February 10, 2010

Top 10 in 2010: Full Circle Predicts Smaller, Smarter Homes

We gathered the troops at Full Circle to discuss what home and building trends we thought would be in demand this year. Based on our conversations with clients, our knowledge of sustainable building practices and that crystal ball we have lying around our office, we predict we’ll hear a lot more about these Top 10 trends in 2010:

1. Living Smaller: The days of decadence and McMansions are over. Smart builders are already figuring out creative ways to build smaller, tighter, more energy-efficient homes with better use of space. Buyers don’t want to sacrifice luxury, but they will give up square footage to lessen their footprint. The average size of a new house decreased last year for the first time in nearly three decades and we predict that trend will continue.

2. Adaptive Reuse: You can recycle more than paper and plastic. More and more people are adapting old buildings for new uses while retaining their historic features. We’ve seen this trend grow over the last several years in Athens and it will only continue due to the demand for in-town living options.

3. Walkability: As we mentioned, there has been a growing demand for in-town living, particularly from baby boomers, who want to live where they can walk or ride their bikes to do their daily activities. We hope Clarke County will maintain an emphasis on enhancing sidewalks, bike lanes, greenways and parks because demand for these amenities from buyers will continue to grow.

4. Green Remodels: You’ll get paid to save on energy this year. It’s time to examine those utility bills. Tax incentives are giving home owners the opportunity to improve their home’s energy efficiency and reduce their utility costs. If you aren’t taking advantage of these freebies, you’re silly.

5. Healthy Houses: People are finally realizing that living green means living healthy. It’s common sense. We’ll see the average consumer begin to question whether their home is a healthy one and take steps toward making improvements, such as using no-VOC paints, non-toxic cleaning supplies and installing hardwoods to decrease allergens.

6. Energy-Efficiency: Everyone is catching on. This year, there will be increased demand for energy saving products, like high-efficiency AV systems, R 38 insulation, energy-rated appliances, solar panels, LED lighting, etc. It’s a pretty safe bet that more innovation is in the pipeline.

7. Retrofits: Homeowners aren’t the only ones examining their utility bills. Commercial and government buildings are being retrofitted with new insulation or new heating and cooling systems to cut costs. We have a lot of old buildings that are wasteful. The U.S. home energy retrofit market is predicted to grow by 15% this year.

8. Community Gardens: We saw several of these community gardens pop up in Athens last year and the idea will continue to spread as concerns about food costs and our troubled national food system grow. This spring, more Athenians than ever will grow their own food and use our local co-op to put dinner on their plates.

9. Water Conservation: We’ll see families using greywater-recycling systems at home as education about conserving our resources spreads. Installing native plants and using rain barrels and other water conservation products, like low-flow toilets and low-flow showerheads, will become more commonplace in the average home.

10. Passive Solar Design: Builders will take a home’s relationship with its environment into account to cut energy costs. By placing a home more strategically, you can use the sun and trees to heat and cool it. For example, southern facing windows can cut your winter bills and deciduous trees on the east and west side of your home can cool it in the summer.

Green | Building | Trends

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