Building in POPULARITY

If you’ve gone on an afternoon drive lately, you’ve probably noticed new neighborhoods popping up around the Springfield area. New homes are peppering freshly paved streets with features that are important to today’s buyer. We talked to two custom home builders to learn the ins and outs of these neighborhoods.

BY PEYSON SHIELDS

PEYSON SHIELDS: What has driven an increase in new builds and what areas of town are you seeing “boom” the most?

TYLER BUSSELL, VICE PRESIDENT, BUSSELL BUILDING, INC.: We have seen a lot of out-oftown buyers moving into the area. Battle eld, Nixa and Republic have been very popular.

DUSTY ESSICK, OWNER OF ESSICK BUILDERS: We see a lot of people moving in from out of town from the east and west coast who want more house for their money. Republic and Rogersville have seen crazy growth, but the whole area, including Christian and Greene County, is booming.

P.S.: What style of home is your signature?

T.B.: Our signature home is a traditional fourbed, three-car garage, 1,800 square-foot home. Brick used to be the most popular exterior, but we are seeing a lot of vinyl and hard-board siding. The new materials allow you to achieve looks that you cannot with only brick or stone.

D.E.: We used to build more French country and now that’s switched to modern farmhouses with large attached shops.

P.S.: What features are you seeing more home owners include in new builds?

T.B.: We are seeing a lot of white kitchen cabinets, black hardware, some gold hardware and lighter color ooring in the common areas.

D.E.: We’re doing a lot of large pantries with countertops. We’re also adding more fabricated metal handrails and onyx showers. It seems like every shower used to be cultured marble and tile, but onyx is a middle-of-the budget option for home owners.

P.S.: With interest rates rising, are home owners prioritizing wants vs needs di erently?

D.E.: We’re not seeing a big change in what owners are asking for, but we’re seeing a slowdown in the new builds, so I won’t be surprised if owners start to scale back.

T.B.: I’m not seeing the wants or needs changing, but buyers are becoming more selective in which features and options they include in their homes.