Bigger homes, open plan living, higher ceilings and outside decking are all on the wish list of US homebuyers.
Five times the population yet ten times more new homes built each year. Average house sizes over 1700 sq ft and rising. The US homebuilding market operates on a scale the UK can only dream about. Yet US homebuilders are grappling with many similar issues to us and perhaps, surprisingly, are looking to Europe for some of the answers.

Ten years of unprecedented economic growth in the US has brought the industry to a crossroads. On one hand, the buying public wants bigger and better homes, on the other it is becoming increasingly frustrated by commuting. The aspiration of the typical US homebuyer is an individually crafted detached suburban or rural house, but a growing minority is willing to move back into the city centres and there are now pioneering loft apartments and live-work units.

While UK homebuilders consider their US counterparts the experts in customer care and luxury specification, US housebuilders are keen to learn from UK experiences in such areas as masonry build - still an aspiration for many US buyers - and brownfield development. All these trends were reflected at the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) annual convention in Atlanta, Georgia last month.

Atlanta was an apposite venue. The fastest growing city in the US, sprawl city, as it is known, exhibits both the best and worst of US development. Having built an eight lane beltway running M25-style around the metropolitan area, no attempt was made to contain growth within it and settlements are still springing up 20 miles beyond the beltway. There is a rudimentary public transport system and although the metropolitan area is criss-crossed with freeways, roads are frequently gridlocked.

Homes on show for the convention - all real homes built on lots around the city - exhibited both sides of the dilemma. One of the highlight showhomes, the New American Home was a 4400 sq ft Lutyens-inspired house, whose English Arts and Crafts theme had been chosen to give it a comforting, rambling feel. Although UK developers and planners would only consider this home suitable for a non-urban location, in Atlanta it has been built on an infill site close enough to the shops not to need a car. Its developer, Hedgewood Properties, builds around 300 units a year in the area. "Energy efficiency, green construction and market focused features go hand-in-hand in delivering high-quality homes people want to live in," says Hedgewood president, Pam Sessions. The house had efficient heating and cooling and a charger for an electric car, but the garage was still for three vehicles and, inside, the house had 10 ft floor-to-ceiling heights.

This trend towards upmarket features is confirmed by NAHB research. Other must-have features include open plan kitchens with walk-in pantries, laundry rooms and patios or decking areas, complete with exterior lighting (see box). But the separate living room is going out of fashion: people seem happier with open plan. UK housebuilders looking to the US for inspiration will find no shortage of ideas in the survey's findings, but it is unlikely that UK housebuilders will be dropping formal living rooms in a hurry.

How American homebuilders know what the customer wants

The NAHB surveys US homebuyers’ wants in exhaustive detail, and their results produce some surprising findings
  • How much space is enough space?
    It is no surprise that large rooms and plenty of space are considered desirable, but when asked whether buyers would prefer a bigger home with fewer amenities or a smaller home with high quality products and amenities, views were sharply divided, 51% opting for space and 49% opting for amenities. Key space wants were 9ft or more floor-to-ceiling heights, and kitchens and family rooms undivided or divided by a half wall.
  • What’s in and what’s out?
    Laundry rooms and dining rooms are considered must haves, but the living room has been declared a dying space. 46% of buyers said they would sooner have a bigger family room, and 36% said they would be willing to buy a home without one.
  • Kitchens and bathrooms
    Top wants in the kitchen are: walk-in pantry, island work area and light wood units. Top wants in the bathroom are: linen storage, exhaust fan and a separate shower cubicle.
  • Gadgets and gizmos
    Sound proofing and electronic air cleaning are both given high priority by buyers. Also rated important are energy management systems, multiple phone lines and security systems.
  • Green is a gamble
    Buyers are not willing to pay extra for a home to be built in a more environmentally friendly way.
  • And on the outside?
    Buyers want more external features, like a front porch, deck or a patio, and exterior lighting.

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