Wednesday, May 11, 2005

 

Sometimes less is really more

Whether it’s due to the soft economy, rising heating and cooling costs, or just a style shift, economists say American home buyers are scaling down. According to the 2003 U.S. Census, the number of rooms per house peaked in 2000, and has declined every year since.

When 10,000 builders attended the International Builders Show in Orlando, the model show house they all came to see was designed by architect Sarah Susanka, the author of “The Not So Big House.” Reducing a house’s footprint frees up money for better design, materials and workmanship. Bob Adams Homes has long since taken this trend seriously, and has been providing their homeowners with homes that are “right sized” instead of “down-sized.”

Even furniture is shrinking back to normal size, according to trade magazine “Furniture Today.” As we move back to more human-scaled houses, we want more human-scaled furniture.

Empty Nesters and retirees are driving some of the trend, and that’s where Bob Adams Homes has noticed this the most. Their customer tends to favor quality over quantity. We, as a whole, are starting to realize that the number of bedrooms in our homes need not necessarily exceed the number of people living in them.

Fewer square feet equal more money in extras. They don’t necessarily want to live “large” but they do want to live “well.”

In home building and buying today, less really is more, and simplifying is a trend that is appealing to us all.

Bob Adams Homes Communities can be seen at Lora’s Place in Newnan, Eagle’s Nest in Eagle’s Landing, Georgetown in McDonough, Emory Springs in Fayetteville, and The Glen at Heron Bay in Locust Grove.