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Realtor Shares Dream Home ‘Wish List’ of 2020 and Beyond

Whether you’re contemplating the purchase of a new home or selling your current home—or just love to keep up on home trends—knowing what today’s home buyers are looking for likely will be of great interest to you.

Leslie Switzer, a Realtor with Keller Williams Green Meadow who specializes in listing and selling homes, right here in the heart of Cleveland County, recently shared her observations on the Dream Home of the 2020s and beyond.

New item on the Wish List!

Interestingly enough, the No. 1 item on most current buyers’ lists is a large, bright laundry room with lots of storage. “Gone are the days of the washer and dryer in the garage. Today’s clients want a place to store laundry hampers, fold and hang clean laundry,” Leslie says. “Many of my clients walk in the front door and head straight for the laundry room! And if the laundry room is close to the master bedroom, it is a winner! A bright, well-designed laundry room can be a game changer when I list a home to sell.”

Holding strong to their place on the list

Certain items have become a standard item rather than a luxury item in today’s home-buying market. “Whether it’s thanks to HGTV or the prices becoming more affordable, but stainless-steel appliances aren’t going anywhere for now in the Midwest region,” she says.

Continuing to make a statement in the kitchen is engineered quartz or natural stone granite counter tops. “Anything less will make a home less desirable to a potential buyer,” Leslie says. 

Additionally, hard surface flooring has become increasingly popular in more than just the family room. “Buyers today love to see a hard surface floor,” she says, noting that, depending on the needs of the particular home buyer, top selections may be a medium-tone hardwood floor or water-resistant luxury vinyl wood look planks. The latter is a more practical choice for homes with a pool or pets.

“My clients with pets love to see easy-to-maintain hard-surface floors, especially when they are the same material throughout the home.”

Color schemes

“Light and bright is what buyers are looking for today,” Leslie states, noting that the most popular kitchen and bathroom look features white on white or gray on white—for example, white or gray granite or quartz counter tops paired with cabinetry that has been painted or stained in white.

For walls, Leslie says buyers prefer them to be all the same color rather than a hodgepodge of different colors. “Think how a new construction home looks when you walk in the door. That is what buyers today want! They also prefer neutrals in gray or greige tones. These colors blend nicely with most any furniture and art work the buyers already own and no painting is needed.”

Interior designs preferred

Staying in first place with clients is the “open concept” design home that’s often at the heart of redesigns on popular shows like HGTV’s “Property Brothers.”

“Buyers love when the kitchen is open to the family living area as well as the larger dining area,” she says. “It makes hosting family and friends much more enjoyable when no area is blocked off from the fun!”

Also high on wish lists, Leslie says, are large kitchen islands for family and friends to gather around the cook. “Large islands with plentiful seating can replace the need for a separate kitchen table,” she observes.

Glamour is the catch phrase for the master bathroom, which also features a double vanity counter space and spacious closets, as well as a separate tub and shower, with the shower being glass with high-end fixtures.

The “icing on the cake” for today’s home buyer is a spectacular outdoor living space on the patio. “A home doesn’t have to have a pool or a full outdoor kitchen to have a wonderful area to enjoy beautiful Oklahoma sunsets,” Leslie says.

The future

The future for many new construction as well as existing homes is the “smart home”—homes that can be designed to run everything from your phone, from locking doors to turning on lights, from adding volume to the sound system to robust security systems with cameras.

For both new construction and existing homes, Leslie also sees a growing trend in homeowners and home buyers looking for an overall smaller footprint environmentally.

“For instance, buyers are looking for a better design rather than a bigger home,” she says.

“This applies especially for empty nesters, who are a large contingent of my clients,” Leslie says. “They are looking to ‘right size’ rather than ‘down size.’ As my clients’ children leave home, they find they do not need that fourth bedroom or upstairs bonus room.  Many are looking to buy a single-story home, with possibly the same or slightly fewer square feet (right size), with an open-concept kitchen and living for entertaining family on weekends and holidays.

“Especially popular now,” she says, “are Active Adult Living Communities with right-size homes, community pools, clubhouses that can be reserved for family events, and walking trails to keep active.  My clients are extremely interested in these low-maintenance, gated communities in Northwest Norman and Southwest Oklahoma City. I’m betting they will be a nice investment for the future, especially for active mature adults and empty nesters!”

This beautiful home is located in SW OKC.  For more information, please contact Leslie Switzer at 580.421.1075 or switzer@kw.com.

About Leslie Switzer

A Realtor with Keller Williams Green Meadow, Leslie Switzer specializes in listing and selling homes. She is married to Alan Switzer, a CPA. They have four children and one black lab mix named Gabby. Leslie is active in her church and their outreach ministries; an avid Sooner football fan; and seasonal storm chaser with her husband. She has been nominated for the 2019 Rising Start Realtor award by the Oklahoma City Board of Realtors. Leslie offers free pre-listing consultations for those considering purchasing a new home or selling their current one. 

Reed Ewing Photography, ReedEwing.photos, 405.420.8449

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