Wellness—the idea that homes should actively support physical and mental health—has become a central feature of luxury homes, as sophisticated air filtration, circadian lighting, and spa-quality water systems moved from the fringes into the mainstream of high-end residential design.
But now these features and buyer expectations are expanding beyond luxury projects. Investments in wellness real estate—across all building sectors to promote occupant and community well-being—doubled from $225 billion globally in 2019 to $548 billion in 2024, according to the Global Wellness Institute (GWI),which tracks the global wellness economy. GWI projects these investments to reach $1.1 trillion by 2029.
The pandemic accelerated this shift, resetting how people think about health at home. Now, buyers across all price points expect their homes to actively support their physical and mental well-being, according to the America at Home Study (AAHS), a multi-wave survey with more than 16,000 consumer responses that launched during the early days of COVID and continued to track consumer attitudes into last year.
The rollout to a broader mainstream will vary by budget, of course. Luxury homes might include biometric bathroom fixtures and integrated technology that optimizes daily routines, while more modest builds may focus on better ventilation, improved air and water quality, and larger and strategically placed windows for natural light.
But the goal is the same: to holistically design homes that support well-being (or, dare we suggest the new term, "human resilience"), in which air quality doesn't trigger allergies, lighting facilitates good sleep, soundproofing creates a cocoon-like environment, and living spaces and communities reduce stress rather than create it.
Wellness isn’t an upgrade anymore, or shouldn't be. The latest wave of the AAHS clearly indicates that mental, emotional, and physical well-being are the top driver of housing decisions by consumers, a trend that has been increasingly evident across all four waves of the study.
So why keep treating wellness as an upgrade option … or ignore it altogether? Like early adopters of energy efficiency and green building, the architects, designers, and builders that make wellness a standard and deliver homes that feel as good as they perform will define what's relevant, marketable, and profitable in the years to come.
We're making wellness an editorial priority in 2026. It’s time for you to make it your baseline.
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About the Author
Pauline Hammerbeck, Senior Content Strategist
Pauline Hammerbeck is the editor of Custom Builder, the leading business media brand for custom builders and their architectural and design partners. She also serves as the senior content strategist for Pro Builder, where she directs products coverage and the brand's MVP Product Awards. With experience across the built environment—in architecture, real estate, retail, and design—she brings a broad perspective to her work. Reach her at [email protected].