The Top Home Building Trends of 2015 (Part 2)

Grand Garages
Garages are among the top home building trends, they are now wired just like the rest of the home. “Automated garage technology can provide both [safety and convenience] by allowing users to open and close their garage doors from their phones, whether to let someone in or to make sure they closed the garage door,” according to the National Hardware Show Industry Edge website. For those with a bigger budget, car lifts can help fit more cars into residential garages.
Keep In Mind: A bigger garage means extra cleaning, maintenance and utility costs.



Solar Power at Home
Solar power’s cost has fallen dramatically in recent years, thanks to new 20-year lease models: Providers install the system on your roof, continue to own it and sell you the electricity it produces. “Since 2007, you’ve had a huge decline in the cost of installing solar,” said Thomas Plagemann of Vivint Solar, a residential solar power provider. With investment credits from the government, homeowners on average pay 15 to 30 percent less than their current utility rate.
Keep In Mind: Make sure your roof is in good condition before panels are installed. Solar power won’t be as efficient if your roof faces north or there’s too much shade.

Bed and Bath
Bathtubs are slowly disappearing from the bathroom and making their way to the bedroom, where having a tub (usually a freestanding one with claw feet) isn’t just for Hollywood stars anymore. “There's something unspeakably luxurious about being about to A) roll out of bed and into a deep tub or B) vice versa,” said Allison Brady, branding and communications manager at Houzz, a website for home remodeling and design. In the bathroom, spa-like showers with multiple large showerheads, a seating area and steam are the new must-haves.
Keep In Mind: If you opt for a freestanding tub in your bedroom, consider reinforcing your floor: These tubs are usually heavier than a standard tub and installing plumbing for a freestanding tub can be tricky.

Airy Kitchen
The kitchen is becoming vastly more spacious, with open shelves and an open floor plan, allowing you to prepare a meal while your daughter does her homework and your son watches TV, all in the same room. In a recent survey by the National Association of Home Builders, nearly 80 percent of millennial respondents said they want a kitchen completely open to the family room or with half a wall.
Keep In Mind: Tearing down walls may involve moving plumbing and electrical wiring. The smell from cooking may also linger in the rest of the house more than in a closed kitchen.

Brighter Floors
New colors, types of wood and finishes are injecting new life into hardwood floors. Lumber Liquidators, a specialist retailer of hardwood flooring, sees gray tones as the latest trendy colors for 2015. “Gray styles in every tint, tone and shade are a popular choice for their contemporary appearance,” the company said in September. “The neutral color can be used as a base to create different moods with colorful design elements.”
Keep In Mind: Don’t go too bold with your choice of color so that you can accommodate a variety of home interior styles for years to come.

Multipurpose Basement
Basements have become a real extension of the home. They can  accommodate a media room, a gym, a playroom for the kids, a pool room, a kitchenette and even a wine cellar, creating a whole new living area in your home.
Keep In Mind: Basements can be dark, so spend a little extra on special lighting or even build an egress window.

Make It Concrete
Concrete countertops create a modern sleek look that’s so in vogue lately. It’s also possible to make your own as long as you can make a good mold, as a New York Times reporter did last year. “It’s far from perfect, as there are fuzzy lines separating various batches of concrete, and more pinholes than I would have liked,” he wrote. “But when we set it in place, it looked pretty darn cool.”
Keep In Mind: Concrete countertops are hugely heavy, so they’ll require a lot of help to install. You may also want to stock up on extra plates and glassware to accommodate the breakage. -- The Fiscal Times

Interested in new home communities? Please do not hesitate to contact us at Landon Homes, (904)567-3430!