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Hi! This is Jonathan Sweet with HousingZone.com and Professional Remodeler. I am here today
with David Barista, Editor-in-Chief of professional Builder.
I understand you guys did some research for some of your builder readers on trends that
you have seen in sidings and other exterior products. Can you tell us a little bit about
it? Yes! Each month we do exclusive research for
Professional Builder readers. In the June’s issue we looked at exterior materials, finishes
and products that are being specified for their new homes. I just have a few trends
that I would like to go over now. One is that what are the top materials being
used in new homes today. Fiber cement is number one by far. In fact only 10-12% of survey
base said that they didn’t use fiber cement. So 88-90% did use that. Almost 40% use at
older homes, so it’s quite surprising. Other top materials are sort of stand-by like
bricks, stone, wood, concrete blocks and that sort of things.
Another interesting trend is the veneer products. We hear so much about veneer, stone veneer
and the brick veneer. Actually stone veneer came in second as far as builders that don’t
use it. About 86% said that they do use it and about 14% said that they don’t use stone
veneer. So it’s quite interesting to see the veneer products grow throughout the year.
That’s very interesting. One thing that builders are trying to do in this market is
set themselves apart from the competition. Did you see anything that builders are doing
in exterior designs to try to be different? Yes! Obviously kitchen is the number 1 upgrade
area of the home, but certainly the exterior is probably number 2. So we looked at what
features are you selling as upgrades on the exteriors. No surprise that windows are by
far number one, going for energy efficiency and other aspects in mind. Siding material
is number 2, so you set the brick veneer, the stone, the upgraded siding, that sort
of material. Elevation and design changes, obviously people
looking for that curve appeal – that came at number 3. I think that the biggest surprise
is number 4 – the entry doors. So people/ buyers are really putting money into the doors
that they see as true design feature of the home. So I thought that it was quite interesting.
There are tons of results from this survey. Again we will post them on HousingZone.com
later this week.