Home exteriors help seal the deal

For new-home buyers, a sparkling kitchen is a must, but exterior features also rank high on buyers' wish lists today.

Outdoor living space is so popular that it has become an important part of the design of a home and one of the most desired home features. Buyers look for a porch, deck or patio to enjoy the outdoors and socialize with family and friends.

To enhance their outdoor living spaces, buyers like exterior lighting, gardens and attractive surroundings.

Buyers also look for homes with low- or no-maintenance exterior products, and environmentally conscious people want sustainable materials that reflect their values - a growing design trend. Along with that, they want beautiful but low-maintenance landscaping.

Desired architectural features include grand entrances with double doors of mahogany that bring warmth and natural woods to the entry. Transom windows above regular windows add style to the exterior and allow more light into the home.

Forward-thinking buyers look for a home with a universal design, which is becoming more popular than ever before. This concept creates spaces that are more universally usable to everyone.

Here's what builders say about exterior features that homebuyers want.

Outdoor living spaces

At West Point Gardens, large front porches and private enclosed gardens are major selling features at the community, said Pat Curran, CEO of West Point Builders. "It really extends the home's living space, and people enjoy sitting out on their porches and visiting with their neighbors. It's a more social setting for homeowners."

The community also features attractive landscaping that enhances the porch space and gives the neighborhood a nice feel that people enjoy while sitting outside or walking in the neighborhood. The community also offers open space, parks and bike paths.

Although outdoor living spaces have always been a popular feature with homebuyers at Henning Estates by Rock Creek Homes in Huntley, the builder is seeing a trend toward more intimate spaces brimming with luxury touches.

Buyers are requesting screened porches for outdoor living on a daily basis, and they want specific details for the space, even forgoing some interior features to ensure they have money set aside to create a special outdoor oasis that is easily accessible from the main living spaces.

Popular screened porch features include fireplaces, ceiling fans, lighting, stamped concrete or paver flooring and even televisions, said Ryan VanLue, president of Rock Creek Homes, developer and builder of Henning Estates in Huntley.

Lighting

Exterior lighting is a desired outdoor feature that will grab potential buyers' attention before they even set foot in the front door. Landscape lighting allows homeowners to enjoy the outdoors under the stars. Common features include a mounted chandelier for elegant entertaining, while light posts, lanterns and string lights - not just for the holidays anymore - illuminate outdoor spaces.

Other options include spotlights, walkway lights and solar lights.

Aesthetics aside, exterior lighting also serves as a safety feature for your home. Motion-sensor lights, for example, turn on automatically whenever there is movement outside your house.

Exterior materials

At Henning Estates, the mix of natural stone with cedar shake or board and baton siding continue to be popular materials for home exteriors. Combining exterior materials ensures every home is unique with a look all its own, VanLue said. "We specifically use LP SmartSide for its durability and strength.

"We're seeing a trend toward stone and brick, and for more expensive homes, stone and brick can be mixed together for a luxury look with low maintenance. We've also had some buyers request all-brick homes or homes designed mostly with brick and accented with natural stone. Brick and natural stone typically require less maintenance than painted surfaces, which is an appealing feature for our homebuyers."

Homes at Henning Estates are designed with natural stone rather than cultured or man-made products. It's more fitting with the natural surroundings and gives the homes and the community more of an upscale look and feel, especially when enhanced with soft exterior uplighting to really showcase the architectural elements of the homes' exterior.

Heritage Harbor Ottawa Resort is a vacation community with homes and cottages that reflect a unique, coastal style. Home exteriors feature a smart siding composite and trek decking that require no maintenance except power washing. Both of these composite materials take on the weathered look of aging that people like, said Tammy Barry, director of sales and marketing.

"People who live in a vacation community don't want to spend their time on home maintenance, so no- or low-maintenance exterior materials are an important feature for our residents."

The community offers metal roofs, reminiscent of an old cottage, which are more expensive and well insulated so homeowners don't hear noise when it rains. And it rarely needs to be replaced. A variety of colors are available to create different looks that people want.

"For front doors, we see a lot of steel or aluminum doors that residents paint to make them look like wood," Barry said.

Universal design

From zero threshold walkways to near no-step entrances, universal design is gaining in popularity, and it's not just for the elderly.

At Newport Cove, a year-round resort style community in Antioch, the Limehouse is a charming cottage with 1,992 square feet, two bedrooms, two baths, a den, patio and two-car garage. The home features a more contemporary look with an urban flair and a lot of architectural details.

Tucked into the landscape and front porch design is an unobtrusive bricked ramp. The front door is 42 inches wide, and there is no "step up" at the door. Also making the ranch home accessible is an interior elevator that stops on the first floor, garage and finished lower level.

"This design showcases a universal design, but quietly," said Susanne Tauke, president of New American Homes, developer of the community. "My sister is a professor of architecture in New York, and she worked with me on the design. It won an award from the National Homebuilders Association for best of 50-plus housing.

With universal design, people can age in place gracefully and live comfortably and safely in their homes for as long as possible.