According to the survey which was published by Mark Nash (Reality Times) buyers will start looking for home offices despite its lack of a suitable place for business meetings. When posed with the situation, participants indicated that instead of using coffee shops or hotel lobbies for meetings with clients, there are work places not far away from the home office with conference rooms that offer privacy and business facilities where they could rent out at affordable hourly rates.

Home buyers will demand for housing which will allocate a space for their personal use where they can work on projects while in their homes without being disturbed for as long as they want.

Moreover, buyers would scout for homes with a wellness room. This is a kind of “rejuvenation room” which provides a one-stop hub for physical fitness routines, for meditation, sauna and spa with steam showers. Speaking of showers, there are indications the upcoming trend would be one with “waterfall fixtures, programmable temperature and water flow.”

Considered as a solution to one common problem of relationship is the inclusion of snoring rooms as an option in new homes. This would be adjacent to the master’s bedroom and can be used by loud-snoring individuals, which habit has often been the cause of strained relationships

Affluent consumers would love to own homes with "upscale garages." According to the survey, today’s trend is a garage that offers amenities like cabinets and storage systems, heating and air conditioning, insulation, homey flooring, and even refrigerators are very much welcome.

Cost-saving housing trends would be heated patios, walkways and driveways. Such innovations can very well minimize winter maintenance cost and prolonged indulgence of spring and fall.

Home buyers will be pleased with homes offering structured wiring wherein multi-outlet boxes of trade and home network centers such as cable, voice and data lines, radio and remote camera security are connected and ready to use.

With regards to finishing touches, matching designs are on the way out. The in thing would be mixing finishes especially on the kitchen base and cabinets. It’s more like a mixture of the old and the new concepts in interior designs.

Soon to be the wave of the future is the low cost, factory built construction commonly known as “modular housing with sustainable design.” This concept is aimed at maximizing holistic views of homes in terms of conserving energy and resources including air quality inside the premises.

According to Bill Lurz, of Professional Builders, modular housing is gradually playing a part in major recovery efforts of regions devastated by hurricane Katrina. It would be interesting to note how this would play an important role in the housing business in the years ahead.

Ma. Roma C. Agsalud

Miami Real Estate