The Current Biggest Trends in Homes

All around the world features and amenities that make life at home more comfortable, energy efficient and convenient top the list when it comes to current trends in homes. Home buyers are looking for homes that reflect their personal style and taste as well. Here are five of the biggest trends that home shoppers hunt for when searching for their dream home.

1. Energy-Efficient Design

When purchasing a new home, home buyers look for features that will help keep energy bills manageable for years to come. Passive solar windows, well-insulated attics and a tight seal on the building envelope help control heating and cooling bills and enhance the level of comfort in the home as well. An automated system that controls all the systems with a few swipes on a touch pad appeals to modern home buyers. Complex control systems that require a steep learning curve do not.

2. Transitional Style Kitchens

A well-equipped modern kitchen continues to be one of the features that buyers search for when shopping for a new home. Home buyers want a kitchen with new appliances with features that make cooking and cleanup tasks more convenient. A stronger focus on design is the latest twist in must-have kitchen features. According to the National Kitchen and Bath Association (NKBA), homeowners now prefer kitchens with a transitional rather than a traditional decorative style. Transitional-styled cabinetry, countertops and flooring is more adaptive to a homeowner’s unique design preferences.

3. Central Air Conditioning

According to a survey of recent home buyers, 65 percent of home buyers put central air conditioning at the top of list of features that are most important to them. Ensuring that they’ll be comfortable when outdoor temperatures soar is particularly important to home buyers in regions of the country where the summer heat and humidity can keep them indoors. Nearly 70 percent of the survey respondents reported that they would be willing to pay more for a home with central air conditioning.

4. Master Suite

Both empty-nesters and parents with children at home are placing more importance on creating a private space that offers them pampering comfort and convenience at the end of a busy day. Home buyers want master suites with bathrooms equipped with all the modern amenities. Nearly 40 percent of surveyed home buyers said a walk-in closet in a master bedroom was very important to them and around 60 percent stated that they’d pay more for a home with a master suite that offered ample storage.

5. Smart Homes

Home shoppers are increasingly looking for homes for sale in Jacksonville NC and elsewhere that are equipped to handle all of their Internet, cable and satellite TV needs. Homes with living spaces designed to double as a home entertainment center are particularly appealing and are one of the biggest trends in homes today.