5 Denver Home Building Trends to Watch in 2023 | Guest Post

Despite a nationwide slowing in the housing market for much of 2022 amid rising interest rates, Denver and its suburbs remained some of the most highly-sought areas of the country for new residents. And with its beautiful weather, scenic views, limitless outdoor activities, and four distinct seasons, the westward migration to the Mile High City is unlikely to slow anytime soon. Therefore, it is crucial that those people looking to build a custom home stay ahead of the trends to stand out in the highly competitive Denver market. With this in mind, keep reading for 5 Denver home building trends to watch in 2023.

Home Offices

It is no secret that people love working from home in the post-pandemic world. However, few states have adopted the remote work trend quite like Colorado, with nearly 24% of professionals reporting that the majority of their work is done from home. This ranks third highest in the United States in terms of work-from-home percentage.

As a result, home office design trends will continue to evolve in 2023 to accommodate the growing number of remote employees in the Rocky Mountain region. Some features to be on the lookout for include:

• Glass pocket doors to save space and allow at-home professionals to keep an eye on their children
• Innovative soundproofing panels to help prevent bustle from other areas of the house from transferring into the office
• Solid surface desks and hard flooring options to facilitate office cleanup

Functional home offices are adding value to homes across the nation as we near 2023, but they are particularly attractive in the Denver area, as work-from-home positions help alleviate the stress of snowy commutes, so make sure you don’t cut corners when adding a home office to your custom home floor plans.

Increased Natural Lighting

It is a bit cliche to cite large windows and natural lighting as a design trend, as homes across the country have been incorporating this concept as a means of reducing reliance on artificial lighting for several years. However, in order for this concept to actually work, the region needs to receive sufficient sunlight, making Denver one of the top cities in the country for leveraging natural light flow. With nearly 300 days of sunshine each year, homes with large, strategically placed windows will continue to allow Denver residents to reduce nonrenewable energy consumption while enjoying the positive vibes associated with the mile-high sunshine.

Higher Amounts of Insulation

When designing for energy efficiency, many people’s minds immediately jump to solar panels, PV windows, low flow fixtures, and EnergyStar appliances. While these are all commendable ideas for helping create a net-zero home, a more accessible means of improving energy efficiency for all Denver area homes is to improve the quality of the insulation. Better insulation means fewer thermal bridges in the building envelope, more effective air and moisture barriers, and improved R-value. Some trending ideas include adding polyiso exterior wall insulation beneath the cladding, replacing outdated fiberglass batts with natural hemp insulation, and using silicone sealants to fill cracks in any window-to-wall transitions.

Radiant Floor Heating

Hard flooring options, such as polished concrete and engineered hardwood, definitely make a statement in a home. They are also highly desirable for their ease of maintenance. However, they do tend to get a bit cold on those nippy Rocky Mountain mornings. To help alleviate this problem, many houses are leveraging the benefits of radiant floor heating. Using a series of subfloor electrical mats, radiant heating systems diffuse heat up through the floor in a consistent, stovelike manner. This warms the floor and eliminates cold pockets from the room--a process that requires a major spike in energy use from traditional forced air heating systems.

Sustainability Features

Sustainability features are those that are built to stand the test of time. In the process, they usually qualify as energy efficient because comparatively few resources are required for maintenance, upkeep, and replacement when compared to their more shabbily made counterparts.

Due to the wide range of temperatures, increasing threat of forest fires, and annual snowfall, Denver residents are placing greater emphasis than ever on sustainability features. Some ways they are incorporating sustainability into custom homes include:

• Metal roofs to better reflect UV rays and resist snow accumulation
• Synthetic stucco that uses a layered approach for moisture resistance
• Storm windows that resist impact from projectile debris
• Vented soffit to improve circulation in the attic to prevent mold formation

By incorporating these features into new builds, homeowners can lower the costs of homeownership while also appealing to a sustainability-minded resale market.

5 Key Denver Home Building Trends for 2023

Denver has been at the epicenter of westward migration since the turn of the century, with the incoming traffic unlikely to slow anytime soon. As a result, it is of the utmost importance to stay ahead of the latest home building trends to stand out in a highly competitive market. To this effect, innovative home offices, increased natural lighting, higher amounts of insulation, radiant floor heating, and more sustainability features are 5 key Denver home building trends to keep an eye on in 2023.

Rachel Tolander is a freelance writer that loves sharing her knowledge and experience in residential remodeling, construction, and safety. She lives in a small town North of Austin, Texas where she spends her free time cheering on her son at his ball games and spending time with her family. Rachel’s work as a freelance writer can be found on Building Product Advisor, a new construction industry resource launching in Fall 2022.
 

The views, opinions and positions expressed within this guest post are those of the author alone and do not necessarily represent those of the Denver Metro Association of Realtors®. The accuracy, completeness and validity of any statements made within this article are not guaranteed. We accept no liability for any errors, omissions or representations. The copyright of this content belongs to the author and any liability with regards to infringement of intellectual property rights remains with them.

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