| HeraldNet - Snohomish County's online news source |
 THURSDAY, MARCH 18, 2010 7:03 am |
||||||||||
 |
||||||||||
|
||||||||||
|
||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||
Business 
|
||||||||||||||||||
Top home trend: shrinkage Homebuyers have lost their appetite for big homes decked out with high-end amenities, according to surveys conducted by the National Association of Home Builders and Better Homes and Gardens.Now, the mantra for many homebuyers reflects a desire to keep costs down. They want to reduce wasted space such as high ceilings that drive up energy bills. They favor features such as smart appliances that help cut household energy costs. The surveys were released at the recent International Builders’ Show in Las Vegas. The average size of an American house shrank about 100 square feet last year to about 2,400 square feet, according to the National Association of Home Builders survey. The percentage of homes with three or more bathrooms fell for the first time since 1992, while homes with four or more bedrooms declined for the third year in a row. Builders said they’re less likely to build homes this year with outdoor kitchens, media rooms and sun rooms. The next generation of homes, builders said, are more likely to have a walk-in closet in the master bedroom, a laundry room, energy-saving windows, energy-efficient lighting and appliances, and an insulated front door. About a quarter of 1,100 exhibitors at the Builders’ show were hawking green homebuilding products. The displays included everything from streamlined solar panels to energy-saving windows. There were water and energy-stingy appliances, as well as an array of flooring materials made from sustainable or recycled materials. Up to a quarter of all new homes built last year received an Energy Star rating, which means they met the guidelines for energy efficiency set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. That’s up from 11 percent in 2007. Solar energy continues to be a big draw. CertainTeed Corp. showed a new roof solar power system designed to fit flush with asphalt shingles, giving it a more streamlined look than traditional solar panels. A similar solar energy system unveiled by Dow Chemical last year impressed Beazer Homes, which plans to use it in a test house. “I’ve just not seen anything that thin,” said Tony Callahan, an executive with Atlanta-based Beazer Homes USA Inc. Another company, Broan-NuTone, showcased its sunlight-powered roof fans, used to vent the hot air that builds up in an attic. A single unit can ventilate up to 1,600 square feet. Light-emmitting diodes, or LEDs, continue to be a pricier, though longer-lasting, alternative to compact fluorescent lights. One knock against LED home fixtures is the light they produce doesn’t approach the warm, soft glow of an incandescent light bulb, but the technology is improving. Cooper Lighting’s new Halo LED recessed lighting fixtures consume 75 percent less energy than a 65-watt incandescent light, but last 50 times longer. They also boast light that is comparable in color and reach to an incandescent light. Many of the latest innovations were expected to be part of the New American Home, a house traditionally built in conjunction with the convention to spotlight state-of-the-art design and construction. But in a sign of the times for the industry, the builder on the project wasn’t able to get a loan to finish the 6,078 square-foot house in Las Vegas in time for the show. The number of exhibitors was also down by a quarter. The remodeling industry should see the worst of the downturn early this year, a report Thursday showed. Spending on renovation projects is expected to total $103.9 billion in the January-March period and rise to $110.9 billion by autumn, according to the Harvard Joint-Center for Housing Studies. Still, pricey green products won’t be driving that recovery. Many homebuyers are eschewing energy-saving features and recycled products that don’t offer enough quick savings. “A lot of buyers who can’t see a return in five years or seven years ... it’s a struggle for them to put forth any extra money,” said John Freer, president of Riverworks Inc., a green custom home builder in Missoula, Mont. |
- FDIC gives Everett's Frontier Bank, Lynnwood's City Bank ultimatum
- Monroe girl guilty of murder in Sultan gang slaying
- Snohomish man in critical condition after gunshot to groin
- Man is sentenced to 8 years in crash that killed 4
- For once, Huskies are the bigger team
- 3 classic potato recipes for St. Patrick's Day
- Video captures trio who stole beer, knocked over elderly woman
- Hear musical firefighters on bagpipes and drums for St. Patrick’s Day
- Suspect in Everett nightclub shooting arrested in Arizona
- Frontier Financial appealing FDIC order
- Monroe girl guilty of murder in Sultan gang slaying
(23) - 16-year-old girl convicted in Sultan gang murder (13)
- Snohomish man who killed four sentenced to eight years (11)
- A win-win: Clean water, good jobs (4)
- Oops: Somali pirates attempt attack on Dutch warship (4)
- Former county planning director pleads not guilty to assault charge (4)
- Hawaii considering law to ignore Obama ‘birthers’ (3)
- Alternative is unacceptable (3)
- Everett plans big upgrades for city parks (3)
- Man is sentenced to 8 years in crash that killed 4 (3)
- Troupe improv-ment
- Best finish ever for Mavs
- Local businesses clean for a reason
- Edmonds Art Walk opens 9th year March 18
- Lynnwood girls wrap up at state
- Lynnwood wants outsider to review budget
- SKCC presents premiere of Jenkins’ composition
- AMHS takes fifth
- Boeing to Offer NewGen Tanker to US Air Force
- New CEO at Valley General Hospital
- Dan Koffman's ‘TopSpin' marketing astounds, inspires, motivates, produces — just for starters
- Economic forecasts for Snohomish County, Everett, Marysville offer some bright moments
- Government officials influencing home prices
- Massive EPA energy regulations meet challenge
- Washington state healthcare reforms also needed
|
|
 
|
|
|
|
| TODAY'S TOP JOBS |
| View All Top Jobs |
| Top Cars |
|
| Top Homes |
|
|
ADVERTISEMENT |
|
|
|Contact Us
|Advertiser Services
|Home Delivery
|Newsstand Locations
|Classifieds
|Feedback
|About the Company
|Work@the Herald
|Site Map |
|
COMMENTS | Be the first to comment
Log in or register to post a new comment.
To read other terms and conditions, click here