Developments like Pella’s Prairie Ridge and Ankeny’s Prairie Trail point to the sort of communities buyers of new homes find appealing, with amenities like parks and walking trails and purpose-built commercial nodes within easy reach.
But buyers also display some very specific preferences about what they within their homes.
Some of those preferences show the distinct influence of the pandemic period, when many people found themselves stuck in their houses for long periods. Preparing more meals at home instead of eating out, they’re now more attuned to high-end, spacious kitchens, the National Association of Home Builders has found. They also want outdoor living areas — places to escape that cooped-up feeling.
A survey of 3,247 recent and prospective buyers found the items of highest interest among home purchasers included a side-by-side kitchen sink, a designated dining table and a patio and exterior lighting. Most popular of all: a separate laundry room.
More:A new generation wants a new kind of neighborhood, says Pella developer with Ankeny inspiration
Ankeny’s Sage Homes has built homes in both Prairie Trail and Prairie Ridge, where owner Chris Pickard said he has heard many of the same requests from customers.
“We see a lot of folks who are wanting to do a separate laundry room space,” Pickard said, adding that it’s not always easy to carve out that space in more compact homes.
But some preferences are perennials, he said.
“The overwhelming majority of our customers are still looking for basements,” Pickard said. “It’s a cheap square-foot add, as opposed to adding a second story. A basement is a no-brainer for most folks.”
More:Basements are a decisive factor in tornado survival. In Iowa, homes increasingly lack them
Pickard said customers often speak a combination of using bases for a guestroom and workspace, or for mother-in-law apartments to accommodate aging relatives, and “I think a lot of the younger families look at a big, open family room area downstairs, to be with their family, or friends coming over,” he said.
The NAHB survey also found that seasoned buyers made Energy Star-rated windows and appliances another high priority in searching for their next home.
For Pickard as a builder of new homes, modern construction methods and new appliances have made energy efficiency less of an issue.
“We have very deep conversations with probably only 15 to 20% of our customer base about going above and beyond current standards” he said. “It doesn’t really get to the radar of most folks.”
More:Des Moines metro home building is booming as Iowans take advantage of low interest rates to seek more space
But BJ Stokesbary, the CEO and partner of ATI Group, builder of Prairie Ridge, said one technical feature that is now a must-have is the fastest available internet service — preferably fiber.
“Five years ago, no one was asking us, ‘Who is the internet provider and is it fiber? What’s the speed of the internet?’” he said. “And I would tell you, it is the most common question we get now.
“It’s such a first world problem to have, but Netflix starts buffering and your whole world falls apart,” Stokesbary added.
Richard Lane is the real estate reporter for the Des Moines Register. He can be reached at [email protected].