Whether you’re a home tour enthusiast or want to improve your house, seeing the latest new home construction and design trends is always interesting. 

Natural building materials are popular with buyers because they add visual appeal and are eco-friendly. Other green features include solar panels and smart home devices that reduce energy consumption.

Eco-Friendly Materials

One of the biggest trends in new home construction and design is eco-friendly materials. This includes sustainable and recycled materials and green technology like solar panels.

Natural building materials like cob, a mud mixture made from soil, sand, and straw, are popular in eco-friendly builds. This unique material is strong, fire-resistant, and may fare better during a natural disaster than traditional homes.

Another green trend is cordwood, which uses repurposed lumber to build walls. This natural building material is inexpensive and can offer superior insulation from both heat and cold. In addition, repurposed materials like old doors and windows are making their way into many new construction projects. Black window frames and doors are also becoming a popular choice among homeowners.

Outdoor Living Spaces

Bringing the comforts of home outside is a significant new trend gaining momentum. From cozy lounge areas to outdoor kitchens and dining rooms, homes that blur the lines between indoor and outdoor living offer an appealing option for buyers.

Homeowners are also adding fireplaces and fire pits to create a space ideal for socializing or relaxing without being distracted by television. Cozy seating areas and tranquil water features also add to the appeal of these spaces.

Incorporating these multipurpose outdoor spaces into a design is easy. Transitional walls can seamlessly blend the two spaces while allowing for natural light, essential in indoor and outdoor living.

Health and Wellness

Homebuilders like Your Home Wichita incorporate wellness practices in new construction and design to create healthy environments. This includes ensuring indoor air quality, lighting and fitness, comfort, and nourishment.

In multifamily, many apartment builders implement community spaces where residents can socialize and make friends. This may include private lounges, game rooms, or coffee shops.

Wellness also extends to the workplace. 

Smart Technology

While smart technology may be a buzzword, it is one of the most popular home-building trends 2023. Smart technology lets homeowners remotely control appliances, lights, and more with an internet connection.

Smart technology can also be incorporated during new home construction or added during renovations. It can also be integrated with third-party energy testing to provide buyers with a scientific analysis of their home’s energy efficiency and sustainability.

Some popular smart devices include voice-activated smart assistants and smart thermostats. These devices can gather consumer usage data and automate functions based on the homeowner’s preferences. Other smart devices include security cameras and smart smoke/carbon monoxide detectors. These can also be controlled by voice-activated personal assistants or a central hub acting as the smart home’s brain.

Accessibility

Accessibility is a significant trend that’s making its way into new home construction and design. With multi-generational households rising, many prospective homeowners want homes that accommodate changing abilities as they age or experience disabilities. Some of the most popular accessibility features include power door openers, wider doors throughout, and kitchen workspaces with knee space for wheelchair users.

While the ADA does not typically apply to single-family homes, housing accessibility advocates have developed a concept known as visitability that incorporates basic accessibility features as part of the normal construction process in newly built single-family homes. These include a no-step entrance, doorways with thirty-two inches of clear passage width, and a washroom on the main floor. Visitability also benefits families with young children and visitors needing mobility devices.