Novus Homes is a Western Australian success story and is one of the most respected and highly awarded builders in the Perth market.
This study analyses years of Google search data to reveal which home features Australians are consistently prioritising, how those preferences are shifting over time and what this means for future home design.
Methodology & Data Parameters
Methodology
To understand the features Australian homebuyers are searching for most, we analysed Google search trends over the past 5 years, using Australia-wide data. We focused on keywords with meaningful monthly search volume (200+ searches), so the results reflect consistent interest from real users.
In selected cases, we also examined longer-term historical trends beyond the 5-year window to provide additional context for major structural shifts in demand.
Each category was tracked to show how interest has changed over time. This in turn allows us to identify what home features are rising in popularity, which are steady and which are on their way out.
Why search intent is a reliable proxy for buyer demand
Search behaviour provides a clear indication of what people are actively considering when designing or building a home. When a feature is repeatedly searched, it signals real intent and helps highlight what's becoming a priority in the market.
By observing patterns over a 5-year period, we can highlight not only current favourites but also some emerging trends that could shape the next generation of home design.
Alfresco & Outdoor Kitchen: Correlated Growth with Seasonal Search Cycles
Across the past 5 years, alfresco-related searches have displayed a clear pattern of sustained interest in outdoor living spaces, with noticeable seasonal spikes occurring in spring and early summer in Australia.
Spring in Australia typically brings more comfortable daytime temperatures and longer daylight hours, which encourages people to consider planning outdoor living areas and alfresco spaces as they prepare for warmer months.
The trends data indicate that what had been a strong interest in “alfresco” concepts now broadly shows “outdoor kitchen” search terms growing more rapidly from approximately 2024 onwards. This suggests that, while outdoor living continues to be a strong priority for Australian homeowners, there is growing interest in more purpose-built entertaining spaces, with “outdoor kitchen” now attracting higher search demand than broader “alfresco” terms.
Either way, outdoor spaces are not going anywhere and continue to be a mainstay in Australian homes.
Verdict: Rising (long-term), with consistent seasonal peaks and accelerating growth in outdoor kitchen demand.
Home Office: COVID-Driven Spike and Its Residual Baseline Effect
Home office-related searches show one of the clearest trend movements across the five-year dataset. The graph below shows the trend of “home office” searches in Google dating back to 2004.
Interest spikes sharply between March and July 2020, reflecting the widespread shift to remote work during the early stages of COVID-19. While search demand gradually declined after this initial surge, it never returned to pre-2020 levels.
Instead, interest has stabilised at a noticeably higher baseline, suggesting that dedicated workspaces remain a lasting consideration for Australian buyers. Recent months have also indicated renewed momentum, reinforcing the continued relevance of home offices and study nooks in modern home design.
Verdict: Rising long-term, with a major spike in 2020 followed by sustained residual demand.
Theatre Room: Declining Relative Share Against Functional Alternatives
Over the past five years, theatre room-related searches have shown no meaningful long-term growth in search interest, with overall demand remaining relatively steady across the period. While the category continues to attract consistent attention, it hasn’t demonstrated the same upward movement seen in other home feature searches.
Search behaviour has remained broadly stable across different market conditions, including periods of significant change in how Australians use their homes (COVID, remote work, cost-of-living). Despite this, there’s been no sustained increase in interest, indicating that demand for dedicated theatre rooms has remained largely unchanged over time.
The data suggests that theatre rooms continue to appeal to a relatively niche segment of buyers who prioritise dedicated entertainment areas. However, this interest has not expanded significantly beyond its established audience, resulting in a stable but non-growing trend profile over the 5-year period.
Changing consumer preferences towards mobile devices, particularly in younger demographics, may see the appeal of theatre rooms fall over time but the data is yet to reflect this.
Verdict: Steady, with consistent but non-expanding search demand over time.
Open Plan Living: Mixed Signal or Market Maturation?
Search interest in “open plan living” over the past five years shows a highly irregular pattern, with frequent spikes in interest followed by sharp drops back to low baseline levels. Rather than a steady upward or downward trend, the data reflects inconsistent search volume over time.
Across the dataset, there’s no sustained directional movement that would indicate clear long-term growth or decline. Instead, interest appears episodic, with short periods of heightened attention followed by extended low activity.
In the most recent portion of the timeframe, we observe stronger and more frequent peaks. More consistent volume implies a recent upward trend although data remains inconclusive.
