You already know that homeowners want livable outdoor spaces, but new research sheds light on what drives that desire and how contractors can better serve the buyer.
In a first-of-its-kind study, Napoleon, along with acclaimed architect Wayne Visbeen, conducted a comprehensive examination into the mindset of the home buyer, with the goal to better understand the emotional connections people have with different parts of the home.
We call it the Hot Spots Research Study.
In 2016, we interviewed nearly 900 potential home buyers. These were a mix of women and men between 30 and 60 years old with an average income of at least $100,000. They owned homes of at least 2,400 square feet and planned to buy or build a new one within the next five years.
We asked questions about what amenities they have in their current homes and what attributes they anticipated in their next. This was done by way of both a formal survey and an exercise wherein participants created poster boards with images depicting features they’d like in their next home.
Can you guess what frequently appeared on these boards? Completely unprompted, many participants included pictures of outdoor living spaces and fireplaces.
We also asked them to rank their favorite rooms in the house. To nobody’s surprise, the living room/family room ranked No. 1. with 31%, followed by the bedroom and kitchen with 25% and 17%, respectively. While nothing earth-shattering, the results led us to probe deeper into the reasons people had such strong feelings about these rooms.
Here’s what we learned: Rooms that provide opportunities for socialization and relaxation, and are functional, are perceived as having the most value. The greater the overlap between those room dynamics, the more value the room has. In short, these are the rooms where the strongest emotional connections are made — or hot spots, if you will.
Nowhere is this more evident than in this key finding: Asked which rooms are the most important, 34% of the respondents said the kitchen. That contrasts greatly with the 17% of respondents who ranked the kitchen as their favorite room. Why the disparity? Because most kitchens are designed to be functional — not necessarily places for relaxation and socialization.
This is notable because, as an outdoor-living specialist, you have the unique opportunity to create spaces that combine all three of those critical room dynamics. Here’s the data to back that up: The vast majority of respondents who had a bona fide outdoor kitchen, complete with built-ins grills, seating, overhead lights, running water, etc., ranked it as their favorite room of the house. Outdoor rooms have that magic formula of socialization, relaxation and functionality.
So, we know this is a desirable amenity. How can you fuel that desire even more? Short answer: Fire.
In conducting our research, we showed participants pictures of rooms with and without certain amenities, including fireplaces. When asked where they’d like to have a fireplace in their homes, 35% of respondents said the backyard living area. This was “pre-exposure,” meaning we did not show them pictures of an outdoor area with a fireplace. Post-exposure, a staggering 88% said that a fireplace would be an essential amenity in the outdoor area. That’s second only to the living room as the place where homeowners want a fireplace the most.
This speaks to the power of pictures as one of the most effective ways to increase intent of purchase. And showing images greatly enhances the homeowner’s perception of the contractor. By showing the ideas, you’re communicating to a prospective customer that you understand how they want to live and how to increase the enjoyment of life in that space — and that applies greatly to outdoor areas.
Said one survey respondent: “I was wowed by all the cool extras in the home. Even if I don’t buy them all, I know this is a top-notch professional who understands what people like me want.”
Bottom line: More than anything else, it’s more meaningful moments with friends and family that consumers are anticipating — whether buying a new home or remodeling their backyard.
Nothing fans those flames quite like a fireplace.