"Future Proofing" - A major trend in home buying
July 15 2008 / by Antonio Manfredi / In association with Future Blogger.net
Category: The Home Year: General Rating: 15 Hot
With all the media attention focused on the financial chaos of
the housing industry, technology is emerging as an even more
powerful force of change. More and more home buyers are placing
emphasis on technology, or lack thereof, in the process of buying
their new home. This is causing a surge in demand for technologies
that are changing the way we have looked at homes for generations,
all 
driven by an increasingly educated home buyer that’s
looking toward the future for efficient new products and
solutions.
Industry experts, corporations, and consumers are all pointing to the same trend within the housing industry: the home is no longer looked at as mere bricks and mortar, but rather as a technological platform with the capability to adapt. Technology is seen as a means to carry the concept of an affordable and liveable private home into the 21st century, a concept now under attack.
Homes, followed by cars, represent the single biggest investment for the average American. They also consume the most resources, causing the biggest pain to our wallets. They are also a place where we spend a significant amount of time, perhaps our most important resource of all. There is no doubt that the home represents a major part of our lives, both economically and in terms of quality of life.
Despite some advances the home has been slow to change hundreds of years. Studies have shown that the housing industry has been the least innovative of our major industries despite its size. Most people realize this is unsustainable, given the problems facing the world today. In response consumers are creating an insatiable demand for technology within the home. (cont.)
