With the changes in the economy and housing industry, home-builders are adapting to buyers' current needs.  New trends are showing that smaller, less expensive and more flexible homes are in demand.  

The main trends are:
-Multi-Functional Living Space (limited use formal living rooms and studies are being merged into the main living areas & garages are being designed to accommodate more than cars)
-Space that will serve a family's needs for many years (as opposed to a previous trend of upgrading with a new home as a buyers' needs change)
-Less Extravagant Upgrades (smaller spaces are being made to feel larger with natural light and open floor plans)
-More Storage Space (like 'Costco Pantries' off the Garage for Bulk Grocery Buying)
-Outdoor Living (use of natural light, windows & usable outdoor space to bring the outdoors in)

And the trends we continue to see growing are:
-Open Floor Plans (homes are made to feel larger with limited use of hallways and walls)
-Energy Efficiency (green has become greener, like homes that produce as much energy as they consume)

Most of the big names in home-building are implementing most if not all of the above.  Pulte Homes is touting 'Planning Centers' for multi-functional use as a study and technology space within the main living areas. This is meant to replace the limited use true study. Lennar is building a home within a home floorplan called 'NextGen' designed for the Boomerang generation.  This was designed considering data showing one-third of American adults are multi-family living.  Meritage and KB homes are actually building solar homes, designed as zero consumption homes, in many communities.

Another big trend is Outdoor Living using continuous space and open sight lines.  Great rooms are becoming greater, as rooms that continue from kitchen to dining to living areas that then open to outdoor living space are definitely being seen more and more.

In fact, Houston based builder, Allegro, was awarded the gold medal at the 2012 International Builders Show for their implementation of a 'zen' interior, innovative outdoor living space and livable design in a Woodland Heights home.



In addition to zen interiors, there are some other new, fun trends, emerging in the marketplace.  The director of product design for Centex has said that the 'man-cave' multi-finctional garage is in demand.  While the mud room is being replaced by the 'Drop Zone' by some builders as a place for keys, mail, IPads, IPods etcetera.

Home plans need to work for today's home buyer, so builders are adjusting their plans in many ways. 

Read the full MSN Real Estate article here.

http://realestate.msn.com/8-new-home-trends-for-2012#1