as strongly as they had been in the previous decade.

Whether you’re an estate agent looking to match a buyer with a seller or a developer looking to keep up with trends, being able to match these amenities with a prospective buyer’s needs can make your job a whole lot easier. With the economy on a steady incline and jobs more readily available, the property market is beginning to boom. Since this is the beginning of a seller’s market, it’s vital to give buyers something in order to close the deal – that would be the above-mentioned trending amenities. You can sweeten the deal by offering exactly what they want, making it easier and quicker to close. Now that is sweet!

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