A recent survey from the National Association of Home Builders found that two-thirds of homebuyers would pay more for a home with ceilings above the 8 feet, Forbes reports.
One of the reasons buyers and renters are willing to pay more may be scientific evidence about high ceilings’ impact on the human brain. Specifically, studies over the past dozen years have shown high ceilings encourage creativity and free thinking.
The trends in buyer preferences clearly show growing interest in high ceilings. NAHB’s October 1, 2018 “Trends in Home Buyer Preferences” report found that while 45% of buyers preferred eight-foot tall ceilings in 2003, by 2018 only 32% did. In that same 15-year stretch, the number preferring higher-than-eight-foot ceilings went from 54 to 67%.
This growing preference for high ceilings is increasingly evident despite several downsides to abundant overhead space. Most buyers are aware high ceilings both cost more to buy and are more expensive over time to heat and cool, low-ceilinged spaces being more energy efficient. As well, it is not as easy to clean high-ceilinged rooms. Rooms with cathedral ceilings can also present problems in placing furniture and art.
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