Supersizing The Suburban McMansion

Top home builders report that the top-selling designs are home with more and bigger rooms.

1 minute read

August 18, 2005, 9:00 AM PDT

By Chris Steins @planetizen


"Even as economists debate whether discounts on some high-end homes signal a broader softening in the housing market, one indicator continues to rise: The biggest homes in suburbia are getting even bigger. The nation's largest builders of luxury homes say their top-selling designs lately have expanded to include more bathrooms, giant master-suite closets and extra rooms designated as teen dens, hobby rooms or even "bonus" rooms. Toll Brothers, of Horsham, Pa., says its best-selling plan this year has a base size of 4,800 square feet -- 1,600 bigger than its top seller of five years ago. WCI Communities, of Bonita Springs, Fla., says the most popular plan in its Mid-Atlantic region measures 5,425 square feet, up 250 square feet from its 2000 bestseller."

Thanks to Chris Steins

Thursday, August 18, 2005 in Wall St. Journal

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