As further indication of the strength behind the trend towards smaller homes in closer-in, walkable neighborhoods, the National Association of Home Builders' "New American Home" for 2012 is one of the smallest homes it has showcased in the past 29 years, The Wall Street Journal reports today. Get the full WSJ blog post here. (Back in November, we blogged about similar articles noting this same shift in homebuying patterns.)
We were excited to see that the showpiece home is not only reflective of today's and tomorrow's buyers' demands for smaller footprints (albeit at 4,181 square feet it is still significantly larger than the 2,377-square-foot average American home), but it is also located on an infill site within walking distance of shops and restaurants -- Something that's right up our alley!
We find that walkability (and Metro-access) is the first driver for many of our homebuyers. With centralized, higher density locations, it is only natural that the homes' footprints become more efficient. While we certainly aren't building 4,000-square-foot McMansions, we feel over the past 20 years we have mastered the art of incorporating space where it matters most: living areas, master baths, outdoor spaces and storage space (not to mention two-car garages for those who enjoy a walkable life but still need their 4-wheel mode of transport).
We'll be at NAHB's International Builders' Show in a few weeks and will report back any other interesting finds!