The housing market is in a recession and many builders are seeking an advantage to help them sell their homes. The outside of a house is the first thing a buyer sees and is the first impression in their mind of that house. A good first impression can help put a potential homebuyer in the right frame of mind before they even step foot in the door.
On the flip side, a bad first impression can put the homebuyer in the wrong mind frame causing them to miss many of the bonus features a home has to offer on the inside. Because of this, it is crucial to set the tone properly with the right curb appeal. Window boxes are a great way to add curb appeal to a home and can add a distinct look that helps bring the landscaping up to and on the house. The builders bloom of 2006 has come to a halt and now there are many builders in 2008 sitting on houses.
For the last couple years many of these builders have been trying to build a better house cheaper and sometimes this has meant cutting corners or keeping the exterior simple to lower costs. These builder are now struggling to get home buyers in the front door. With a flooded buyers market, builders are having to go back and add extras, upgrades, and incentives to pull their clients in.
Not surprisingly, window flower box sells have actually increased despite the large drop in homes sold. Many homeowners who can't sell their homes have joined in and decided to upgrade their homes to be more appealling. Even the home owners who are trying to sell are having to dress up their homes to get any attention. PVC material is beginning to be seen for window box applications to help make them maintenance free. This is a great selling point for builders and homeowners struggling to sell homes.
Because the material is resistant to rotting and maintenance free, many builders are using it as a selling point and upgrade feature. PVC and other composite materials now on the market are helping to bring architectural accents and details back by giving them more lasting power and less maintenance. Detailed accents that normally rotted out can now be added to a home and last virtually forever. Architecture during the 20th century has shifted from the craftsman style filled with details to the track home style of simple, easy to repeat homes. The housing recession will certainly work to reverse some of that by not only correcting the housing market, but also by correcting the architecture.
Don't be surprised to see craftsman style homes and french-country architecture make a comeback.
Matt Buquoi is the owner of Flower Window Boxes. They sell custom window boxes and window boxes to builders and homeowners all across the nation.
