Twin Cities home buyers spend a lot of time looking at properties online, touring homes on the Sunday open house circuit and a local realtor Jennifer Lundquist from Edina Realty (she's the person who sold Steve-O his home) says these are the trends people in the Twin Cities are looking for when buying a home.
Space
- Open Concept floorplan
- A lot of storage
- 3 car garage for all our “things”
- Ample storage in kitchen, including a walk-in pantry and a center island with storage.
- A place to entertain. This could be a finished lower level, a deck or porch. Covered three season porches are hot right now.
- Space for a home office or play room. Buyers don’t want a formal living room or dining room anymore. These rooms aren’t used.
- Upstairs laundry. Closer to bedrooms, not lifting laundry baskets up and down the stairs.
- 3+ bedrooms on one level. This is always a strong requirement with buyers that have young kids. They want them to be close by.
- Buyers are wanting a large walk in shower. They aren’t liking giant soaking bath tubs anymore.
Décor trends
- Enameled cabinets are still hot, especially white, but starting to see a lot of gray cabinets. Center island that is a different color is also starting to be popular.
- Wallpaper is starting to make a comeback. But only used as an accent wall in a bedroom or bathroom.
- Anything gold/brass a buyer does NOT want. Replace cabinet hardware and lighting to brushed nickel or oil rubbed bronze.
- Kitchens and baths are the #1 thing buyers want updated.
- Paneled appliances are making a comeback. They make appliances “hidden” in kitchens. But stainless steel is still a must.
Technology and “Smart” Homes
Buyers are wanting a smart home. Alexa/Google home wired for lights. Stong wifi and internet hook ups in every room. Several builders are not incorporating this standard in their home.
Location
First time home buyers aren’t super concerned about being close to the city, especially for people that work from home. So many companies are now allowing buyers to work from home, so buyers are moving to outer suburbs to get more of a house. Inner suburbs are still hot, but location isn’t much of a concern for buyers.
Styles of home vary
Many younger, first time home buyers are wanting a townhome or a condo. They don’t want the maintenance of a yard because they are busy going out, traveling, etc. They don’t want to deal with a yard.
But we are also seeing a lot of home buyers skipping that first time “starter” home and going for a bigger home. Picture one single person paying $1500 a month for rent. They meet their significant other whose also renting and paying the same. Now they settle down and want to buy a house. That now combined $3000 in rent they are spending a month can go into a $500,000 home. They are skipping the smaller home and moving into something they can see themselves into for a long time.
And finally….. A big countertop in their kitchen for their Keurig.