BLOG: What’s Not Hot for Homes

Things have been pretty tough in the home-building industry for the past five years. Builders have gone bankrupt, neighborhoods been left unfinished, and sales were in the dump. 

But last year, both new home building and sales started picking up and with the change in the market there has also been a huge shift from builders to include more practical and value-conscious features and fewer wish-list items.

Here’s a look at some features that you’ll be seeing less and less of:

1. Volume Ceilings: The two-story foyer, living room, family room, etc. is on the way out. Blame it on rising utility costs and more emphasis on usable living area, but today’s homebuyers are more focused on energy-saving windows and appliances than on soaring spaces that serve no real purpose.
2. The formal living room: Fewer new homes are being built with a formal living room. The shift has taken place to having one large “great” room that is open to the kitchen and eating areas rather than two smaller rooms, one of which is rarely used.
3. Media room: Don’t get me wrong, Americans still love TV and their big screens aren’t going anywhere anytime soon. But having a “separate” media room isn't high on the list for homebuilders. You're much more likely to find a charging station for all your devices hidden behind a cupboard or panel again near the kitchen or great room in the “hub” of the home.
4. Outdoor kitchen: This trend wasn’t high on most builders’ lists, but it was for many homeowners remodeling. The fad is dying, however, as most people realize it’s easier to cook inside and just take the food out to a nice patio. And really, who wants to clean two kitchens?
5. Venetian Plaster:  This was another huge remodeling trend with an emphasis on trying to make a newer tract home look “old and charming,” but in the end it was still a newer tract home. So just like floral wallpaper in the '80s, its seen its day.
6. Granite Counters: Believe it or not, as popular as granite is, we are seeing more synthetic-type counters gaining in popularity. One main reason is cost and the other is long-term upkeep. 

The real trend is toward efficient use of space and energy-savings features and away from flashy, opulent “McMansion-style" homes. So anything that goes against the main goal will so find its way onto this list as well.

Just like the harvest gold appliances and shag carpeting of the '70s, these trends too will soon become a part of the past!