2015 Housing Trends

The new year is quickly approaching, and with the entrance of 2015 comes new housing trends. Smaller homes, changes to decorative elements, and green living are the main changes we might see in the upcoming year.

Smaller Single-Family Homes

The National Association of Home Builders believes the 2015 home will average around 2,152 square feet. This is 10 percent smaller than the average single-family home seen in 2010. These smaller homes are accommodating to the demand for more affordable housing options.

Thirty percent of builders expect the living room to completely disappear, and 52 percent anticipate the space to simply merge with other rooms to cut down on square footage. The sizes of dining rooms and foyers are predicted to also decrease in 2015.

"As an overall share of total floor space, 54 percent of builders said the family room is likely to increase," said NAHB Assistant Vice President for Survey Research Rose Quint. "That makes it the only area of the home likely to get bigger."

Decorative Elements to Watch for and Eliminate

According to Zillow, here are a few new decorative elements that will gain popularity in 2015:

• Wallpaper and textured walls are expected to become more popular in the upcoming year. These will likely decorate accent walls and right and solid colored accent walls may fade away in 2015. Wallpaper offers unique and intricate patterns and modern products offer easy installation and removal. Sherwin-Williams designs wallpaper options with these convenient features that are also environmentally friendly.
• Gold fixtures will be another popular design feature in homes next year. Sinks, faucets, lights and other fixtures will add charm and glamor to any room in the house. Homeowners can experiment with this bold and vintage look. Easily update your home by checking out your local hardware store for products in this trendy shade.
• The color blue may become the most popular color to use when selecting accent pieces in a home. Kerrie Kelly, a Zillow Digs home design expert, noted that blueish hues will likely become popular due to their ability to pop against neutral and earthy tones. While this color makes a splash, it still matches well with most color palettes.

Green Living Becomes More Prominent in Homes

NAHB reported 68 percent of builders predict an increase in green technology and features in 2015 homes. Low-energy windows, water-efficient features and an Energy Star rating are forecast to become staples of newly constructed single-family homes.

According to the Green Multifamily and Single-Family Homes: Growth in a Recovering Market Smart Market Report, at least 60 percent of home projects are green in approximately 34 percent of single-family homes. A drastic shift toward a majority, 90 percent, of green projects is anticipated by 2018.

Green is becoming the gold standard for many newly constructed homes and renovations. Code ordinance and regulation changes, energy costs and green product affordability and availability seem to trigger the increased desire for these types of features in new homes.

The demand for green has heightened a great deal since previous years. In 2011, 61 percent of individuals were willing to pay more for green products, and in 2013, that rate jumped to 73 percent.

The Green Home Builder reported natural products are also especially trendy right now. Wool, stone and local lumber are very appealing to today's homebuyers. Additionally, green roofs and urban farming are gaining popularity. Green roofs offer both better regulation of surface water runoff and more energy efficiency.

Living in the city does not mean you can't access fresh fruits and vegetables. A surge in urban farming has provided many individuals with healthy and often organic produce options. Green living also encompasses gardening. Expect to see a rise in single-family and community garden projects in more households and neighborhoods.

With the rising popularity of environmentally friendly home features, the Green Home Builder predicts that in the future every home will have green features. They anticipate green homes to be the new standard.

Additional Trends We May Seen in 2015

RealtorMag also had a number of predictions for the upcoming year. As Green Home Builder noted, natural stones will continue to be a popular item in new homes and RealtorMag forecasts a rising demand for one particular type of stone. Quartzite is a natural and affordable stone. It serves as a classy and elegant countertop, similar to marble, that is highly durable.

Another forecast trend that falls in line with green living is more open floor plans that are designed for optimal energy efficiency.

RealtorMag also predicts the implementation of new technology. Expect to see keyless entry, advanced security systems and charging stations engineered for our mobile lives.

Enhanced outdoor living spaces are predicted for the upcoming year. The expectation of more time spent outdoors in 2015 may lead a higher number of luxury outdoor features included in new home construction blueprints and renovations. We may see more pools, outdoor showers, hot tubs, vast gardens and upgraded decks and porches next year.

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