If you live in a four-bedroom property close to the beach, then you just might have the dream American home, according to new research.
A study of 2,000 Americans asked people to conceptualize their dream home setup and then analyzed the results to identify the average person’s dream home.
Results uncovered four bedrooms, three bathrooms, an open kitchen, and hardwood floors as the defining factors of what people envisioned as the perfect home for them.
The “dream home” has an abundance of wood and glass, a two-car garage and beach-house décor, according to the study conducted by Homes.com in conjunction with OnePoll.
A backyard deck was also highly desired, while a walk-in closet and plenty of storage emerged in the majority of Americans’ perfect home concepts.
And their dream home ambiance includes that all-important peace and quiet. When asked the ideal proximity to the closest home, Americans wanted their neighbors to be “down the street.”
Other items Americans rank among the top 25 features of the dream American home included a pool, lots of windows, a fireplace, and a balcony with a view.
In addition, stainless-steel appliances, a gourmet kitchen, and smart-home technology were also clearly important for many Americans.
Americans are dreaming big when it comes to what they want their dream home to look like.
In fact, the average size of a dream home is 2,756 square feet.
When it comes to price, the average person polled estimated their dream home to command a price tag of $879,000.
A spokesperson for Homes.com said: “There were little surprises around the features folks are looking for in their dream home, but there’s probably a disconnect on how much that home may cost, especially if homebuyers are looking for a beach view. The good news is it’s simple to filter homes with ‘nice to have’ and ‘must have’ criteria on Homes.com, so homebuyers can more easily find something close to their dream home at a price they can afford.”
Unfortunately, it turns out that the reality of owning our dream home may be a long way away. Seventy-four percent of people are not currently living in their dream home.
Sadly, four in 10 of those polled feel they will never actually get around to buying their dream home.
But that doesn’t stop the eight in 10 Americans who say they regularly think about what they would want in their dream home.
This constant daydreaming allows Americans to think about some truly over-the-top features, with millennials looking for a penthouse with a rooftop deck and an elevator, in comparison to older generations who have more realistic expectations of their ideal home, with a fireplace near the top of their list.
One of the other stand-out differences among the age groups is where they see their ideal home being located. For millennials, the dream is a suburban oasis, while those 55 and older dream of a beach home to call their own.
Millennials are looking for the ideal home in places like Miami, Malibu, San Diego, Palm Springs, Phoenix and Austin — cities that combine affordable suburbia with city life.
But it’s not just location that differs among the generations. Millennials are dreaming big — literally. The average millennial envisions a dream home between 4,000 and 5,000 square feet.
That’s compared to the more modest 1,500 to 2,000 square feet desired by baby boomers.
Beyond how large or small the ideal home is, preferences vary between the generations when it comes to the key features in an ideal home. For millennials, the bedroom is one of the most important factors when it comes to the dream home.
However, for those over 55, the kitchen is at the top of their priority list.
Millennials are really thinking outside the proverbial four walls when it comes to their dream home. The average millennial is looking for a home that has a library, a hidden room, a movie theater, a wine cellar, and a playroom for children.
On the other hand, baby boomers are a little more traditional when it comes to dreaming up what their ideal home looks like, with a dream home that has a walk-in closet, lots of storage space, and lots of windows.
But no matter their age, for some people there’s literally no place on Earth that’s perfect for them — 19 of the 2,000 polled said their ideal home would be on another planet.
The spokesperson for Homes.com added: “The newly reimagined Homes.com doesn’t feature any off-world properties, but there are some smarter, industry-leading features that will help people search, find and share their home wish list with friends and family. Whether they’re millennials looking for their dream digs, or a baby boomer looking for a downsizing dream, Homes.com is there to help!“
America’s dream house has:
- 4 bedrooms
- 3 bathrooms
- Open kitchen
- Backyard deck
- Hardwood floors
- Lots of wood and glass
- Walk-in-closet
- Fireplace
- Lots of storage
- 2 garage spaces
- Close to the beach
- No close neighbors
- Beach house style
- Estimated cost: $879,000
Top 25 most-desired features in a dream home:
- Walk-in closet
- Open kitchen space
- Lots of storage space
- Backyard deck
- Fireplace
- Hardwood floors
- Open floor plan
- Stainless-steel appliances
- Balcony with a view
- Lots of windows
- A pool
- Gourmet kitchen
- Smart-home technology
- Marble countertops
- A hidden room
- A library
- A bar area
- A man cave/she shed
- Heated floors
- Circular driveway
- Granite throughout
- Crown molding
- Playroom for children
- Beach access
- Rooftop space