Homebuilding and remodeling trends for 2008
More high-tech
Homes now feature computers in multiple rooms, home theaters, and remote, Internet-based systems that turn air-conditioners and heaters on before you get home.
Historically, the wired home was limited to the very wealthy who typically spent upwards of $20,000 for a basic system. With new advances, the technology is getting less expensive and complex.
Media centers that feature software systems and wireless technology let homeowners manage lighting, security systems, music, pool systems – even locking and unlocking doors and windows via the Web.
More open space
It’s about open design; fewer walls and informality. It’s about family and togetherness. No one wants to leave someone in the kitchen alone.
Even as the size of homes is beginning to plateau, the trend toward informality and accessibility in home design is growing. So are wider hallways and fewer steps.
Open spaces provide homes with feelings of greater space and depth without increasing actual square footage.
Maybe, most importantly, open-concept homes appear to be selling faster and at relatively higher prices.
More home offices
More and more, builders are being asked to construct workspaces that accommodate two, three or four computers to serve two or more members of the family.
In many new homes, it’s two home offices: one for him; one for her. Baby boomers are coming to the Cape not to retire, but to start new businesses – or to run their existing business from their home.
Second-home owners – especially those living elsewhere in Massachusetts – are coming down on Fridays, but working remotely.
Telecommuting is getting more popular across the South Shore. That spells home office.
Working at home is influencing how new and remodeled residences are being wired and cabled. It’s also creating unprecedented demands for home office furniture.
More quality per square foot
Owners are more willing to consider foregoing actual square footage to concentrate on quality per square foot. That translates into higher quality finishes, appliances, mechanical systems and exterior trims, including framing and insulation for the building envelope. It’s also a matter of facing the high cost of heating and air-conditioning larger spaces – and that expense is not going to drop any time soon.
Turning cellars into entertainment hubs
Wine cellars, home theaters and other features are turning basements into entertainment hubs. Cellars used to come with eight-foot ceilings. Now, many new basements come with vaulted ceilings. You are seeing bigger windows and doors leading directly out of the cellar. (See one local homeowner’s unique wine cellar on page ____).
Staying fit at home
Add up the cost of two or even three health club memberships and many homeowners are opting for their own fitness equipment that the entire family can access at any time. (See story on page ___.)
More expensive window treatments
It’s not only about design and quality; new regulations and even home insurance requirements are leading to greater costs for windows that are more storm and wind resistant.
Garages as more than afterthoughts
With more retirees and baby boomers coming to the Cape, garages are being used for collections and hobbies. Some now are equipped with hot and cold water.
Garages are becoming an extension of living space and are moving away from purely utilitarian sites.
Homeowners want garages that offer organizational systems – bins, pull-out drawers, baskets, shelving, cabinets, workbenches and closets, wall hooks for hanging up garden tools and bicycles.
Extra space in the garage is being used for a workshop or hobby room or even a playroom for children. Many homeowners are spending extra for painted and sealed or polypropylene tiled floors, finished walls and ceilings.
Building around the kitchen
Kitchens today can include industrial quality Viking ranges, flat-screen televisions to watch the Food Network, computers for the children to do homework, Sub-Zero refrigerators and freezers, breakfast bars and bigger islands. Homeowners are entertaining more than ever in their kitchens. Beyond matching cabinet panels to disguise the refrigerator and dishwasher, homeowners are asking for hinged and pocket doors to integrate the kitchen into the entire home.
Destination bathrooms
The master bath is becoming a destination in the home, with flat-screens TVs and wireless Internet, even in-home hair salons and espresso machines. Homeowners are savvy enough to see that the number and size of bathrooms translates into selling price.
Maintenance-free
Homeowners are realizing it’s cheaper in the long run to use maintenance-free materials and construction for home exteriors, especially with so much wind and ocean air. Plastic trim and fences are especially popular.
More green
More sustainable materials and energy-saving appliances and lighting. Many homeowners are learning about carbon footprints and more energy efficient building envelopes. Luxury manufactured homes, reused construction materials and energy-friendly mechanical systems and appliances all reduce the need for fossil fuels. Homebuyers are asking how their potential new home can save the planet. (See our articles on greening your home on page ___.)
Let the sun shine in
Solar panels, windmills and inverters are just beginning to become popular. With brown-outs and power-line-damaging storms on the increase, buyers will look for hybrid home-energy options. Even being partially off-grid beats getting expensive power from fossil-fired utilities. And with oil prices skyrocketing, it may be a smart capital investment.
Less mold
Homeowners are learning more about the economic and health dangers of mold. It’s influencing decisions about construction and materials. This also is changing the way homes are wrapped and insulated – they have to breathe. They either have to breathe naturally or utilize a mechanical system to remove moisture and stale air and replace it with fresh air. The system is designed and based on use and occupancy to keep the indoor air quality high without having a drafty house. For example, old houses that had little or no insulation had great air quality, because the heat was literally going out the window. No one can afford to waste energy resources that way today.
More partnership with builders
Homeowners are less passive and more engaged in everything from design to picking out materials. It’s a reflection of the Internet’s pervasiveness and the popularity of television shows and magazines focusing on the home. Some builders report that customers are educating them about new products and home treatments. A few builders also report they are firing some customers as being unreasonably demanding.
Go green
Green décor, that is. This color is about enhanced eco-consciousness and social responsibility. Hues of fern, palm, pine and sage can be used on their own or coupled with clear blue or aqua to create a living space that conjures up a sense of outdoor-friendly living. Sandy tan and adobe brown add earthy, eco-friendly feel – especially good for bathrooms, kitchens and family living spaces.
Greater accessibility
There are increasing requests for wider hallways, fewer steps and single-floor design. It’s being driven by baby boomers approaching retirement who are adapting their homes to meet longer-term needs, along with those who are caring for aging parents or relatives.
In the zone
Kitchens are being designed with several different focal points and specific workstations that serve different functions – prep zone, cooking/baking zone, clean-up zone – to maximize usable space and functionality.
Walk-in closet suites
New designs feature spacious custom built-ins with expansive door-style cabinets, elegant mirror options, recessed and natural lighting, center islands that double as packing areas and dressers offering large amounts of drawer space for jewelry, belts, ties and other accessories.
We thank our builders’ board for sharing their expertise on the 2008 real estate market.
George Davis, George Davis Builders Inc.
Todd LaBarge, LaBarge Homes
Michael Cole, Cape Associates
Doug Bohannon, Mid-Cape Home Centers
Tony Shepley, Shepley Wood Products
Rob Padgett, Padgett Builders Inc.
Aaron Polhemus, Polhemus Savery DaSilva Architects Builders
Suzie Roettig, Homebuilders and Remodelers Association of Cape Cod
Jeff Karlson, The Building Company
Mark Boardman, The Building Company
Russ Cazeault, Cazeault Roofing
Published in Cape Business Health & Wealth March/April 2008
