Surveying 308 U.S. homeowners who have built a new home within the past two years, Mower has released its homeowner and building research report detailing various elements of the home building process.
The survey found that 49% of respondents used search engines to research potential home builders, 47% visited builder websites, and 46% browsed social media channels for research. Recommendations from family or friends fell closely behind at 43%.
Following research, the top factors for selecting a builder included competitive pricing at 53%; a reputation for developing high-quality homes at 52%; a reputation for being easy to work with at 45%; and location(s) builders were able or willing to build and the ability to start quickly both at 44%.
When thinking about a new home, respondents noted plumbing fixtures (72%), flooring options (71%), master bath design/amenities (69%), storage space (67%), and kitchen layouts (66%) as very or extremely important factors.
Two-thirds of respondents said they included LED lighting in their new homes, and 53% installed energy-efficient kitchen appliances and smart thermostats. Other notable products were high-efficiency laundry machines (51%); a heat pump system (44%); energy-efficient construction materials (41%); solar panels/shingles or an energy storage system (38%); and an electric vehicle charging station (29%).
Over 60% of respondents were involved in selecting the brands for their homes with top brand mentions including Samsung, Kohler, LG, KitchenAid, Moen, Bosch, Kenmore, and GE. While some did not mention specific brands, they mentioned stores including The Home Depot, Lowe’s, and IKEA.
Six in 10 respondents would not change anything about their home, while 40% said they would. The top wishful adjustments were overall changes to the floor plan; an increase in square footage; the layout of the kitchen; higher-quality brands/products; and more time spent researching, planning, or ordering materials ahead of time.
Eighty-six percent of homeowners experienced some sort of challenge throughout the building process, with material delays and scheduling delays listed as the most common. While one-third said that their new build took one year or longer, 45% said they would have been willing to wait that long and 55% would have preferred eight to 11 months or less.
