“All these energy-saving options are ‘must haves,’” says Warrick, with the exception of solar panels. Warrick believes that energy efficiency is the builder’s ace-in-the-hole in competition against resales. “Builders need to do a better job explaining the benefits of these features to customers.”

New-home shoppers believe that green features are important in new homes, but they won’t pay as much for them as energy-efficient features. Forty-nine percent of buyers said they would only pay up to $2,000 extra for green features that would add up to $14 a month to monthly payments.

More than half the shoppers were 40 years of age or younger, an indication that younger people are in the market for a new home today. Also, almost two-thirds of the shoppers were women. Slightly more than half of the buyers had at least one child.

The survey revealed some powerful new motivations among buyers. For instance, the following percentage of buyers said this was very true or exactly how they felt. 

  • 78% say that spending time at home with my family has become more important to me

  • 67% say I’m not going out as much, so my home is more important

  • 72% say I’m spending money more cautiously now

  • 54% say I’m living a simpler lifestyle even though my income is the same

The survey revealed that 43 percent of buyers were using a real estate agent to find a home, “which is about what we’d expect for this sample,” says Warrick. “But Realtors recommended looking at resale only 27 percent of the time, the lowest rate we have ever seen. It is usually around 40 percent-plus.”

The results also indicate a strong preference for detached housing. However, if buyers can get more square footage or a nicer neighborhood, many of them will consider attached housing. Nearly one-quarter of buyers, for instance, would very likely or definitely consider a townhome over a similarly priced detached home if it were located in a nicer neighborhood. “This is a case for considering infill opportunities,” says Warrick.

Boyce Thompson is Editorial Director at Builder magazine.