This document discusses new home trends and buying a new home. Some key trends include open floor plans, multi-generational suites, outdoor living spaces, first floor masters, craftsman exteriors, and functional kitchens. New homes are built to higher standards with better energy efficiency, building codes, and safety features. However, some misconceptions about new homes include that used homes are always cheaper and new homes are not built as well as in the past. Buying new provides value over the long-term in utilities, maintenance, and upgrades.
1. East West Communities- 40 Years Creating Virginia’s
Best Places to Live and Play
What’s Hot in New Home Sales
Today?
2. • What’s HOT in New Home Sales Today
– The Latest in New Home Trends
• New Building Codes
– What Builders must include in every new home
• Why Buyer Agents Should Bring New
Homes as an Option to their Clients?
– Why today’s buyer may be better served with a
new home
• Top 10 Misconceptions about selling new
homes
18. The death of the living room/and the
separate dining room is on its way too.
19. Multi-generational
• Rooms or suites for “Boomerang kids”, taking
care of mom, roommates, family members…
• Age in place –
– with wider doors
– elevated appliances,
– zero entry showers
– modified staircase design (easier stair geometry and landings)
– Elevators
– lever handles on doors and faucets
23. Outdoor Rooms – the new “FAMILY RETREAT”
• Increased interest in entertaining friends and family at home
Incorporate outdoor spaces with the overall home design.
• The yard and garden become a part of the floor plan when sliding
glass doors lead to patios and decks.
• Outdoor "rooms" may even include kitchens with sophisticated
sinks and grills.
• Outdoor living spaces with fireplaces and outdoor cooking
36. Green living –
• Earth friendly – locally sourced, environmentally
conscious – Chesapeake Bay
• Very energy efficient – the search for “energy
independence”
–geothermal, led bulbs, tankless water heater,
Techshield, foam insulation, solar water and
energy
• Tight construction
37. Other Trends
• Earthy natural textures -Outdoors in and
indoors out
• Low or no maintenance materials
• Porches
• Mixed finishes on exterior
• Flexible spaces
• Practical Home automation
• First floor living
39. A Place for Everything –
Drop zone, clutter spaces, storage
40. Return of the Drop Zone and larger
Laundry/Utility rooms-
• Drop zone areas are usually found between the
Kitchen/Utility Room/Garage.
• Drop zone and cell phone charging areas,
mudroom seating, cubbies, and nooks
– help make a house feel more like a home.
• Today’s homebuyers are responding well to this
new "old" feature.
48. Other Trends
• Clean lines – contemporary like, gray blues are in
• Little Treats-
– Shower seat, heated tile bath floor, dog wash, steam
shower, garage workbench, workout room, large
closets, generator plug
• Indoor playrooms
• Internet sourced materials
• Dual home offices
49. Expandable Space and More Storage-
• More storage areas that are easily accessible; walk up attics.
• Expandable space for homebuyers in case of growing families
• Larger walk-in closets, spacious dressing rooms, and plenty of
easy-to-reach built-in cabinets.
• Vaulted ceilings are out. Families prefer more usable space.
• Rooms above the Family Room make the perfect Media Room
• Unfinished areas with access doors gives today's homebuyers
smart storage space.
61. Functional and Fabulous kitchens-
• Larger floating islands are often a different color and wood and
resemble an old piece of furniture, also closer to the Grand Room where
families can connect easier.
• Unique use of lighting- pendant lighting, smaller chandeliers
• Live-Work Spaces such as desk-top work surfaces in the kitchen.
• Maximizing space with built-ins (Shelves under a staircase or at the
end of an island is an easy area to include a built-in shelf)
• Fabulous ceiling treatments - medallions with trim detail, coffered
ceilings, and materials typically used for floors applied to the ceiling.
• Creative use of color in the cabinets, backsplash, flooring,
• Cabinets with glass doors, and a center island with fold-away table.
82. Greater use of natural and hand-crafted
materials
• Unique flooring materials such as reclaimed wood, walnut, other
exotic hardwood finishes are becoming more popular. Pebbles are
being used on shower surfaces, offering a foot massage while
showering. And, a herringbone pattern is being used for outdoor brick
pavers to create greater character and warmth.
• Antique doors, reclaimed wood, beams and mantels milled from trees
cleared from their lots.
• New buildings aren't always entirely new. A desire to protect the
environment and to preserve historic architecture is inspiring architects
to re-use, older structures.
