NEW YORK – Aug. 5, 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.
1. Garages: The garage door is getting more
enhancements, including windows, insulated doors, and doors made of
composite or plastic materials. In 2014, 32 percent 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, included in about 83
percent of all new-home bedroom installations. However, only about 40
percent of living rooms now have carpet. Hardwood flooring – both solid
and engineered– is the second most popular type of flooring included in
27 percent of all new-home installations. Ceramic tile (which appears in
72 percent of all bathroom floor installation) follows in third place,
making up 20 percent of all new-home floor installations.
3. Countertops: For kitchen countertops, granite
continues to reign in two out of three homes (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 (45 percent). 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 percent of all new single-family
homes in the past decade. Also growing in popularity are granite/stone
kitchen sinks (at 8 percent). One-piece cultured marble lavatories are
continuing to decline in demand.
Source: "Material World: The Hottest Trends From the 2015 Builder Practices Survey," BUILDER Online (July 29, 2015)
