Millenial shadow looms over Builders’ Show
There are few better places to discuss building and design trends than the upcoming International Builders Show. These trends not only help pinpoint what is driving consumer decisions, but also how the newest generation of homeowners – Millennials – are reshaping what future buyers will value in their homes.
The impact of the following trends will be felt as Millennials gradually own more than half of all housing stock. Projections show that is likely to happen within the next 10 years.
• Energy Efficiency — As homeowners look for more ways to lower their energy consumption, every feature of a house is carefully considered.
• Monumental Doors — As the next evolutionary step in connecting a house with its surroundings, grand-scale doors add flexibility and boost quality of home life. In parts of the country where weather conditions are more consistent, monumental doors will become a much more common order for new homes and remodels. This reflects directly on Millennials’ wishes for a more integrated home life.
• Dark Colors — More homeowners are incorporating dark colors into their color palate — both on exterior and interior color choice. We recognized this at Andersen, which is why we offer a black color option on several of our product lines.
• Smart Homes — Each year we hear of new technology features that help a homeowner stay connected to their home. VeriLock is one such example. This patented sensor is embedded into a window lock, and can tell a homeowner if their windows are closed or opened and – more significant when improving energy performance – locked or unlocked.
• Sustainability – Homeowners have evolved beyond household recycling as their statement of sustainability -- they want to know their homes have less of a negative impact on the environment. Sustainability is a practice applied throughout Andersen, from the raw material sources used to make our products to manufacturing processes, even delivery logistics. Of course, we make sure our windows are sustainable, too. In fact, Andersen was the first window manufacturer to publish an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) that reports a product’s environmental impacts over its lifecycle.
The refined vision and detailed exploration of what have already been identified as trends for other consumer segments will be ever more important as Millennials acquire more and more homes. These trends align with what they’re looking for, and will expect to find in any home they consider purchasing.
Sal Abbate is a senior VP, and chief sales and marketing officer at Andersen Windows.
