The size of new homes nationwide has stabilized at 2,320 square feet, according to the National Association of Home Builders, but newly built homes in Massachusetts tend to be larger in size. This home, located in a development called The Highlands at Brunelle East in Rutland, offers 2,600 square feet of living space with four bedrooms, two-and-half bathrooms and a 24-by-24-foot great room.
Bigger may not always be better, but when it comes to the size of new homes in Massachusetts, bigger is in.
The average size of newly built homes has stabilized at 2,320 square feet over the last three years and is expected to remain in that range in coming years, according to the National Association of Home Builders, which recently projected design trends in new homes for 2004.
But in Massachusetts, particularly in communities in the eastern region of the state, new homes tend to be larger because land costs have soared in the past few years, according to local builders.
“Mostly, what we’re seeing is a minimum of 2,800 square feet,” said Gregory Spier, president of Maystar Realty Corp. in Foxboro. Spier’s company builds homes in Southeastern Massachusetts that are even larger, ranging in size from 3,500 to 4,000 square feet.
Rising land costs and restrictive zoning push developers to construct larger homes on bigger lot sizes in order to make the numbers work, according to Paul M. Novak, president of the Home Builders Association of Massachusetts.
“The size and price of a home is largely based on the cost of land,” said Novak. “The land costs control what type of home you’re going to build.”
Restrictive zoning and growth-control ordinances are limiting the supply of lots for developments in many markets and driving up land costs and overall home prices, according to NAHB. In fact, in some “high-growth markets” the cost of a developed lot accounts for as much as 30 percent of the new-home price, according to NAHB Chief Economist David Seiders.
“In Massachusetts, you take that restrictive zoning three levels up,” said Spier, the Foxboro builder, who is president-elect of HBAM. That, in turn, drives land prices up even higher.
Two residentially zoned lots, both almost 1.4 acres in size, available for sale in Foxboro last week were priced $175,000 and $214,900. But in some towns, land costs can be much higher. In Andover, for example, residential land available for sale last week ranged in price from $340,000 for 2.6 acres to $995,500 for almost an acre of land.
In Dover, three residential lots ranging in size from 2.04 acres to 2.86 acres were for sale for $1.3 million to $1.5 million.
Dispensing With Formalities
While NAHB predicts that median lot sizes will continue to decline as growth controls limit the availability of buildable land and land costs increase, Massachusetts homebuilders are seeing the exact opposite taking place locally.
Most Bay State communities still have one- or two-acre zoning, according to Novak. In response to that, Massachusetts homebuilders group has been urging communities to embrace cluster zoning – a tool that enables builders to group homes on smaller parcels of land while preserving the rest as conservation or common open space.
Some communities allow cluster-style developments by special permit. Only Gloucester allows cluster development by right. The special permitting process for cluster developments can be so lengthy, costly and fraught with uncertainty that many developers avoid those types of developments and choose to seek approval for conventional subdivisions instead, according to Novak and Spier.
“We hope in Massachusetts we’ll see a trend of more communities adopting open space and cluster development as of right,” said Novak.
Newton builder Dan Green sees other reasons why Massachusetts bucks the national size trend. “The majority of building is happening in places like California, Florida and Arizona where builders have these huge tracts of land,” said Green, who is vice president of The Green Co. “But in Massachusetts, in particular inside [Interstate] 495, a lot of the areas are built up.”
In addition, other states have regional zoning, whereas in Massachusetts, each community can adopt its own zoning rules. “Permitting is more difficult here,” he said.
The average home built by The Green Co. is about 2,100 square feet, said Green. But unlike other developers, Green’s company constructs attached homes that are geared toward empty nesters and young families that generally seek smaller homes.
“We’re not the norm. Most builders are doing single-family detached” homes for buyers who are upgrading, said Green.
In the central and western parts of the state, some builders are also constructing homes that are smaller. Len Gengel, owner of C&S Builders in Rutland, said the average size of the homes he builds is 2,250 square feet.
While home size varies, many builders agreed that some of the other design trends identified by NAHB apply in Massachusetts as well.
For example, NAHB forecasts that more than half of all newly built homes will have nine-foot or higher ceilings. Green and Spier agreed, saying that 9-foot ceilings have become a standard feature.
In addition, NAHB points out that buyers and builders are emphasizing the use of high-grade materials and appliances in kitchens and bathrooms. Buyers are demanding large kitchens that open up to family rooms – or great rooms – and larger bathrooms with upgraded fixtures, like separate toilet compartments and double vanities.
Spier, who builds high-end homes that range in price from $800,000 to $900,000, said buyers spend a great deal of time discussing kitchens and bathrooms. Granite, which is durable and low-maintenance, has become “extremely popular” in kitchens, according to Spier, and Jacuzzis and elaborate shower stalls have also been a trend for master bathrooms.
The Green Co. used to offer laminate countertops for its speculative home developments, but now “even the most basic homes have Corian as a standard,” he said, referring to a more costly countertop option.
Meanwhile, living rooms are shrinking or disappearing altogether, according to NAHB. More than one-third of homes built last year did not have a living room, according to the industry group.
Green said his company has been designing the kitchen and family room as one large open space since the 1970s. “It’s become increasingly common since the early 1980s,” he said.
Many buyers want large family rooms, where they spend most of their time, and opt to eliminate a formal living room that is used less frequently, explained Green.
Gengel, the builder in Rutland, said, “Three of our eight model homes have 24-by-24-[foot] great rooms over the garage. The great rooms and two-story foyers are a big hit with lots of glass in them.”
Larger and more expensive homes still have living rooms, although they are smaller in size, according to local builders. “It’s more designing a home to reflect the way you live,” Green said.
Spier added, “People aren’t so formal and most of the living rooms are being recreated as a study or additional playroom on the first floor.”
In the coming year, more communities will be built with recreational facilities, like walking and jogging trails and fitness centers, according to NAHB. The Green Co.’s most current community, Winslowe’s View at The Pinehills in Plymouth, is an example. The Pinehills features golf courses and a Village Green with shops, a post office, business center and other amenities. Green said his company has been creating communities with swimming pools, tennis courts and clubhouses for about 30 years.
Homes with structured wiring systems which allow for faster data transfer rates will also continue to gain popularity, according to NAHB. According to the NAHB survey, 75 percent of the homebuilders offered structured wiring in their homes last year and more than 40 percent of the homes built in 2002 had this feature.
In upscale homes, high-technology features, including monitored security, distributed audio and home theater systems, are becoming more common. Even those features will be more available to the general market in the future, just as other features such as fireplaces, nine-foot-high ceilings and three-car garages have, according to NAHB.
