Americans are changing their tastes in what they find most desirable in a home according to the most recent study completed by the American Institute of Architects. While Home Theaters, Triple Car Garages, Exercise Rooms & Guest Wings were all the rage during the housing boom, the average American has taken a decidedly different stand on what they find most important in a home in today's economy.
Americans are scaling back on the luxury items they once wanted in a home and are now centering more attention on the function and efficiency of a home rather than its excesses.
Topping the list of most requested home features at a whopping 40% request rate is the Home Office. That should come as no surprise given the fact that many people are now needing to create multiple streams of income to get by in today's economy. A home office lends itself well to creating new ways of generating additional income.
Next up on the most desirable features and coming in at 18.1% is a Mud Room. Traditionally a Mud Room is where the family first enters to dispose of all clutter before entering the home. More Often than not, today's Mud Rooms also incorporate the Laundry and Utility facilities as well.
Dropping to third place is Media/Home Theater at a 16.2% request rate.
Rounding out the most often requested features of a home are items that relate to Energy Efficiency, Renewable Energy Technologies, and Energy Management Systems.
The AIA has also noted a growing demand for Home Accessibility Features. This includes such things as a first floor Master Bedroom Suite, Ramps, Elevators, and easy to use housing elements like handles, knobs and faucets.
When you consider the changing landscape of Home Design, it's easy to see that Americans are now trending towards Function over Form.
Posted by: Tarris Rogers, Broker
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