Kitchen & Bath Design News

AUG 2015

Kitchen & Bath Design News is the industry's leading business, design and product resource for the kitchen and bath trade.

Issue link: http://kitchenbathdesign.epubxp.com/i/559271

Contents of this Issue

Navigation

Page 9 of 51

10 | Kitchen & Bath Design News | August 2015 Consumer Buying Trends { Demographics & buying patterns for the home } Washington, DC — As the housing mar- ket continues its recovery, homeowners are increasingly seeking more square footage while simultaneously looking for increased accessibility inside and outside of the home. Those are the key fndings from the latest in a quarterly series of "Home De- sign Trends Surveys" conducted by the American Institute of Architects. The sur- vey by the Washington, DC-based AIA – conducted among a panel of more than 500 architecture frms that concentrate their practice in the residential sector – covered the frst quarter of 2015 and focused on overall home layout. According to the AIA, the percent of surveyed architects reporting an increase in the square footage of the homes they design has risen steadily in recent years, a refection of the gradual housing recovery. Specifcally, some 20% of surveyed architects in the frst quar- ter of 2015 reported gains in home size, compared to 15% last year, 12% in 2013 and a scant 3% in 2010 (see Figure 1). "An increase in home square footage with the rising popularity of accessible design concepts points to a population that is preparing to age-in-place and re- main in their current residences for the long haul – or, perhaps, is anticipating responsibility for caretaking of older relatives in the future," said AIA Chief Economist Kermit Baker. Baker noted there are diferences in market segment, however, as the increas- ing home sizes are being driven primarily by upper-end homes, according to the AIA survey. Specifcally, 36% of surveyed ar- chitects in the frst quarter reported that the square footage of upper-end homes is increasing. That compares to 20% overall, 11% for entry-level dwellings and 26% for additions and remodels (see Figure 2). Accessibility also remains a key con- cern when it comes to home design, with 70% of surveyed architects reporting in- creased activity for that characteristic, according to the AIA. The AIA survey results mirror the fndings of recent reports issued by the National Association of Home Builders. Those reports note that the average size of new homes has continued to rise for the past several years. The share of new homes with at least four bedrooms has also been on an upward trend, as has the percent of homes with at least three full bathrooms. Homes Getting Larger as Market Growth Continues Homeowners, especially those on the upper end of the market, are increasingly seeking more square footage, while also looking for increased accessibility inside and outside of the home. The graphs above illustrate how the percentage of new homes designed by architects is gaining in size as the housing market continues its recovery, and how those gains vary by market segment. Source: AIA Home Design Trends Survey, Q1 2015 FIGURE 1 The Steady Growth in Home Size Percent of Surveyed Architects Reporting an Increase in Square Footage 5 10 15 20 40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 FIGURE 2 Increase in Home Size by Market Segment Percent of Surveyed Architects Reporting an Increase in Square Footage 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 Entry- Level Overall Upper-end Additions/ Remodels 20% 20% 36% 26% 11% 15% 12% 8% 5% 3% SALES GROUP SALES DIRECTOR AND MIDWEST MANAGER Paul DeGrandis (847) 920-9510 Paul@SOLAbrands.com EAST/SOUTHEAST Joanne Naylor (201) 891-9170 Joanne@SOLAbrands.com Beth Emerich (781) 710-4745 EmerichB@SOLAbrands.com WEST/SOUTHWEST Reed Fry (949) 223-1088 Reed@fry-comm.com PRODUCT & LITERATURE SHOWCASE/CLASSIFIED ADS Mike Serino (630) 699-2004 Mike@SOLAbrands.com EDITORIAL Janice Anne Costa, Editor (516) 605-1426 Janice@SOLAbrands.com Anita Shaw, Managing Editor (631) 581-2029 Anita@SOLAbrands.com PUBLISHING SOLA Group, Inc. 724 12th St., Suite 1W Wilmette, IL 60091 (847) 920-9510 Paul DeGrandis, Publisher Paul@SOLAbrands.com Eliot Sefrin, Publisher Emeritus Eliot@SOLAbrands.com SUBSCRIPTIONS Kitchen & Bath Design News Circulation Dept. P.O. Box 3007 Northbrook, IL 60065-3007 (866) 932-5904 circ.kbdn@omeda.com MAILING LIST RENTAL Elizabeth Jackson (847) 492-1350 ext. 18 ejackson@meritdirect.com KitchenBathDesign.com ®

Articles in this issue

Links on this page

Archives of this issue

view archives of Kitchen & Bath Design News - AUG 2015