Starter Homes: A New Emphasis On Design & Efficiency

Buying a first home is a big step in a married couples’ new life. Traditionally, a first home purchase was a tiny bungalow or small ranch house, a place to start small and dream big. However, as both the culture of home aesthetics evolves and as young buyers look towards a home they can stay in for more than a few years, the market has shifted. Young home shoppers are more certain of their needs and more aggressive in pursuing what they want. In fact, these days, custom-built, expansive and expensive homes are often starter homes.

Younger couples tend to be earning two incomes and they have a strong sense of what they want in their home. They do not want to wait for the design and convenience features they desire long-term. Additionally, as many of these couples plan to have children, they want a home they can grow into and, therefore, tend to buy larger than what those houses traditionally classified as starter homes offer in terms of space and number of rooms. In fact, with an improving mortgage market, some young buyers are building their own custom homes, complete with many of the latest emerging design features.

Foremost amongst the design features that young couple’s desire is outdoor living and entertaining space. This trend, emerging over the last decade, encourages homeowners to create spaces that have more of the feeling and function of an indoor room; design considerations include better flooring, quality furnishings, fire pits, and even audio systems. In fact, this trend also includes fully functional outdoor “rooms”, with walls and windows for greater energy efficiency. The emergence of outdoor living also drives an increased interest in outdoor food preparation. The available options range from basic grills to complete outdoor kitchens, including stoves, refrigerators, and running water. Emerging in tandem with these outdoor cooking areas are vegetable gardens, further utilizing more outdoor space. Garden design allows homeowners to grow and produce the very foods they are most likely to consume.

As young homeowners look to merge their indoor and outdoor living spaces, they are also paying significant attention to energy efficient design solutions and to living a more “green” lifestyle. Design considerations include using sustainable products when choosing countertops and flooring. For example, many buyers are opting for countertops constructed with recycled bottles, crushed glass, and concrete. Flooring choices veer towards bamboo and cork. In this milieu, solar energy systems are growing in popularity and their designs are evolving to be seamless with the overall design of the residence. Tax incentives are often available for the purchase and installation of such systems. Other popular conservation considerations for these homes include low-water appliances, improved insulation, and the use of gray water for irrigation needs.

Young couples entering the real estate marketplace are changing the perception of a starter home. However, no matter what stage of life one is in, the purchase of a new home is a significant event. Their design decisions flow from their hearts and their budget. In that way, they create a place they can truly call their home.

The author of this article, Eva Duncan, has had over 20 yrs of experience as a real estate advisor and has helped many young couples find their dream home. For more info concerning these topics check out http://ambassadorenergycollege.com/