Builder Confidence on Rise in January
For Residential Pros
“The National Association of Home Builders is reporting that builder confidence in the market for newly built, single-family continued to climb for a fourth consecutive month in January, rising four points to 25 on the NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI), released Wednesday, January 18. This is the highest level the index has attained since June of 2007.”

The Lean Designer: The best way to prepare for a plan review
Housing Zone
“As many of you know by now Professional Builder is holding three days of plan reviews by some of the top designers and architects in the country during the International Builders Show. I am honored to be part of that group and very much look forward to the event. Here are some juicy insider tips to help you take advantage of the opportunity…”

Seven Steps to Choosing the Perfect Circular Saw
Fine Homebuilding
“We recently reviewed 14 sidewinder circular saws and found seven features that separate the good from the not-so-good. Let’s take a closer look.”

• The end of the closed-off, one-purpose living room is coming to an end. What people want now is a large living space, with living, kitchen and dining rooms spilling in to each other.
• Older homes used to have a grand staircase in the front of the home, with a much simpler, utilitarian one in the back. But with the coming “silver tsunami” that second staircase is making way for an elevator. When people are too ill or infirm to take the stairs, it doesn’t matter that there are two sets.
• Instead of an office or library, a new trend is for a multipurpose room that can be used for working, doing homework, reading, paying bills, etc.
• A Jacuzzi in the bathroom can be wonderful, but how often is it really used? Most people use a shower for their cleaning purposes, so there are going to be more enhancements to that, such as steam.
• As the Wall Street Journal notes, “As the kitchen has opened up into the dining room, there’s less need for a separate, small table for breakfast.” What to do with that extra space? The sky is the limit but builders are seeing a desire for more outdoor space.

According to NewUrbanism.org, new urbanism ”promotes the creation and restoration of diverse, walkable, compact, vibrant, mixed-use communities composed of the same components as conventional development, but assembled in a more integrated fashion, in the form of complete communities.”

Perhaps no one has championed the benefits of New Urbanist construction like architect Sarah Susanka, author of the best-selling Not So Big book series that celebrates the smaller, more practical home without compromising quality.

This week marks the grand opening of Susanka’s Not So Big Showhouse in Libertyville, Ill., a northern suburb of Chicago. The 2,500-square-foot house emphasizes functionality and multipurpose spaces. For instance, there’s no formal dining room. (Who actually uses them anyway?) There’s a large front porch before floor-to-ceiling windows that overlook the neighborhood. There are no cathedral ceilings to be found and energy efficiency is a top consideration. There is no excess to be found — every room has its role.

Susanka’s Not So Big Showhouse is a part of the SchoolStreet housing development in downtown Libertyville, a new urbanist neighborhood that promotes a strong sense of community. So much so that most of the homes feature kitchens positioned toward the front of the house, inviting homeowners to eat and socialize on the front porch rather than be secluded in the back.

On Thursday, Susanka will appear at Libertyville High School to present her home, answer questions and sign books.

On Saturday, Susanka’s Not So Big Showhouse will be open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The house is located at 138 School Street in Libertyville.

For more information, visit the SchoolStreet website.

But what if you have no idea who they are? It’s important to watch trends closely, but sometimes it seems like people don’t even know what they want. We found an article on BUILDER that goes into a little more detail about this. They quote an expert, Brent Harrington, as saying “There is no ‘today’s consumer.’ They are incredibly diverse.”

How true! BUILDER points out that the United States continue to grow in population, so there will be more young families needing homes. At the same time, people continue to live longer, necessitating universal designs for aging in place. Let’s not forget, too, that households without children continue to rise.

What do those people want? How do you figure out who your customers are? Is it location (e.g. a new downtown condo tower might appear more to young singles than those with kids)? Do you do market research to figure out what you need to do? Or do you just focus on good design and trust that your customers, whoever they may be, will love it? Let us know in the comments!

But it’s not the only thing. Over at Boyce on Building, Boyce Thompson of BUILDER Magazine offers a few other ideas.

There’s the problem of too much choice. It’s no secret that it is a buyer’s market out there, but maybe there’s just too much available to make a decision. With a seemingly limitless supply of houses (and more becoming available every day), who can blame potential buyers for paralysis?

