Greenbook: A Local Guide to Chesapeake Living - Issue 6

REAL ESTATE TRENDS greenbook J. Melvin Premier properties 5 Popular Trends in New-Home Construction Daily Real Estate News | Tuesday, August 04, 2015 What building materials are trending in new-home construction? The latest Annual Builder Practices Survey, conducted by Home Innovation, reveals what buyers can expect to see in the new-home market. Read more: Designers, Builders Reveal Hot Trends for 2015 1. Garages: The garage door is getting more enhancements, including windows, insulated doors, and doors made of composite or plastic materials. In 2014, 32% of all new single-family homes had bays for three or more cars—the most ever recorded in this study's history. 2. Flooring: Carpeting continues to be the most popular flooring option for new construction, with about 83 percent of all new-home bedroom installations having carpeting. However, only about 40 percent of living rooms now have carpet. Hardwood flooring – both solid and engineered types – is the second most popular type of flooring, and is included in 27 percent of all new-home installations. Ceramic tile (which appears in 72% of all bathroom floor installation) follows in third place, making up 20% of all new-home floor installations, according to the survey. 3. Countertops: For kitchen countertops, granite continues to reign at 64 percent of new-home installations. Quartz/engineered stone is gaining popularity while laminate, solid surfacing, and ceramic tile are losing appeal. 4. Appliances: Cooktops and wall oven combinations are gaining in popularity and make up about 24 percent of the market, compared to freestanding ovens (at 45%). Freezer-on-bottom refrigerators are gaining in popularity at 19 percent, while side-by-side has fallen to 28 percent of the share. 5. Kitchen sinks: More buyers are paying attention to their kitchen sink, with the single basin kitchen sink making a comeback, growing from 5 percent to 20% of all new single-family homes in the past decade. Also growing in popularit H\

Greenbook: A Local Guide to Chesapeake Living - Issue 6 | Page 29