Property ManagementNAHB Reveals Home Buyers Preferences
Results of the latest home buyer preference surveys, unveiled at the
International Builders" Show, revealed at least one surprising trend: an
increasing emphasis on the outdoors. "Everyone wants a front porch, deck,
patio or fence," said NAHB Director of Research Gopal Ahluwalia. Fellow
panelist Joan McCloskey, executive building editor of Better Homes and
Gardens magazine, concurred. "Home owners are adding amenities to the back
of their homes," she said. "Today"s patio surrounds are much more like
private fencing instead of spindly railings. People love to be outdoors and
want more privacy."
Findings of NAHB"s survey, What the 21st Century Home Buyer Wants, were
derived from responses by some 1,200 households that had purchased a new
home in the last two years or plan to do so within the next two years. Those
findings indicated that large kitchens, high ceilings and laundry and dining
rooms are all considered essential elements of a new home, while living
rooms are not. Nearly half of respondents preferred floor plans that
included a large kitchen with an adjacent family room that is visually open
or divided with a half wall. Nearly 80 percent of respondents rated a
walk-in kitchen pantry as desirable or essential, while 71 percent wanted
island work areas and 59 percent favored light wood cabinets.
Other highlights of the NAHB survey revealed increasing preferences for
multiple phone lines, high-speed wiring, three to four bedrooms, three-car
garages, larger family rooms, and community walking/jogging trails.