Wish List for Home Buyers

Shopping for your next home? Watch for these top 10 trends.

During the past year, I interviewed hundreds of buyers and sales agents and compiled the information using anecdotal evidence. Here is a list of the top 10 features that buyers are looking for when shopping for a new home in 2020.

HIGH-PERFORMANCE HOMES

I prefer the term “high-performance home” rather than the overused and unregulated “green home” designation. All aspects of construction, appliances and mechanicals are high performance. These homes are air-tight energy misers with low consumption of electricity and water, well-designed windows and lighting, durable components that demand little or no maintenance—and will have a long life.

High-performance homes may be built with insulated concrete forms (steel-reinforced expanded styrene block filled with concrete) and long-lasting metal or tile roofs with spray-in foam underneath. They will have conditioned air above the ceilings and a high Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio, and also have high-velocity air-conditioning units or ductless units. Such homes have a superior Home Energy Rating System and longlife, low-maintenance components throughout.

SMALLER HOMES

Architects are now employing techniques such as window placement, better lighting and innovative use of space to make smaller homes “appear and actually live larger.” Home designers and builders know that buyers want big bathrooms and large closets in smaller homes. Buyers want a destination— not a cubby hole—so transitions to outdoor space and well-windowed homes are desired.

Better use of space through flexible use of rooms is important. Wall mounting of very thin TVs allows entertainment rooms to be smaller. Eliminating seldom-used bathtubs and adding glass surrounds to showers give the appearance of larger baths. Air handlers can be placed in the conditioned air space in attics, which frees up square footage. Foyers and hallways are able to be blended together.

Smaller homes are less expensive and they are easier to clean and maintain. Color choices, the use of focal points, the use of angles in walls, and ceiling height are also important. Less square footage means more efficient space. Formal dining rooms might be eliminated and offices might double as guest rooms. In addition, furniture designed for multiple uses is becoming increasingly popular.

OPEN SPACE

Open space has been popular for quite some time and ties in well with the desire for smaller homes. Smart builders are using 90-degree sliders, window walls and more sliding doors. Such innovations add flexibility not only in the use of the sp ace—but they add “the outside to the inside” of the homes, thus making smaller homes “live and appear bigger.”

OUTDOOR LIVING SPACE

As homes get smaller, buyers are now looking for features such as patios, outdoor kitchens and quiet nooks in the shade—all of which are of course outside the home. Swimming pools, swim spas and fire pits are more popular than ever in the Sunshine State. And as mentioned above concerning open space, the use of window walls and the use of 90-degree sliders also enhance homes even further.

STORAGE

Many vehicles are getting smaller, yet our need for garage space may exceed the need to park two cars. (The vehicles are often parked in the driveway to make room for the accumulated “stuff” that homeowners possess.) Extended garage width and length— or even flexible indoor but not air-conditioned space in the garage—are becoming very popular features. This is especially true in Florida, because homes here are not built with basements.

My idea of the perfect home is one in which the homeowner says, “I would rather be here than anywhere else.” Now that is a successful home design!

I also am seeing increased demand for walk-in pantries and oversized interior storage space. For example, Pulte Homes “gets it” when it comes to the flexible design options in the company’s Summerwood home. It comes with an easy-to-modify floor plan. There is tandem garage space that can either be made into a larger walk-in closet in the master bedroom, or used for a third car or a workshop in the garage. Or there could be an additional room inside the house. This model has very smart design options.

AGE-IN-PLACE FEATURES

“Age-in-place features” are particularly in demand in Florida because buyers are looking for designs that will allow them to stay in their homes as they grow older. These features include entryways without steps, existing elevators (or planned space for future elevators), wide-open floor plans without any obstructions and larger windows and doors. Also desired are ramp-placement considerations for the future, sound systems and smart lighting systems, and “considerate” bathroom and kitchen designs.

SECURITY & SMART HOMES

Hurricane-proof and burglarproof homes—which are “sound fortresses” and are secure from unwanted entry by wind as well as unwanted visitors—are in high demand. Stand inside an insulated concrete form home and you will truly feel as if you are living in a fortress. Such homes keep sound out extremely well and have virtually zero air infiltration, making homeowners feel safe and secure.

Buyers want a destination—not a cubby hole— so transitions to outdoor space and well-windowed homes are desired.

Smart builders are also adding all of the current electronics in a “flexible” manner. This is because as technology changes, homeowners can easily modify their homes. All of these features are accessible with a mobile phone app. That allows remote control of such items as thermostats, garage doors, lighting, sound systems and locks.

DESTINATION ATTITUDE

A home can be considered a retreat or a destination in itself, yet I am also talking about the home’s location in an amenities-rich community—be it a downtown environment or a gated community. Homes should never be places that homeowners go to and then want to leave right away. “All the comforts of home” means the level of comfort that homeowners get when they are home. “Comfort” might mean a music room, a terrific television area, a place to entertain guests, a place to cook a great meal or a craft room in which to putter.

My idea of the perfect home is one in which the homeowner says, “I would rather be here than anywhere else.” Now that is a successful home design! (And by the way, I said exactly that to my wife when we were recently having cocktails by our fire pit in our backyard.)

HOME OFFICES

Ever since I joined EXP Realty LLC and its virtual campus, I have seen and experienced the future of work. I wholeheartedly believe that the resurgence of the home office is upon us. (After I first realized how cool online shopping could be, then whenever I saw a retail store, I thought about the diminished need for those brick-and-mortar shops. Now, whenever I see an office building, I have similar thoughts about their demise.)

Concerning home design trends, I believe we will see separate or easy access to home offices from the exterior. An example is a home office door situated near the front door. And the home office will be wired differently: It may have a large closet with electricity for a copier and router, etc., USB charging stations, and lighting and windows that are well thought out for the workspace. Of course, home offices can be flexible space—but today’s home buyers are looking for “easy and frictionless connectivity from their homes.”

PRICE & OWNERSHIP COSTS

Home buyers today want it all. (Haven’t they always?!) They want a feature-loaded home that they can afford to buy and afford to own. They are looking for payments that are easy to manage (affordable price and low interest rates). And they are looking for maintenance and upkeep that is also low cost. Gregg Fous is a top-producing real estate broker associate with EXP Realty LLC, the second-largest brokerage in the U.S. He leads a team specializing in new and second home sales, and can be reached at 239-851-5464 or gregg@fousrealestate.com.