Building Trends for 2008

by Kim Kinrade

There is an old saying” what goes up must come down. And nowhere is this more true than in the construction business. Overbuilding and development in some areas has driven the price way down and, in some cases, this was just a correction in the upward spiral that was getting out of control.

The prospective home-builder today is very discriminating in both price and features. The ho-hum house that can be upgraded is no longer the rage. Buyers either want a home that is pristine and modern or want to build their own with the all the newest amenities. And if you are building with the purpose of selling in a few years you would be wise to bury your own wish list and look to what will still be a wanted feature in 5-10 years.

What People Want

1. Large/Multi-Purpose Bathroom

For those with small, boxes for bathrooms your home might take a while to sell. Because the bathroom is beginning to give the kitchen a run for its money in the popularity department. Like a quiet back yard bathrooms allow the solitude to read while soaking in a large spa tub. Then it's into the steam/shower cabinet, a large glassed-in unit with cedar benches, multi showering heads and a “smart panel” which controls everything from the steam jest, music selection or television channel on a shower-mounted LCD screen. Busy people don't want to miss anything and so want these relatively inexpensive screens throughout the home.

2. Outdoor Living Space

Patios are nice, even patios with an outdoor kitchen. These multi-utility decks have become so popular that people want more of their inside, outside. This means larger outdoor kitchens with appliances to rival the main kitchen, massive stone fireplaces, heated flooring, plush furniture, artwork and large plant pots showing off exotic plants.

3. Home Elevators: Get rid of those '70's spiral staircases. Aging baby-boomers want to keep their homes or buy a place where getting to all the levels is easy. Homes with elevators in the movies were usually shown a one-seater traveling slowly up a stair rail. Now, there are a wide variety of personal elevators which can travel both on the inside and outside of the home.

4. Hidden appliances: No one wants to see your fridge no matter how stately. The new appliances can be adorned with the same cabinet finishes as the rest of the kitchen. Other fridges and freezers can be hidden in the drawers.

5. Pet Conveniences: Because so many people have a hard time washing their pets in the bath tub mobile and onsite pet washing services have sprung up. Now you can have this convenience in your home. The new dog washing area has a 3' x 3' shower base with tile going 4 feet up the wall. The drying machinery fits on the wall beside the shower where it can be easily reached.

6. Off-Grid Option: Many people who would put in a home elevator, steam shower room and pet wash probably have the money to pay the utility bills of a whole neighborhood. However, these are enlightened homeowners who are concerned about their “carbon footprint” and are looking for the newest way to show their concern. In addition even people with money cannot avoid a power outage or brown-out. For these homeowners and who are not so enriched putting in solar and wind power is becoming very popular. There are many systems including hot water boosters and hybrid off-peak power options that make this a growing part of the building industry.

7. Smart Home Controllers: Just like George Jetson from the cartoon show The Jetsons new homes are being hardwired with systems that allow many simple tasks like opening drapes to turning the lights on to be handled automatically or with a hand-held remote control.

8. Smart Security Systems: Without building “Safe Rooms” the home is being made more burglar-proof with some of the “smart” technology that controls the drapes. Besides the home monitoring the system can be programmed to accept your habits and automatically turning on and turning off lights in all rooms as if your family was using them. In addition the televisions change channels and “house noises” are piped throughout the dwelling.

What People Don't Want

1) Great Rooms and Foyers: These huge areas with 16 foot+ ceilings are becoming a thing of the past because they are colossal misuse of space and waste energy to heat and cool them.

2) Huge Homes on Small Lots: There is nothing more depressing that going through block-after-block of a neighborhood and see homes built to the maximum width of the property.

3) Balconies: Unless a second-floor balcony is used for something other than walking out in the morning for a stretch don't built it. Spend the extra you'll save ion the outdoor patio.

4) Busy Tile and Mosiac: Again this is a personal statement and may not be another person's cup of tea. Go with the mainstream for this but not commercial grade. This goes for tile, as well. In addition, go with a first-class flooring product. Laminate is a craze because it's cheap but it looks cheap. . . as does the carpet that looks like it came from the same lot as the one in the Wal-Mart dressing room.

5) Colored Appliances: Although not a building item appliances have to be considered when the kitchen and washroom is designed. Just remember how bad your aunt's old chocolate-brown fridge looked 5 years ago.

For design hints and building estimates always choose a qualified professional.