For the “Home of the Future” study, the National Association of Home Builders surveyed about 500 architects, designers, manufacturers, and marketing experts about what features they expect to be prevalent in average and upscale homes in 2015.

Single-family homes are expected to end the growth spurt that has persisted, with some cyclical interruptions, since 1973. New single-family homes completed during the first three quarters of 2006 were 2,459 square feet, up from 1,500 square feet in 1973. For 2015, these professionals expect the average home to be 2,300 to 2,500 square feet. Buyers can also expect more resource-efficient homes with an emphasis on universal design/handicap access.

THE AVERAGE HOME IN 2015

  • 2,330-square-foot two-story home with 2½ to 3½ bathrooms and 4 bedrooms
  • One-story entry foyer
  • One-story family room (no loft or volume ceilings)
  • No living room; it has vanished or become the parlor, retreat, or library
  • 9-foot ceilings on first floor; 8- to 9-foot ceilings on second floor
  • Exterior walls of vinyl, fiber-cement siding, or brick
  • Staircase in foyer
  • Front porch and patio
  • Programmable thermostat, structured wiring system, and multiline phone system
  • Shower stall and tub in master bathroom
  • Toilet in master bath in separate enclosure

THE UPSCALE HOME IN 2015

  • More than 4,000-square-foot two-story home with 3½ to 4½ bathrooms and 4 or more bedrooms
  • 42-inch-wide single door with sidelites or a double door without sidelites
  • Two-story entry foyer
  • One- or two-story family room
  • Chandeliers in dining room and entry foyer
  • Likely to have formal living room, but it may be replaced with a parlor, retreat, library, or music room
  • 10-foot ceilings on the first floor, ranging up to 12 feet; 9- to 10-foot ceilings on upper floors
  • Exterior of stone, brick, stucco, or fiber-cement siding
  • Stairs on the back or side of house (versus in the entry foyer)
  • Front porch, rear porch, patio, and deck
  • Two master bedroom suites
  • Master bath with multiple showerheads
  • Outdoor kitchen with grill, sinks, refrigerator, and cooking island
  • Outdoor fireplace, pool/spa, audio/TV equipment, lighting
  • Programmable thermostat, structured wiring, multiline phone system, multizone HVAC, remote-control fireplaces, instant hot water in bathrooms and kitchens, lighting control system, monitored alarm systems
  • Fiber-optic network
  • Two-car garages will increase in size from 20 feet by 20 feet to 24 feet by 24 feet, and most garage doors will increase in size from 7 feet by 9 feet to 8 feet by 10 feet