Reconfiguring the American dream - house - Cover Story

American Demographics, Jan, 1997 by Marcia Mogelonsky

American homes have come a long way since the cookie-cutter days of early suburbia. People have definite ideas about their dream homes. Many preferences are related to life stage, and some vary by region. Houses of the future may be wired to the hilt, but they may have little else in common other than their owner's desire for the perfect home.

When Lila Brownberg, her husband, and their three children moved into their brand-new suburban house in 1964, the builder allowed her to choose the linoleum pattern for the floor and the color of the countertops in her dream kitchen. That was it. He also allotted a budget of $100 for light fixtures for the entire three-bedroom house.

In 1994, Brownberg's daughter Sarah, her husband, and two children moved into their new house. Sarah Brownberg-Stern chose not only the floor coverings, cabinets, sinks, and fixtures for her dream kitchen, but she had a say in the carpets, paint color, and lighting scheme for the entire four-bedroom house. She was an active participant in every phase of her home's construction, from consulting with the architect and builder about room size and placement to selecting windows, taps, and even toilets.

"We were thrilled to have that much choice," says the older Mrs. Brownberg. "Thirty years ago, it was a dream just to have a new home, and we didn't mind that it looked just about the same as every other house on the street. After all, that was the way it was then." Sarah Brownberg-Stern epitomizes the 1990s' approach to middle-class homeownership, however: "We wanted our house to be different, to stand out. We were very involved in all the choices the builder made. He consulted us on exterior siding and trim and on everything inside. After all, this is our house, and we want it to reflect our personalities and suit our needs."

Homes are not only the single biggest investment most Americans make, they are one of the most personal. This is probably why buying a home is considered one of life's most stressful experiences. People have a lot riding on making the right decisions. Those decisions have a lot to do with where people are in their lives. People's housing needs change as their lives do. Trading up or down is not unusual, and many first-time buyers agree that their first house is not going to be their last.

The average new single-family home grew from 1,645 square feet in 1975 to 2,095 square feet in 1995. People's yen for bigger homes has been accompanied by a desire for "loaded" houses. The most popular home built in 1995 had three bedrooms and two bathrooms, according to the National Association of Realtors. It would be difficult to find a home built today without central air conditioning, a two-car garage, and one or more fireplaces. By contrast, fewer than half of homes built in 1975 and central air. Just 20 percent had at least two-and-a-half baths, compared with almost half of new homes today.

FAM RM VS. MASTER SUITE

People buying new four-bedroom homes obviously have more money than the average homebuyer. They also tend to have bigger households, which helps explains why they want so much space. But not all homebuyers are created equal. The Concord Group of Newport Beach, California, identifies 14 consumer segments and recognizes that the needs and wants of each one has implications on the configuration and design of homes.

"Childfree singles under age 35 are limited by their financial situation. These people tend to be active and mobile. They have many interests and are more likely to entertain informally," says Richard Gollis, a principal with the Concord Group. Young singles, Gollis says, will be looking for "compact, one-story units with available recreational facilities. They prefer informal dining areas and require one bedroom plus a den/guest room."

The presence or absence of children drives some of the biggest differences in home design preferences. "Family move-ups" with school-aged children are like childfree singles in that they live informally and have numerous interests. The difference is that most of those interests are child-oriented. "These families are buying space," says Gollis. "They want a family room. The number of bedrooms is as important as their size. And a large yard is extremely important."

When children are young, parents are content with small bedrooms. But as children reach their teen years and parents have more money, Mom and Dad may yearn for a master suite with private bath and perhaps a jacuzzi. They may look for homes with larger secondary bedrooms to accommodate their youngsters' spreading stuff. They may also be in the market for some formal entertaining space now that the kids are less likely to destroy brocade upholstery and wool rugs. They may even be up to the expense of a formally landscaped yard now free of trikes and swing sets.

Mature people with no children living at home also prefer homes with master suites and formal living and dining rooms, says Gollis. They may also put a guest suite on their wish list as well as an informal dining area in the kitchen and a low-or-no-maintenance yard.