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The decades-long explosion in residential square
footage may be coming to an end, says the National
Association of Home Builder’s vice president for research. Although the size
of the average home has been
on the rise, to 2,495 last year from 1,500 square feet in 1973,
consumers
are beginning to choose higher quality living spaces over additional square
footage, according to Ahluwalia, who spoke at the recent International
Builders Show in Orlando, Fla. Architects, designers, manufacturers, and
marketing experts who were asked by NAHB about their expectations for future
homes agreed that home size would slip into the 2,300- to 2,500-square-foot
range by 2015.
NAHB says that two-story homes will continue to
dominate as increasing construction costs drive choices. “As housing prices
go up, so too does the share of two-story homes goes up says Ahluwalia,
noting that two story construction is less expensive than one story on a
square-foot basis. U.S. Census Bureau data shows that 55 percent of the
homes built in 2005 had two or more stories.
Demise of the Living Room?
On the chopping block are formal living rooms.
Last year, 40 percent of newly constructed homes didn’t have a living room,
and 55 percent of the architects, designers, and builders surveyed expect
living rooms to vanish from the average home in the next 10 years.
Thirty-one percent say it will evolve into a parlor/retreat/library or a
music room. Most likely to capture more square footage in
both average and upscale homes is the family room. In upscale homes, 68
percent of those surveyed also expect kitchens to become even larger.
Master bedroom or master suite options are
increasing as well, with 63 percent of upscale homes and 13 percent
mid-level homes expected to have two master suites by the next decade. Such
a configuration not only accommodates guests, but also offers the option
having a master bedroom on the first as well as the second floor to give
owners more choice and also accommodate aging owners or relatives. The
Renewed American Home, one of several show homes at IBS, featured a
second-floor master suite and an additional first-floor suite that was a tad
smaller.
High Ceilings Dominate
Smaller homes won’t translate into less volume
though, and the high ceilings that have characterized new homes in recent
years are here to stay. Average homes in the future are expected to have 9-
to 10-foot ceilings on the first floor. In luxury homes, 10- to 12-foot
ceilings on the first floor will be standard.
— By Camilla McLaughlin for REALTOR Magazine
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