By: Builders Digital Experience

As housing continues to recover, it is important to make sure you are building homes with features potential buyers actually want.  The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) recently surveyed 3,682 home buyers to see “What Home Buyers Really Want” when purchasing a home.  The results were quite interesting, as people’s preferences and priorities have changed quite a bit over the past couple of years. 

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the size of new homes has steadily increased over the past three years to 2,524 sq. ft. in 2012.  Additionally, the number of homes with three or more baths and three car garages has gone up.  And as you might expect, the average sales price of homes has increased for the last three years since bottoming out in 2009; the average price in 2012 was $279,000.

It is no secret that resale homes are still outselling new.  In order to capture this share of the market, a new home must have the functionality and features that a used home cannot offer.  The survey suggests removing rooms people don’t use from your floor plans and add that space into places where they spend the most time, such as a separate media room or into a larger master suite.  A kitchen continues to be one of the most important rooms in a person’s house.  Make your kitchens more interactive – 85 percent of respondents want a table space for eating and 76 percent still want a central island. 

We live in a fast-paced society that is always on the go, so why not add features that are convenient and meet the needs of today’s lifestyles?  Seventy-four percent of respondents said they like an open floor plan where the kitchen flows into the living room.  With more people being environmentally conscious, green features have become very important.  Ninety-four percent of buyers said they want Energy Star appliances in their home and 91 percent want an Energy Star rating for the entire home – an older home can have upgrades that are energy efficient, but it will never be as efficient as a new home.  Community amenities featuring resort-style pools, hike and bike trails, great schools in or near the community with easy accessibility to shopping can also have a serious influence on buyers. 

Below is the complete list of the most wanted – and least wanted – characteristics home buyers want in a new home, followed by the percentage:

The Most Wanted List

• Energy Star-rated appliances — 94 percent
• Laundry room — 93 percent
• Energy Star-rating for the whole home — 91 percent
• Exhaust fan in bathroom — 90 percent
• Exterior Lighting — 90 percent
• Bathroom Linen Closet — 90 percent
• Energy Star-rated windows — 89 percent
• Ceiling fans — 88 percent
• Garage Storage — 86 percent
• Table space for eating in kitchen — 85 percent
• Walk-in kitchen pantry — 85 percent

The Unwanted List

• Elevator — 70 percent
• Golf course community — 66 percent
• High-density community — 56 percent
• Only a shower stall in master bath — 51 percent
• Gated community — 48 percent
• Mixed-use community — 44 percent
• Two-story family room — 43 percent
• Wine cooler — 42 percent
• Wet bar — 41 percent
• Laminate countertop — 40 percent
• Two-story entry foyer — 38 percent
• Laundry chute — 32 percent
• Outdoor kitchen — 31 percent
• Game room — 31 percent
• His & Her baths — 31 percent
• Glass front cabinets — 31 percent
• Countertop — 30 percent

We all know that a new home provides a care-free lifestyle so that homeowners can enjoy their home, not work on it.  Let us help you sell that message to today’s buyers by showcasing your homes with area photos, videos and renderings.  To learn more about our packages, please click here.