What Home Buyers Want in 2020: Key Features and Selling Points for the New Decade

Energy Efficiency

As home buyers become younger and younger, energy-efficient structures become more popular. According to the National Association of Home Builders, the most sought-after green features in a home include:

• Energy-Star rated windows and appliances.
• Toilets that conserve water.
• Tankless water heaters.
• Solar panels.
• Extra insulation.
• Triple-paned glass in windows and doors. 

Home buyers in 2020 want an efficient home that boasts big creature comforts, combined with a small monthly utility bill.

Sustainability

Hand-in-hand with energy efficiency comes sustainability. Recycled building materials such as reclaimed wood and recycled steel are gaining ground as viable alternatives to traditional building materials. The use of pre-cast concrete and bamboo is increasing as well. But homebuyers who really want to flaunt their devotion to sustainable products this year may be able to choose sheep's wool or straw bales as home insulation. Houses made of earth may even begin to crop up in places where they weren't previously welcome. 

Technology

It's a digital world in which we live in 2020. That's why young home buyers want more tech features in the homes they're considering living in for the next three-to-five years. CNET includes the following devices in their list of top home tech:

• Smart speakers.
• Smart displays.
• Mesh routers.
• Smart plugs.
• Smart light bulbs.
• Smart thermostats.
• Video doorbells.
• Home security systems.

These devices not only protect your home from intruders and show you who's at your door from across the country, they do the little things, too. They can read you a recipe so you're free to keep your hands in the bowl. They can ensure you have seamless WIFI connection all through the house and have your rooms warmed up and waiting for you when you get home from work in the evenings. Today's tech is all about hands-free convenience at the simple command of a voice, and today's home buyers are crazy for it. 

Wide-Open Spaces

Open-concept areas are still big this year, but in 2020, they're expanding to include the great outdoors. Homes that offer a seamless transition from indoors to an upgraded, outdoor living space are in demand. Walls of sliding, glass doors that simply fold away to remove the barrier between a kitchen and an outdoor deck are prime real estate. 

Other top trends in home design this year include industrial living spaces and rooms that boast high-contrast decor. The majority of home buyers going forward are expected to be some of the youngest, most professional that the market has ever seen. Younger buyers means more adventurous floor plans and garages capable of housing multiple cars. In short, 2020 is shaping up to be a real estate agent's dream.