Smaller Homes Preferred Over McManions

Home Sweet Small Home - More Americans Prefer Smaller Homes in the Suburbs, According to a New Relocation.com Survey

Could it be true? Has the “McMansion Era” finally come to an end? Surprisingly, recent survey results reveal that a majority of Americans prefer smaller homes.

During the 80s and 90s, large, opulent homes, dubbed “McMansions,” were what many U.S. homebuyers wanted. However, in our recent consumer lifestyle survey of nearly 1,500 Americans between the ages of 18 and 60, 48 percent indicated that their ideal home size would range from 1,000 to 1,999 square feet, while less than a third said they’d want a 2,000 to 2,999-square-foot home.

What do you think – have the days of the 3,000+ square-foot McMansions come and gone?

Additionally, the survey found that cost of a residence is NOT the #1 deciding factor when purchasing a home. In fact, only 29 percent of respondents stated that living costs was the most important reason when relocating. We also found that Americans prefer to live in the suburbs (54 percent of respondents) and only 24 percent of those who responded preferred to live in an urban area.

Are you as surprised by these findings as we were? What do you think this means for Americans and real estate in the next five to 10 years?

(Click here for full survey results)

Don't Judge a Book By Its Cover

According to Relocation.com's latest lifestyle survey, respondents believe that a well-manicured lawn indicates a safe neighborhood.

How many times have you heard that before? Well, last month we conducted a lifestyle survey where we asked 1,492 Americans between the ages 18 and 60 to determine what lifestyle factors play a key role in moving and relocation decisions in the U.S. As it turns out, most Americans do judge a book by its cover or at least judge a neighborhood by its general appearance!

The survey found that 75 percent of respondents believe that the most important factor in determining a neighborhood’s safety is the up-keep of surrounding homes and the general appearance of a home’s front lawn.

Could this mean that Americans will start to take better care of their lawns knowing that they’re being judged for their landscape? Furthermore, do you think this could possibly encourage members of the community to help their neighbors out by helping with their gardening in order to keep their neighborhoods presentable?

It also seems that less Americans prefer to pay attention to local crime reports and crime statistics as reported in the local media to select a neighborhood based on its safety record. Furthermore, ranked number two in importance based on the respondent’s answers indicated that they would select a neighborhood based on “word-of-mouth” or its local reputation over any other factor.

What do you think – are you surprised by these finds and how do you think this could impact U.S. neighborhoods in the near future?

(Click here for full survey results)