What'll Catch Consumers' Eye? Outdoor Living Space

The home features that showed the sharpest increase in popularity are those related to the outdoors, such as patios, decks, and outdoor kitchens.
By: Camille McLaughlin: REALTOR® Magazine Online
Although the overall size of homes continues to level off after decades of expansion, consumer interest in property enhancement, particularly outside the home, showed a sharp increase, according to architects surveyed in the First Quarter 2006 Home Design Trends survey conducted by the American Institute of Architects.

Informal, open designs and accessibility also remain top priorities.

Seventeen percent of architects surveyed said home sizes are declining, 51 percent said they're holding steady, and 32 percent report home sizes are increasing.

The home features that showed the sharpest increase in popularity are those related to the outdoors. The number of architects reporting increased demand for outdoor living spaces, such as patios, decks, and outdoor kitchens, jumped to 64 percent from 47 percent a year ago. Also ranking high were amenities such as pools, tennis courts, and gazebos.

Similar outdoor living features also ranked high in a recent Coldwell Banker Previews study of affluent home owners. Although, 67 percent of owners reported having upscale landscaping, including formal plantings and gardens, an additional 23 percent said they were either considering upscale landscaping or were already committed to making the improvements.

The architects also report that consumers are gravitating toward single-story homes. “Almost 40 percent of residential architects see this as a trend, up from just less than 30 percent a year ago. An open space floor plan also continues to be a popular option in homes," notes Kermit Baker, AIA’s chief economist.

“The need for ease of mobility within the home, as evidenced by wider hallways and fewer steps, is necessary in the design or renovation of houses that will be used by baby boomers entering their retirement years,” says Baker. “On the other hand, younger home owners who grew up with structured, formal living rooms are far more apt to want an open layout with less rigid boundaries.”