Upscale Garages.

The garage is no longer the "out-of-sight, out-of-mind" dumping ground. Today's garage owners want them decked out with cabinet and storage systems, mini-refrigerators, insulation, heating and air conditioning and durable, residential-looking flooring.

Caving.

"Man Caves" and "Mom Caves" are coming out of the closet. Personal, dedicated space where one can work on projects or relax without being disturbed are in huge demand!

Two home offices.

Rising gas prices and commuting times have created more "two-work-at-home" families. Size matters and each home office should be at least ten-by-ten feet.

Rejuvenation rooms.

Luxury is key here with a one-stop space for exercising, meditation, yoga, sauna and fancy steam showers. Showers are going upscale, too, with waterfall fixtures and programmable temperature and water flow.

Heated patios, walkways and driveways.

Northern baby-boomers are tired of shoveling and want to decrease winter maintenance; plus, many have discovered that heating the patio adds extra enjoyment in spring and fall.

Modular housing.

Many think of the out-dated double-wide as the typical modular, but modular (panelized) options and quality have exploded from the top end 11,000 square foot home, with every whistle and bell and complex finishing details, to the bread and butter 1200 square foot starter home. Low-cost, factory-built construction and quick conception to foundation times make this the affordable wave of the future. Sustainable design. Sustainable design is based on three areas: energy conservation, indoor air quality, and resource conservation. Viewed as new age in construction circles, sustainable design looks at homes holistically, maximizing natural forms of energy, such as wind, solar, and geo-thermal, if available, on-site.

Structured wiring. Right up there with all the buzz about green homes is structured wiring, now entering the main stream must-have for technology-based home buyers. Coaxial TV cable (RG-6), Category 5E voice and data lines, distributed radio, remote camera security are wired throughout a home into multi-outlet boxes called home network centers. Mixing finishes on kitchen base and wall cabinets. Matchy-matchy is out in kitchen design. The new look is to have stained-wood bases and painted wood upper cabinets. The "old-Europe-look" rules, but people still want today's modern appliances.

In part three of this series we'll discuss what's out in today's real estate market.

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Kris Kombrink has been working in his family-owned real estate business since 1995. Specializing in Geneva, St Charles and Batavia Illinois residential real estate his team stays on top of the latest trends while maintaining superior customer. Learn more about his team at http://www.kombrink.com or email kris@kombrink.com