Single-family homes are expected to end the growth spurt that has persisted, with some cyclical interruptions, since 1973 and the size of homes is NOT expected to rise any more.

The high cost of housing has forced consumers to start making trade-offs, and higher quality is trumping additional space. Recent sizes of 2,459 avg square-feet are up from the 1973 avg of 1,500 square feet in 1973 — but that trend is likely to change.

What they have been losing in square footage, however, home buyers have been getting back in volume — higher ceilings are here to stay. Much of this changes is also being driven by accessibility for the aging baby-boom population, technological advancement, green construction materials and environmental concerns.

The Demise of the Living Room

The prediction of the demise of the formal living room for the past several years appears to be correct — 40% of homes built in 2006 didn’t have one and of those that did it’s size shrank dramatically.

The room in the average house most likely to gain in its share of square footage is the family room — which in our opinion is just a renaming of the old living room!

Other Findings:

* Low-maintenance exteriors, improved home design, the location of the home, two-car garages, home office and better security systems.

* Getting steadily higher over the course of the past 10 years, ceilings on the first floor of the average home are expected to be mostly 9 feet and some may even be 10. For luxury homes, a 10-foot ceiling will be standard on the entry level, ranging up to 12, and a 9-foot ceiling will be standard on the second floor.

* For kitchens it’s more counter space, more cabinet space, hight tier flooring and better quality appliances.

* The average 2015 home is expected to have two full and one half to three full and one half bathrooms, and the upscale home will range from three full and one half to four full and two half bathrooms.

* Standard outdoor features will be a front porch, patio, deck and rear porch — back to the 40s.

* Sixty-six percent said that the average 2015 home would have a fiber optic network, and 87% said that this feature would be found in upscale homes.

* Among electronic features that will be standard in the average home by 2015, participants identified: programmable thermostats (78%), structured wiring systems (61%) and multi-line phone systems (59%). Upscale homes, by comparison, are expected to include just about every electronic feature that is available: multi-zone-controlled HVAC (88%); multi-room audio (87%); whole home control/automation system (86%); monitored burglar alarm system (81%); programmable thermostat, structured wiring system and instant hot water in bathrooms and kitchens (each 80%); a monitored burglar/fire/toxic gas alarm system (77%); a lighting control system (75%) and much more.

* Participants noted several trends in green building in the average home: an increased demand for energy-efficient appliances and mechanical equipment, greater use of water- or energy-conserving devises, much more energy-efficient windows, more green and sustainable products and builders seeking green certification.