Purchasers will be looking for greener and more resource-efficient homes, with, ironically — bigger garages. Designers are predicting that fiber optics, structured wiring, and multi-line phone systems will become standard in average new homes. Builders and architects expect living rooms, as we know them, to “disappear,” replaced by a home office/library, or specialized room, as more people continue to work from home and go elsewhere for entertainment. Homeowners are also favoring environmentally-friendly components in their homes.

The kitchen, once the acknowledged “heart of the house,” has again returned as the “most popular room in the home.” Buyers are looking for high-end appliances, additional pantry space, island workstations, wine storage areas and recycling centers. Although dwelling square footage may be staying level at around 2,400 for average and 4,000+ for upscale homes, the number of bathrooms in homes is increasing with radiant floors, multi-head showers, dual sink vanities and towel warming products emerging as the most popular features.

Brian Buffini, owner of Buffini Company in Carlsbad, California, a nationally-recognized leader in real estate training, has been tracking residential trends for years. He says people are concerned with privacy — keeping the world out, as it continues to intrude with ever-more invasive technology. He cites the nearly-unanimously passed “Do Not Call” law as a prime example of how American residential life has changed. It used to be, he says, that people had answering machines so they wouldn’t miss a call. Now we use them to screen calls out. It used to be that people sat on the front porch and waved to their neighbors, and parked their cars on the street. Now people drive into their houses with remote-control garage openers and disappear behind hedges and fences, sometimes never getting to know their neighbors — and, he says, preferring it that way.

Locally, gated communities have become increasingly popular, a trend that shows no signs of slowing. According to Buffini, not too long ago, living in a “gated community” entitled a person to an 8x8 room with a bunk and bars on the door. Now, upscale, gated communities sell their homes at a premium because they have the ability to keep people out. This trend recently expanded to include an “exclusive equestrian estate” on 10 acres on the Key Peninsula, upon which are being built estate-quality homes with access to a central equestrian facility, the first of its kind in that area.

Likewise, “green” living has become a major influence for an increasing number of purchasers and builders. According to the Northwest Reporter, a real estate information publication affiliated with the Washington Association of Realtors, a recent survey by Green Builder Media and Imre Communications confirmed that purchasers are willing to pay 11 to 25 percent more for a “green-built” home. 250 builders from across the US, representing everything from affordable, custom, multi-family and development/tract housing participating in the survey said the average purchaser for this type of home is in the 35-50 age range and has a college degree. This purchaser is knowledgeable about “green” products and/or building practices, including onsite energy production, water harvesting, careful land use, and specification of sustainable materials. Green products include those made from renewable raw materials and/or recycled components, and do not contain toxins or create pollutants. Products in this category are perceived to be designed to have a long and efficient life-cycle.

The survey concludes with builder-claims that those who are building “green” are doing so because it is environmentally friendly. They also point out, however, that their decisions to build in this way are driven by customer request. Builders in this category are “convinced that using green products increases their profits by enabling them to build a differentiated, premium home with a higher sale price.”.