There's no wasted space these days. Builders are creating floor plans that use every square foot inside (and outside), embrace the idea of telecommuting, and give owners privacy and spaces to chill out and relax.

"Overall, in design you're seeing a transition from formal areas to less formal areas, areas that can be used more on a year-round basis," said Dan O'Dwyer, president of O'Dwyer Homes.

Christopher Oquendo/Special (ENLARGE)

Buyers want high-end finishes like marble and granite in the kitchen.

Ryland Homes (ENLARGE)

This Ryland home (rendering) has a keeping room, two masters and a 'flex room.' | View more photos

We found five top elements of floor plans in homes of all price ranges, and the 10 top finishes buyers expect.

BIG ROOM, BIG PURPOSE

The large rooms on the second floor that serve as home theaters, playrooms and offices, or a combination of all three, continue to pop up on floor plans.

"We've seen some increase in what we used to call media rooms, on the second floor, which people now really don't use as a media room or home theater so much as it's a gathering place for the kids," said Steve King, founder of Windwood Homes, which builds homes from the $280,000s to $550,000s.

As a result, the monikers "media room" and "bonus room" are going out of vogue, with most builders referring to it as a "flex space."

"These flex rooms are generously sized and can be dynamically converted to and from bedrooms, offices or media rooms," said John Hogan, CEO of Viscaya Development Group, which is developing The Residences at Lullwater Park, an Atlanta townhome community.

He added that they must be thoughtfully designed to be capable of accommodating the unique functions of each use, especially with the appropriate wiring locations. In addition to prewiring them for surround sound and flat screen TVs, some builders are outfitting them with built-in bookshelves and desks.

KEEPING TOGETHER

Keeping rooms, which are adjacent to the kitchen, are showing up in homes priced as low as the $200,000s. The most popular Springdale Homes floor plan at The Preserve East Atlanta, for example, is a 2,400-square-foot design with a keeping room off the kitchen, said Beth Ann Clanin, a real estate agent with Bo Bridgeport Brokers.

O'Dwyer is including the rooms in his communities, priced from the $200,000s to $500,000s. "They can be part of the central gathering element that is popular today with our buyers," he said.

As a result, buyers are spending more to make those spaces hotspots, with stone around fireplaces, TVs and stereo systems not only in that room and the kitchen but throughout the home, said Doug Cotter of Cotter Properties.

AIDING ORGANIZATION

Builders are carving out nooks for mini offices and storage throughout the home – and, sometimes, even before you walk in the door.

Judie Woodall, executive vice president of John Willis Homes, said her company is seeing a tremendous demand for garage storage systems. They're also adding counter spaces, built-in sinks and tool holders in garages in their homes, which range from the $400,000s to more than $1 million.

She also said buyers are asking for areas in the garage where family members can take off wet shoes, stash umbrellas or put away athletic equipment.

Once inside, builders realize the need for a small space to pay bills, keep track of schedules and even check e-mails on the run. So instead of a kitchen desk, they're creating an "office nook" with an Internet connection, storage space and enough room for a laptop. But it can be hidden away when not needed.

"The best place for this is somewhere in between the kitchen and the great room," Hogan said. "It's light administration of the household in this office nook."

PRIVATE RETREAT

In master suites, builders like Cotter are finding that buyers are asking for more, in terms of breakfast bars, walk-in closets and separate laundry rooms, sunrooms and covered porches.

"Everybody seems to want their own private living space," said Cotter, who builds homes in the $400,000s and $500,000s. "Everybody's spending so much time working, and you're stuck in traffic, or you're dealing with kids and sports, I gotta tell you, it's all set up for easier living and comfort."

With buyers wanting to have the master as a retreat, sitting areas are mandatory.

"The parents want a private sitting area that's away from the great room or away from that area of the house," Hogan said.

In the bathrooms, builders are being asked to include larger showers with jetted spa plumbing features, saunas and oversize tubs and include features such as fireplaces and TVs.

"The shower is taking on a totally different experience," she said. "They are large enough where two shower heads and jetted sprays are able to accommodate two people. It's really taking it to more of a spa level."

And buyers want to provide this for their guests as well, so dual master plans take care of that need. Brian Johnson, field sales manager for Ryland Homes, said buyers are seeking plenty of space, especially in the owner's suites and family/entertaining areas. Four Ryland communities – Canterbury, The Estates of Southland, River Vista Estates and James Creek – feature double master home plans.

GETTING OUT

Single-family home, townhome and condo builders are all placing a greater focus on creating outdoor environments.

"Just about every house we do now has a sunroom," said King, who builds in Tremont in Barrow County, Ivey Chase in Gwinnett County and Hillside Trace in Forsyth County.

At Residences at Lullwater Park, priced from $499,000 to $850,000, the covered rooftop terraces in some of the units will have 380 square feet. That's enough room for dining for six and a living room-style area that also seats six, Hogan said.

Details commonly seen in these spaces include outdoor flat screen TVs, cooking areas, lighting, ceiling fans and covered trellises.

"The deck area or the patio area is now becoming an integral part of the home," O'Dwyer said. "People just love to be able to sit out and enjoy the great things about Atlanta, which are the springs and the falls. We have wonderful springs and falls here."

To ensure that the outdoors is an extension of inside entertainment areas, some buyers are selecting stone floors that flow from the indoors out, Woodall said.

The outdoor living spaces at The Brookwood average 6-by-13-foot balconies, said Mark Riley, managing partner of Urban Realty Partners. At the Brookwood, which broke ground in April at Peachtree and 28th streets, Toronto design firm Cecconi Simone turned the units 90 degrees to emphasize the natural light. The units are priced from the $500,000s to $900,000s.

"Often in many plans, when you first walk in, you don't even see the exterior. You're in a corridor or at the back part of the unit; you have to walk to the room with the glass to see the natural light," Riley said. "Our units at the Brookwood, the central focus is a great room that has a whole window wall of glass, and the kitchen is part of that. As soon as you walk in most of the homes, you'll have a panoramic view. They're less deep and wider."

Along those lines, King has been adding more skylights, using round ones that create a dome effect in the master bathroom and family rooms with high ceilings.

"They're not your mother's skylight," he said. "These are modern."

FEATURES AND FINISHES

Buyers now are looking for more than just space, Woodall said. "They're not keyed in on square footage as much as higher level of finishes."

She and other builders helped us identify the top 10 details that buyers desire.

1. Granite or marble kitchen countertops.

2. Stainless steel, built-in kitchen appliances such as Sub-Zero

3. Large kitchen islands that stand out, with a different style and color than the rest of the kitchen

4. Built-in wine coolers

5. Jetted tubs and separate showers

6. Tile floor and surround in all bathrooms

7. 10-foot ceilings that are coffered or have other architectural details, instead of being vaulted

8. Surround sound systems

9. Dual zone climate controls

10. Hardwood floors