Home Builders Shifting Focus to Appeal to Buyers’ Changing Wants
Recent surveys by DesignLens and the New Home Trends Institute reveal homebuyers’ changing wants and […]
Recent surveys by DesignLens and the New Home Trends Institute reveal homebuyers’ changing wants and needs, and builders are listening.
According to John Burns Real Estate Consulting, one significant shift going forward is the home’s exterior. Making slight changes to the exterior is one of the top strategies that builders can cut costs, without the house looking cheap. Builders are able to take traditional designs and simplify them, mix materials to save costs, standardize window placement, and design a house that is appealing, not only by itself, but as it relates to the neighborhood.
Streamlining the exterior is one of the most common cost-reduction strategies we see today and one of the most readily accepted tradeoffs for consumers. Expect these four cost reduction strategies to shift exterior designs in the coming years:
- Minimalism
- Material mixing with strategic placement
- Window standardization
- Designing for the street scene
Minimalism
Streamlined interpretations are replacing complex exterior styles amidst rising cost pressure, resulting in designs that are “a degree” less embellished. Not only do our architect partners report it (see below quote), but our homeowner survey results also support it: even historically traditional markets are showing appetite for “soft transitional” exteriors (which take traditional designs and simplify/modernize them).
Our architect and homeowner survey results indicate continued growth for exterior material mixing. Since the most desired materials for mixing (stone or brick) are high cost, architects are strategically placing more expensive materials to allow them to be used more sparingly.
At King’s Canyon, a Modern Spanish elevation (stucco and red tile of Spanish paired with modern roof lines) includes a restrained application of stone right at the entry. WHA’s color and materials expert, Donna Aldrich, shares that strategic placement on lower levels allows for greater home buyer appreciation and value.
Supply chain constraints have accelerated the existing trend of window standardization. While not uncommon in entry-level product, this trend is making its way into move-up homes too:
When a consumer assesses a neighborhood’s curb appeal, they are typically taking in the wider street scene, rather than the house in isolation. For this reason, some designers are finding luck with a “every-other-home” or “every-third-home” accent strategy. For example, the simplicity of Plan 2 of Castello by TriPointe Homes (located in Fallbrook, CA) is offset by siding accents in Plan 1 and Plan 3.
