Home exterior survey: curb appeal, energy efficiency most important to buyers

When it comes to selecting exterior design features and materials for their new homes, buyers are most concerned with the overall curb appeal of the home exterior, followed by the energy efficiency of the envelope, according to a survey of 168 home builders for Professional Builder’s annual Home Exteriors Survey.

More than three-quarters of builder respondents (76.6 percent) said “great design/curb appeal” was an important issue among their buyers, while 53.2 percent mentioned “energy efficiency/ongoing cost savings” as a key consideration. Ease of maintenance, weather-tight construction, and outdoor living amenities were also cited by builders as important considerations among their buyers.

However, the overall cost of the exterior seems to be playing a lesser role in the decision-making process; just 14.6 percent of respondents said it was a key consideration, down from 23.9 percent in last year’s survey.

More findings from the 2012 Home Exteriors Survey are presented in the charts below.

Methodology and Respondent Information

This survey was distributed in May 2012 to 86,054 Professional Builder readers. No incentive was offered. By the closing date, a total of 168 eligible readers had responded. Respondent breakdown by discipline: 54.0 percent single-family home builder; 20.6 percent diversified builder/remodeler; 12.7 percent designer/architect; 2.4 percent systems builder; 2.4 percent multi-family builder; and 7.9 percent “other.” More than half of respondents (58.1 percent) said they built between one and five homes last year, while 20.7 percent said they built more than 50 homes in 2011. Respondents’ construction activity was evenly divided among the major regions.