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| Energy Efficiency on the Minds of Home Buyers and More Signs of Hope |
| Written by Jonathan Smoke | |
| 02.15.2008 | |
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Discuss this article on the forums. (0 posts) Day 2 of the Builder Show started with an early presentation by Gopal Ahluwalia, the head of research for NAHB, on the key findings in the 2008 NAHB Consumer Preferences Study. An 8 am presentation is a challenge for any convention, but there were many interested builders and suppliers wanting to find out about the study. Ahluwalia reported on several key differences showing up in this study over studies completed previously. First, energy efficiency was high on the list of consumer preferences with 72% of respondents indicating that energy efficiency features would most influence their purchase decision. This was second only to the amount of living space. Also different in this study was that for the first time consumers not only expressed interest in energy efficiency they also expressed a willingness to pay for it, with an average of $8,964 identified as the amount respondents were willing to pay upfront to save on utility costs.  Other key findings included that consumers on average are looking for homes in the 2,300 square foot range, yet homes being delivered averaged over 2,500 square feet last year. And outdoor living is a growing focus.The study findings are reported in a new 650 page report available from NAHB. We will be reporting a lot of the findings here as our company was one of the 10 sponsors of the study. We are also working on some ground-breaking analysis to combine the study data with our Rating Insights research. Our goal is to produce a clear and easy to understand view of the identified consumer segments and what they prefer and value most in a home and community. If you are a builder or supplier that’s interested in getting guided help in understanding our research and the 2008 NAHB Consumer Preferences Report, contact us. There’s much more I can report, but I will close with another positive report from the ground. I was again pleased to hear from builders throughout the day that traffic and sales are up so far in 2008. I asked every builder I ran into and heard opinions from places like Raleigh-Durham, Atlanta, Virginia Beach, southern California, Kansas City, Seattle, and Utah. The lone negative report I heard was from Detroit. Let’s hope this positive momentum continues into the spring. 
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