Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
After looking at more than 40 homes around the Salt Lake area, Rory and Shayla Vernon are proud to say that they — along with their small family — are homeowners in Woods Cross, Utah.
Finding their home was not an easy task, and it can also be daunting to make a home your own. From the outside to the inside, homes are different from what they used to be. Here are five ways the times have changed.
Homes are built differently
Many people say homes are not built as strong as they used to be. In some situations this may be true, but there are two sides to this story. "I just think that a lot of times builders are antsy to get more houses done in less time, thus causing them to rush through the build and sometimes not taking the time to be detailed," Shayla Vernon said.
In other ways, newer homes can be more efficient than older houses. Jay McKenzie from newhomesource.com says, "Today's new homes are far more energy efficient than homes built just five years ago. Compared to homes built 10 or 20 years ago, it's game over, advantage new."
Homes and decor aren't as customized
It's not just the outside of homes that aren't as unique as they used to be. It's not uncommon to walk into a house and see a living room set that you love, only then to find the exact same living room set three houses down.
Craig Werner from Bassett Furniture in Salt Lake says, "Customization adds a personal touch to your home. It is uniquely yours. It's not something that you buy on sale and is shipped to everyone in the neighborhood."
People want bigger homes and smaller yards
For many homebuyers, the size of the home weighs heavier than the size of the yard. For the Vernons, they felt they were out of the norm when deciding they wanted a bigger yard. "The size of the yard was a big deal for us," Shayla Vernon said.
"There was actually the same home built right down the street," she continued, "but with an extra garage space and smaller yard. We chose the bigger yard over the garage." In many new developments, homes are bigger but built closer together with smaller yards.
According to hgtv.com, "Everyone's drawn to the biggest, most beautiful house on the block. But bigger is usually not better when it comes to houses."
HGTV also says that real estate rules to not buy the biggest house on the block because the trade-in value will not be as strong since it resembles the houses surrounding it. The smaller homes will actually trade in a lot better.
Furniture isn't as heavy-duty
A few generations ago, people had all solid wood furniture — many times hand-made — in their homes. Nowadays, people buy lower-quality furniture simply because its cheaper.
"Manufacturing furniture is labor intensive and cutting back on materials and labor intensive processes makes the furniture more affordable, but cheaper," Werner says. "Investing in better quality gives you the peace of mind having comfort and dependable furnishings."
Urban vs. suburban life is changing
White picket fences and big front porches are not commonly sought after anymore, according to Leigh Gallagher from Time. "In 2011, for the first time in nearly a hundred years, the rate of urban population growth outpaces suburban growth, reversing a trend that held steady for every decade since the invention of the automobile."
Check out KSL Local to find local services, events, restaurants and much more.
