Tri-City Area and Real Estate Blog

Posted in Home Trends, by Melissa Tracey on November 10, 2014

By Melissa Dittmann Tracey, REALTOR(R) Magazine

What is luring home buyers to new homes? Technology, the outdoors, and “super kitchens” are among what Nick Lehnert, executive director at KTGY, and Mollie Carmichael, principal at John Burns Real Estate Consulting, recently shared with BUILDER Online on some of the design drivers in the new-home market.

Here are some of the trends they point to:

1. Super kitchens: The kitchen is not just a hub for cooking but has become a center of the home for entertainment and conversations. Builders have been opening the kitchen to other rooms and the kitchen island is becoming key to separating the spaces. The island adds more seating along with extra prep space. As kitchens become more open, pantries are getting bigger to accommodate the need for storage.

Transitional Kitchen by Asbury Park Kitchen & Bath Remodelers Robert Legere Design

2. Outdoor/indoors merged: The interiors are feeling stretched by carving out spaces that seamlessly allow home owners to walk into outdoor retreats. But buyers want those outdoor spaces to be private, a stray from the once traditionally “public” backyard. As such, more builders are taking note and carefully positioning the architecture of the home to make sure the outdoor space offers more privacy.

3. Bigger garage spaces: Builders are taking note of buyers’ preferences for more space in the garage, and not just for squeezing in their cars. The garage can be a workspace, hobby haven, and place for added extra storage.

4. Office space: The office/den is in demand as more people work from home, but the best location for it is to still in question. Traditionally, the home office has been located off the main entry of the home. But now builders are rethinking the location as buyers show preferences to have the office closer to the “living” area, particularly near the kitchen hub and family room.

5. Tech-spot: More home owners are constantly plugged into their technology, and the growth of connected homes likely will lead to even more need for tech hubs in the house. Some builders are designing small “server” rooms as smart technology enters more homes.

6. Dual homes: More people are squeezing under one roof as young adults stay with their parents longer, aging parents move in, and cultural preferences further the trend. Builders are taking a keen interest in multigenerational living arrangements. For example, Lennar has launched a NextGen brand of floorplans geared to multigenerational living, which include separate main entrances and options like a 500-square-foot attached suite for a private residence. View a video to see inside a NextGen multigenerational home.

Show Off a Home’s Dining Space

Posted in Staging Tips, by Melissa Tracey on October 27, 2014

By Melissa Dittmann Tracey, REALTOR® Magazine

Nearly three-quarters of about 1,700 home owners recently surveyed say that they use their dining rooms on a daily or weekly basis, according to the 2014 Houzz Decorating Trends Survey.

The majority of home owners surveyed say they want big tables in their dining rooms too. More specifically, rectangular tables with dark wood or glass that can seat up to six people. That is among the top requests of many remodeling home owner’s wish lists, according to the survey.

Dining Room Staging Solutions

Sandra Holmes, president of Home Staging Concepts in Weston, Fla., and president-elect of the International Association of Home Staging Professionals, had a home she staged where the existing dining table and buffet were outdating the space. What’s more, the all-white was causing the room’s potential to get overlooked.

What she did: Holmes channeled a more modern, tropical look for this Miami condo’s dining room, bringing in a glass table, modern chairs and artwork, a textured rug, and set the table to show it ready for a dinner party.