New Home Design that Goes To the Dogs

2009 April 13

tags: homebuilder marketing, homebuilder strategy, LEED design, New Home Design, Pet friendly Home Design

by Brendan Miller

In an age when dogs get massages, see therapists, get Christmas gifts, and have birthday parties now is the time for homebuilders to start thinking about designing home features and community amenities around the family pet. It may also be one way to get fresh prospects in the door during the downturn. Pet related industries have not been hit as hard by the recession, which shows strong consumer desire to care for pets even though there is less disposable income.

Take a look at these statistics:

About 63% of U.S. households have a pet, the American Pet Products Association found in its 2007-2008 pet owners survey.
The average owner spends $580 to $875 a year on food and care for their dog, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals says.
PetSmart opened 112 new stores and 45 new PetHotels during 2008. The chain’s 2008 fourth quarter net income was $78.4 million, or $.62 per share.
American Pet Products Association estimated that in 2009, Americans will spend an approximate $45.4 billion on their pets — a $2.2 billion increase from what pet owners shelled out in 2008.

http://www.zootoo.com/petnews/bearmarketcantdogpetindustrysn-1231

According to the American Pet Association:

22% of Dog owners celebrate their dog’s birthday
More than half of American dog owners are more attached to their pets than to at least one other human being.
39% of America’s pet owners display their pet’s picture in their home.
16% of America’s pet owners keep a picture of their pet in their wallet or purse
70% of dog owners admit to giving their dog a Christmas gift.

Bob Vetere, President of the American Pet Products Association recently made the following comments during the release of research findings during the 2009 Global Pet Expo, “people are cutting back on a lot of areas, but are not cutting back on their pets. They are postponing those vacations or downgrading their cars just to make sure that Fido and Fluffy are well taken care of.” Given the constant influx of negative news on the economy, it can be hard to believe that the pet industry is faring as well as it is, Vetere concedes. Yet he cites an increasing number of empty-nest baby boomers, in addition to society’s overall humanization of pets, as contributing factors behind the trend. “Baby boomers have had their children leave home and move on, and they are looking for something else to care for. Especially in stressful times, focusing on pets can make people feel more at ease,” Vetere says of why people care about their pets now more than ever before. “People find animals comforting,” he said. “It’s a very compelling drive right now.”

According to Susan Bady of Professional Builder magazine (http://www.housingzone.com/blog/110000611/post/720042872.html), kitchen designers surveyed in December 2008 by the Research Institute for Cooking & Kitchen Intelligence (RICKI for short) said there has been an increase in requests to create such things as pet feeding stations, pull-out beds integrated into kitchen cabinets, steps up to a window seat for a small dog and a custom bird cage that puts the bird on center stage in the kitchen.

dog3 Furthermore, Honda is now building a pet friendly version of its popular Element model and Toyota is coming out with “pet options” for its new Venza model. The new version of the Element features a built-in bed in the cargo area, a private electric cooling fan, a spill-proof water bowl, a doggie ramp to enter and exit the vehicle, and a mesh net to keep animals separated from people. Rubber floor mats are embellished with a dog-bone design to top it off.

There are many ways homebuilders can take advantage of these trends in their home designs and communities. Here are a few to start considering:

In the home:

Build an indoor safe space for a dog or cat that can be closed off easily from the rest of the house. This space can be used as an indoor kennel.
In kitchens build cabinets to hold pet food, roll out drawers for pet food bowls and water.
In the garage build a dog shower to wash fido or to clean his dirty paws before he enters the house.
Use pet friendly flooring materials that will be more resistant to pet spills
Build a dog run, and place landscape in areas where it won’t get trampled

In the community:

Create a dog playground that is the center of the community.
Turn a rarely used pocket park into dog park
Partner with companies that offer pet services such as doggie-day care, poo pick-up, or vet services.
Install lots of dog sanitation stations through-out the community
Install dog water fountains

dog4

Creating a pet-based theme to market the community could be very break-through as well. Tapping into people’s love for pets if done properly could be a very strong emotional pull. A pet-themed marketing approach would no-doubt garner national media attention and PR for a builder. It couldalso be a way to differentiate a neighborhood inside a larger master-planned community.

How else could builders use pets as a way to differentiate their homes and communities? If there are any builders taking this approach already I would love to hear about them. Please pass on their website.