What buyers want in a home

New buyers are looking for features that enhance their comfort, security and enjoyment, and that reflects in the high prices of today's homes. Three experts -- a home builder, a realtor and an interior designer -- provide their take on the must-haves for today's home buyers:

1. One-level living
"As boomers age, the demand is rising for no-step homes," says Mike Baier of Limona Construction in Victoria. "Clients are now asking for a main-floor master bedroom, even in two-storey houses." The bedrooms on the upper level, Baier says, are then reserved for use by children and guests.

2. Storage
As land prices rise, storage space is at a premium in most new construction.

In most instances, Baier says, a larger garage or a crawlspace is enough. But he says the solution many homeowners rely on are private storage facilities.

3. Spa-like features
After the kitchen, a spa-like bathroom tops the list as a nice-to-have feature in new homes. "Generally speaking, it is the woman that makes the final decision [choosing a home]," Baier says. "The spa bathroom, with its granite countertops and radiant, in-floor heating is extremely popular now."

4. Green features
"We are at the level where people will ask about green houses," Baier says.

"People are talking about it more, but the story changes when the buyer has to pay extra for it." He says there is no question consumers will pick a green house, but only if the price is close to that of standard houses.

5. Community
Where the house is located now plays a larger part in the decision to purchase a house," says Jack Barker, a real estate agent with ReMax Camosun in Victoria. "Buyers in their mid-50s and up place more value to a sense of comfort and safety in their surroundings." They like houses that are close to amenities, that allow them to walk for exercise.

6. Laundry facilities
"The new focus is to locate laundry facilities close to the master bedroom," Barker says, adding that where there is only one main laundry room, it is usually larger, with more storage capacity.

7. Lighting
The aging population also desire houses that have an abundance of windows.

"The demand is for as much natural light as possible as there is less call for intimate dining scenarios," Barker says.

8. Designer colours
Homeowners are using paint as a way of pulling together a room, says interior designer Janie Apostolakos of Victoria's Sacara Designs.

9. Hardwood flooring
Wood floors are popping up everywhere, even in kitchens and bathrooms,

Apostolakos says. "Depending on their budget, people are using paint or flooring to change the mood of a room," she says.

10. Entertainment or family rooms
With the decline in prices for plasma and other flat screen televisions, rooms that formerly housed large entertainment units are being converted to multi-function family rooms.

11. Quality cabinets
Still the centre of a modern home, demand for Shaker-style cabinets with simple clean lines in maple, cherry wood and walnut prevails. "There is something for every price point," Apostolakos says. Granite and quartz countertops continue to be popular.

12. Stainless-steel appliances
The only clients who shy from stainless steel these days are those with children, Apostolakos says. "They don't want to spend their whole day cleaning up fingerprints."

(prepared by Pedro Arrais/Vancouver Province)