Home Builds Tilt Toward Bigger Floor Plans

The demand for new home construction in the U.S. appears shifting toward bigger homes, Sarasota Bay Real Estate (SBRE) reports. Data presented by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) during the International Builders’ Show in Las Vegas in February 2014 bears this out, the full service realty firm says.

Quoting four-year comparative statistics from the Census Bureau, Rose Quint, NAHB assistant vice president for survey research, noted during the show that the average size of U.S. residences built in 2013 rose to 2,679 square feet from 2,2,362 square feet in 2009. An upward trend was likewise observed in the percentage share of new builds with at least four bedrooms which rose to 48 percent last year from 34 percent in 2009.

For other home features, also gaining favor were those new residences featuring a third full bath and a three-car garage. They respectively accounted for 35 percent and 22 percent of the new home constructions in 2013.

Larger but modest

Moving forward in 2014, builders polled by the NAHB expect the typical home buyers to veer away from ostentatious features, with modest appointments and energy-efficiency as their key themes. This drift mirrors the current trend among consumers toward a guilt-free lifestyle, SBRE notes.

The typical single family homes that builders expect to construct more of this year are those with a walk-in closets in their master bedrooms, a laundry room, programmable thermostats, and Energy-Star rated windows and appliances. Also likely to be included in the checklist of builders of new homes in 2014 are such kitchen features as granite countertops, a central island, and a double sink. Their blueprints are also wont to have a front porch, a patio, exterior lighting, and nine-foot high first-floor ceilings.

What may be passé for the typical newly built 2014 homes are laminate kitchen countertops, an outdoor fireplace, and an outdoor kitchen. Other unlikely inclusions are a two-story foyer, a two-story family room, a media room, a sunroom, and a whirlpool in the master bathroom. 

Going for older builds

Nevertheless, prospective residential property buyers who pine for some of these features still have some great choices in resale homes. At the Heron Creek Golf and Country Club, for instance, a four-bedroom residence built in 2005 was recently listed in the MLS of Sarasota homes for sale.

This newly available property, with an asking price in the low $300s, has a generous 2,714-square-foot floor plan featuring formal living/dining room and a family room. It is designed with four bedrooms plus a bonus room and flaunts three full baths and a three-car garage. This home’s centralized kitchen is striking with its real oak cabinets, Corian counters, and center island.