After a year of adaptation amid frequent supply chain disruptions and material shortages, builders are evaluating and refining COVID-required practices to find the best route forward. According to a survey conducted by Pro Builder and Home Innovation Research Labs, a large segment of national builders will continue expanding their stable of suppliers to shortcut pandemic-driven supply chain issues and fluctuating materials prices.
More builders are also incorporating consumer-demanded products and home amenities to meet new lifestyle needs and concerns like indoor air quality, occupant health, and floor plans suited for remote work spaces. On the contrary, the majority of national builders were required to adopt virus-mitigating practices on their job sites throughout the pandemic, a precaution many may not continue in the year ahead, according to NAHBNow.
Some of the top practices builders plan to continue include:
- Expanding their stable of suppliers because of pandemic-driven supply chain issues and materials price volatility, which they don’t expect to scale back when those crises abate.
- Incorporating consumer-demanded products and features to meet changing lifestyle needs, including a greater emphasis on indoor air quality and occupant health, floor plans with at least one dedicated office (and likely another), spaces for remote learning, and more and bigger outdoor living areas.
Others they may not continue include:
- Adopting virus-mitigating practices on their job sites, and in their design centers and sales offices.
Related Stories
Housing Markets
Unsure Of The Housing Market's Future, Homebuyers Are Canceling Deals
In the face of an uncertain future for the housing market, more and more potential homebuyers are backing out of deals. Now, builders must decide how to adjust given this current shift.
Housing Markets
The New Home Trends Institute Releases New Insights Report
The New Home Trends Institute recently released its July 2022 Survey Insights Report, outlining changing homebuyer expectations, the reallocation of indoor and outdoor spaces, and how floorplan design continues to react to new consumer demands.
Builders
The Biggest Challenges and Silver Linings for the Largest U.S. Home Builder
Home building is booming nationwide amid soaring demand, but some challenges remain even for the biggest names in the industry