More amenities, hold the square footage - trends for the 2015 home?

Staff writer Jerry W. Jackson gives us a glimpse into the coming decade's homebuilding trends in his February 9 Orlando Sentinel article. From his article we learn that the ballooning square footage trends we've seen over the past three decades will probably level off in years to come; however, such hi-tech ammenities as coffee centers and iris-scan security systems are on the rise. Green trends look promising too, as greater supply brings down prices.

One new homebuilding trend that has me concerned: more manufactered building with production methods that can have large homes assembled in four days. Could this mean pop-up suburbs overnight? Maybe not overnight, but over a long weekend may not be out of the question.

The future of homebuilding's a mixed bag.

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From the article:

The average new-home size has grown from about 1,500 square feet in 1970 to about 2,400 square feet now, despite a downward trend in the number of people per U.S. household. A half-century ago, the average house had only 1,000 square feet and a single bath.

But now the forecast is for more amenities, electronics and energy efficiency rather than extra square footage, Ahluwalia said.

Gayle Butler, editor in chief of Better Homes and Gardens magazine, said the "new urbanism" trend of recent years has "reset" expectations. People now look for wide sidewalks, winding streets, community centers and "real front porches," Butler said, all of which allow for a greater sense of openness and interaction among residents.

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To read the full article, go to Bigger homes? Nah, but take peek inside.