Your home builder offers you design options for floorplans, trim packages, fixtures and finishes in your new home. Unless you bought a house that is already constructed, you have the opportunity to choose your colors, your flooring, your countertops, your plumbing fixtures, as well as wall to wall carpeting or hardwood floors. You may also have the option of alternate floor plans for sunrooms or finished rooms over garages or multi-purpose flex spaces.
Take the long view and choose features to increase value
Make choices that improve the long-term value of your home. Choose options which are not trendy, and which have true staying appeal. Smart choices help your home retain value. Look to classic design styles to create a home that will not become dated. This would include choosing classic architectural styles which are proportionate, balanced and pleasing as well as trim packages which enhance the room.
While indoor-outdoor living spaces continue to be desirable, we don’t see many homebuilders building outdoor kitchens these days. Spaces and rooms with limited function, such as small rooms designed only as a home office, may lose their appeal with the next buyer, so think in terms of flexible spaces and gathering areas. No longer are you tied to a desktop computer, so your living room table can be your office.
Harvest gold and avocado went out of style for a reason
When it comes to colors, neutral colors are never dated. These days neutrals can be greys or beiges as well as creamy whites. Neutral paint colors on walls are still very desirable by everyone. Currently the neutral most beloved is gray - in all its variations. All buyers want authentic finishes.
If you expect to resell your home, consider features which appeal to those most likely to buy your home. Millennials are consistently shunning built in bathtubs in favor of more elaborate showers. When they do choose tubs they want free-standing ones which look good all on their own. Boomers have preferences which are a bit more traditional, including a preference for single family detached homes as well as suburban communities. Boomers for example cling to a slightly higher desire for more formal living spaces, while Millennials do not have a preference for formal living or dining rooms.
According to Best in American Living, Redefining Home and Community a publication of the National Association of Home Builders when designing the interior of your home you need to, “Be careful of the influence of design trends and fads, as these can severely date a home…. Some trends are actually lifestyle shifts; for example, technology in the home seems to be consistently Incorporated, and an educated guess reveals that technology will likely continue to be a part of our home designs for centuries to come.
Survey says: what do buyers want in their homes
Research tells us there are some critical features that most every homebuyer wants to have in their new home. Making sure your home includes a majority of these features will enhance its resale value in the coming years. Desired features include:
1. A laundry room (92%)
2. ENERGY STAR® appliances (90%)
3. Exterior lighting (90%)
4. ENERGY STAR® rating for whole home (88%)
5. ENERGY STAR® windows (87%)
6. Ceiling fan (86%)
7. Patio (84%)
8. Full bathroom on main level (83%)
9. Hardwood on main floor (82%)
10. Insulation higher than required by code (81%)
11. Garage storage (81%)
12. Table space for eating in kitchen (80%)
13. Walk-in pantry (80%)
It's not surprising that chief among these is Energy Star® Rated appliances, whole house and windows. The desire to save energy is also reflected in a preference for more insulation then called for in building codes.
Another highly desirable feature smart home technology. That could include everything from structured wiring to technology which provides control lights and your HVAC system from your phone or iPad. These days' technology doesn't stop just at lights or HVAC system control, today there are even front door locks which can be coded, unlocked, or setup to scan fingerprints of family members to provide access.
No longer desired home design features
What you don't see in this list are outdoor kitchens or media rooms or other personal, or lifestyle choices for home layout. These items were on trend a decade ago and seem to have fallen out of desired features being added to homes being built by production home builders.
Avoid choosing strip vanity lights. Most buyers these days hate these. Homes that include them are often called “dated.” Also, be sure your plumbing fixtures and cabinet pulls are not only reflective of your own design preferences, but fit the more desired finishes these days. If you want to choose quirky pulls and knobs, plan on remaining in your home for a long time or changing them when you put your home up for sale.
Ultimately, it’s your home, choose intelligently
While it’s important to choose fixtures, finishes, colors and floorings which help you home retain its' value, it’s also important to make sure your home reflects your life and fits your style. Just know that not everybody likes what you like, and when it comes time to move to a new home, you may have adjustments to make before listing your home for sale.
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Tagged as: Design Tips
Categories: The Guide Trends