Southwest Florida homebuyers reflect national trends of what buyers want

Nationwide, builders and designers have paid close attention to trends, noting periodic changes in the features that buyers want most in their homes. Many of the features are universal in appeal, but in Southwest Florida what buyers want may sometimes go beyond national trends.

At the top of the list of items that are important to home buyers nationally, according to a poll by Home & Garden TV designers, are dramatic entryways, hardwood floors, decorative fixtures and beautiful baths. Close behind are features such as solid surface countertops, stainless steel in the kitchen and closet spaces.

Those are important to buyers in Southwest Florida as well, according to Jane Beley, design studio manager for Toll Brothers, but buyers in this area want more. Located in Bonita Springs, the Regional Design Studio serves buyers in Toll Brothers’ West Florida Division, which includes communities in Naples, Bonita Springs, Estero and Fort Myers. Beley and her staff work one-on-one with each homeowner as they make their design selections.

“In Southwest Florida, buyers also want tile — tile everywhere except the bedrooms,” Beley said, noting that it is likely a trend confined to warmer regions. “The bigger the tile is, the better, and the more it looks like natural stone, the better it is, from the buyer’s viewpoint.”

According to Beley, there is a renewed interest in creating patterns with tile and utilizing listellos and mosaics throughout the home. “They are not just in the entryway now.”

In the baths, tile is again in the forefront of choices with large tiles on the walls, bathtub faces and floors. Again decorative listellos are an often-added feature as are pattern designs worked into the flooring.

“Even the shower floors are becoming accent areas,” Beley said. “Bathrooms are a very important item to homeowners, and one of the most important rooms in the home.”

It is in the bath, too, that homebuyers look to add beautiful fixtures, faucets and hardware.

When it comes to wood flooring, Southwest Florida buyers are in step, but they focus on wood flooring primarily in studies.

“However, we are seeing increased sales of wood flooring in all areas,” Beley said, “and buyers love the exotic woods, such as bamboo, mahogany and teak. Brazilian cherry offers a unique appearance, as well.”

In the kitchen, another important area to homebuyers, Toll Brothers is seeing a trend toward the use of stainless steel. According to HGTV designers, part of the appeal is the resemblance to commercial kitchens and the cleanliness of the effect.

“The look is contemporary yet still warm,” Beley said. “It isn’t the stark, cold ‘modern’ that was introduced a few decades ago. Stainless steel is popular not only for the appliances but also for the backsplash, and cabinet hardware. Combined with the richness of darker woods, such as mahogany, stainless steel produces a warm effect.”

When buyers aren’t opting for the stainless look, they are often using appliances that can be covered with doors duplicating the design of the kitchen cabinetry, thus blending the appliances with the rest of the décor.

Beley noted that the recent expansion of Toll Brothers’ Regional Design Studio included the addition of two kitchens that reflect those trends.

In Southwest Florida, the flexibility of room space is of primary importance, according to Beley. Increasingly, rooms are multi-functional, with a TV room doubling as a study or a home office doubling as a guest room. Low voltage and structured wiring allow rapid Internet access and the use of fax and multiple phone lines to facilitate working from home.

Unique, too, is the emphasis on outdoor living, where the interior design and décor are incorporated into the outdoor spaces.

“The outdoor area is an extension of the house,” Beley said, “and homeowners want all of the amenities — a pool, spa and an outdoor kitchen.”

According to marketing expert S. Robert August, writing for the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), a large segment of the home-buying market is the generation born after World War II, the “baby boomers,” now in their 50s. While surveys of these buyers echo the trends observed by HGTV designers, the NAHB also found that convenience of design is also important as buyers anticipate remaining in their homes as they age.

They are looking for single-level floor plans, or at least one bedroom and bath on the first floor, convenience in the appliance design and light switches, lever handle faucets, dishwashers and ovens at raised heights. They like easy-glide hardware and security systems. This generation also likes a maintenance-free lifestyle, controlled community access and resort-style amenities that favor an active lifestyle. This high-tech generation also wants high-speed Internet access.

Buyer preferences such as these are tracked by Toll Brothers and reflected in the design of new communities and new home plans.

“In order to meet the needs of a variety of buyers, we have both single-story and two-story designs,” said Ken Thirtyacre, senior vice president of Toll Brothers’ West Florida Division. “We include items such as rocker switches, easy-glide hardware and security systems. We offer high-speed Internet access through our own cable company.”

Thirtyacre said Toll Brothers’ communities, such as Belle Lago, an Estero community of single-family homes, and The Reserve at Estero, a new community of single-family homes also in Estero, focus on the active lifestyle amenities that buyers have requested.

“Belle Lago has a clubhouse with fitness center, card room, billiard room and community room. Outdoors there are lighted tennis courts, a free-form pool and sunning decks,” he said. “Throughout the community there are walking and jogging trails. The same amenities are planned for The Reserve at Estero. Our goal is to know what buyers want and to deliver it.”