Technology wants and needs of aspiring home buyers

David Paul Morris/Bloomberg

When it comes to technology in their new homes, aspiring buyers have an eye on the environment, savings and security, with the availability of tools supporting those aims playing a role in final purchase decisions. 

The top eight technology features buyers value lean toward providing improved energy efficiency or safety, according to research published by the National Association of Home Builders. Respondents were asked to rate 19 items, noting how important it was for them to have when searching for a property.

Of the features, 16 were categorized as either essential or desirable by at least 50% of buyers. At the top of the list was a programmable thermostat, prioritized by 78%. Forty-nine percent deemed it a must-have, while 29% considered it desirable.

Just behind were security cameras at 76%, but the share of aspiring homeowners listing it as essential finished ahead of thermostats at 50%. 

The third and fourth positions were also focused on safety, with video doorbells and wireless home security systems taking the spots. Buyer shares of 74% and 70% called them essential or desirable. Rounding out the top five was a multizone heating, ventilation and air conditioning system, finishing at 68%. 

Each of the top eight technology items were considered an essential must-have by more than one-third of respondents, with the percentage describing them as such ranging from 41% to 50%. 

Buyers’ emphasis on energy-efficient solutions corresponds to policy developments affecting newly built homes introduced by government housing regulators this year. In April, both the Federal Housing Administration and the U.S. Department of Agriculture instituted minimum energy standards for new residential constructions that are meant to provide cost savings and resilience in the face of extreme weather events.     

“The most cost-effective moment to invest in common sense energy efficiency is when you’re building a new home,” said Marion McFadden, principal deputy assistant secretary for community planning and development at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, at the time.

In September, eight U.S. senators also pressured the Federal Housing Finance Agency to join its peers in introducing minimum standards. FHFA Director Sandra Thompson previously signaled that such a rule might be put into place at the end of the second quarter. 

“Aligning new home energy standards with updated model codes will save money for homeowners and renters across the country. HUD and USDA found that the increased initial costs of construction are more than made up for by lower monthly energy costs,” the senators’ letter stated.