Thompson also brings up the green factor. Yes, it is something that is very important to homebuyers nowadays, but there is the struggle between offering basic, well-known things like ENERGY STAR appliances and offering green options that are unusual and really differentiate a home from others on the market.

And then there’s the uncertainty — will it get worse? If it does (the thought goes), there’s no need to buy now. After all, it would be nice to spend as little as possible. But if the market keeps getting worse, buying in a possibly declining neighborhood isn’t a prospect most potential homebuyers relish.

What do you think? Do you see these thoughts displayed with your clients, friends and neighbors? How should builders respond to these attitudes?

• Outdoor living areas: Are you paying more attention to things like porches and patios? An outdoor kitchen (from simple to grand) and a fireplace can add a whole new dimension for homeowners. Who doesn’t love an extra room in the great outdoors?
• Green features: Green is hot right now, but homeowners are demanding practical things like energy efficient windows and water and electricity-saving appliances. Showing that products meet federal ENERGY STAR standards will be important in attracting and informing consumers.
• Open kitchens: If the hearth is the heart of the home, it makes sense people want to be in it. Open kitchens allow that cozy feeling while allowing the cook some additional space to maneuver.
• Smaller homes: To go along with the green theme, smaller homes are easier to heat and cool, easier to clean and discourage the mindless filling of rooms.

Do you see these trends when you are building and remodeling?

We’ve long been a fan of architect Sarah Susanka and her “Not So Big House” philosophy, and it seems we keep seeing more evidence that a significant number of American homeowners are more interested in craftsmanship, quality and fine design than they are in raw square footage.

Affluent, mature homeowners especially fit this profile. The more money older homeowners have, the less they demand maximum square footage. Among Americans age 45 and up planning to spend $400,000 or more on a home, only 28 percent say they want as much space as their money will buy. By contrast, 46 percent of those planning to spend less than $150,000 say they want maximum square footage for the money.

That information comes from Margaret A. Wylde’s useful and insightful book, “Right House, Right Place, Right Time,” which looks at trends in the over-45 housing market.

It’s just one more indication that many affluent, mature Americans are interested in quality design and features, not just raw space.

Integrity can help builders meet the needs of these  customers with tough, yet beautiful products like the All Ultrex Round Top. How do you help your customers get the best products? Let us know in the comments!

Marvin's innovative Ultimate Replacement Casement

Remodeling has been a bright spot in the homebuilding and design industry, and a recent report by the Harvard Center for Joint Housing Studies suggests that the long-term trend will continue to be favorable.

Several factors are converging to produce the positive outlook. First, as Baby Boomers age, the turnover of their homes will generate remodeling activity. About three-quarters of home sales by people over 55 are made to people under 55. The homes of older sellers are generally older and generate immediate and significant spending on renovation.

A younger person buying from an older seller can be expected to spend about $5,000 annually on renovation, the report concludes. In addition, the median age of the existing U.S. housing stock grew from 29 years in 1997 to 32 years in 2007 — also indicating that future renovation and remodeling are more likely.

These and other factors cited in the report suggest that the long-term prospects for the remodeling market are favorable for architects and others in the building industry.

Come visit Integrity at Booth 1453 at the AIA Convention in New Orleans to see all the latest products that will help you give your remodeling clients the home of their dreams.

But do people want to hear it? Daily 5  Remodel took a survey and found that remodelers most often ask, but the question needs to be delicately phrased. One remodeler who took the survey said: “I do not use the unfortunate expression ‘aging in place’ because I find very little graceful or complimentary associated with it. We ask questions and explore their needs, concerns and issues to help them determine what’s important for them to consider in making choices.”

Another one of Daily 5 Remodel’s survey respondents made the point that, with a perhaps misplaced sense of positivity, people don’t see themselves as needing any accommodations in their home: “When I asked them if THEY wanted univ. design features, the answer was always ‘no,’ but when I switched to asking, ‘Do you have any older relatives or friends who might benefit from accessible features?’ the response rate tripled.”

How do you as a remodeler guide your clients when thinking about universal design and aging in place? How do you highlight design features while gently emphasizing their usefulness in universal design? Do you see universal design and the aging population as a unique opportunity? Let us know in the comments!