What's Hot in New Homes Today?
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Transcript of What's Hot in New Homes Today?
East West Communities- 40 Years Creating Virginia’s Best Places to Live and Play
What’s Hot in New Home Sales Today?
• What’s HOT in New Home Sales Today– The Latest in New Home Trends
• New Building Codes– What Builders must include in every new home
• Why Buyer Agents Should Bring New Homes as an Option to their Clients?– Why today’s buyer may be better served with a
new home
• Top 10 Misconceptions about selling new homes
Multi-generational
• Rooms or suites for “Boomerang kids”, taking care of mom, roommates, family members…
• Age in place – – with wider doors
– elevated appliances,
– zero entry showers
– modified staircase design (easier stair geometry and landings)
– Elevators
– lever handles on doors and faucets
Outdoor Rooms – the new “FAMILY RETREAT”
• Increased interest in entertaining friends and family at home Incorporate outdoor spaces with the overall home design.
• The yard and garden become a part of the floor plan when sliding glass doors lead to patios and decks.
• Outdoor "rooms" may even include kitchens with sophisticated sinks and grills.
• Outdoor living spaces with fireplaces and outdoor cooking
Green living –
• Earth friendly – locally sourced, environmentally conscious – Chesapeake Bay
• Very energy efficient – the search for “energy independence”
–geothermal, led bulbs, tankless water heater, Techshield, foam insulation, solar water and energy
• Tight construction
Other Trends• Earthy natural textures -Outdoors in and
indoors out
• Low or no maintenance materials
• Porches
• Mixed finishes on exterior
• Flexible spaces
• Practical Home automation
• First floor living
Return of the Drop Zone and larger Laundry/Utility rooms-
• Drop zone areas are usually found between the Kitchen/Utility Room/Garage.
• Drop zone and cell phone charging areas, mudroom seating, cubbies, and nooks – help make a house feel more like a home.
• Today’s homebuyers are responding well to this new "old" feature.
Other Trends• Clean lines – contemporary like, gray blues are in• Little Treats-
– Shower seat, heated tile bath floor, dog wash, steam shower, garage workbench, workout room, large closets, generator plug
• Indoor playrooms• Internet sourced materials• Dual home offices
Expandable Space and More Storage-
• More storage areas that are easily accessible; walk up attics. • Expandable space for homebuyers in case of growing families • Larger walk-in closets, spacious dressing rooms, and plenty of
easy-to-reach built-in cabinets. • Vaulted ceilings are out. Families prefer more usable space.• Rooms above the Family Room make the perfect Media Room
• Unfinished areas with access doors gives today's homebuyers smart storage space.
Functional and Fabulous kitchens-
• Larger floating islands are often a different color and wood and resemble an old piece of furniture, also closer to the Grand Room where families can connect easier.
• Unique use of lighting- pendant lighting, smaller chandeliers
• Live-Work Spaces such as desk-top work surfaces in the kitchen.
• Maximizing space with built-ins (Shelves under a staircase or at the end of an island is an easy area to include a built-in shelf)
• Fabulous ceiling treatments - medallions with trim detail, coffered ceilings, and materials typically used for floors applied to the ceiling.
• Creative use of color in the cabinets, backsplash, flooring,
• Cabinets with glass doors, and a center island with fold-away table.
Greater use of natural and hand-crafted materials
• Unique flooring materials such as reclaimed wood, walnut, other exotic hardwood finishes are becoming more popular. Pebbles are being used on shower surfaces, offering a foot massage while showering. And, a herringbone pattern is being used for outdoor brick pavers to create greater character and warmth.
• Antique doors, reclaimed wood, beams and mantels milled from trees cleared from their lots.
• New buildings aren't always entirely new. A desire to protect the environment and to preserve historic architecture is inspiring architects to re-use, older structures.
Why New is Better…Shiny New is Awesome!
• What has changed in building codes and the benefits to today’s buyers?
Newer homes are built to a higher standard
• Energy related – a home built today is 30% more efficient than one built just 5 years ago.
• Technology allows us to test our homes better – moisture meter, thermal imaging, duct blaster,
blower door, infrared point and shoot thermometer
• Programmable thermostats, Led, Cfl, and halogen bulbs must make up 50% today.
• Caulk and sealed openings, Thermo-shield sealed and insulated voids.
• Mastic duct, duct blaster or visual inspection, properly sized and designed duct system and designed systems Manual J and D CFM diagrams
• Higher seer and AFue ratings• Low water usage devices – toilets, faucets, irrigation
Windows Ratings- New label requirements
• Design Pressure vs. Performance Grading – the performance grade of a product is limited by the
lowest/least performance of its structural, air leakage resistance, or water penetration resistance test results; operating force and/or forced-entry resistance requirements may also apply.
• Energy rating requirements R value vs. U value
Structure – all homes built today must be designed to resist racking, heavy wind
uplift and attachment failures• Braced walls
• Portal frames, engineered beams, TJI and open web trusses
• Ground to sky thru structure attachments
• Nail off and attachment inspections
Safety - Safer while you are awake and even more so while your family sleeps
• Fire safety – smokes CO2 fire alarm • Fire extinguisher/ sprinkler will follow• Stair geometry / hand rail requirements
• Fire rated drywall/ doors• Tempered glass doors and windows • Arc fault, anti-scald, new device location
Environment
• Run off control, BMP design, silt fence, water quality
• Low water usage fixtures• Green space – cluster neighborhood design• Flood plain management/FEMA• Sustainable products/ no maintenance. Products
not required by code but by good sustainable practices.
• Forest management
Top Misconceptions about Buying New “It’s cheaper to buy a used home than a new one”
• Your customers are often times buying a used structure with outdated design/ building techniques, appliances, windows, insulation etc.
• Total cost = purchase price + monthly utilities + capital improvements+ maintenance
“They don’t build them like they use to…”
• No, we build them better!….Engineered structure which is stronger, tighter and better designed.
• We have gone to engineered or manmade lumber in many areas because old growth wood is not available
You can shop by price per square foot
• Price per Sq Ft without Features/Quality per Sq Ft is meaningless
• Do you buy cars by the pound?
• Floor coverings and siding/roofing material decisions alone can make a $10-$15 per sq. ft. difference
Options and Upgrades are Dirty Words
• Think of buying a house the way you go to a restaurant-– They don’t make you buy the wine, soup, salad
and dessert if you don’t want it.
• Everyone wants a choice
Today’s Homebuyer buys a home solely on price.
• Do people buy a brand new home based on price or value?
• The answer is simple. Overwhelmingly, a new home is bought emotionally – based on the value rather than price – because of the consumer's perception of reality. What has value in their eyes is where they'll spend their money.
“It’s more work/ too complicated/The buying process is confusing”
• It can be. That’s why you need to be an expert and do your homework.
• Explore Design/Build• Pre-designed plans• Preview new construction sites, models and
Homearama home shows• Find a few builders or site agents that you
are comfortable with. Take the time to get to know them or coach them to improve.
Factors in getting people to move
• Current Dissatisfaction- there is a built up demand and there’s a stronger urgency to purchase today! Salespeople need to realize and understand the dissatisfaction curve.
• Future Promise- engage them, get them involved emotionally, get them to see the future promise
• Cost and Fear- holds people back.• Which factor gets in the way of a sale?
• What they do want is a new lifestyle that doesn’t include the aggravation, expense and emotional turmoil that usually accompanies a cheaply priced home.
• Simply stated, they want a better life in a new home and you can give it to them.
• Show them that your new homes coupled with exceptional service can offer them what they really want and price will not be a hindrance.