Overall, the data suggests that “open plan living” remains a recognised design concept, but search behaviour does not indicate any kind of consistent growth in active research over time. Regardless, open plan designs remain a prominent philosophy in the Australian home market.
Verdict: Inconclusive, with intermittent spikes and no sustained directional trend barring a recent minor uplift.
Home Gym: Post-COVID Baseline Reset and Gradual Upward Drift
Search interest in “home gym” shows a clear structural shift following the COVID-19 period, where demand spiked sharply before settling into a new, higher baseline compared to pre-pandemic levels. The graph below shows searches for “home gym” from 2004 to the present day.
During the initial COVID period, interest surged as home-based training became a necessity rather than a preference. After this peak, search activity declined from its extreme highs but didn’t return to earlier baseline levels, instead stabilising at a consistently elevated floor of demand.
Across the most recent subsection of the dataset, there's an indication of a gradual upward drift in interest, with recurring spikes suggesting renewed engagement rather than one-off activity. This pattern reflects an ongoing consumer awareness of home fitness rather than temporary pandemic-driven behaviour.
Overall, the trend suggests that home gym interest has transitioned from an emergency-driven spike into a long-term, structurally higher level of demand, with ongoing incremental growth over time.
Verdict: Rising, with a post-COVID reset and gradual upward trajectory.
Secondary Indicators: Mudrooms, Pools, Solar & Security
Mudrooms
Mudroom-related search terms have shown a gradual upward trend over the past five years, with interest increasing from a relatively low base. The data suggests growing awareness of dedicated transition spaces between outdoors and indoors, particularly in homes designed for active households.
Rather than short-term spikes, mudroom searches demonstrate a steady build in baseline interest, indicating that the concept is becoming more familiar and increasingly considered in new home design discussions.
Verdict: Rising, with steady baseline expansion over time.
Home Pools
Search interest in home pools has shown a clear cyclical pattern with strong seasonal influence, alongside a broader upward shift in baseline demand. Interest typically strengthens in warmer periods, reflecting planning and decision-making around summer lifestyle use.
Over the five-year period, the data suggests that while seasonality remains a dominant factor, overall interest has held firm or grown slightly rather than declining, indicating sustained appeal as a lifestyle feature despite cost and site constraints.
2025 shows a noticeably higher peak, which may portend future climbs in interest. As Australia’s average block sizes decrease, home pools may see a resurgence as they become more of a status symbol.
Verdict: Rising, with stable-to-increasing long-term demand.
Solar Panels
Solar panel-related searches demonstrate a clear and sustained upward trend over the five-year period, with growth supported by ongoing energy cost and efficiency considerations as well as increased awareness of environmental sustainability.
The data shows that interest isn’t purely cyclical, but structurally stronger over time, with higher baseline levels in recent times compared to earlier years. This suggests solar moving from what was once considered an optional upgrade to a much more mainstream feature of modern homes. Recent anxiety around electricity prices and energy stability have only strengthened interest.
Verdict: Strongly rising, with consistently increasing baseline demand.
Home Security
Home security searches show a notable upward shift in interest across the past five years, with particular acceleration in more recent years. This reflects increased homeowner attention on safety, monitoring and smart-home integration.
The trend indicates that the home security industry is no longer limited to traditional alarm systems, but is increasingly associated with broader connected-home technology and property-wide integration. This expansion of scope contributes to a higher and more sustained level of search activity.
Verdict: Rising, with broadening demand driven by smart-home adoption and security awareness.
What This Means If You're About to Build
Across the datasets, the highest and most consistent search volumes are concentrated in alfresco and outdoor kitchens, home offices and home gyms, followed by a strong and growing interest in solar, home security and mudrooms.
Lower relative and more stable search activity is seen in theatre rooms and open plan living, which don’t show the same level of sustained demand growth over time.
For anyone building, this matters because search behaviour is a reliable indicator of what people are actively looking for when planning, building or evaluating homes. Features with the highest and most sustained demand are the ones most likely to influence perceived value and relevance at resale, while lower-growth categories are less likely to be key differentiators in buyer decision-making.
Focusing design and investment on the features with the strongest, most consistent demand improves alignment with what the market is currently prioritising, namely outdoor living, flexible workspaces, energy efficiency and home functionality.
Planning a new build and want to design with the right priorities in mind? Get in touch.