BY T H E n u m b e rs
2024’S NEW HOME BUYER PREFERENCES INSIGHTS INTO HOW TODAY’S BUYER IS MAKING DECISIONS
BY NATASHA ROMBOUGH, DIRECTOR OF MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS, CHBA
T
he ninth annual CHBA Home Buyer Preference Survey is a fascinating glimpse into the minds of recent homebuyers and what they value. This survey is Canada’s largest nationwide market research study for new-home buyer preferences. Conducted by CHBA and powered Avid Ratings Canada, a proud member of CHBA and part of CHBA’s Alliance Network, the survey has invited more than 188,000 new-home buyers from across the country to participate during its nine-year
history. This report surveyed more than 18,000 people from across six provinces who had purchased a new construction home within the last two years. Respondents were asked questions on more than 50 in-depth areas of home design, building features, buying preferences and demographics. The report touches on all elements of the survey, providing data on responses from all participants. More than 60 pages and filled with graphs illustrating the results and
complimented by stunning architectural and design photography, it’s an insightful – and sometimes surprising – resource. But it’s when you use the PowerBI database that comes with the report that things really get interesting. Introduced last year, the easy-to-use tool allows you to look at data based on the demographic selections. For example, you can look at whether millennials in Alberta want large lots, or how many bathrooms Boomers in Ontario want in their next home.
Top 10 most desired features RANK FEATURE
18
1
WALK-IN CLOSETS (Primary Suite)
2
KITCHEN ISLAND
3
HIGH EFFICIENCY WINDOWS
4
WALK-IN CLOSETS (Home Interior)
5
ENERGY-EFFICIENT APPLIANCES
6
OVERALL ENERGY-EFFICIENT HOME
7
HRV/ERV AIR EXCHANGE SYSTEM
8
LINEN CLOSETS
9
KITCHEN: HARDWOOD/ WOOD-LOOK FLOOR
10
2-CAR GARAGE
FALL 2024
We all love a good list, and the Top 10 home features in Canada is the most requested piece of information from this survey (though we urge you to explore the content much further). For the second year in a row, a walk-in closet in the primary suite takes the top spot. As with last year, storage throughout the home remains a key priority for Canadians, with closet and garage space taking four of the top spots. Though there was some jostling of position (high efficiency windows are in third spot this year), energy efficiency features continue to feature strongly as well, also accounting for four of the 10. New to the top 10 this year is hardwood or wood-look floors in the kitchen, bumping out open concept kitchens, which landed in eleventh, just missing the list.
Free access of the full survey results for members
Find out more about what home buyers really want, and what they’re willing to trade to get it, by downloading your digital copy of the study today. The download includes the link to the powerful online data set that you can use to splice and dice the information however you want. Full survey results are free for CHBA members (value of $495) at chba.ca/buyersurvey.
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