Single-Family Home Construction and Remodeling Trends Report 2020

Many people see 2020 as a chance at new beginnings. With this new decade, more homeowners are beginning to look at their homes, lifestyles, and futures differently than before. Some people may be motivated to finally take the plunge on a home remodel or new home build, while others may be ready to sell their home or to upgrade their current home with new technologies.

Building a house costs more than $400,000 on average. This is probably one of the most significant investments in any homeowner’s life, so it’s vital to know what types of design, features and amenities could come together to create the perfect dream home.

Fixr has asked some of the top experts in the home construction and remodeling fields to weigh in on what they believe are the top home construction and remodeling trends. This information is likely to be of use and importance to industry professionals wanting to help their clients achieve their goals, as well as to homeowners looking for guidance before they begin their own projects.

Latest Home Construction Trends in 2020

Single-family home construction and remodeling projects are big, expensive, and permanent, so it’s important to get them right the first time. Homeowners and home builders have a lot of ideas about what constitutes a perfect home, so we turned to our experts to see which ideas are most popular right now. You can find their full insights in the report, but we’ve also shared some highlights below.

Most Popular House Plans Include Two Story and Open Floor Plan

The house plan sets the tone for a home, and some popular house plans continue to gain prevalence with homebuyers.

The open floor plan still remains highly popular, receiving 90% of the vote. Respondents were given the opportunity to choose more than one answer, and 77% of them also chose two story homes as popular options.

Open floor plans have been slowly increasing in popularity over the last few years. In 2018, 76% of homeowners desired this layout, while in 2019, the number had risen to 88%. Given the way that this trend has continued to grow, it seems safe to conclude that homeowners building or remodeling in the coming months may want to focus on this type of layout and design.

Future Personal Use is the Main Reason that Drives Aging In Place Design

Buying a home is a long-term investment, and it’s important to plan for the future, especially if a homeowner plans to age in place.

When asked about the reasons homeowners give for wanting to include aging in place home design in their plans, 54% say that it’s for future personal use. This is definitely in line with the recommendations from the National Institute on Aging, which encourages people to think ahead about whether they will want to age in place in their homes.

The Top Green Designs in Home Construction Include Low-Energy Homes

There are a lot of different ways of improving a home’s sustainability, and knowing the most popular “go green” construction methods can influence a homebuyer’s decisions.

When asked what types of green construction trends homeowners will be investing in for 2020, 62% of respondents feel that it will be low-energy homes. Low-energy homes actually do save homeowners a lot of money over their lifetimes, which could explain the growing popularity in this segment.

Tight Building Envelopes are Commonly Used to Prevent Energy Transfer on Home Exteriors

Preventing energy transfer in the home can save homeowners a lot of money every year, and there are several ways to do this.

Respondents were asked what they felt were the most common home construction methods for  preventing energy transfer or energy loss through the exterior of the home. 44% feel that a tight building envelope would be the best way to proceed, while 22% of respondents felt that exterior insulation was the answer, and another 22% felt that interior insulation would be the best fit.

Air leaks are considered one of the biggest sources of energy transfer, and a tight building envelope that uses exterior insulation as part of that design may be the best method of stopping that transfer.

Smart Homes Rank First Among Popular Home Design Choices

Homeowners each have a vision for their ideal homes, and this is often guided by design. There are some growing trends in new home construction that homeowners and home builders alike should be aware of.

49% of respondents feel that smart homes will be the among the most popular design choices in the future, while 27% feel that Green certified homes will be the answer. Smart home percentages are predicted to top 28% by the end of 2021, so it may be that smart technology will outstrip other types of designs, at least in the near future.

Outdoor Kitchens are at the Top of Outdoor Living Space Trends

There are a lot of options when investing in outdoor spaces, and some are more popular than others.

When respondents were asked which outdoor living spaces they felt clients would invest in during 2020, 41% answered that the outdoor kitchen would be the biggest attraction. This makes sense as outdoor kitchen trends have been steadily growing in popularity for the last few years.

Married Couples with Children are Building and Investing in Outdoor Living Spaces

Certain homeowners will use their outdoor spaces more frequently, and they’re therefore more likely to invest in these outdoor spaces.

When asked which type of homeowner they see as more likely to invest in an outdoor living area, 65% answered married couples with children. This could be because children are more likely to use the outside space. Regardless, the growing popularity of outdoor living areas appeals to many populations, and many more homeowners are beginning to follow outdoor living trends more carefully.

Contemporary and Modern Homes Lead Modular Home Construction Styles

As modular construction increases in homes, different styles are becoming more available. However, some styles are growing more in popularity than others.

Respondents were asked what style of home they thought would be the most common to build using prefab construction. 62% felt that contemporary or modern homes would be the most common, while ranches took a distant second place at 22%. Most of the first prefab homes to be built were usually contemporary in style, so this could be a carryover of the original idea, even though other styles can now be built using this method relatively inexpensively.

Knowing the Latest Home Construction Trends Can Give You an Advantage in 2020

Trends are a useful way to gauge how your own project will fare in terms of resale, usability, and longevity for the design. By seeing how experts are using these projections themselves, it can help you to make better decisions on your own. With the amount of information available, homeowners are able to make better choices about and for their own homes. As Scott Cullens puts it, “home buyers are more sophisticated, with more access to design. ” Knowing what the latest trends are can therefore aid both homeowners who want the latest finishes and designs and the professionals who will be assisting them.

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