83.
84.
85. Why New is Better…Shiny
New is Awesome!
• What has changed in building codes and the
benefits to today’s buyers?
86. Newer homes are built to a
higher standard
• Energy related – a home built today is 30%
more efficient than one built just 5 years
ago.
• Technology allows us to test our homes
better
– moisture meter, thermal imaging, duct blaster,
blower door, infrared point and shoot
thermometer
87. • Programmable thermostats, Led, Cfl, and halogen
bulbs must make up 50% today.
• Caulk and sealed openings, Thermo-shield sealed
and insulated voids.
• Mastic duct, duct blaster or visual inspection,
properly sized and designed duct system and
designed systems Manual J and D CFM diagrams
• Higher seer and AFue ratings
• Low water usage devices – toilets, faucets, irrigation
88. Windows Ratings- New label requirements
• Design Pressure vs. Performance Grading
– the performance grade of a product is limited by the
lowest/least performance of its structural, air leakage
resistance, or water penetration resistance test results;
operating force and/or forced-entry resistance
requirements may also apply.
• Energy rating requirements R value vs. U
value
90. Structure – all homes built today must be
designed to resist racking, heavy wind
uplift and attachment failures
• Braced walls
• Portal frames, engineered beams, TJI and
open web trusses
• Ground to sky thru structure attachments
• Nail off and attachment inspections
91. Safety - Safer while you are awake and
even more so while your family sleeps
• Fire safety – smokes CO2 fire alarm
• Fire extinguisher/ sprinkler will follow
• Stair geometry / hand rail requirements
• Fire rated drywall/ doors
• Tempered glass doors and windows
• Arc fault, anti-scald, new device location
92. Environment
• Run off control, BMP design, silt fence, water
quality
• Low water usage fixtures
• Green space – cluster neighborhood design
• Flood plain management/FEMA
• Sustainable products/ no maintenance. Products
not required by code but by good sustainable
practices.
• Forest management
93.
94. Top Misconceptions about Buying New
“It’s cheaper to buy a used home than a new one”
• Your customers are often times buying a
used structure with outdated design/
building techniques, appliances, windows,
insulation etc.
• Total cost = purchase price + monthly
utilities + capital improvements+
maintenance
95. “They don’t build them like they use to…”
• No, we build them better!….Engineered
structure which is stronger, tighter and
better designed.
• We have gone to engineered or manmade
lumber in many areas because old growth
wood is not available
96. You can shop by price per square foot
• Price per Sq Ft without Features/Quality per
Sq Ft is meaningless
• Do you buy cars by the pound?
• Floor coverings and siding/roofing material
decisions alone can make a $10-$15 per sq.
ft. difference
97. Options and Upgrades are Dirty Words
• Think of buying a house the way you go to
a restaurant-
– They don’t make you buy the wine, soup, salad
and dessert if you don’t want it.
• Everyone wants a choice
98. Today’s Homebuyer buys a
home solely on price.
• Do people buy a brand new home based on
price or value?
• The answer is simple. Overwhelmingly, a new home is
bought emotionally – based on the value rather than price
– because of the consumer's perception of reality. What
has value in their eyes is where they'll spend their money.
100. “It’s more work/ too complicated/The
buying process is confusing”
• It can be. That’s why you need to be an
expert and do your homework.
101. • Explore Design/Build
• Pre-designed plans
• Preview new construction sites, models and
Homearama home shows
• Find a few builders or site agents that you
are comfortable with. Take the time to get
to know them or coach them to improve.
102. “It is too expensive to custom build”
• We can build to any budget, that’s why they
call it custom.
103. Factors in getting people to move
• Current Dissatisfaction- there is a built up
demand and there’s a stronger urgency to purchase
today! Salespeople need to realize and understand
the dissatisfaction curve.
• Future Promise- engage them, get them involved
emotionally, get them to see the future promise
• Cost and Fear- holds people back.
• Which factor gets in the way of a sale?
104. People will buy when….
Current dissatisfaction
X
Future Promise
>
Cost/Fear
105. • What they do want is a new lifestyle that doesn’t
include the aggravation, expense and emotional
turmoil that usually accompanies a cheaply priced
home.
• Simply stated, they want a better life in a new home
and you can give it to them.
• Show them that your new homes coupled with
exceptional service can offer them what they really
want and price will not be a hindrance.
