Americans weigh in on top home design features

Home offices and dedicated laundry rooms are what consumers want in their next homes.

According to the 2018 Ashton Woods National Homebuyer Survey, 67 percent of potential homebuyers want a home office, while 87 percent want a dedicated laundry room in their next home. More than half of respondents want an entertainment room, and one-third of respondents said they would pay up to $10,000 more for these extra features.

These aren’t the only luxuries homeowners are willing to splurge on for their next home. Pet owners, who made up 77 percent of respondents, often have a dedicated room for their pets. Close to half of pet owners reported they want their pets to have their own dedicated space in their next home, representing 37 percent of all respondents.

Beyond the extras, the majority of participates surveyed want three bedrooms, which is larger than their current property. Interestingly, baby boomers were the most likely to say they wanted four bedrooms in their next home, while millennials were more likely to want a three-bedroom or a two-bedroom home. Two bathrooms is considered ideal, which would be more for the majority of participants than their current property.

In their current homes, respondents were most dissatisfied with the kitchen, followed by the backyard and then the master bath. Not surprisingly, participants had a lot of opinions on what they want in their next kitchen. Close to 75 percent said the kitchen is the most important area of a home to have luxury features. Natural, light wood cabinets are preferred, with dark granite or marble countertops. This is a change from the all-white look, which was popular in kitchen for years.