Source: Forbes —
Public awareness of the links between our homes and our health was growing before the pandemic, but it has exploded in the months and years since then. What will the many built-in wellness design improvements we’ve added in recent years do to enhance our homes’ value to prospective buyers? Which ones are builders prioritizing in their new construction projects?
Macro Trends
“In the current price-conscious market, we are seeing those ‘will they pay for it” conversations arising again,” shares Mikaela Arroyo, New Home Trends Institute director at John Burns Real Estate Consulting. “With less buyer demand, builders are looking for ways to differentiate themselves that don’t break the bank (think smart tech, health, energy efficiency). We are seeing a careful curation of the features that bring the most ROI to buyers,” she adds.
“We recently surveyed homeowners and single-family renters with household income of $50K+, and we found that almost all (93%) say that wellness is important to them,” Arroyo says, revealing that there’s buyer confusion about the benefits of particular features and affordability challenges.
In Demand Features
“We’re seeing a 15% increase in the number of for-sale listings mentioning wellness compared to last year. We’re also seeing significantly more mentions of non-toxic materials, anti-microbial surfaces and anti-bacterial features like touchless toilets pop up in listings today compared to just a year ago,” Pendleton adds.
