5 Trends in Multi-Family Housing Features
Multi-family housing will always play an important role in the housing market. But with many cities dealing with high demand for housing and an abundance of underutilized commercial buildings, creating multi-family housing through adaptive reuse has become a popular solution for both of these problems in recent years. According to RentCafe, the number of housing units created through adaptive reuse projects reached a record high of 122,000 in 2023. With the right features, multi-family housing can be much more than just a place to live, it can help build thriving and active communities. So, what features are people looking for today?
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Eco-Friendly Features
For many people, leading environmentally friendly lifestyles has become a big priority, leading to growing demand for features like solar panels, smart thermostats and lighting systems, community gardens, and access to charging stations for electric vehicles in multi-family housing units. The environmentally friendly housing trend perfectly ties in with the adaptive reuse trend since adaptive reuse is an inherently environmentally friendly construction process. This way, existing buildings and materials remain in use and materials that are still useful don’t end up in landfills.
Smaller Spaces
Sometimes, bigger isn’t always better when it comes to places to live. Many people like the idea of downsizing their homes so that they can have a more minimalist lifestyle. For people who value being environmentally friendly, smaller living spaces can help them reduce their carbon footprint. Small apartments or condos can also simply be more affordable, especially for younger adults. All of these factors have made studio apartments and even micro-apartments popular lately.
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Tech-Driven Amenities
Providing Wi-Fi as a service, rather than having residents arrange for their own internet access, has become one of the most in-demand amenities, but that’s not the only way technology can make life easier for residents. Smart lockers for package deliveries, for example, can give people the peace of mind of knowing their packages will be kept safe after being delivered. Another popular trend involves providing residents with a dedicated app where they can do things like pay their rent and make maintenance requests. Smart keys and video intercoms are both also very desirable features.
Amenities to Support Remote Work
Remote and hybrid work remain very popular and it’s impacting the features people want in their multi-family housing. In addition to providing access to Wi-Fi, dedicated co-working spaces can give residents a way to socialize and connect with their neighbors while they work. Other types of communal spaces, like outdoor courtyards, are another feature that can be popular with remote workers.
Wellness-Centered Features
Amenities that make it easy for people to take better care of themselves and develop healthy habits are very attractive. Fitness centers have long been popular amenities in multi-family housing, but features like pools, pickleball courts, rooftop gardens, walking trails, and storage space for bikes are all excellent options to consider as well. Not only do these features help residents focus on their personal wellness, they can also be great ways to help foster a sense of community.
Do you have a new multi-family housing project in the works? Premier Construction & Design has experience designing and building out apartments and condos in the Metro Detroit area and would love to work with you. Contact us so that our team can learn more about your project.
