Survey: buyers again interested in larger homes

When the housing market collapsed, buyers became more interested in smaller, energy-efficient homes and smaller lot sizes, but bigger houses might be coming back, according to the American Institute of Architects (AIA).

Homeowners remain interested in their properties as investments, especially regarding outdoor living space. Accessibility within the home remains a concern, especially for an aging population, along with ongoing demand for more flexible and open design within homes.

These findings come from an AIA Home Design Trends Survey, which focused specifically on overall home layout and use in the first quarter of 2011. The survey’s respondents were residential architects and architecture firms.

In overall home layout and size trends, square footage, lot size and volume are all increasing. Fifty-two percent of respondents to the survey reported seeing decreases in home size, compared with 57 percent in 2010 who said  they saw decreased home size. Only 22 percent of respondents said lot size decreased, down from 32 percent in 2010 who reported a lot size decrease. Overall volume decreased only 18 percent in 2011; it decreased 21 percent in 2010.

For more information: http://www.aia.org/press/AIAB090151